The Washington Wizards have been eliminated from postseason contention for quite some time. But that does not mean the team has no skin in the game.
Washington would benefit greatly from one specific outcome in the ongoing NBA Play-In Tournament. Wizards fans must hope for the Memphis Grizzlies to beat the Dallas Mavericks during their Play-In matchup on Friday.
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If the Grizzlies win, they would make the playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western Conference. More importantly for the Wizards, that would mean an extra first-round pick for Washington in the coming 2025 NBA Draft.
The Wizards acquired the Grizzlies’ 2025 first-round pick in the trade that brought in veteran guard Marcus Smart. But the pick is lottery-protected, meaning that it would only convey to Washington if Memphis makes the playoffs. Otherwise, the Wizards would get a couple of second-round picks in future seasons.
When the Grizzlies made the deal on February 6, their team had a 35-16 record and looked poised to finish with a top-4 seed in the West. Had they finished at that pace, the pick would have likely ended up being 26th or 27th.
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However, Memphis closed the season 13-18, which dropped them into the play-in tournament. The Grizzlies’ tailspin was good for the Wizards in the sense that the pick fell into the teens. But it raised the risk for Memphis to fall out of the playoffs altogether.
That reality came a little closer to coming true after the Grizzlies lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 7-8 matchup. Now they’ll have to beat the Mavericks to make the playoffs. Wizards fans will be cheering for the Grizzlies to make it happen.
Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (8) celebrates the Wizards win against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center.Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
Should the Grizzlies make the playoffs, their 48-34 record would come into play. Memphis is tied with the Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks for the 18th-worst in the league. The league will be conducting randomized draws later this month to break such ties. The Wizards would get either the 18th, 19th, or 20th pick in that scenario.
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Getting a first-round pick in that range could help the Wizards land another promising prospect like AJ Johnson (23rd in 2024) and Kyshawn George (24th pick in 2024).
Some other notable players drafted in that range over the past few years include All-Star Tyrese Maxey (21st pick in 2020), Jalen Johnson (20th pick in 2021), Christian Braun (21st pick in 2022), and Cam Whitmore (20th pick in 2023).
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