The Washington Wizards have made it a priority to stack young talent on their roster as the rebuild in the DMV continues.
Of course, the team has taken their fair share of swings on NBA veterans to help mentor their squad, but the focus has been on accumulating as much young talent as possible to ensure that the organization eventually finds their cornerstone piece to build around.
Between the additions of Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson, the team has done their fair share of adding talent in the NBA Draft.
They've even done the same through the trade market adding the likes of AJ Johnson and Cam Whitmore to continue developing in Washington.
However, one player who's not being talked about enough is Will Riley, who the Wizards selected with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The Illinois standout impressed during his lone season with the Fighting Illini as mainly a reserve for Brad Underwood's squad.
Listed as a guard with the size of a wing, Riley offers plenty to like about his game and his unique skillset makes him the perfect developmental player for a team like the Wizards to take a swing on.
But as we know in the NBA, fit matters.
For example, Whitmore had the talent entering the NBA being projected as a lottery pick, but after falling in the draft to the Houston Rockets because of a foot injury, he found himself in a not-so-great situation.
Now, he lands in Washington hoping a change of scenery will allow for hi to develop and tap into his potential.
Riley doesn't seem to think the start of his career will go that route.
In fact, the incoming rookie believes that the Wizards are the ideal landing spot for him.
Why? Riley revealed his reasoning in a recent interview with the Daily Illini:
“I feel like it’s the perfect fit, just being able to grow with a bunch of guys who are around the same age as me,” Riley told the Daily Illini. “Just being able to learn together and just being able to hold each other accountable is a great feeling.”
If the fit is as perfect as Riley imagines, his skillset will be fun to watch develop in Washington and he very well could become a key piece of the Wizards future.
The Wizards have confidence in Riley and he has confidence in the team, which alone is the perfect start to a hopefully long relationship.