Leading up to the 2023 NBA Draft, we will update our Washington Wizards Mock Draft Roundup showing picks for the Washington Wizards from several prominent sites and draft analysts.
The following are picks in recent mock drafts for the Wizards:
The Rookie Wire — Cody Taylor (5/19)
8. Anthony Black, Arkansas
Black projects to be a good fit with the Wizards as a player that can play off the ball, if needed. He showed promise last season as a cutter with his off-ball movement and was also a standout on defense with his length and quickness. He has added about 12 pounds to his frame from his listed weight at Arkansas, which will help him with the transition to the next level. As a player that can impact games on both ends of the floor, Black should be a top-10 pick this year.
CBS Sports — Gary Parrish (5/17)
8. Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite
The Wizards should take the best prospect available, and the other Thompson twin is that guy and this point in this mock draft. He's a tall athlete just like his brother and something of a traditional driver and slasher who can guard multiple positions well.
Sporting News — Kyle Irving (5/17)
8. Anthony Black, Arkansas
The Wizards are in desperate need of a lead guard and Black is their guy at No. 8.
Black is a big point guard, coming in as a two-way playmaker at 6-7, 198 pounds. He has the versatility to defend any perimeter player and he's a sound floor general who can make every type of read and pass necessary to run an NBA offense.
Black checks all the boxes for Washington, giving it a trusty playmaker who also bolsters its bottom 10-ranked defense.
Black is a big point guard, coming in as a two-way playmaker at 6-7, 198 pounds. He has the versatility to defend any perimeter player and he's a sound floor general who can make every type of read and pass necessary to run an NBA offense.
Black checks all the boxes for Washington, giving it a trusty playmaker who also bolsters its bottom 10-ranked defense.
The Athletic — Sam Vecenie (5/16)
8. Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite
The Scout: Thompson is an elite athlete who impacts the game in a wide variety of ways. He's a very strong defender who flies around in help as a good rim protector and playmaker in passing lanes. He's a strong, technical on-ball defender. Offensively, he can really get out on the break and score, and in the half court, he's a sharp cutter and driver of the basketball in straight lines. His passing is maybe my favorite skill of his, especially as a secondary ballhandler. As a finisher, Thompson has a terrific package of touch finishes and layups in addition to above-the-rim athleticism. The guy Thompson reminds me of most is Andre Iguodala, even down to the shooting questions that Thompson will have to work through early in his career. My bet is Thompson is an impact player on winning basketball because of how well-rounded his game is.
The Fit: The Wizards just need upside talents. It also helps that Thompson is a near perfect fit between Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma because of how well-rounded he is. He'd give the team a transition playmaker, a good passer who can occasionally actually run the offense and a defensive difference-maker. I'd be surprised to see Thompson drop out of the top 10, and this makes an awful lot of sense. One thing to note, though: The Wizards do not currently have a full-time general manager after firing Tommy Sheppard earlier this offseason.
The Fit: The Wizards just need upside talents. It also helps that Thompson is a near perfect fit between Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma because of how well-rounded he is. He'd give the team a transition playmaker, a good passer who can occasionally actually run the offense and a defensive difference-maker. I'd be surprised to see Thompson drop out of the top 10, and this makes an awful lot of sense. One thing to note, though: The Wizards do not currently have a full-time general manager after firing Tommy Sheppard earlier this offseason.
Yahoo! Sports — Krysten Peek (5/16)
8. Cam Whitmore, Villanova
Whitmore looked fantastic when testing during the NBA Draft Combine in front of several NBA scouts and executives. He came in at 235 pounds and looked significantly stronger than during his one season at Villanova. Whitmore is a plug-and-play big guard who can score at all three levels and can be an impactful guard, on and off the ball, next season with his size and offensive versatility.
Bleacher Report — Jonathan Wasserman (5/16)
8. Cam Whitmore, Villanova
Whitmore should give the Wizards an immediate source of athletic playmaking, easy baskets and streak shot-making. Ball-handling flashes for self-creation also hint at another level of scoring potential, though his pull-up and vision off the dribble must improve.
SB Nation — Ricky O'Donnell (5/16)
8. Jarace Walker, Houston
Walker is one of the best defensive prospects in this draft class, and there's reason to believe that he has more offensive skill than he showed during his one year at Houston. A 6'8, 240-pound forward with a 7'2 wingspan, Walker offers immense defensive versatility with solid awareness on help rotations, supplemental rim protection skills, and the ability to stick with smaller players for a few seconds on the perimeter. On offense, he should be able to knock down open spot-ups (34.7 percent from three on 101 attempts) while adding value as a passer. Before he played a winning role on a No. 1 seed at the college level, Walker was a great one-on-one scorer at IMG Academy, and could have more upside there. Walker lacks great speed to chase shooters around screens, but he provides almost everything else on defense while having some bankable skills offensively.
CBS Sports — Kyle Boone (5/16)
8. Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite
There's some steam behind Thompson that he might be one of the five best prospects in this class. Would be huge for the Wizards if he hits as a do-it-all combo guard.
For the Win — Bryan Kalbrosky (5/16)
8. Cason Wallace, Kentucky
The SEC All-Freshman guard was perhaps the most promising of the backcourt prospects in college basketball last season. He averaged 0.77 passes per touch, per AI-Powered statistics provided by Stats Perform, which was the highest among all projected first-round draft picks.
Wallace shot just 34.6 percent on 3-pointers for Kentucky, which wasn't fantastic. But he was 24-for-57 (42.1 percent) on 3-pointers from the NBA distance, via Stats Perform. According to CBB Analytics, he also shot 15-for-31 (48.4 percent) on corner 3-pointers.
He maintained a high steal rate throughout the season, too, showing his prowess as a defensive playmaker. He projects well as a solid contributor both on and off the ball at the next level.
Wallace shot just 34.6 percent on 3-pointers for Kentucky, which wasn't fantastic. But he was 24-for-57 (42.1 percent) on 3-pointers from the NBA distance, via Stats Perform. According to CBB Analytics, he also shot 15-for-31 (48.4 percent) on corner 3-pointers.
He maintained a high steal rate throughout the season, too, showing his prowess as a defensive playmaker. He projects well as a solid contributor both on and off the ball at the next level.
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