The Washington Wizards have plenty of options to monitor ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft, but of the abundance of prospects at the top of the draft board, it seems like Washington could be zeroing in on a preferred playmaker.
NBA Insider Josh Robins of The Athletic took the time to take a deep dive into the flurry of possibilities that the Wizards face ahead of Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery.
Obviously, the preferred landing spot in the draft order is to have the No. 1 overall pick, where Washington could have their pick of the litter of blue-chip prospects on the board.
However, considering the team's bad luck over recent years, it's safe to expect the team is preparing for the worst possible outcome, which in this case would be landing the No. 5 overall pick.
The good news, though, is Washington reportedly views this draft as a six-player draft, and outside of the obvious names like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer, the next tier of names would be Caleb Wilson and Darius Acuff Jr.
And while Washington would have to reflect on their roster before choosing what name would be best for them, it seems they could already be favoring one player outside of the top 3.
Wizards could select Darius Acuff Jr. over Caleb Wilson
In this scenario, Robbins reflected on the team's possibilities if they were to land the No. 4 overall pick.
At this point of the draft, it's safe to assume that all three of Dybantsa, Peterson, and Boozer are off the board, which would leave the Wizards with a decision to choose between Wilson, who is picking up steam ahead of the NBA Draft Combine, and Darius Acuff Jr.
"As tantalizing as Wilson would be here, I think the Wizards would have to consider Acuff in this scenario, especially if he projects to be on par with the Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, an All-Star whom he has drawn comparisons to because of his scoring ability and height," Robbins wrote.
It's hard to argue with that projection either, especially considering how big a fan Trae Young is of what could be his future backcourt mate.
Washington could make best of any situation
The reality of this offseason is that with the Wizards not being able to fall lower than the No. 5 overall pick, it seems as if there's no scenario in which the team could mess this up.
Whether it's any of the top 3 players or a situation where the team is forced to select between Wilson and Acuff Jr., the Wizards are going to land a top player in the draft.
Still, it's good to know that the Wizards may have a preference depending on how the board falls and with how tapped in Robbins is to the organization, his prediction is worth noting.
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