- 15 hours ago
The Wizards' lottery luck has finally turned! Washington won the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery and will make the No. 1 overall pick!
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00:00In the state of the NBA, with the current CBA, you can't acquire all NBA talent via free agency.
00:05Everybody signs these massive Supermax contracts.
00:08We got screwed by a Supermax contract with the no-trade clause to Bradley Beal.
00:12Exactly.
00:12The Wizards turned that into Trey Young.
00:14They made a couple of other ancillary moves, turned that into Anthony Davis.
00:18And now you're going to end up with either A.J. DeBonsa or Darren Peterson.
00:22Things have gotten low in this town in terms of basketball.
00:25This is a basketball hotbed.
00:27You think about all the talent that comes out of the D.C. area.
00:30One of our colleagues, Kevin D. Domenico, he does social bits all the time at Nationals Park.
00:35And he wanted to do a bit in the concourse saying, who should the Wizards take if they get the
00:39first overall pick?
00:41Everyone he asked couldn't even, they couldn't even come up with an answer.
00:43They're like, oh, I don't know anything.
00:45People weren't even paying attention to what this organization, what this team had been doing over the last couple of
00:51seasons.
00:52Now people are going to start paying attention.
00:53There's going to be a real focal point.
00:56The microscope is officially on the Washington Wizards and this city, once again.
01:01A town where when basketball is good, it is lively.
01:04It is jumping.
01:05We saw it a decade ago with John Wall.
01:07And it was only fitting that he was on the stage to make it happen today.
01:10This just began a completely new era of the way we look at professional basketball in this city.
01:15And it's so amazing because those of us sickos that have followed this thing for the past three, four years,
01:20as they've won 17, 14, 18 games.
01:24Now, all of a sudden, the expectations are here.
01:28And I know that we're in this honeymoon phase and we're going to talk about it here throughout the course
01:32of the program, you know, in terms of who we should select, so on and so forth.
01:36But the bottom line is, they better get this pick right.
01:39Whoever they bring in here, they have to be a long-term piece of this thing.
01:44And, you know, ideally, they're the superstar piece that you've been missing in this rebuild.
01:48The beautiful part about it, imagine if you didn't make the trade at the deadline to get Trey Young or
01:53Anthony Davis.
01:54The pressure that this number one pick was going to be under was going to be crazy because he was
01:59going to be the guy right away.
02:00The beautiful part about now having AD and Trey Young, he doesn't have to come in and be a 25
02:06-point-per-game scorer right off the outset.
02:08You know what I'm saying?
02:09He can ease his way into this.
02:10Absolutely.
02:11I'm just excited for how they're going to handle this.
02:13Think about the way that they've developed the other pieces here in Washington.
02:16Saar, George, Bilal.
02:18You do it with a guy in DeBonser or Peterson who's got more upside than both of them?
02:22Come on, man.
02:23The player development program has been excellent over the past couple of seasons,
02:27which is arguably the most important part of this whole thing because it's not just set on one superstar player.
02:32I think you need a top-10 player in the league to legitimately win an NBA championship if you just
02:36go back in the last 20 years
02:37and look at all the NBA champions.
02:38They all got that superstar top-10 level talent on their team, and now you could be getting that here
02:43in this 2026 draft.
02:45You've got to have pieces around him, though.
02:46We've seen teams like plenty of the teams that LeBron has played for that have fallen short due to a
02:50lack of talent around him.
02:51This front office has also hit on its picks.
02:54It's made later in the first round.
02:55Now, Keyshawn George was the 24th overall pick in 2024.
02:57They picked three times in the first round of that draft where they got Saar.
03:01They got Bubb Carrington at 14.
03:02Will Riley, a guy that rose onto the scene the final quarter of the season, averaged 16 points per game
03:07after the All-Star break.
03:08He was picked 21st overall.
03:11And now with more future first-round picks on the ballot here, you still have a 20-29 first round
03:15that you got from Portland
03:16and the Denny Avdia trade, something that became so polarizing here.
03:19Now I think the people that said they should have never traded away Denny Avdia,
03:23there's going to be a little bit more silence here.
03:24That is why you traded Denny Avdia.
03:26You would never, you would never be picking first overall today if you kept Denny Avdia on this team.
03:31100%.
03:32We said it when it happened.
03:34He does not fit the timeline.
03:36Look at what he's doing in Portland.
03:37He single-handedly carried that group.
03:39He's balling.
