<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-why-rockets-traded-cam-whitmore-wizards-over-other-offers');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Why Rockets traded Cam Whitmore to Wizards over other offers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cam-Whitmore-during-pregame-warmups.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Why Rockets traded Cam Whitmore to Wizards over other offers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-06T07:55:58-07:00">July 6th, 7:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-06T07:55:58-07:00">July 6th, 7:55am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 NBA offseason is going full steam ahead. The 2025 NBA Draft is in the rearview mirror and free agency is in full swing. New reporting on the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-acquiring-cam-whitmore-in-trade-with-rockets">Cam Whitmore trade</a> reveals why the Rockets traded him to the Wizards over other landing spots.</p><p>Houston traded forward Cam Whitmore to Washington <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1941591853255753840" rel="noopener">in exchange for two second-round picks</a>, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.</p><p>The Rockets reportedly worked with Whitmore and his reps at WME Basketball over multiple weeks to find his new home. Houston’s front office <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45678556/sources-rockets-trade-whitmore-wizards-two-seconds" rel="noopener">had multiple offers on the table</a> for Whitmore. But Whitmore wanted to land somewhere that gave him “a legitimate chance to thrive in his career,” Charania reported.</p><p>This trade came on the heels of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-breaks-silence-trade-teasing-fans">Rockets acquiring star Kevin Durant</a> from the Suns.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2023-nba-draft-live-tracker-updates-picks-trades-grades-analysis">Rockets drafted Whitmore with the 23rd overall pick</a> in the 2023 NBA Draft. Whitmore will now now pursue a future with the Wizards. He grew up in Maryland, which makes the move to Washington almost a return home.</p><p>He will turn 21 years old later this year and is just beginning his professional career. Whitmore did not get many opportunities to prove himself with the Rockets. In fact, he only averaged 16.2 minutes per game in the 2024-25 season.</p><p>But many NBA scouts are still impressed with Whitmore’s skills and believe he could thrive in Washington.</p><p>Whitmore has made the most of his limited minutes early in this career. He averaged 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game over his first few seasons in the NBA. Whitmore also has a career field goal percentage of 44.9%, which is quite efficient for a big. This bodes well for Whitmore’s ability to earn himself a role with the Wizards during the 2025-26 season.</p><p>Now that Whitmore has joined the team, he will have plenty of opportunity to show his worth.</p><p>Whitmore will join a host of new players on the Wizards next season. Washington acquired CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk in exchange for Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey earlier this offseason. They also added <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/washington-wizards-2025-nba-draft-grades">Tre Johnson with the sixth overall pick</a> of the 2025 NBA Draft.</p><p>Washington’s current starting lineup should include Bub Carrington, CJ McCollum, Bilal Coulibaly, and Alex Sarr. Obviously this could change before the start of the season.</p><p>Either way, Whitmore should have plenty of opportunities to prove himself during the 2025-26 NBA season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Why Rockets traded Cam Whitmore to Wizards over other offers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-acquiring-cam-whitmore-in-trade-with-rockets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards acquiring Cam Whitmore in trade with Rockets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Former-Houston-Rockets-forward-Cam-Whitmore.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards acquiring Cam Whitmore in trade with Rockets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-05T13:41:28-07:00">July 5th, 1:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-05T15:06:08-07:00">July 5th, 3:06pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards have been active so far this offseason. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-news-wizards-cj-mccollum-jordan-poole-trade">Washington general manager Will Dawkins sent Jordan Poole to the New Orleans Pelicans</a> on June 24 to kick things off.</p><p>Now, the Wizards welcome former Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore to their team <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1941591853255753840" rel="noopener">in exchange for two 2nd-round picks</a>, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.</p><p>The trade comes as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-breaks-silence-trade-teasing-fans">Rockets make upgrades to their roster after trading for Kevin Durant</a> from the Phoenix Suns. Whitmore, who turned heads when he slipped in the 2023 NBA Draft to No. 23, struggled to find playing time for head coach Ime Udoka last season. He and Houston’s front office have worked together to find him the best fit for the next chapter of his career.</p><p>Despite his lack of opportunity with the Rockets, scouts around the league remain impressed with Whitmore’s skill set. Over the last two seasons, the forward has averaged 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. However, his 44.9% career field-goal percentage could hint at him being an efficient scorer in an offense where he plays a bigger role.</p><p>Whitmore will have the chance to do just that in Washington. After the trade goes through, the Wizards’ starting lineup could feature Bub Carrington, CJ McCollum, Bilal Coulibaly, and Alex Sarr. Whatever it ends up being, Washington’s young players will receive plenty of opportunity throughout the season.</p><p>The Rockets net two 2nd-round picks while sending Whitmore away. Houston has positioned themselves to make a run at the top of the Western Conference after finishing second in 2025. With Durant and Alperen Sengun leading the way, Houston rivals the Oklahoma City Thunder as the NBA’s deepest team.</p><p>Whitmore maintained a good relationship with the Rockets during his tenure. However, the lack of opportunity mixed with his subpar defensive skills made his departure inevitable. Houston moved on from him, and Washington gained another player to add to their future plans as their rebuild continues.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards acquiring Cam Whitmore in trade with Rockets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-jonathan-kuminga-named-surprise-suitor');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: Washington named surprise Jonathan Kuminga suitor');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jonathan-Kuminga-1.jpg"><figcaption>David Gonzales-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: Washington named surprise Jonathan Kuminga suitor</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-03T22:11:29-07:00">July 3rd, 10:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-03T22:11:49-07:00">July 3rd, 10:11pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards are not going to sign just any impactful player in NBA free agency. They need to prioritize guys who fit their current rebuild plan, which is progressing but still has a long way to go until it reaches completion. Another pricey veteran does not make sense at this time, especially since the organization is already paying sizable salaries to CJ McCollum, Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart. This franchise covets someone who could <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6472793/2025/07/03/jonathan-kuminga-warriors-free-agency-latest/" rel="noopener">potentially grow with its young core</a>.