Wizards trade up, select Kelly Oubre

When it came time to pick, the Wizards pivoted.

Washington traded up four spots in order to select Kansas small forward Kelly Oubre Jr. in the NBA draft Thursday. As the 19th pick was approaching, multiple options remained for the Wizards. A handful of players they worked out during predraft sessions in D.C. were available. The draft, as much as one can, stayed near projections.

Then, the Wizards changed things. They sent the 19th overall pick and two future second-round picks, one in 2016 and one in 2019, to the Atlanta Hawks — the team that ended their season in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“He’s a very talented young player,” Wizards general manager Ernie Grunfeld said. “Very athletic. Runs the floor very well. Has real good upside. And he can come into a situation where he take his time, he can learn from the veterans we have on this ballclub. He can play both positions, the two and the three.”

Unsure about the future for veteran Paul Pierce, and without depth on the wing, the Wizards vaulted forward to select Oubre, a 6-foot-7, 203-pound athletic small forward. Oubre was in attendance at Barclays Center in New York City. When he spoke with an ESPN reporter on the air, Oubre was unaware of the trade but said whichever teams he goes to will be receiving “a jewel.” He was surprised to be selected by the Wizards.

“It’s a blessing,” Oubre said. “They have confidence in me to know what I can do and not see me work out in person, like I owe them. I have to give them 300 percent.”

Adding Oubre, 19, gives the Wizards another young wing to go with Otto Porter. If Pierce does not return — Wizards coach Randy Wittman said he “absolutely” thinks there is a chance Pierce comes back — that leaves the Wizards with an ineffective Martell Webster as their only wing under contract. Rasual Butler is an unrestricted free agent.

“We felt all along that this was an opportunity that this kid was a lottery-pick type player,” Wittman said. “One that down the road has an opportunity to be a pretty good player in this league. As we move on, you’ve got to look at your team and down the road [what that] gives us with Otto being a young guy at that position and another guy that can guard multiple positions.”

Oubre was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and part of the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. He was born in New Orleans, then moved to Richmond, Texas after Hurricane Katrina. Oubre played his senior year of high school basketball for Las Vegas power Findlay Prep. He was also a McDonald’s All-American. He averaged 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in his freshman season for the Jayhawks. Oubre shot 44.4 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from 3-point range.

“It’s going to take time, as it does with any young kid,” Wittman said. “I can’t sit here and tell you what the timetable is without being with him and working with him and seeing where he’s at, his personality and how quickly he picks things up.”

Oubre started out on the bench in Kansas. He didn’t play more than 20 minutes until Dec. 20, when he scored 23 points against Lafayette. He remained a starter after that.

“Going into college, I was projected a top-5 pick,” Oubre said. “Obviously, some events occurred at Kansas and dropped my stock a little bit. I have confidence in myself. I believe I was a top-10 pick from the get-go. I don’t think there’s 15 guys or however many guys that are better than me. You know what I mean? I have a platform right now to show I can do.”

Oubre said he remained a leader despite being benched at Kansas “even though I knew I was supposed to be on the court.” He said being benched made him a better teammate.

“I’m relentless and feel like I can’t be counted out,” Oubre said. “You can’t count me out. A lot of people might say, I can’t do this, I can’t do that, but I’m going to work my butt off to prove you wrong because I believe that I’m the best. I can be the best through hard work.”

Wittman said he watched a lot of tape of Oubre after the season ended. He also said that the Wizards did not bring Oubre to D.C. for a predraft workout because they did not think he would be available when they had a chance to pick. Grunfeld said they tried, but were not able to make the workout happen.

“He can make plays, he’s a good athlete, he can get to the rim and he can defend,” Wittman said. “Those are things that he showed at the highest level… There’s areas that he’s going to have to get better at, just like any player coming in at that age. He’s a versatile player. I think he can guard a couple positions.”

Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant, whose father, Harvey, played for the Wizards, was the official selection by Washington. He was traded to the Hawks for Oubre. Atlanta sent Grant to the New York Knicks for Tim Hardaway Jr.

Oubre won’t be 20 years old until December. Adding him to John Wall (24), Bradley Beal (21) and Porter (22), gives the Wizards a very young batch of guards. Oubre said Beal and Wall texted him as soon as he was drafted.

“That was something I got a great vibe off, because if they’re showing me love right now, they don’t even know me,” Oubre said. “They’re treating me like I’m on of theirs already.”

Though just short of standing 6 foot 7, Oubre has 7-foot-2-inch wing span.

The Wizards held the 19th pick once before in franchise history. They selected LaBradford Smith from Louisville in 1991.

Last year, the Wizards did not have a first-round pick. They sold their second-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for cash considerations.