Recent Wizards NBA Draft workout compared to Defensive Player of the Year

When the Washington Wizards traded Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis last offseason, they entered a new era of basketball for the franchise, but that meant a huge rebuild.

In their first season with a new and developing young core, the Wizards had the worst winning percentage in franchise history, but that was to be expected.

As a result of their terrible season, Washington earned the second-overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and with it, they will have a chance to get another top prospect to pair with Bilal Coulibaly and Deni Avdija.

The NBA Draft is inching closer and closer, as it’s now a two-day event and it will take place on June 26 and 27. And as draft day gets closer, the Wizards have started to complete pre-draft workouts.

Some of the top prospects they have already worked out, according to HoopsHype’s official database, are France’s Alex Sarr, G League Ignite’s Matas Buzelis, UConn’s Donovan Clingan, and Colorado’s Cody Williams.

Alex Sarr, who worked out for the Washington Wizards, was compared to Defensive Player of the Year winner Jaren Jackson Jr.

One of the guys on that list was recently compared to a recent NBA Defensive Player of the Year. According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, Sarr’s NBA comparisons are Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., who won the DPOY award in 2023, and Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac.

Obviously, based on those comparisons, Sarr is projected to be an elite defensive talent. He’s widely predicted to be one of the top picks in this year’s draft, with a lot of outlets picking him to go first overall to the Atlanta Hawks.

That said, if he does end up falling to pick No. 2, the Wizards would be smart to consider drafting him, as a defensive talent of Sarr’s caliber could help transform their style of play on that end of the court.

According to O’Connor, Sarr’s best traits are his on-ball defense, shot-blocking, positional versatility, and hustle. Those are all qualities any team would love to have on their squad.

With Sarr and Coulibaly in the frontcourt, the Wizards would establish an elite defensive pairing that could lead them into the future. It would be a top-notch combination for Washington.