Wizards and Hornets Make Intriguing Picks in NBA Draft Despite Lack of Good Lottery Luck
The Hornets and Wizards produced two of the three worst records in the NBA last season–and neither received a top-three draft pick. After that uninspiring bit of lottery luck, they tried to make the best of it.
The Wizards and Hornets had two first-round picks each, with Washington selecting Tre Johnson at No. 6 and Will Riley at No. 21 and Charlotte taking Kon Knueppel fourth and Liam McNeeley 29th. Those two teams accounted for over half of the Southeast Division's seven first-round picks in the NBA draft Wednesday night. Last year, this division owned the top two picks, which were made by Atlanta and Washington. The Wizards and Hornets could've been in that position this year with a little better fortune, but it was an intriguing night for them nonetheless. Washington added some scoring punch with Johnson, and the Hornets finally got seven-footer Mark Williams traded after a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers fell through last season. Charlotte sent him to Phoenix and got the 29th pick in return.
Also active on the trade market were the Hawks, who dealt away the 13th pick and received the 23rd selection. That was after they'd already traded No. 22 in a deal bringing Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta. It was a quieter night for Miami and Orlando, which made one pick each in the latter half of the first round.
Charlotte Hornets Needs: You name it, the Hornets need it. Most notably, Charlotte had to stabilize the center position after trading Williams to the Phoenix Suns (and dealing away backup Nick Richards last year). But that didn't happen, leaving Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate as the Hornets' big men and a big hole in the roster. But after winning only 19 games, improving three-point shooting, rebounding, and defense were also priorities, and the team addressed some of those.
Who they drafted: Knueppel from Duke and McNeeley from UConn.
NBA comparisons: Knueppel draws comparisons to Cam Johnson and Bojan Bogdanović for his shooting ability, savvy play, and basketball IQ. McNeeley has been compared to Corey Kispert.
Washington Wizards Needs: After winning 33 games over the past two seasons, the Wizards still need whatever young talent they can find, and after drafting center Alex Sarr last year, it made sense that they would look to the perimeter. They could use a pure scorer since their recent draft picks–who have shown promise in general–have not been all that efficient in that department.
Who they drafted: Johnson of Texas and Riley of Illinois.
NBA comparison: Johnson has been compared to Tyler Herro, who is also 6-foot-5. That was an offense-oriented pick.
Miami Heat Needs: The Heat clearly needed a boost on offense.
Who they drafted: Lithuanian guard Kasparas Jakucionis from Illinois. He's a good shooter, good slasher, and excellent in the pick-and-roll. A strong finisher as well, and some of the passes he tried at the college level showed he was NBA-ready.
NBA comparison: For a Miami standpoint, try Goran Dragic–another smart European who wasn't afraid to go into the lane, draw contact, and use his body against bigger defenders.
Atlanta Hawks Needs: The Hawks' need for help at center was addressed in the trade for Porzingis. The deal left Atlanta looking to take the best player available before trading the No. 13 pick to New Orleans for the No. 23 pick and a 2026 first-rounder.
Who they drafted: The Hawks stayed in state to take University of Georgia power forward Asa Newell, who averaged 15.4 points and 6.9 rebounds. He played strong defense and showed a midrange jumper.
NBA comparison: Newell has been compared with former NBA forward Paul Millsap, who played four seasons in Atlanta.
Orlando Magic Needs: The Magic acquired Desmond Bane from Memphis in a recent trade, a move they hope can improve their shooting. Four first-round picks went to the Grizzlies in the deal, so it's clear Orlando is in win-now mode. Picking 25th, the Magic tried to find a sleeper late in the first round.
Who they drafted: Michigan State's Jase Richardson, whose father, Jason, also played for the Magic.
NBA comparison: Richardson isn't big enough to be compared to his father, but if he can show similarity to Philadelphia's Jared McCain, the Magic would probably be pretty happy.
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