03:39To a play-in seed in the Western Conference.
03:42To an eight-seed in the Western Conference by himself.
03:44So imagine if he was here with the other young pieces that the Wizards have.
03:48They wouldn't have been able to bottom out in the correct way that they did.
03:51I just, Ben, it's every time I think about what just happened moments ago, it's like I'm feeling old and
03:57aging in real time here.
03:59I keep going back to the process.
04:00Yes, they did this thing the right way.
04:03They deserve to be rewarded with the number one overall pick.
04:07They hit on draft picks.
04:08They were open, honest, and transparent about the plan from the get-go.
04:12I remember I talked to Will Dawkins out at Commander's Training Camp this past year.
04:15Last year, right.
04:16And what did I tell you?
04:17I was like, well, you got Cam Whitmore here now.
04:20Did you put him on board with the plan?
04:22He said, oh, you bet your ass I put him on board with the plan.
04:25And it's little comments like that that make you laugh, but you know, in the back of his mind, Will
04:31Dawkins, look at where he comes from.
04:33What Sam Preston and OKC is doing right now, in the way that they have stockpiled a collection of draft
04:39picks and hit pick after pick after pick,
04:41the Wizards, to me, fans are on that trajectory.
04:44Theory, they're even further ahead than what OKC was when they first got out of their rebuild, or out of
04:50their tank, rather.
04:51And look where OKC is right now.
04:52Exactly.
04:53They're the Avengers.
04:54Who's going to beat them?
04:55When is someone ever going to beat them?
04:56They still have more for it.
04:57Thankfully, they didn't rise to the top four.
04:59I know.
05:00Of here.
05:00They're going to end up with another good player, though.
05:02That's the crazy part.
05:03Of course.
05:03Sam Preston is a genius.
05:04Exactly.
05:05That's why you dip into the well from OKC and get their second guy in line, the second in command
05:10in Will Dawkins, a drafting guru.
05:12Michael Winger, the guy behind the scenes in free agency, the trades, foundationally, they have completely flipped what the infrastructure
05:20looks like.
05:20Just the facilities at Care First Arena, the locker rooms that Cameron Boozer raved about when he was here, when
05:27they played Michigan in the regular season, in the NCAA tournament as well.
05:30They are completely trying to change what the view is of the organization.
05:34Anthony Davis has said as much.
05:36The product on the floor is the last thing they had to get going.
05:40Now you're going to get your piece that is hopefully going to culminate this entire process.
05:44You've gotten young talent.
05:45You've developed some of these guys into what could be all-star players in the future.
05:49Were you ever going to get that superstar?
05:50Would you get it in the draft ever?
05:52Now is your opportunity to do so.
05:55Now is your chance.
05:55800-636-1067 if you want to chime in.
05:58How are you celebrating that the Wizards will pick number one overall for the first time since 2010?
06:04800-636-1067.
06:061067, it still like feels unreal that this actually happened.
06:10You and I like fell back in our chairs like, whoa!
06:13Oh!
06:14It was crazy, man.
06:15And I imagine that's how a lot of people were getting down on their couch at home.
06:19I got a bunch of videos sent to me.
06:21It was a special moment.
06:23And you mentioned what they've done with the infrastructure, Ben.
06:28I feel like everyone in this town, and I'm not trying to come for anybody.
06:31I get why you would want to check out.
06:33But it feels like a lot of people have checked out on this organization over the past three, four years.
06:38You and I have followed this thing as closely as anybody.
06:41They deserve this.
06:42I keep going back to it.
06:43Like, I've never.
06:44It's rare that you kind of feel like empathy for a team.
06:48And emphasize, you know, with what they've had to go through.
06:51But, like, I felt bad that they ended up with the sixth pick last year.
06:54I felt bad that they got screwed in the Victor Wembenyama draft.
06:57I felt angry.
06:58Honestly, anger.
06:59All of the emotions.
07:00It's all worth it, though, to get to this point.
07:03And remember what you just talked about with the infrastructure and new facilities
07:07and improving the nutritional programs and things of that nature.
07:11The Wizards are going to go from one end of the spectrum in the NBA to the other
07:15in a matter of two, three seasons.
07:19It's absolutely incredible what we're seeing here.
07:21I mean, I want to know what the lines are going to shift for their over-under win total
07:25based on this because if the attitude from Davis changes, first of all,
07:29I think Anthony Davis is definitely playing for the Washington Wizards next year.
