The Washington Wizards’ home will be loud and noisy on Thursday night. A near-capacity crowd is expected at Verizon Center; mostly an aging group set to relive past glory, remembering when times were better or at least different.
They’re not coming to celebrate the NBA draft, which starts at 8 p.m. Instead, the arena will be busy because Sting and Peter Gabriel will be playing on the main floor, with the Wizards’ hardwood court disassembled and stacked underneath the stands. Upstairs, in the team offices, the environment will be more staid. Washington moves into the draft with no picks.
A reminder of how they reached this point: In last February’s trade to acquire forward Markieff Morris, the Wizards sent Kris Humphries, DeJuan Blair and a protected first-round pick to the Phoenix Suns. That pick became No. 13 overall. Last year, in a trade for the rights to Kelly Oubre, the Wizards traded the rights to Jerian Grant and their second-round pick in this year’s draft to the Atlanta Hawks. Voila, no picks.
“We can sign international players, we can sign rookies as free agents,” Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said recently. “We can buy picks. I think there’s a lot of teams with too many second-round picks. I’m sure we’ll be able to add some young players to the team.”
Washington’s pick-less state entering the draft was the final gong to close what was a wayward season. The Wizards missed the playoffs, fired their coach and learned their franchise player needed small knee surgeries in the offseason. The draft is typically a time of hope and projected resurrection for teams. This year, it’s a shrug for the Wizards.
Washington views Morris as its first-round pick. Each time not having picks was mentioned to Leonsis — either during the introductory press conference for new coach Scott Brooks or the ceremony to present John Wall with the NBA community assist award — the club’s owner repeated the stance. General manager Ernie Grunfeld said the same. They are betting that Morris is a better player the next three seasons than any choice they could have acquired at No. 13 (incidentally, Morris was selected 13th overall in 2011).
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It’s also a choice based more in trying to win now, as Wall and Bradley Beal head toward their peaks. Wall will be 26 years old when next season starts. Beal, who will become a restricted free agent July 1 and is expected to re-sign with the team, will be 23.
“I think Bradley knows he is a big part of our future,” Leonsis said.
Since 2000, the Wizards’ work in the second round, like many teams, has been filled with misses. Of those 15 picks, nine never played a game for the organization. Andray Blatche, selected in 2005, played 409, which was the most. Only Steve Blake and Dominic McGuire played more than 100.
But, two of those picks have a chance at the roster this season. The Wizards drafted 6-foot-8 forward Aaron White out of Iowa 49th overall last summer. He spent the season in Germany playing for Telekom Baskets Bonn, where he averaged 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds. Though, he shot just 25 percent from behind the 3-point line. He will be on the Wizards’ Summer League team.
A more curious case is point guard Tomas Satoransky. The Wizards worked a draft-and-stash philosophy after selecting Satoransky in 2012. He’s played in the Spanish League since. Last season, Satoransky averaged 9 points, 4.3 assists and 2 rebounds for FC Barcelona Lassa. Some contractual wrangling to get Satoransky from Spain to Washington would be necessary.
“The questions is, is he ready?” Leonsis said.
Neither White nor Satoransky fill what is perhaps the Wizards most crucial need: a young big man. They decided not to pay Kevin Seraphin in the 2015 offseason. Based on Seraphin’s lost 2016 season with the New York Knicks (3.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 41 percent from the field), it appears the correct choice. But, it also leaves Washington with center Marcin Gortat and nothing else in the frontcourt. Veteran Nene is an unrestricted free agent, as is Drew Gooden.
The Wizards could also use a backup point guard and a backup shooting guard. With just six players under contract — that includes a projection of Beal returning — Washington has oodles of cap space and choices ahead this summer. Just no draft picks, at the moment.
“We’ve planned for three years to have optionality,” Leonsis said. “I think we’re sitting in a good place.”
• Todd Dybas can be reached at tdybas@washingtontimes.com.
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