</p><p>Enter Jonathan Kuminga. The Wizards are one of a few squads that have the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/siegels-scoop-warriors-jonathan-kuminga-free-agency-holdup-trade-market-intel">Golden State Warriors’ restricted free agent</a> on their radar, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. A sign-and-trade is seemingly an option that both parties could consider. Although Washington D.C. is not exactly a hot hoops destination at this time, as is usually the case whenever a team loses 60-plus games in back-to-back campaigns, it could offer tremendous appeal to the 22-year-old forward.</p><p>Kuminga could be craving a fresh start, and the Wizards give him an opportunity to log big minutes and further hone his promising skill set. He is averaging 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists through his first four seasons with the Warriors. Those numbers, along with his 22.2 minutes per game, would surely improve if he lands on Washington this offseason.</p><h2><b>Wizards and Jonathan Kuminga can help each other out</b></h2><p>This is a pivotal time for the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Kuminga has proven himself capable of adding value on both ends of the floor. Perhaps he can climb closer to his ceiling in the right environment. Learning the answer to that query will be mighty expensive, however. The Wizards must quickly decide if they are willing to fork over the annual 30 million that Kuminga is reportedly seeking.</p><p>The organization is not necessarily operating with a serious sense of urgency, given the growing pains the team still has to endure, but general manager Will Dawkins is moving with purpose. Lucrative, multi-year commitments need to be worth the cost, otherwise Washington will be trapped in the same cycle that has unleashed seemingly endless suffering upon the community.</p><p>However, feeble franchises do not escape the abyss without taking chances. Acquiring the explosive Kuminga and pairing him with Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-tre-johnson-washington-rebuilding-puzzle">rookie Tre Johnson</a>, among others, could be a risk worth taking.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: Washington named surprise Jonathan Kuminga suitor

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-will-riley-reveals-dominate-tre-johnson');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards’ Will Riley reveals how he’ll dominate with Tre Johnson');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Will-Riley-and-Tre-Johnson-cross-their-arms-and-smile-in-Wizards-jerseys.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards’ Will Riley reveals how he’ll dominate with Tre Johnson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-01T12:57:12-07:00">July 1st, 12:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-01T22:59:35-07:00">July 1st, 10:59pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards lucked out when the Memphis Grizzlies snuck in the playoffs this past season, as that allowed them to receive the latter team’s lottery-protected 2025 first-round pick from the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/grizzlies-news-memphis-makes-marcus-smart-deal-wizards-beat-trade-deadline-buzzer">Marcus Smart trade</a>. Now, they have Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/washington-wizards-2025-nba-draft-grades">Will Riley, who they drafted No. 21 overall</a> after sliding back from No. 18.</p><p>The Illinois alum <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1938084585818218763" rel="noopener">detailed how the</a> Big Ten prepared him for the NBA after Washington selected him.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wizards No. 21 overall pick Will Riley said the Big Ten prepped him for the NBA because of its fast pace, and he complimented Tre Johnson’s playmaking/shot creating. <a href="https://t.co/m5Qi8WlRL7">pic.twitter.com/m5Qi8WlRL7</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1938084585818218763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I feel like it’s a very physical league with a lot of older guys, so it prepared me in that way,” he said. “It’s a very fast-paced league as well, and I feel like a lot of NBA teams play fast, so it helps with that transition.”</p><p>Riley averaged 12.6 points on 43.2 percent shooting (32.6 percent 3 PT) with 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 25.6 minutes this past season for the Fighting Illini. The 6-foot-8-inch, 190-pounder has a penchant for difficult shot-making and athletic finishing, which should help a Washington team that finished last in offensive rating in the 2024-25 campaign.</p><p>One of the best aspects about the Wizards’ new draft class is that both of the first-rounders can help the offense in different areas of the floor. They picked guard Tre Johnson out of Texas No. 6 overall, who was the SEC Freshman of the Year after shooting 39.7 percent from deep for the Longhorns. Pairing a lights-out shooter in the backcourt with a shot-creating frontcourt player should make the young core more versatile.</p><p>“He’s a great guard,” Riley said about Johnson. “He can create his own shot very well. Super great guy, we’ve talked a few times. Super excited to play with him.”</p><p>Between Riley’s experience with fast-paced ball and his mutual scoring ability with Johnson, there are multiple factors that can help the two find success together in Washington.</p><h2><b>Will Riley brings unique athletic experience to Wizards</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Wizards-Will-Riley.jpg"><figcaption>© Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Before Riley helped Illinois get to the second round of the NCAA Tournament this past season, he was a multi-sport youth athlete. The native Canadian was a high jumper and soccer player, which he opened up about in Washington’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRQYQbh0xHE" rel="noopener">introductory rookie press conference</a> on Saturday.</p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>“I feel like with high jump, there are a lot of technicalities to it in a lot of ways. You gotta be quick off your feet, you gotta come at an angle, jump off one foot, so I feel like that comes in in a lot of ways with basketball,” he said. “Also with soccer, I was a goalkeeper, a lot of hand-eye coordination, and you gotta stay sharp in all your positions.”</p><p>Riley is still a raw product, as his rebounding and defense are not yet up to par (the 19-year-old had a 107.5 defensive rating with Illinois, and the best players were under 100). However, the former five-star recruit’s athletic background shows that he can learn those skills with time, as he has the versatility to navigate different sports. The high-jumping experience should specifically help with rebounding, as hops are vital to getting boards. The key to his development will be practicing fundamentals like timing and box-outs.</p><p>Next up for Riley, Johnson, and second-round pick Jamir Watkins is the Wizards’ five-game Summer League slate <a href="https://www.nba.com/wizards/news/wizards-announce-2025-summer-league-schedule" rel="noopener">starting on July 11</a>, via NBA.com. This will give the new draftees their first chance to play with other members of Washington’s young core, such as Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George. The results won’t show if they’ll have successful careers, but they will give the organization and fans initial clues on how these players will mesh.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards’ Will Riley reveals how he’ll dominate with Tre Johnson

