As the NBA Draft looms, the Washington Wizards are one of three teams who are forced to pivot following their misfortune in the NBA Draft Lottery in May going from tied for the highest-odds to land Cooper Flagg to selecting outside of the top three as a whole.
Washington currently holds the No. 6, No. 18 and No. 40 overall picks in the upcoming draft and while the obvious hope heading into the offseason was to land Flagg, the Wizards still have plenty of assets at their disposal to come away with a more than solid draft haul.
As Mock Draft season continues to unofld, fans have their eyes on every mock looking to see who their team could select in the draft later this month.
For Wizards' fans, Kevin O'Connor's most recent NBA Mock Draft for Yahoo Sports would be an absolute dream scenario.
That said, let's take a look at each of O'Connor's predictions for the Wizards selections.
Round 1, Pick 6: G Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma
Jeremiah Fears has been extensively talked about not only as a fit for the Wizards, but a top prospect in the upcoming draft class.
The Oklahoma guard impressed during his lone season with the Sooners. Fears has good size for a guard, great feel for the game and can create his own offense, while also serving as a more than capable playmaker.
Although he's not the most reliable shooter, he has the tools and work ethic that developing a jumper at the next level will likely be the least of team''s worries at the next level,
Round 1, Pick 18 (via MEM): C Derik Queen, Maryland
Derik Queen falling the the Wizards at No. 18 would be a steal for the Wizards. Considering many mocks have the Maryland product being the selection at No. 6 overall for Washington, it would be a perfect scenario for Washington if the draft unfolds in favor of them landing both Fears and Queen with their top two picks.
Round 2, Pick 40: G Jamir Watkins, Florida State
Jamir Watkins is one of the multiple college players to test the NBA Draft waters and the college transfer portal this offseason.
Watkins is an oversized guard standing at 6-foot-7 and he proved to be a versatile scorer this past season at Florida State, averaging 18.4 points with shooting splits of 42.7% from field goal range and 32.1% from three.
If Watkins stays in the NBA Draft, he'd be an exciting low-risk, high-reward pick for the Wizards in the second round.