Wizards got the steal of the 2025 NBA Draft and it is not even close

Wizards founds a hidden gem in this rookie class.
Oklahoma City Thunder v Washington Wizards
Oklahoma City Thunder v Washington Wizards | Patrick Smith/GettyImages

The Washington Wizards have plenty of new faces on the roster after the team's busy offseason resulted in several additions.

Between the acquisitions of CJ McCollum, Cam Whitmore and Malaki Branham, fans will get the opportunity to see several debuts in the coming month.

Not to mention the free agency signings of players like Marvin Bagley III, who's already spent time in Washington in recent years.

However, the most exciting additions of the offseason came courtesy of the NBA Draft, where general manager Will Dawkins put together arguably the most impressive draft class of any team in the league.

Obviously, reigning No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson has all the attention of the fanbase entering the season, and understandably so.

Johnson has the tools, talent and work ethic to be the cornerstone piece the Wizards have desperately been searching for since the departures of John Wall and Bradley Beal.

And while Johnson should have plenty of attention entering the season, all the hype surrounding the Texas product could be overshadowing one of the most underrated picks of the entire NBA Draft.

That player? Will Riley.

Will Riley was selected with the No. 21 overall pick in the NBA Draft, making him the second first-round pick for the Wizards this offseason.

Following an impressive rookie season at Illinois, the oversized guard began to rise on draft boards.

Considering he made a name for himself off the bench with the Figting Illini alone is impressive, but turning enough heads to be selected in the first round alone is simply telling.

Between the flashes he showed during the NBA Combine and Summer League, it's clear that Riley has the talent to be an immediate impact player for the Wizards and potentially more depending on his development.

In fact, NBA insider Kevin O'Connell has made it clear that he believes that years from now we could look back on this NBA Draft class and Riley may be considered one of the top three players to enter the league in 2025.

Riley didn't dominate in his preseason debut with the Wizards on Sunday, totaling 4 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 15 minutes.

Nonetheless, with his potential and skillset, it won't be surprising at all to see Riley begin to emerge as a big time player for the Wizards at some point this season.

If that proves to be true, the sky truly is the limit for the Wizards rookie.