Kyshawn George has become one of the great draft picks for the Washington Wizards over the course of the team's rebuild,
Landing in Washington No. 24 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Miami product has developed into one of the most versatile prospects on the team up to this point of the season.
From a rookie season filled with flashes to a major leap throughout his sophomore campaign, George has become a player that has emerged as a building block in the Wizards' long-term plans.
Averaging 15.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists with shooting splits of 46.4% from field goal range and 39.9% from beyond the arc, the 22-year-old forward has continuously impressed with both his play on the floor and increased leadership on head coach Brian Keefe's team.
George has proven to be not only one of the best young players on the Wizards, but one of the best players in the entirety of the 2024 NBA Draft class.
And while he's seemingly carved out a long-term role in Washington, the versatile playmaker nearly found himself elsewhere on draft night.
Kyshawn George reveals the team who nearly drafted him
On a recent episode of The Old Man and The Three Podcast, George was asked about his draft night experience. Within his answer, the Wizards' rising star revealed that he thought he was bound to land elsewhere prior to falling to Washington in the first-round.
"It was very long," George said. "I had a couple teams that I had really good feedback and it was kinda my floor and they didn't pick me." When asked who the team was, George revealed that "it was Milwaukee."
The idea of the Milwaukee Bucks selected one pick ahead of the Wizards in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Not only is the fact that Milwaukee missed out on a high-upside prospect like George refreshing, but the fact the Bucks took AJ Johnson over George, who eventually found himself traded to Washington as part of the Khris Middleton-Kyle Kuzma swap makes George's comments even better.
Washington dodged a bullet in arguably the weakest draft class in recent memory, not only with the fact that Alex Sarr and George have become core pieces in the team's rebuild, but the reality that the Bucks nearly stole one of the team's best young prospects one pick ahead of them.
Fortunately, the Wizards and their fanbase don't have to think about the "what-if" when it comes to George.