Oct 28, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole (13) shoots the ball over Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) in the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Wizards Receive Valuable Asset from the Memphis Grizzlies

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Tyrone Montgomery | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Gifts come in all sizes and packages all year round. The best gifts are the gifts we aren’t expecting — the pleasant surprises that come in handy for us all at some point or another in our lives. The Washington Wizards have now acquired a gift that will really benefit them moving forward.

The NBA Draft is where the Wizards have made a name for themselves. The NBA Lottery is a night that the Wizards truly look forward to because that is what has helped them become the team they are today.

Alex Sarr, who was drafted with the number two overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has shown and proven to be a valuable asset to the Wizards. He appears to be a very promising player that the Wizards can build around. Although Sarr isn’t a finalist for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award this season, he still has had an immediate impact on the team.

Bilal Coulibaly too has been a pleasant surprise for the Wizards. He was taken with the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He is the true definition of a two-way player, as his game was already polished defensively and has improved tremendously on the offensive end this season.

GRIZZLIES WIN!

The Wizards obtain Memphis’ 2025 first-round draft pick as it was top-14 protected. The pick was part of the Marcus Smart trade.

Washington now has a top-6 pick and a pick somewhere between 18-20, determined by a coin toss next week. pic.twitter.com/q6t6wNQi4z
— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) April 19, 2025

The Wizards have had a good turnout from the NBA Draft outside of the lottery as well, with Kyshawn George, who was drafted with the 24th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Wizards are hoping for the same this season as they now own and control the 2025 first-round pick of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Wizards had already owned their pick for this upcoming draft. However, the pick had a top-14 protection on it. Now that the Grizzlies have made the NBA Playoffs, the pick is now completely owned by the Wizards. That pick will be a valuable asset for the Wizards as they still have their pick, which should be a top-three pick.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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