The Washington Wizards made a flurry of deals at the NBA trade deadline as general manager Will Dawkins gears towards the future rebuild.
Among the moves, the Wizards brought in a number of new players including veterans Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart. In addition to the vets, the team also landed a former first-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in young guard AJ Johnson.
As the team continues to stack talent, the Wizards future seems to be on track as their young core has the opportunity to grow on the court with increased minutes as they now become the longest-tenured players on the roster under first-year head coach Brian Keefe.
However, their could be another move that the Wizards should make that would land them another former first-round pick to bolster their backcourt, with the possibility that he could develop into much more than just a role player.
Wizards should sign Jalen Hood-Schifino
Jalen Hood-Schifino was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. In two years with the Lakers, the guard saw very minimal opportunities to show what he's capable of at his first stop.
As part of the Lakers blockbuster deal to send Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for superstar Luke Doncic, Hood-Schifino found himself in the three-team deal landing him with the Utah Jazz. The guard was quickly waived after the NBA trade deadline came to an end, and he now hits the open market where he'll have the opportunity to choose the next team he suits up for.
In his one season of college basketball at Indiana, the 6-foot-5 guard averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists, while shooting 41.7% from field goal range and 33.3% from three. Hood-Schifino's play as a freshman with the Hoosiers landed him as a first-round pick right outside of the lottery.
Although his time with the Lakers didn't result in anything positive for the young prospect, he has all the talent to be a big time player in this league, he just needs an opportunity to show he belongs. Fortunatley for Washington, the Wizards are in position to take a flier on the guard and see what he has to offer in extended minutes.
With Jordan Poole's future still uncertain in D.C., it would be wise for the Wizards to take on the reclamation project of Hood-Schifino and see if he could be their future in the backcourt, or if he could develop into at least a viable role player on a cheap contract in the coming years.