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2018 NBA Draft How to Watch and Open Thread: Wizards set to pick 15th and 44th

By Albert Lee
2017 NBA Draft Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Key Info

Where and When: The 2018 NBA Draft starts Thursday, June 21 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

TV: ESPN and Yahoo will both be airing draft coverage during the draft.

Wizards Draft Information

What picks do the Wizards have? The Wizards currently have the 15th and 44th overall picks.

What do the Wizards need? A little bit of everything. Outside of their core players (John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr., and Kelly Oubre Jr.) the Wizards don’t have much to build around, so any young player who can produce will be helpful.

The Wizards’ biggest need at the moment is for a big man. Marcin Gortat is on the final year of his deal and will likely to be traded before next season, Markieff Morris is also on the final year of his deal, and every other big man on the roster is virtually unplayable at this point, other than Mike Scott who is set to enter free agency this summer.

Which players most available for trade? As noted earlier, Gortat appears to be the most likely candidate to be dealt. He has a large expiring contract and seems to have worn out his usefulness in Washington. However, it appears they are not interested in using their first round pick to get out from under his deal, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times:

It also wouldn’t be surprising if the team moved Jason Smith and Jodie Meeks, since both are in the final year of their respective deals and likely won’t have a meaningful role on the team next season. The team is reportedly open to trading down in the first round if a team is willing to take on some of their money for next season.

Wizards Draft Previews

NBA Draft Prospect Profiles