Coming away from the NBA Draft Lottery this past offseason, the Washington Wizards seemed destined to be stuck in a constant cycle of medicocrity.
Washington entered the offseason tied for the highest chances to land the No. 1 overall selection, a pick that held the keys to a prospect many were labeling as a generational talent in Cooper Flagg.
Instead of earning the rights to select Flagg, the Wizards were forced to watch a team with statistically minimal odds be granted ridiculous luck.
What felt like a slap in the face of Wizards fans was only made worse when the team landed the lowest possible pick they could have making their worst nightmare come true.
Selecting at No. 6 overall, the Wizards were led to draft guard Tre Johnson out of Texas, who's shown flashes of potential since arriving in the DMV.
Despite that, the verdict remains out on both Flagg and Johnson's future, but as of now, its hard for a fanbase and organization who's constantly felt like the weight of the world is against them to feel any different sitting among the bottom of the NBA standings once again.
Fortunately, there's a light at the end of the tunnel and it inches closer by the day, especially as Washington continues to struggle.
Furthermore, if the Wizards continue to lose, that light at the end of the tunnel may prove that missing out on Flagg may not have been a major setback after all.
Cooper Flagg miss could be overshadowed by top pick for Wizards
Looking ahead to the 2026 offseason, scouts continue to rave about the prospects headlining the NBA Draft.
Between the likes of Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa and Mikel Brown Jr. to name a few, several can't-miss prospects are set to enter the league assuming these freshman standouts opt to continue the one-and-done trend of top college players in years past.
What does this have to do with Flagg you may be wondering?
Well, in what is expected to be a loaded NBA Draft class, several NBA executives reportedly believe that Flagg may not even be selected in the top five if he were in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Some NBA executives say Cooper Flagg could go as low as the sixth pick if he were to enter the 2026 draft 😳
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 14, 2025
“It’s early in the college basketball season. But already the draft class is feeling even stronger at the top than anticipated. By June, it might be even better given the… pic.twitter.com/G4GJGCAhwQ
With executives raving about how special the incoming group of prospects could be, missing out on Flagg could quickly be forgotten by the Wizards if they find themselves fortunate enough to land one of the player players available this coming offseason.