Following Monday night's disappointing outcome to the NBA Draft Lottery, the Washington Wizards fanbase immediately felt like their luck couldn't get any worse.
Washington entered Monday's Draft Lottery tied for the highest odds (14%) to earn the No. 1 overall pick with an 18-64 record. However, the biggest fear that the Wizards and their fans had was that the buzzer-beater win in the regular season finale would come back and haunt them.
Their worst nightmare became a reality after NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum announced them as the team to select at No. 6 overall, the lowest position Washington could fall after their final win of the season.
Although it seems bad, general manager Will Dawkins offered some words of encouragement that should make the fanbase feel a little better about the future of their team.
Will Dawkins not shook by Lottery botch
Will Dawkins shared his thoughts on the team's draft positioning, and gave his perspective on why picking at No. 6 overall isn't the end of the world:
"This rebuild that we're on, we're still in the beginning phases of it, so there will be more rewards at the end of the tunnel," Dawkins said. "But I think six is a reward for where we're at right now, and we'll be able to use it and make our team better."
Wizards GM Will Dawkins' comments after the lottery: pic.twitter.com/QblIUWwDr8
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) May 12, 2025
Dawkins has spent the last two seasons making countless roster moves in efforts to acquire the right mixture of young players to build around, as well as bringing in veterans who could offer some experience and leadership to their core during their time in D.C.
Obviously, the Wizards dreams of selecting Cooper Flagg or even Dylan Harper has now come to an end, but that doesn't mean all hope should be lost.
The Wizards still have the potential to land a really good player and heading into next season, it's pretty clear that Washington will likely be closer to competing for the No. 1 overall pick than they will be to competing for a playoff spot down the stretch.
That said, with the right approach to the upcoming NBA Draft in June, the Wizards could find a future cornerstone in the draft after all and if their luck turns around, they could be in the mix to add another premiere talent like AJ Dybantsa next offseason.
If Wizards fans were looking for any sort of encouragement, take the team's top executive's positive thoughts into consideration.