The Washington Wizards haven't had the most luck when it comes to the NBA Draft.
After years of empty swings and poor selections, Washington has created a reputation for themselves that have left the fanbase feeling discouraged that even with a rebuild, the Wizards chances of contending in the East were minimal.
However, over the course of the last couple years, Washington has quietly turned their luck around and it all started with the 2024 NBA Draft.
Obviously, the draft was headlined for the Wizards with the selection of Alex Sarr with the No. 2 overall pick.
In one of the weakest draft classes in recent history, the fact that Sarr seems to have been a solid pick is an encouraging sign of its own.
In addition, the emergence of Kyshawn George is the exact reason the Wizards fanbase should be confident about the direction the team is headed in.
Wizards front office could turn things around finding hidden gems
According to NBA Draft guru Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, if there was a redraft of the 2024 NBA Draft, George may not have been available for when the Wizards pick came back around in the first round.
"I definitely would have him [George] in the top 7 or 8 guys in this class f I was redrafting right now," Vecenie said on a recent episode of The Game Theory Podcast. "He might be in the top five honestly, it's really close. Kyshawn looks like a real dude," he continued.
It's hard to argue that when it comes to George, especially after the leap he's taken throughout the start of his sophomore season.
Nonetheless, the optimism surrounding the Miami product's emergence is less about his rise and more about the fact that Washington's front office managed to find a hidden gem in the back half of the first round.
If the Wizards scouts are able to continue finding talent with great value, Washington has the chance to continue adding talented players, similar to the likes of Sam Presti in OKlahoma City.
The more talent the better and if the Wizards are able to keep assembling high-upside players, the rebuild is in good hands.
Regardless, with Sarr and George already looking like locks to be in the Wizards long-term future, the team's future is in good hands, especially if they continue to draft like they have been over this recent stretch.