Four silver linings from a disappointing Wizards season

The Washington Wizards are set to have multiple picks in a loaded draft class.

Getting a premium pick from the 2023 NBA Draft would be the most significant silver lining from this season. The Wizards have the opportunity to select with the highest draft pick they had since drafting Otto Porter third overall in 2013.

With a 34-42 record, the Wiz currently have the eighth-best odds for the number-one overall pick. If they decide to shut it down for the season, they can go as high as the fifth-best odds, as only two games separate them from the Orlando Magic and the Portland Trail Blazers. If they finish with the eighth-worst record as they do now, this will mean a 26.3% chance of getting into the top 4 of the draft, as well as a 6% chance at the number one pick. If they manage to get all the way down to the fifth-worst record, we are talking about a whopping 40% chance to draft in the top 4, as well as a 10% chance at the first overall pick. It would behoove the Wizards to try to win as few games as possible the rest of the way. It would be organizational malpractice to not maximize their lottery odds with only six games left in the season.

In a draft class oozing with talents such as Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson, this could potentially change the fate of the franchise. The Wizards need a high-end prospect perhaps more than any other franchise in order to inject much-needed hope into the fanbase. And if this disappointing season ends up landing them Wembanyama, it will be remembered as a massive success. This circuitous road to premium talent would not have been my choice, but all’s well that ends well.