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/sneakers/infinite-archives-x-air-jordan-17-low-release-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Infinite Archives x Air Jordan 17 Low release update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Infinite-Archives-x-Air-Jordan-17-Low-release-update.jpg"></figure><h1>Infinite Archives x Air Jordan 17 Low release update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T19:52:47-07:00">June 30th, 7:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T20:00:27-07:00">June 30th, 8:00pm</time><address><a>Dominik Zawartko</a>Dominik Zawartko is a Michigan State graduate with a degree in Political Science and English. Having previously worked in the nonprofit and legal sectors, he decided to pursue his true love of writing with ClutchPoints. Dominik's hobbies include painting, cooking food, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and always having a laugh. His main focus areas are UFC coverage and all things sneakers.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bulls</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While it’s easy to give this first fourteen Air Jordan sneakers their well-deserved praise, models 15-40 can sometimes get lost in the fray. However, the Air Jordan 17 has been standing out as a hot commodity over the last two years and collaborator Infinite Archives will bring their creative vision towards the first “luxury” Jordan sneaker.</p><p><i><b>Check our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers">Sneakers news</a> for more upcoming releases and breaking content!</b></i></p><p><a href="https://infinitearchives.com/pages/about">Infinite Archives</a> began in 2015 as a way to preserve history through collections of media, literature, and nostalgia. The popular page will be working with Nike for the first time on a collaborative sneaker and it’ll be a rare one at that considering the unique nature of the 17.</p><p>The Air Jordan 17 was first debuted in 2002 and served as the first shoe worn by Michael Jordan in his return to the NBA for the Washington Wizards. The shoes notably came at a higher price tag and packaged in a silver briefcase. Infinite Archives plans to release three separate colorways, according to reports.</p><h2>Infinite Archives x Air Jordan 17</h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">FIRST LOOK: Easy Otabor unveils a “Blue” Infinite Archives x Air Jordan 17 Low 🔵 <a href="https://t.co/1IbePTMlq2">pic.twitter.com/1IbePTMlq2</a></p><p>— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) <a href="https://twitter.com/SoleRetriever/status/1937619275168251967?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><br>The classic “College Blue” colorway will return, notably serving as the debut colorway for the release back in 2002. The shoe instant cemented <a href="https://stockx.com/jordan-17-og-wizards-home">Jordan as a Washington Wizard</a> and Infinite Archives will bring back the pair for the first time since 2002. Original pairs are fetching around $700 on the aftermarket.</p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">FIRST LOOK 👀</p><p>Possible Infinite Archive x Air Jordan 17 Sample in “White/University Red” <a href="https://t.co/QqLbJstWhJ">pic.twitter.com/QqLbJstWhJ</a></p><p>— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicekicks/status/1913272700111380585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><br>The next sample is seen with a University Red TPU plate, likely a nod to the Varsity Red OG version from 2002. This also serves as an homage to the Chicago Bulls where Michael Jordan became a Hall-of-Famer and led one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. Original pairs on the <a href="https://stockx.com/jordan-17-og-white-varsity-red">aftermarket are selling for around $900</a>, but there aren’t many pairs floating around.</p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">First look at an upcoming “Infinite Archives” x Air Jordan 17 Low 👀</p><p>And yes — they’re inspired by Mike Bibby’s original run of 17 Low PEs with the Kings. <a href="https://t.co/fjKAqYVSqC">pic.twitter.com/fjKAqYVSqC</a></p><p>— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickDePaula/status/1882461510255169650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><br>The final reported colorway comes in Royal Purple and as alluded to by @NickDePaula, could have direct correlation to Sacramento Kings guard Mike Bibby who had an extensive run of player exclusive colorways in the Jordan 17. It’s not likely that you’ll find one of Bibby’s personal PE’s floating around for purchase, so this is certainly an exciting colorway dropping for the first time.</p></figure><p>The Infinite Archives x Air Jordan 17 is <a href="https://infinitearchives.com/pages/about">releasing this 2025 fall season</a> with a date yet to be announced. The shoes are expected to be available in a very limited run and it’s not clear whether they’ll see an online release via Nike SNKRS app. Keep up with our Sneakers news for more updates on when these will be dropping.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Infinite Archives x Air Jordan 17 Low release update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/washington-wizards-2025-nba-draft-grades');   ga('set', 'title', 'Washington Wizards 2025 NBA Draft grades for every pick');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Washington-Wizards-2025-NBA-Draft-grades-for-every-pick-publish-after-draft.jpg"></figure><h1>Washington Wizards 2025 NBA Draft grades for every pick</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T18:25:52-07:00">June 27th, 6:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T09:02:08-07:00">June 28th, 9:02am</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/still-hope-wizards-drawing-no-6-pick-draft-lottery">Wizards were dealt an unlucky hand</a> in May 12’s draft lottery, but their front office continues to prove its worth. By Thursday night, they turned the Nos. 6 and 18 picks into <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-tre-johnson-washington-rebuilding-puzzle">Texas guard Tre Johnson</a>, Illinois forward Will Riley, Florida State guard Jamir Watkins, and two future second-round picks.</p><p>The No. 6 selection was the lowest that the Wizards could’ve gotten in the lottery after finishing with the NBA’s second-worst record this past season. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively, got the top three picks despite already having stars on their rosters.</p><p>However, Washington made the most of its situation, and its future outlook is the brightest it’s been in years. Here are grades for all three of its picks:</p><h2><b>Round 1, Pick 6: G Tre Johnson, Texas</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Tre-Johnson.jpg"><figcaption>Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Wizards are still far from contending, which means they need to draft the best players available without worrying about “positional fit.” That’s what they did by adding Johnson to a guard/wing-heavy roster.