Wizards draft watch: Cooper Flagg, Rutgers duo continue to shine

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The Washington Wizards’ 2024-25 mission is coming to fruition. They’re sitting at the bottom of the NBA standings and are in a prime position to land a top-five lottery pick this summer, which increases their chances of finally getting a star.

The Wizards are 11-49 ahead of their home date with the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, 3.5 games ahead of the Charlotte Hornets for the worst record in the NBA. If Washington keeps that spot, it has a 14 percent chance to get the No. 1 pick and 52.1 percent odds to acquire a top-four selection, via Tankathon. This matches the Hornets and Utah Jazz (15-45), but the difference is that the worst team can’t fall below the No. 5 pick.

That’s why the Wizards must maintain their spot in the pecking order, even with their recent improvement. They’re 5-8 over their last 13 games, which is impressive for a team that went winless in November and had two 16-game losing streaks. That’s a sign that their young core of Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George is improving. However, their ceilings are below NBA stardom, and every team needs a star to reach the next level.

Luckily, a few college hoopers in this draft class are worth building around.

Cooper Flagg (G/F, Duke)

Flagg is the poster boy for hoopers advanced for their age. The 18-year-old freshman leads the No. 2 Blue Devils (26-3, 17-1 ACC) in points (19.3), rebounds (7.6), assists (4.1), and steals per game (1.6). He’s also tied with fellow freshman lottery pick Khaman Maluach with 1.1 blocks, which is impressive considering that he’s 6-foot-9 and the latter player is 7-foot-2.

Flagg’s hype skyrocketed after he held his own against the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant during USA Basketball training camp over the summer. The NBA superstars weren’t going all-out in the scrimmages, but it was an eyebrow-raiser nonetheless.

Cooper Flagg initiating vs. Jrue freaking Holiday at the point of attack, gets the switch vs. Anthony Davis and hits the 3 right over the top of AD pic.twitter.com/maL4kWdNId

— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) July 9, 2024

Flagg’s momentum continued into the NCAA season, and his dominance on both ends of the floor is why he’s the most-hyped prospect since Victor Wembanyama. The Maine native’s 7-foot-1 wingspan makes him an imposing defender on the perimeter, and his speed, athleticism, and lethal jumper are difficult to stop offensively. Don’t be surprised if he wins National Player of the Year and takes Duke deep into March Madness.

Flagg profiles as a combo forward in the NBA, via Sports Illustrated.

"Although he has the versatility to play nearly anywhere on the court, Flagg will likely be a combo forward at the NBA level,” the outlet’s scouting report said. “He has the frame to play as a modern power forward in the frontcourt, but also the self-creation and shot-making upside to play on the perimeter. This is also the case on the defensive end, as he should be able to guard three positions very well."

The 2024 McDonald’s All-American is the easy choice if Washington gets blessed with the No. 1 pick on May 12.

Dylan Harper (G, Rutgers)

Harper doesn’t have Flagg’s positional versatility, but he’d be a wonderful consolation prize at No. 2. The 6-foot-6, 215-pounder popped off with multiple 20-plus point games in February after being hobbled with a high ankle sprain in January, including a 34-point outburst in the Scarlet Knights’ (14-15, 7-11 Big Ten) 89-85 overtime win vs. Washington on Feb. 19. He’s averaging 19.3 points on 48.9-percent shooting (34.1-percent 3 PT) with 4.5 rebounds and four assists across 32.2 minutes.

Harper is another hooper who plays above his age, as his facilitation skills and IQ make him a pro-ready prospect with a Cade Cunningham/Jalen Brunson-type profile. The New Jersey native has average athleticism, but his ability to score from all three levels and create open looks for teammates makes him an ideal on-ball threat to build around.

Rutgers won’t make the NCAA Tournament unless it wins the Big Ten Tournament, so Wizards fans should tune in to the program’s two remaining regular-season games if they haven’t watched Harper. The Knights face No. 18 Purdue on Tuesday and Minnesota on Sunday.

Ace Bailey (G/F, Rutgers)

Bailey has been a fun compliment to Harper as an off-ball wing. The 6-foot-10, 200-pound freshman notched a 37-point masterpiece in the Knights’ 79-72 win over Northwestern on Jan. 29 shortly after his 30-point game in their 80-72 loss to Penn State on Jan. 20. He’s averaging 18.2 points on 46.5-percent shooting (36.3-percent 3 PT) with 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and one steal across 33.4 minutes per game.

Bailey’s length makes him a good rebounder and shot-blocker, but his scoring ability sets him apart. The Tennessee native is the best in the class at making difficult shots, as he can hit fadeaways and simply shoot over people in the vein of Kevin Durant. Here’s a recent example.

Ace Bailey has some real movement equity that can be especially useful in SLOB and BLOB plays. This is ethical tough shot making, and if a coach can maximize it while simultaneously mitigating a good bit of the OTD shots, Ace becomes a really impactful player in the best ways. pic.twitter.com/E3XGZvnmTR

— Stone Hansen (@report_court) March 4, 2025

Bailey’s Paul George-type ceiling likely makes him the No. 3 pick, but he’s more raw than Harper and might take longer to develop. That would be okay for Washington, as the organization is looking to slowly ascend the ranks while its young talent improves.

VJ Edgecombe (G, Baylor)

This is where the ceiling lowers to potential All-Star. Edgecombe is an athletic swingman and an excellent spot-up shooter, but his inconsistent shot creation has led to an up-and-down freshman campaign. For example, the 6-foot-5, 180-pounder scored just eight points (1-6 FG, 0-3 3 PT) in the Bears’ (17-12, 9-9 Big 12) 81-71 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday, but has four outings with at least 21 points since Jan. 22.

Edgecombe is averaging 14.6 points on 43.6 percent shooting (35.5 percent 3 PT) with 5.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.1 steals across 31.9 minutes per game. The Bahamian international is a step below the previous three players, but he can solidify himself at No. 4 with more standout performances through the Big 12 Tournament.

Tre Johnson (G, Texas)

Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis has been mentioned as the No. 5 pick, but Johnson’s been better recently. The 6-foot-6, 190-pound freshman erupted for 39 points in the Longhorns’ (16-13, 5-11 SEC) 86-81 overtime loss to Arkansas on Wednesday, 29 in the 84-96 loss at South Carolina on Feb. 22, and 32 against No. 15 Kentucky on Feb. 15. He also leads this list of players with 20.6 points per game, which ranks 11th in the country.

While Johnson’s scoring is top-notch, the rest of his game doesn’t stand out. The Texas native averages just 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 0.9 steals, and could struggle defensively initially in his NBA career. However, his shot-creating ability makes him an exciting off-ball option to add to the Wizards’ young core.

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