Is Coby White the Answer for the Washington Wizards?

The NBA Draft is less than a week away, and the Washington Wizards have given no real indication of who, or how, they’ll be drafting. Coby White deserves some serious consideration.

Some say Coby White won’t fall as far as the Washington Wizards hope he does. The Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls both pick before the Wizards and could use a guard like White.

However, if you are a fan of any sport, you know the draft is like the playoffs: Anything can happen. Coby White May go way before the Wizards are on the clock but, if he’s there at number nine do you take him? We did in the 2019 NBA FanSided Network Mock Draft.

So yeah, why not?! If any of you remember, the Boston Celtics got Terry Rozier – a speedy, athletic, combo guard – with the 16th pick in the 2015 draft. White’s a similar player, and the Wizards can use someone with his skillset right away since John Wall will miss the entire 2019-2020 season.

Coby White can plug into Wall’s role for the entire season, allowing the Wizards to give Wall ample time to rest up and heal. It also offers White tons of experience in his rookie year, setting him up well developmentally.

If I’m Scott Brooks, my second reason for wanting White is because he can come off the bench and play shooting guard when Bradley Beal needs rest. Beal played well over 30 minutes per game with the absence of Wall. White can help shave off some of those heavy minutes keeping Beal a fresh(er) player for all 82 game season.

There will be plenty of players that will either be a bust or a successful first-round pick. However, if the Wizards trade Beal in a three-team trade, as rumored, and receive the 4th pick from the Lakers, they could snag White and a high-upside wing like Cam Reddish with two top-ten picks. In my opinion, if they got both White and Reddish, or even a chance at the two of them, the Wizards would be well on their way towards a successful rebuild. Plus, having that young talent could allow the Wizards to focus on trading Wall and shaving some of his money off the books.

Regardless of what happens, the Wizards aren’t really in a terrible position with the ninth pick as some suggest that they are. If the right General Manager is in place and knows how to pick talent, they could be fixed in two short years.