07:31Why would he not?
07:31He never had a choice.
07:33Yeah, he did.
07:33Exactly.
07:34I don't think the Wizards should have been in any rush to move him either way.
07:38But a lot of these questions could be answered tomorrow.
07:41Will Dawkins will join the Sports Junkies tomorrow at 8 a.m.
07:45Wall-to-wall coverage here in the fan.
07:46You're not going to want to miss the comments from the Wizards general manager.
07:49I'm sure he's feeling good right now because I remember last year when he did his media availability
07:53after they fell to six.
07:54You know, he's very diplomatic.
07:57He plays it very straight up.
07:58And he said, you know, we're very happy that we're going to get a talented player.
08:01You could tell that he was not happy that they had fallen the way they did.
08:04He ain't have anything to be unhappy about right now.
08:07About to say, man, this is why you went through pain and suffering for the past three seasons.
08:13The word that everyone or the phrase that we all need to get familiar with,
08:16put it on a t-shirt, sell it, do whatever you want to do.
08:19This was a master class in asset management, man.
08:23This is why you tank.
08:25This is why you do it.
08:26And I think the even the best part about this, the part that's most special to me
08:33is like it was John Wall up there.
08:36And maybe I'm being over sentimental about it.
08:39The fact that it was John Wall up there,
08:40it kind of felt like we were going to get the number one overall pick today.
08:43But look, they've shown you with lesser picks, right?
08:47Bilal was what?
08:48Seven.
08:48Seventh, right.
08:49You picked Keyshawn George, 23rd.
08:51You picked Bubb, I think 18th.
08:53And those ended up being really good basketball players for you.
08:55Imagine what they're going to get with the number one pick.
08:58You're going to get hopefully your star.
09:00And now you have added depth.
09:01Right.
09:02I think depth is very important.
09:03This is going to be a hard basketball team to make next year.
09:06Honestly.
09:06Because you already have a log jam on the wing,
09:08as is with guys like Champagny that need minutes.
09:10Bilal Koulibaly, who started every game that he's played for the Wizards.
09:13Keyshawn George, who has emerged.
09:15Like, how is this going to shake up the rotation?
09:17There are a ton of questions that have to be answered
09:19about what happens next for this Wizards team.
09:22But right now, in this moment,
09:23is where you can really sit back and celebrate.
09:26Because this had been a snake-bitten town.
09:28Honestly.
09:29When it comes to basketball.
09:30After you got 26 dropped on you,
09:32in Game 7, in 2017,
09:35nothing has felt the same.
09:36It's never felt the same.
09:38And this is the happiest I have felt,
09:41personally,
09:42about something Washington Wizards...
09:43This feels like a Super Bowl moment.
09:46To win the draft lottery in a year
09:48where you have a guy like A.J. DeBonsa
09:49or Darren Peterson on the board for you.
09:52It's unbelievable that we've actually got here
09:54in this process.
09:56I mean, Philadelphia coined the term process
09:58and things have, you know,
09:59not necessarily gone great in terms of that overall.
10:01But they're in a much better spot
10:02than the Wizards were for so many years.
10:04You were mediocre.
10:05You were mediocre for years and years
10:06fighting to make the play-in tournament,
10:08fighting to be the eighth seed with no hope.
10:10There's a reason Michael Winger said
10:11we are trying to become a perpetual contender.
10:14We don't want to be a flash in the pan
10:16that's an eighth seed one year,
10:17win one playoff series over a five-year span.
10:19That's not what they're interested in doing.
10:21Now you're going to get your foundational piece.
10:23This changes the next 15 years
10:26of what Wizards basketball looks like.
10:28Because when John Wall was taken first overall,
10:30that changed an entire decade.
10:322010 through 2020 was an entirely different,
10:36a much more prosperous era of Wizards basketball.
10:38It didn't culminate in any hardware,
10:40but now is a chance to reset that.
10:42You had to reset.
10:43They did so, and they are rewarded with number one.
10:46I think the cool part about it is, too,
10:48is while they've been tanking,
10:50they've drafted a couple of dudes
10:51that really represent and embody
10:54what they want Wizards basketball to be moving forward.
10:57Keyshawn George is a guy that's a gym rat
10:59that got so much better from year one to year two.
11:01Somebody that's going to give you everything
11:03that he's got, right,
11:05in terms of eating, sleeping, breathing basketball.
11:08Balao Kulibaly is a guy that's like that.