</p><p>Rutgers wing Ace Bailey, who is the best difficult shot-maker in this class, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/jazz-news-jonathan-givony-gets-brutally-honest-ace-bailey-stunner">surprisingly went to the Utah Jazz</a> at No. 5. Utah was in a similar boat as Washington after the lottery, as it also received the lowest pick it could have gotten after finishing with the NBA’s worst record, just one game behind Washington in the standings. The Wizards could have theoretically gotten the No. 5 pick if <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/bub-carrington-game-winner-encapsulates-excitement-wizards">Bub Carrington didn’t hit a game-winner</a> on the Miami Heat in the last contest of the season, but Johnson might have a better career than Bailey at the next level.</p><p>Johnson’s game is easily translatable, as it aligns with the modern NBA. The SEC Freshman of the Year is the best overall shooter in this class, as he excels at off-the-dribble, catch-and-shoot, and jumpers off of screens. He shot 41.6 percent on contested catch-and-shoot threes, 38.1 percent on off-the-dribble threes, 44.2 percent on transition threes, and 54.8 percent on threes off of screens with the Longhorns this past year.</p><p>Those are encouraging numbers for a Washington squad that had the worst offensive rating in a league that collectively finished with an NBA-record 37.6 <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_stats_per_game.html" rel="noopener">three-pointers attempted per game</a> in 2024-25, via Basketball Reference. Johnson’s elite shooting talent gives him a reliable baseline to thrive in today’s game while he improves in other areas.</p><p>The 19-year-old took just 20 percent of his shots at the rim with Texas, and he averaged just 2.7 assists against 1.8 turnovers. He also <a href="https://x.com/chasedcsports/status/1938045119602856277" rel="noopener">took some plays off</a>, which Wizards general manager Will Dawkins brought up during his pre-draft visit with the team, via Monumental Sports Network’s Chase Hughes. He said it motivated him “to be great,” which is the right attitude, but these are all weaknesses he must strengthen to be a premier point guard for Washington.</p><p>Even with those flaws, the Wizards made the right choice by selecting Johnson over Oklahoma guard  Jeremiah Fears, who the New Orleans Pelicans selected No. 7. The 18-year-old has the best handles in the class and gets to the rim at ease, but shot just 28.4 percent from deep and stood at just 6-foot-2.5-inches against Johnson’s 6-foot-4.75-inches at the Combine. He could become an electric slasher and facilitator in the NBA, as his 32 percent usage rate was among the highest in the country and took a weak roster to the NCAA Tournament. However, Johnson is a safer bet to succeed due to his shooting chops.</p><p>The latter player will now combine with Carrington, who set a Washington franchise rookie record with 138 threes made this past season, to form its backcourt of the future.</p><p><b>Final grade: A</b></p><h2><b>Round 1, Pick 21: F Will Riley, Illinois</b></h2><p>The Wizards traded back from No. 18 to No. 21 for No. 43 and two future second-rounders before selecting Riley at No. 21. The Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year is a jumbo-sized shot-creator, as he measured at 6-foot-8.25-inches barefoot at the Combine, shot 61.3 percent at the rim, 36.5 percent on contested catch-and-shoot threes, and 30.6 percent on off-dribble threes for the Fighting Illini this past season.</p><p>Riley’s 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio also bested Johnson’s 1.5, although the latter had a 29.4 usage percentage against the former’s 23. Still, it shows that Riley already has reliable playmaking skills for someone his size, which will help keep defenses guessing. However, his defense and rebounding need improving, as he averaged just 0.6 steals and blocks (stocks) along with 4.1 boards. Bulking up might help, as he weighed in at a slender 185.6 pounds at the Combine.</p><p>Riley could combine with Johnson to infuse life into Washington’s offense moving forward, and the former will be a consistent rotational piece if he improves on his weaknesses.</p><p><b>Final grade: B</b></p><h2><b>Round 2, Pick 43: G Jamir Watkins, Florida State</b></h2><p>Finding a consistent contributor is a win at this point in the draft, and Watkins has the tools and talent to succeed. Combine those with the second-team All-ACC honoree’s track record, and it’s hard not to like this pick.</p><p>Watkins spent his first two seasons at VCU before soaring with the Seminoles in his final two campaigns. The latter program converted him into a full-time starter, and he averaged 15.6 points on 45.7 percent shooting as a junior after posting 9.5 points on 41.3 percent shooting as a sophomore. He followed that up with 18.4 points on a 42.7 percent clip this past season, but his defense is what’s most exciting for the next level.</p><p>Watkins averaged 2.2 stocks over his two seasons at Florida State in addition to measuring at 6-foot-5-inches barefoot with 6-foot-11.25-inch wingspan and 8-foot-6.5-inch standing reach at the Combine, which all bodes well for his NBA potential at that end. The 23-year-old’s Summer League performance in July will show where he is compared to his peers.</p><p><b>Final grade: A-</b></p><h2><b>Wizards’ overall draft grade: A-</b></h2><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Washington Wizards 2025 NBA Draft grades for every pick

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-washington-gm-assessment-jamir-watkins-nba-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards’ GM shares ‘serious’ assessment of Jamir Watkins after NBA Draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jamir-Watkins-brings-the-ball-up-court.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards’ GM shares ‘serious’ assessment of Jamir Watkins after NBA Draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-27T07:32:00-07:00">June 27th, 7:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-27T07:32:00-07:00">June 27th, 7:32am</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-10-worst-nba-draft-day-mistakes-in-history">Washington Wizards used their No. 43 overall pick</a> in the 2025 NBA Draft to select Florida State wing Jamir Watkins, strengthening their backcourt with a player known for his physicality, versatility, and maturity. The pick, acquired via a trade with the Utah Jazz that also involved swapping the No. 18 pick for No. 21 and additional assets, made Watkins the third addition to the Wizards’ 2025 draft class, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-tre-johnson-washington-rebuilding-puzzle">joining top picks Tre Johnson</a> (No. 6) and Will Riley (No. 21).</p><p>Watkins is coming off an exceptional final season at Florida State, where the 23-year-old rookie averaged 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game across 32 appearances. He shot 42.7% from the field and 32.1% from three-point range, earning Second-Team All-ACC honors in 2024–25 after an Honorable Mention nod the previous year. His two-year stint with the Seminoles followed a three-season tenure at VCU, which included a missed year due to a knee injury.</p><p>Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins <a href="https://x.com/JoshuaBRobbins/status/1938438000507060596" rel="noopener">expressed high praise</a> for Watkins’ demeanor and approach, stating, “I would say he’s as mature and as competitive as a player we had come through the building. He had a pretty rare combination for us of physicality on both ends …. He’s got size. He’s got length. He’s got versatility. He competes. Sitting down in my office talking to him, he’s a serious person,” per Josh Robbins of The Athletic.