NBA Draft: Washington Wizards trade for the 42nd pick, draft Admiral Schofield

Just when we thought the Washington Wizards were done on draft night, they made a late trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Washington Wizards went into draft night with only one pick to their names, but the Washington Wizards made sure they didn’t leave the Barclays Center with just one new player.

In the twilight of the first round, The Atletic’s Shams Charania announced that the Washington Wizards had finally found a way into the second round by trading for 29-year-old journeyman wing Jonathon Simmons and the 42nd overall pick in the draft.

With the 42nd pick, the Wizards ended up drafting Admiral Schofield out of Tennessee’s. Schofield’s a big, experienced guard. Schofield spent four seasons with the Volunteers, expanding his role each year. Over his final two seasons, Schofield started in all but one game.

And he can shoot the lights out. Schofield averaged 39.5 percent from three during his junior year while averaging 4.6 attempts per game. His senior season, he upped that clip, putting up 4.8 three-pointers a game. And he shot a better percent, too: 41.8 percent.

Simmons isn’t a bad piece here either. The Wizards get their third wing of the night and one that could help the Wizards address more than a few of their deficiencies. Simmons is an above average wing defender, something the Wizards desperately missed all season long, especially after the departure of Kelly Oubre. But above all, Simmons is a hard-nosed, hard-working grinder. The Wizards can definitely use some of his grit, and they’ve got more than enough in their new veteran wing.

But the Wizards could decide to cut Simmons and just chalk it up as the cost of the 42nd pick. Simmons’ numbers dropped pretty significantly last season as he slowly faded out of the Orlando Magic‘s rotation and then struggled to establish a role with the Philadelphia 76ers. If the Wizards decide to cut Simmons, they’d be smart to do it before July 1.  If the Wizards cut him before July 1, it’d only cost them $1 million. After that, he’s guaranteed $5.7 million.

The fact that the Wizards even bought into the second round is news itself, regardless of who they might have taken. In his first draft with full control, Tommy Sheppard is taking chances and valuing draft picks. It’s a stark contrast from the old regime that traded away all of Washington’s second-round picks through the 2023 NBA Draft.