Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard held media availability Monday morning answering questions about the team and its future ahead of the upcoming NBA draft Thursday.
Questions were mostly focused on the Wizards plans for the draft, be it to draft at #10, their current position, make a trade for a viable starter or trade up in the draft in order to select at a higher position.
The Wizards have been linked to a number of teams ahead of the draft, including Sacramento and Indiana, with rumors of Washington’s front office looking into trading the #10 pick for the Pacers’ Malcolm Brogdon, or swapping picks and players with Sacramento in order to nab the #4 overall pick, which is likely to be Purdue’s Jaden Ivey.
Sheppard said that, while fit is important, he thinks they will be selecting the highest-talent player still on the board at #10, should they still hold that pick come draft day.
“There’s not a position that we don’t need depth in, but I don’t think we’re going to do anything but take the best player available,” Sheppard told media members in attendance.
With their last winning season coming in the 2018-18 campaign, Washington has been in NBA Draft limbo since then, performing poorly enough to only be on the fringes of playoff contention each of the last five years — finishing 8th, 11th, 9th, 8th and 12th — and just well enough to miss out on top draft position.
While the Wizards are once again picking in later first-round position than fans may like, there are diamonds in the rough each year if you know where to look for them, according to Sheppard.
“Where do stars come from? You like to say you usually have to have one of the top three picks — I know Giannis has something to tell you about that, Jokic,” Sheppard said. “Sometimes you have to be patient.”
Sheppard also shared that Washington currently has five players on its draft board, all of whom Sheppard believes will still be available when it comes Washington’s time to make their selection.
“We think they’ll be there,” Sheppard said.
In addition to answering questions about the draft, Sheppard shared his thoughts on the point guard position for next season, with ideas ranging from Beal handling the lead guard duties, to relying on a larger cast of playmakers across position — “There’s going to be a lot more hands on it” — to acquiring a point guard who can generate rim pressure and paint penetration.
“I don’t think we have one under contract right now,” Sheppard said. “But we have the confidence Bradley can do it, we have some other players that we think can be secondary playmakers.”
Furthermore, Tomas Satoransky, the NBA journeyman and former Wizard who returned late this season to plug the hole at point guard, is likely headed back to Europe to play for FC Barcelona, first reported by Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. Satoranksy played 22 games this year for the Wizards, averaging 4.9 points, 4.9 assists and 2.8 rebounds for Washington.
In terms of who the team will hope to fill the starting point guard role next season, Sheppard said he doesn’t believe there is such a thing as a ‘pure point guard’ left in the league, and doesn’t believe one is a prerequisite to team success.
Sheppard has a few essential qualities he said he will look for in the Wizards’ next floor general, with paint penetration being the focal point.
“A very good decision-maker who sees the floor very well and is capable of getting in the paint — I think we need a lot more of that,” Sheppard said.