</p><p>Standing 6’5″ and weighing 215 pounds with a 6’11¼” wingspan and a 37-inch vertical, Watkins brings a physical profile that scouts believe is NBA-ready, especially on the defensive end. He has been compared to Atlanta Hawks swingman Caris LeVert, but with added power and a more aggressive style of play.</p><p>Ranked No. 34 on Jonathan Wasserman’s 2025 NBA Draft Big Board, Watkins is seen as a player with a high floor due to his defensive tools and secondary playmaking ability.</p><p>Defensively, Watkins has impressed scouts with his ability to guard multiple positions and disrupt plays off the ball, a skill showcased during combine scrimmages in May. However, questions remain about his shooting consistency and whether he can translate his downhill attacking style into efficient scoring at the pro level. Over his two years at FSU, he averaged 17.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 1.6 SPG, signaling consistent productivity.</p><p>Watkins now joins a Wizards roster that finished 18-64 last season, positioning him for immediate opportunities. With the team in a rebuilding phase and in need of affordable, impactful players, the second-rounder has a strong chance to earn a standard NBA contract and contribute early, especially with his defensive presence and ability to draw contact around the rim.</p><p>His selection also was the 20th and final NBA draft pick under the tenure of longtime FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton, adding a symbolic endnote to Hamilton’s legacy and bringing Jamir Watkins to the only NBA team Hamilton once coached.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards’ GM shares ‘serious’ assessment of Jamir Watkins after NBA Draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-tre-johnson-washington-rebuilding-puzzle');   ga('set', 'title', 'Tre Johnson reveals how he fits Wizards’ rebuilding puzzle');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tre-Johnson-reveals-how-he-fits-Washingtons-rebuilding-puzzle.jpg"></figure><h1>Tre Johnson reveals how he fits Wizards’ rebuilding puzzle</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T11:27:05-07:00">June 26th, 11:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T11:53:19-07:00">June 26th, 11:53am</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It seemed unlucky when the Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/still-hope-wizards-drawing-no-6-pick-draft-lottery">Wizards drew the No. 6 pick</a> on May 12’s Draft Lottery, but the board was kind to them on Wednesday night. After rumblings of a possible trade-up, they stood pat at No. 6 and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/live-2025-nba-draft-grades-every-1st-round-pick-trade">selected Texas guard Tre Johnson</a>, the best overall shooter in the class.</p><p>The 19-year-old explained <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1938051035961971052" rel="noopener">how he can mesh</a> with Washington’s young roster after he got picked.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">I asked Tre Johnson on how he fits with the Wizards’ roster. He emphasized floor-spacing and playmaking. <a href="https://t.co/hZDLL2CwH5">pic.twitter.com/hZDLL2CwH5</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1938051035961971052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“By being a guy that spaces the floor for guys that love to create, and also so guys can’t help that much,” the SEC Freshman of the Year said. “If you do, that’s an easy assist. Also, I can get others going with my playmaking.”</p><p>The Wizards selected Johnson over <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/nba-rumors-star-draft-prospect-wizards-locked-in-on-not-ace-bailey-2">Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears</a>, whom they were reportedly “locked in on” before the draft. However, their final choice was understandable, as the former measured at 6-foot-2.5-inches barefoot at the Draft Combine, while the latter was 6-foot-4.75-inches and is a much better shooter (28.4 percent clip from deep vs. 39.7 percent).</p><p>Fears has superior handles and gets to the rim more, but his shooting struggles, combined with his average-at-best size, made him a boom-or-bust pick. On the other hand, Johnson’s long-range acumen aligns with both the modern NBA and a Washington squad that set a league record last season by having three rookies hit 100-plus threes (Bub Carrington, Alex Sarr, and Kyshawn George).</p><p>Johnson shot a blistering 40.8 percent on catch-and-shoot threes with the Longhorns, including 41.6 percent on contested and 39.6 percent on open looks. The Texas native also shot 37.1 percent on off-the-dribble jumpers, including 38.1 percent from deep. The fact that the latter stat was in the neighborhood of 40 percent is an encouraging sign for his potential as a premier guard in the NBA, as he can consistently create his own shot.</p><p>Johnson does have a couple of areas to clean up. For one, the former five-star recruit only took 20 percent of his shots at the rim last season, so he’ll have to get downhill more to be less predictable in the NBA. Additionally, he averaged just 2.7 assists against 1.8 turnovers, so his facilitation leaves room for improvement. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/pelicans-news-wizards-cj-mccollum-jordan-poole-trade">Jordan Poole now shipped out</a>, Johnson could step in as Washington’s point guard of the future along with Carrington if he develops that aspect of his game.</p><p>Still, it’s hard for teenagers not to have warts coming into the NBA. Johnson’s elite shooting gives him a baseline way to be productive at the top level while he figures out the rest. Don’t be surprised if he’s helping the Wizards hang banners once he fully develops.</p><h2><b>Tre Johnson touts his relationship with Wizards</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Wizards-Tre-Johnson.jpg"><figcaption>© Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It’s one thing for a player to compliment their front office, and it’s another when they do it when they’re not on the team. That’s what Johnson did during Tuesday’s pre-draft interviews, before he knew Washington would pick him.</p><p>The SEC All-Freshman honoree <a href="https://x.com/joshvaldez100/status/1937615277480353934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1937615277480353934%7Ctwgr%5E99a206dee09d147e177633c50d2253c44d6901e4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.clutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php" rel="noopener">recounted his visit</a> with the organization.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tre Johnson said that he has a great relationship with the Wizards, and that his visit with them was like “a college visit.”</p><p>He also detailed how he keeps his shooting at such a high level. <a href="https://t.co/toEFkgwjwX">pic.twitter.com/toEFkgwjwX</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1937615277480353934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I had a great relationship with them, especially with the coaching staff. I actually told my agent that the visit was set up like a college visit,” he said. “You had snacks in the room, you met everybody, you talked to everybody. We did like a shoe thing before we even stepped on the court, so it felt like a college visit, and I had a good relationship with the front office.”