The Washington Wizards historic bad luck has been hard to overlook, especially after the team has been forced to watch former players emerge as cornerstones elsewhere over the last few years.
Washington has not only put together several swing and misses in recent NBA Drafts, but the team's bizarre luck when it comes to draft positioning has become a bit of a frustrating development in past offseasons.
Looking back to the 2024 NBA Draft, where the Wizards bad luck seemed to strike again after the team was granted the No. 2 overall pick in one of the weakest drafts in recent memory, Washington seemed destined to be stuck in a constant cycle of mediocrity.
However, instead of allowing the poor luck dictate the outcome of their rebuild, Washington seemed to make the best out of a bad situation by landing Alex Sarr at No. 2 overall, who was widely viewed as the top prospect entering that offseason.
After a breakout sophomore season, Sarr has looked every bit of a two-way star for the Wizards, averaging 18.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 blocks, while shooting 51.0% from field goal range and 37.1% from beyond the arc.
Furthermore, not only has Sarr's emergence validated the Wizards dodging a bullet, but the recent development for the team's Eastern Conference foes only proves Washington avoided a disatrous situation.
Hawks open to moving former No.1 overall pick
As the NBA trade deadline looms, trade rumors continue to swirl with several teams eyeing roster shakeups around the league.
One player in specific who's been linked to a busy deadline has been the Atlanta Hawks, who are looking to reshape their roster in a major way.
Not only is Atlanta interested in acquiring Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks, but it has been reported that the Hawks are looking to move on from star point guard Trae Young.
Nonetheless, ATL's looming decision to move on from Young isn't the only head scratching rumor, but the team's willingness to move on from former top pick Zacchariie Risacher just two years into his development is perhaps the most bizarre news of all.
Former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher hasn’t developed as the Hawks hoped, and they’re open to moving him in the right deal, per @TheSteinLine
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 29, 2025
“It is also increasingly believed that Atlanta is willing to surrender Zaccharie Risacher in the proverbial rightscenario, since the No.… pic.twitter.com/GixD6tS8gy
Risacher, who was selected one pick ahead of Sarr could already find himself victim of impatience by the Hawks after averaging 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists, while shooting 45.5% from field goal range and 33.3% from beyond the arc throughout the start of his sophomore campaign.
All that to say, if Sarr's emergence isn't enough to prove the Wizards may have dodged a bullet in a weak NBA Draft class, perhaps the fact that the top pick has already lost the faith of the team who selected him will.