Latest NBA mock draft shows Wizards aiming for an exciting new guard

In Jonathan Wasserman's latest NBA mock draft for Bleacher Report, the Washington Wizards are projected to pick second overall, trailing only the Detroit Pistons. As Wasserman mentions, this year's draft class is very much fit-dependent as no single player has separated themself in discussions of who will be taken with the first overall pick.

The 2024 NBA Draft kicks off with night one slated for June 26th. With a record of 9-47, Washington currently holds the second-worst record in the NBA, meaning the Wizards would be one of three teams with a 14 percent chance of winning the draft lottery.

Atop the draft, Wasserman believes the Pistons will select Alexandre Sarr, the 7'1" 18-year-old from France. Cited for his athleticism and mobility, Sarr is as close to a sure thing for a consensus first-overall pick as it gets in this draft class.

Following the selection of Sarr, Wasserman mocks the Wizards to take a shot at finding their point guard of the future, nabbing Nikola Topic with the second overall pick.

New NBA mock draft shows Wizards selecting point guard

The 18-year-old Nikola Topic is praised by scouts for his strength as a slasher, using his size and creativity as a finisher to will his way to some tough buckets around the rim. Coupled with his proficient playmaking ability, Topic dominated the Adriatic League before recently taking the step up to EuroLeague play. Wasserman had this to say about Topic:

"Leading the Adriatic League in assists and ranking second in scoring helped fuel Topić's rise into the top-five discussion. He experienced rare success (for his age) at that level creating advantages, slashing, finishing and facilitating, and while his three-point numbers don't pop, his shotmaking confidence and free-throw percentages have."

- Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report

Wasserman mocking Topic to the Wizards at second overall came as a surprise to some fans as Topic's mission to improve his draft stock has been put on hold for several weeks. The 6'6" guard suffered a sprained knee in the third quarter of a EuroLeague game against Partizan on January 4th. Topic has since returned to practice and is expected to return to game action soon.