</p><p>Not every prospect is so transparent about their affinity for certain organizations. For example, Utah Jazz wing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-ace-bailey-special-duty-skipping-nba-draft-workouts">Ace Bailey refused to work out</a> for several teams and kept his cards close to the chest during Tuesday’s interviews. However, Johnson’s enthusiasm when discussing the Wizards before he knew he’d join the fold speaks for itself. He wasn’t obligated to give that type of answer, but he did anyway.</p><p>The former McDonald’s All-American also explained how he keeps his shooting at such a high level.</p><p>“I just shoot the shots that I know I’m gonna shoot in the game. If it’s certain plays, I rip out the action where I’d be getting the shot to make sure that I make it in a game,” he said. “Some of the stuff is in transition, so I work on that. It’s not too much rocket science, just reading plays in practice and stuff that I know I’m gonna be doing, knowing where my shots are gonna come from.”</p><p>Johnson’s work paid off in college, as he shot 44.2 percent on transition threes, 52.1 percent off of screens, and 54.8 percent on threes off of screens. His ability to make any type of jump shot will make a Washington offense that ranked dead last in offensive rating last season more dynamic.</p><p>It’s not easy for any organization to go through an 18-64 season like the Wizards just did, but landing a player of Johnson’s ilk makes that struggle worth it for a rebuilding squad.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Tre Johnson reveals how he fits Wizards’ rebuilding puzzle

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-wizards-trade-grades-2025-nba-draft-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jazz, Wizards trade grades for 2025 NBA Draft deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Walter-Clayton-Jr-1.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jazz, Wizards trade grades for 2025 NBA Draft deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T05:04:18-07:00">June 26th, 5:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T05:04:18-07:00">June 26th, 5:04am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Utah Jazz, operating under new front office leadership in Austin Ainge, orchestrated a bold move during the 2025 NBA draft night. After selecting Ace Bailey with the No. 5 pick, Utah shifted its focus back to the second half of the first round. In a trade with the Washington Wizards, they packaged their picks, No. 21, No. 43, and future second-rounders in 2031 and 2032, to move up to No. 18 and select Walter Clayton Jr.</p><h2><b>Breaking down the trade: What did the Jazz give up?</b></h2><p>Utah sent <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1938059157850230848">No. 43 and second-rounders in 2031 and 2032 to Washington</a> to seal the deal for one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-utah-trades-up-with-wizards-to-land-florida-hero-walter-clayton-jr">most experienced and decorated players</a> in this year’s draft class. With his scoring ability, basketball IQ, and big-game experience, the 22-year-old guard fits the mold of what the Jazz are looking for as they continue to build a competitive young core.</p><p>They’re clearly pivoting toward players who can make an immediate impact. With both Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. in the fold, they’re strengthening their core with talented, albeit young, prospects.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jazz are drafting Florida star Walter Clayton Jr. 🔥</p><p>College basketball's Most Outstanding Player is heading to Utah 🙌 <a href="https://t.co/p3wWHc2q8s">pic.twitter.com/p3wWHc2q8s</a></p><p>— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1938058993496170574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>After transferring from Iona to Florida, Clayton quickly established himself in the SEC. He averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game during the 2024-2025 season. Meanwhile, he was shooting 45 percent in the field and close to 88 percent from the free-throw line. These numbers reflect not just efficiency, but his ability to contribute in different areas of the game.</p><p>Overall, Utah selects someone who brings a winning culture. In tune with Austin Ainge, <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/jazz-draft-rumors-news/2025/6/25/24456110/2025-nba-draft-grades-assessing-utah-jazz-trade-up-to-grab-walter-clayton-jr-florida-gators?_gl=1*y0eifa*_ga*MzM2NzE5MjEyLjE3NDgzMzQ3MzM.*_ga_2M5GYNY1YS*czE3NTA5MjAzNTYkbzckZzAkdDE3NTA5MjAzNTckajU5JGwwJGgw" rel="noopener">the Jazz aren’t fostering a litter of losers;</a> they want to be ready to win when the time arrives.</p><h2>Grade: B+</h2><h2><b>Will Riley: Washington’s newest wing prospect</b></h2><p>By trading down to No. 21 and selecting Will Riley, the Wizards secured a versatile young wing while adding draft capital that reinforces their vision for the future. While Riley may not have the star power of other top picks, he represents a smart developmental gamble, one that fits perfectly into Washington’s patient, asset-driven approach.</p><p>Versatile two‑way wing, while specifics aren’t as public, scouts note his offensive fluidity and defensive upside, though he’ll enter a crowded Wizards wing rotation. Meanwhile, for Riley, the situation offers a low-pressure environment with ample playing time and a coaching staff focused on development.</p><h2>Grade: A-</h2><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jazz, Wizards trade grades for 2025 NBA Draft deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/washington-wizards-perfect-outcome-no-6-pick-2025-nba-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'Washington Wizards’ perfect outcome for No. 6 pick in 2025 NBA Draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Washington-Wizards-perfect-outcome-for-No.jpg"></figure><h1>Washington Wizards’ perfect outcome for No. 6 pick in 2025 NBA Draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T08:13:13-07:00">June 25th, 8:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T09:10:50-07:00">June 25th, 9:10am</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Wednesday’s draft will be the second straight blockbuster event of the week for the Washington Wizards, as they traded veteran guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/pelicans-news-wizards-cj-mccollum-jordan-poole-trade">Jordan Poole to the New Orleans Pelicans</a> on Tuesday. The former NBA champion wasn’t part of the franchise’s future plans, but they’ll have a different vision for whoever they get with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/washington-wizards-3-best-options-no-6-pick-2025-nba-draft">No. 6 overall pick</a>.</p><p>There’s one prospect in particular that they <a href="https://x.com/PompeyOnSixers/status/1937662556065104303" rel="noopener">hope will fall</a> to them, via The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey.</p><p>“Sources say the Washington Wizards hope Ace Bailey’s refusal to work out for teams during the pre-draft process will cause him to slide,” he reported. “A source said Washington benefited from the same approach last season with Alex Sarr. The French player refused to work out for the Atlanta Hawks, who had the first pick in the draft. After the Hawks passed on the projected No. 1 pick, the Wizards selected him second.”</p><p>Much has been made of Washington’s interest in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/nba-rumors-star-draft-prospect-wizards-locked-in-on-not-ace-bailey-2">Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears</a>, but Bailey’s size and difficult shot-making ability give him a higher ceiling on both ends. The latter wasn’t originally expected to fall to No. 6, but everything is on the table now that he was the only U.S.