In the midst of one of the worst seasons in franchise history, Washington Wizards fans have their focus set firmly on the 2024 NBA Draft and the team's future. New front office figures have brought the first true rebuild to the District in years, acquiring draft picks in hopes of getting the Wizards out of a 40-year tailspin.
For the first time, the NBA Draft will be a two-night event. On June 26th and 27th, the NBA will conduct its annual draft, in which the Wizards will be picking in the lottery for the fourth time in five years. Last June, Washington selected forward Jarace Walker from the University of Houston with the eighth overall pick, promptly trading him to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Bilal Coulibaly and future draft picks.
Where do the Washington Wizards pick in this year's draft?
As things stand, the Wizards are a near certainty to land in the lottery for the 2024 NBA Draft. The bottom 14 teams in the league are entered into the lottery with increasing odds of receiving the top selection the worse a given team finishes this season. With the club's current record, Washington has a strong chance of winning the draft lottery when the picks are revealed on May 12th in Chicago.
Four years ago, Washington traded their 2024 first-round selection with John Wall to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Russell Westbrook. The pick involved in the Wall-Westbrook trade is top-12 protected, meaning should the Wizards place within the top 12 spots in the lottery, the Wizards will have two first round picks during June's draft.
The second of the Wizards' two first-round picks was acquired at the trade deadline in early February when Washington shipped Daniel Gafford to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Richaun Holmes and draft compensation. Washington also has the rights to a first-round pick swap with the Phoenix Suns in 2024.
This draft will be the first since 2011 in which the Wizards have more than one selection in the first round. As for the second round of the draft, the Wizards received a 2024 second-round pick from the Suns as part of the return package for Bradley Beal this past June.
The 2024 NBA Draft kicks off with the first of two nights at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 26th.