11:10Bub Carrington is a guy that's like that.
11:12And look, those dudes, when it's all said and done,
11:15those may end up being your key pieces off the bench.
11:17But remember when you watched Keyshawn George drop 40
11:20on the road in Dallas earlier this year.
11:22Remember what he's capable of
11:24when we're sitting here in November
11:26talking about this group getting upset
11:27that they're not in the top four or whatever.
11:29The fact that you're going to have expectations
11:31next year is special,
11:32but I think they have some foundational pieces already
11:35that are going to be able to
11:36kind of lead the way here behind the scenes.
11:38I'm excited about it all, man.
11:40Hey, can we bring up something?
11:41Let's do it.
11:41I'll let Bam out of bio drop 83
11:44every single night to get the first pick.
11:47Exactly.
11:47That's going to wash that away
11:49because I think for whatever reason,
11:51that moment,
11:52I think it was an embarrassment factor
11:53that comes with all the losing,
11:55but that was like the peak of the embarrassment factor
11:58that you get when you're one of these tanking teams
11:59and everyone was like,
12:00Miami's going to jump into the top four
12:02because they took it to the shameless wizards
12:04who are tanking their way to the bottom
12:05because they think they're going to get
12:07the first overall pick.
12:08Well, they did.
12:09Well, look,
12:09they got the first overall pick.
12:11In woke circles,
12:12they talk about humiliation rituals.
12:14That was our humiliation ritual
12:15to end up with the number one pick.
12:17And like you said,
12:18I'll do it seven days out of the week
12:19and twice on Sundays.
12:20I'm doing cartwheels.
12:21I'm doing backflips right now.
12:22Now I'm doing whatever to celebrate.
12:24How are you celebrating?
12:26I want to know how the fans
12:27are getting down here in the D.C. area
12:29now that the Wizards will pick first overall in June.
12:331-800-636-1067.
12:35Vince is in McLean.
12:37Want to chime in.
12:38Vince, Merry Christmas, my friend.
12:41Hey, man.
12:42Merry Christmas.
12:43What a great day for the Wizards.
12:45It's been a long time for us.
12:46Long-suffering fans.
12:47Stuck with the team over the years.
12:50I want to ask you guys real quick about coaching.
12:53I know it's an exciting time with a lot of talent,
12:55but the talent is only as good as the coaching.
12:56What do you guys think they should do with Keith?
12:58And if not, Keith, where do they go from here?
13:01Thanks, guys.
13:01We appreciate the call, Vince.
13:03Ben, this has been something that me and you
13:05have talked about ad nauseum.
13:07I've always felt like I've been in the minority with this
13:09and no one's been on my side.
13:10But then when I have convos with you,
13:12we kind of let cooler heads prevail.
13:15Brian Keith is known for player development, right?
13:19Like, that's the number one thing he's been known for.
13:20Oversaw the development of Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kevin Durant.
13:24Look at how the young Wizards have developed from year one to year two.
13:28Look at the jump that Alex Sar made.
13:30Look at the jump that Keyshawn George made.
13:32He's been the tank commander, right?
13:34Everyone's laughed at it.
13:35He's been the guy at the head of the bench kind of wearing it
13:37while they've gotten their ass kicked.
13:39But I know behind the scenes from talking to people within that organization
13:42and in that building, you have too, Ben.
13:44There is a respect that everyone in that locker room has for Brian Keith.
13:49And he's never a coach that's going to come out and rip his dudes
13:52in front of the media.
13:53That's just not how he's wired.
13:55One of the nicest dudes in the world.
13:56But I have it on good authority that there were times this year
14:01that he ripped into the Washington Wizards.
14:05And this is over the past two, three seasons.
14:07Has ripped into this group.
14:08So I think he's the perfect guy for the job.
14:10And I think next year with expectations, it'll be interesting to see,
14:14you know, how he coaches.
14:15It's freedom now.
14:16Yeah.
14:17Take off the handcuffs of Brian Keith and see what his real acumen is
14:20as a basketball.
14:21We don't know if this guy can coach or not.
14:23Exactly.
14:23That's the bottom line.
14:24I know he can develop players.
14:25He passed his job with flying colors.
14:28800-636-1067.
14:31It's a new era of Washington, D.C. Wizards basketball.
14:35They will pick first in the 2026 NBA draft.
14:38What was your reaction when you found out the Wizards were picking first overall?
14:41We want your calls at 800-636-1067.
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