There's been a lot to like about Tre Johnson's rookie campaign with the Washington Wizards this season, but even with that, it's hard to not think about the player the team should've selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
That player? Derik Queen.
Washington did extensive research ahead of last offseason's draft, but after their offseason dreams of landing Cooper Flagg fell through, the Wizards were thrown for a loop about possible players that would make the most sense for them.
After Ace Bailey's failed attempt to pave his way to D.C., Washington was forced to pivot with the team ultimately choosing to select Johnson out of the group of best remaining prospects.
Looking back, though, it's easy to understand why the team opted to take the safe bet on the sharpshooting guard.
Still, Bleacher Report's recent NBA Redraft offered a reminder about the player Washington missed out on.
BR mocks Derik Queen to Wizards in 2025 NBA Redraft
In Zach Buckley's recent redraft for Bleacher Report, he gave plenty of reasons why the Wizards would select Queen over Johnson if they had a redo.
"The Wizards sought out knockdown shooting with this pick," Buckey said. "Johnson has mostly delivered it. If given a redo, though, maybe they'd seek out a deeper skill tree as opposed to going with a 6'5" shooter posting solid-not-spectacular shooting numbers.
Queen's numbers have stalled over the course of this season, but he has still produced one of the most well-rounded stat lines in this rookie class. He is incredibly comfortable with the ball in his hands for a 6'9", 250-pounder. He'll have stretches where you feel like you're seeing the NBA's next jumbo-sized offensive hub."
Averaging 11.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 47.3% shooting from field goal range, Queen has shown flashes of how impactful he can be this season.
Unfortuantely, Washington won't be able to find out how useful he would've been in the DMV.
Wizards selected Johnson stemming off Alex Sarr belief
The team's selection of Johnson said more about their belief that Alex Sarr could be the center of the future rather than their overwhelming need to add to the backcourt.
Fast forward to now, the team's blockbuster addition of Anthony Davis suggests the team's plans have shifted a bit, and that's not even mentioning the acquisition of Trae Young, which added yet another wrinkle in the future vision moving forward.
At the same time, Johnson's role in Washington will still be vital to the team's success moving forward, but it's hard not to imagine how good a fit Queen would have been in Washington, especially as a Maryland product.
WAS future plans would be altered if they selected Queen over Johnson
Heading into the offseason, Washington has a prime opportunity to land another top prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft.
As of now, most mock drafts are projecting the Wizards to land one of Darryn Peterson, Darius Acuff Jr., or Cameron Boozer, all of whom would be exceptional draft picks.
While the team would obviously prefer to land AJ Dybantsa if they don't earn the No. 1 overall pick, those hopes will be dead.
All that to say, if they had selected Queen over Johnson, maybe the team would feel more prepared to take a swing on the high upside of Peterson of Acuff Jr. without feeling like they've done a disservice to their core for overcrowding a backcourt room.