-based prospect this year to not work out for a team for the majority of the pre-draft process. He did <a href="https://www.nbabigboard.com/p/draft-day-intel-brooklyns-picks-baileys" rel="noopener">privately work out</a> for an unconfirmed team in “a city known for jazz,” via NBA Big Board’s Rafael Barlowe.</p><p>“The Wizards have been impressed by the 18-year-old Bailey for some time. Sources say they’re not concerned about his perceived poor shot selection this season at Rutgers,” he continued. “Some Washington executives had Bailey rated higher than expected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg in high school.”</p><p>Bailey’s shot selection would be considered bad for most players, but how bad is it if he consistently cashes in? The 18-year-old’s contested midranges and moving three-pointers may not translate to the NBA right away, but getting as many shots up as possible on a rebuilding team like the Wizards would accelerate his development.</p><p>Any draft junkie has seen tons of Bailey highlights, but they’re <a href="https://twitter.com/mcfNBA/status/1936439167170560371" rel="noopener">always worth watching</a> again:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ace Bailey vs Northwestern [01/29/25]</p><p>37 PTS (13-20 FG, 5-8 3P), 6 REB &amp; 3 BLK.</p><p>*10 total dribbles* <a href="https://t.co/Cza2eoXsi8">pic.twitter.com/Cza2eoXsi8</a></p><p>— Mohamed (@mcfNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/mcfNBA/status/1936439167170560371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Fears has better handles and could be Washington’s point guard of the future, but it would behoove the club to take Bailey at No. 6 if he’s available. The Brooklyn <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sources-nets-eyeing-draft-trade-76ers-hornets-ace-bailey-buzz">Nets could use their five first-round picks</a> to leapfrog the Wizards from No. 8 and take the Tennessee native, but that would only work if the Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, or Utah Jazz are willing to move down that far. Washington could either engage in a bidding war or stand pat and bank on no trades happening in front of it, assuming it’s fine with settling for Fears or Texas guard Tre Johnson in a worst-case scenario.</p><p>Luckily for the Wizards, league sources speculate <a href="https://www.nbabigboard.com/p/saturday-shake-up-ace-baileys-gamble?r=nm05o&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;showWelcomeOnShare=false" rel="noopener">that their interest</a> in Bailey is mutual, via Barlowe.</p><p>“Another agent put it this way: ‘I think Ace is trying to get to Washington, New Orleans or Brooklyn,'” he reported. “‘With Washington as the top choice and Brooklyn close behind. I think those are the two destinations that his camp has in mind.’”</p><p>The Wizards are not only a team prioritizing their young talent, but they also have plenty of shots up for grabs after trading Poole. They won’t be competitive anytime soon, so Bailey would have time to get through his growing pains without pressure and possibly become a star for them down the line. That’s why the former five-star recruit is a perfect fit.</p><h2><b>ESPN mock draft provides Wizards dream scenario</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ace-Bailey-2_75bb43.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The safest way to secure Bailey would be selling assets to trade up, but ESPN’s Jonathan Givony <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45559441/2025-nba-mock-draft-latest-first-second-round-predictions-all-59-picks" rel="noopener">predicted that won’t be necessary</a> on Tuesday.</p><p>“Bailey, who ranks No. 3 on our big board, is the only U.S. prospect who has yet to visit an NBA team facility, continuing to decline workout invites from Philadelphia, Charlotte and Utah, and seemingly preferring the group of teams ranked outside the top five, specifically Washington, New Orleans and Brooklyn at Nos. 6-8,” he wrote after mocking the Big Ten All-Freshman to Washington at No. 6. “This type of slide could cost him $10 million to $15 million if it happens.”</p><p>“Bailey’s camp states it feels ‘confident going into the draft process,’ which most NBA teams interpret as meaning he has received assurances of being selected by a team considered more advantageous to Bailey in the long term, considering factors such as geography, minutes, role, opportunity and development,” he continued.</p><p>The 6-foot-8-inch wing echoed his team’s confidence during Tuesday’s pre-draft interviews, <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1937602812718059951" rel="noopener">saying he has no response</a> to those who criticize his shot selection.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ace Bailey said that playing with Dylan Harper taught him how to “play with pace,” and Giannis helped him learn how to “get to his kill spots.”</p><p>Response to people who criticize his shot selection: “I control what I can control.” <a href="https://t.co/qAZKAtVq0h">pic.twitter.com/qAZKAtVq0h</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1937602812718059951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I control what I can control,” he said.</p><p>With the New Orleans Pelicans lurking at No. 7 and the Nets at No. 8, the stars would have to align for Bailey to fall to the Wizards. However, perhaps the basketball gods will show mercy on a franchise that hasn’t won a championship since 1978.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Washington Wizards’ perfect outcome for No. 6 pick in 2025 NBA Draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-cj-mccollum-hilarious-first-tweet-since-blockbuster-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'CJ McCollum’s hilarious first tweet since blockbuster Wizards trade goes viral');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Cj-McCollum.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>CJ McCollum’s hilarious first tweet since blockbuster Wizards trade goes viral</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T20:25:37-07:00">June 24th, 8:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T20:25:49-07:00">June 24th, 8:25pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards completed a polarizing trade with the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-wizards-trade-grades-for-jordan-poole-cj-mccollum-swap">moving on from Jordan Poole</a> and the almost $66 million left on his contract and welcoming in veteran guard CJ McCollum. The franchise is creating more financial flexibility in the long run and further reshaping the roster’s core. Many fans applaud the team’s big-picture outlook, while others think general manager Will Dawkins gave up too much.</p><p>McCollum is used to mixed reactions, considering he has played for inconsistent squads during his career and currently serves as NBA Players association president. Naturally, the 33-year-old’s departure from The Big Easy and transition to Washington D.C. commanded much attention on social media. <a href="https://x.com/CJMcCollum/status/1937597539353559424" rel="noopener">One post particularly caught his eye</a>.</p><p>“The funniest tweet I’ve seen today is that I’m going to get blamed for the tariffs now too,” McCollum remarked on X, adding a couple of laughing emojis and seemingly alluding to the controversial Collective Bargaining Agreement he helped put into effect in 2023.