Wizards kick rebuild into high gear with busy NBA draft night

The message of the Avdija trade and Washington's picks is simple: this team is fully committed to rebuilding and likely will continue to do so for quite a while. 

Sarr, a 19-year-old Frenchman who played in Australia last season, has been touted highly due to his upside and physical capabilities, meaning he will be a project in the NBA. He's a long, athletic seven-footer with a 37-inch vertical and defensive versatility, so he should at least bring Washington some solid rim protection right from the get-go.

His offensive game is much less refined, but he is a new-age big who can play ball-handler and attempts shots at every level. If he can become an apt shooter and facilitator, he could be the best player in this year's draft class.

Meanwhile, the Wizards' other two picks — Pittsburgh's Carlton "Bub" Carrington and Miami's Kyshawn George — are additional young players who should have opportunities to grow on this rebuilding team. Carrington is an 18-year-old (though he will turn 19 before the start of the season) combo guard, while George is a 20-year-old wing, and both played only one season for their respective colleges.

Carrington averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists for Pitt during the 2023-24 season, showing impressive rebounding abilities for a guard while scoring and creating shots for his teammates. George's numbers weren't as high (7.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.2 APG), but his versatile skillset as a wing with guard abilities makes him intriguing, and he shot greater than 40 percent from deep at Miami.

Overall, Washington's Day 1 actions clarify that the Wizards are all-in on playing the long game. They're a team that isn't looking to be competitive right now and is instead set on stockpiling as many draft picks as possible throughout the next few seasons. The rebuild has officially been kicked into high gear.