</p><p>Many people take issue with the increased luxury tax penalties that are in place, which make it difficult for teams to retain championship rosters for an extended period of time. The Denver Nuggets have watched multiple key members from their 2023 title squad leave the last couple of years and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/kristaps-porzingis-trade-grade-hawks-celtics-deal">Boston Celtics just traded Kristaps Porzingis</a> and Jrue Holiday to avoid paying roughly $500 million in payroll expenses. When such sacrifices are made, the fans of these squads curse the name CJ McCollum.</p><p>Given his proximity to the White House, a tax joke was the low-hanging fruit that people could not help but pluck. Regardless of what everyone thinks about the CBA, this player can still make a positive impact.</p><h2><b>CJ McCollum can potentially help the Wizards in their ongoing rebuild</b></h2><p>The Wizards’ top priority must be developing young guys like Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington, to name a few, but McCollum can help them make strides on the floor and in the locker room.</p><p>He has constantly experienced adversity during his decade-plus run in the NBA, so hard times in Washington should not rattle his confidence. Ideally, the former Most Improved Player of the Year will understand his role on this rebuilding franchise and do his best to push the group through these persistent growing pains. He is a leader, and with that responsibility comes public backlash and frequent stress.</p><p>If McCollum can handle the challenges that lie ahead, the Wizards will take a clear step in the right direction.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

CJ McCollum’s hilarious first tweet since blockbuster Wizards trade goes viral

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-1-player-washington-may-trade-up-nba-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: 1 player Washington may trade up for in NBA Draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Wizards-rumors-1-player-Washington-may-trade-up-for-in-NBA-Draft.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: 1 player Washington may trade up for in NBA Draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T18:14:15-07:00">June 24th, 6:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T21:49:32-07:00">June 24th, 9:49pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards may not have a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/hawks-news-atlanta-acquiring-kristaps-porzingis-3-team-trade-celtics-nets">draft capital war chest like the Brooklyn Nets</a>, but they have the resources to transform their franchise on Wednesday. They made their first trade of the offseason by sending <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/pelicans-news-wizards-cj-mccollum-jordan-poole-trade">Jordan Poole to the New Orleans Pelicans</a> on Tuesday, and they’re probably not done making deals.</p><p>Washington wants to move up for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-draft-big-board-5-0-76ers-final-ace-bailey-vj-edgecombe-decision">Maryland big man Derik Queen</a>, via ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.</p><p>“Another interesting name whose draft stock is all over the place is Derik Queen. While some view him as a sure-thing top-10 pick in this draft, some teams expect Queen to be on the board when the Hawks and Spurs are picking with the 13th and 14th selections, sources said,” he reported. “Queen is one of the better interior scorers in this draft class, and he has a variety of moves in the low post that make him an intriguing option for many teams to want to add to their frontcourt.”</p><p>“If he is still available late in the lottery, the Wizards are a team that will hold significant interest in trading up to acquire him, sources said,” he continued. “Washington owns the 18th pick and has several tradeable players like Marcus Smart and Corey Kispert that could be of value to teams in the back half of the lottery.”</p><p>The Wizards have the No. 6 pick as well, but that’s too early to take Queen. They’ll more than likely draft one of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/nba-rumors-star-draft-prospect-wizards-locked-in-on-not-ace-bailey-2">Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears</a>, Texas guard Tre Johnson, or Rutgers wing Ace Bailey in that range. The latter player has star potential, while the first two could be their point guards of the future.</p><p>However, moving up from No. 18 into the end of the lottery for Queen makes perfect sense. The 6-foot-10-inch, 246-pounder’s offensive acumen would complement Alex Sarr’s rim protection in the frontcourt, and his post moves would add a new element to Washington’s offense.</p><p>The Baltimore-bred Queen would not only stay at home with the Wizards, but he’d also play with an old friend.</p><h2><b>Bub Carrington, Derik Queen could be Wizards’ DMV duo</b></h2><p>Washington guard Bub Carrington wasn’t shy about who he <a href="https://twitter.com/bijan_todd/status/1922076256922722451" rel="noopener">wanted his team to draft</a> after it received the No. 6 pick in May 12’s draft lottery, via Monumental Sports Network’s Bijan Todd.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bub Carrington was asked on his feelings for what the Wizards should do at No. 6 and hinted HEAVILY that his fellow Baltimore native Derik Queen is high on his list.</p><p>He and Queen grew up 3 houses down from each other and would play all the time, he says. <a href="https://t.co/KayXKU0ENI">pic.twitter.com/KayXKU0ENI</a></p><p>— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) <a href="https://twitter.com/bijan_todd/status/1922076256922722451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I’ll reserve that to myself [who should be the No. 6 pick], but I think my Baltimore buddy should come home…I never played on his team, but he was my neighbor; he lived three houses down from me,” he revealed. “I would see him all the time, we played against each other our whole entire lives, went to the same schools, stuff like that. Me and Derik are really close.”</p><p>Queen revealed that the <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1937596941640069359" rel="noopener">feeling is mutual</a> during Tuesday’s pre-draft interviews.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Derik Queen opens up about his relationship with Bub Carrington, who wasn’t shy about his desire to play with his fellow Baltimore native after the draft lottery. <a href="https://t.co/yPwyiAP0y9">pic.twitter.com/yPwyiAP0y9</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1937596941640069359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Growing up with Bub, that’s my guy…Love Bub, he had an amazing year last year. Me and him talk,” the 20-year-old said. “We didn’t talk after our workout because it was rough, but hopefully I have a chance to play with him…”</p><p>Queen’s media availability ran out before he could clarify what he meant by “rough,” but it’s safe to assume that he didn’t publicly slight the Wizards. Rather, he likely meant that his workout with the team was exhausting and drained his social battery, which kept him from hanging out with Carrington.</p><p>Regardless, Washington has a chance to flip the No. 18 pick and expendable <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/wizards-rumors-washington-draft-plans-corey-kispert-trade-speculation">veterans such as Kispert</a> for a player who fits with the team both on and off the court long-term.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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