The Worst Draft And Trade Mistakes In Washington Wizards History

Since their debut as an NBA organization 63 years ago, the Washington Wizards have captured one NBA championship and appeared in four NBA finals. All four of those Finals appearances came over 40 years ago during the 1970s when they were still known as the Bullets. Today, much like we did recently with the Denver Nuggets, we will try to figure out what has gone wrong with the Wizards as an organization that has held them back from championship glory.

The Wizards’ front office has made detrimental decisions to their franchise’s growth throughout their existence. This rings especially true when speaking of their decisions in the NBA Draft and the trade market.

The Worst Draft Mistakes In Washington Wizards History

1963 NBA Draft

Washington Wizards Selected: Rod Thorn, 2nd Overall Pick

Better Available Pick: Nate Thurmond (3rd Overall Pick)

To find the earliest mistake in Wizards history, we have to go all the way back to the 1963 NBA Draft. With the second overall pick, the Baltimore Bullets as they were then known, decided on shooting guard Rod Thorn out of West Virginia. Thorn was decent for the Bullets, averaging 14.4 points per game as a rookie in 1963-64. After just one season, Thorn would be traded to Detroit where he would spend another season and a half.

Thorn would go on to have a decent career, averaging 10.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in total. Thorn would go on to have a successful career after his playing days were over as well as a coach and executive with the Bulls during the 1980s as well as the Nets and Sixers during the 2000s.

Taken with the third overall pick in 1963 directly after Thorn was Nate Thurmond by the San Francisco Warriors. Thurmond would have an outstanding career with the Warriors, Bulls, and Cavaliers, earning seven All-Star selections and five All-Defensive Team selections. At his peak, Thurmond was a monster, putting together seasons in which he averaged 20.0 points and 20.0 rebounds per game. That could have gone a long way for a Bullets team still searching for a dominant big man in the pre-Wes Unseld days.

1985 NBA Draft

Washington Wizards Selected: Kenny Green, 12th Overall Pick

Better Available Pick: Karl Malone (13th Overall Pick)

After all of their success and NBA championship in the 1970s, the next big mistake in Washington’s draft history would come in 1985. With the 12th pick in the 1985 draft, the Wizards selected Kenny Green, a forward out of Wake Forest. Green’s impact in the NBA was minimal as he ended up playing just 20 games with Washington and 40 games with the 76ers over the next season and a half.

After just 60 games of averaging 4.4 points and 1.7 rebounds per game, Green was out of the NBA. The story gets much worse for Washington than this. That is because just one pick after Green, the Utah Jazz would select future two-time MVP and Hall of Famer, Karl Malone.

While Green’s NBA career was coming to an end, Malone’s was just getting started as he became an All-Star in 1988 averaging 27.7 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. Over the next 17 seasons, Malone would become one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history, winning two MVP awards and earning 14 All-Star selections and 14 All-NBA Team selections as well. Malone’s 18 seasons with Jazz alongside John Stockton resulted in Malone’s spot as the third-leading scorer in NBA history and perhaps one of the biggest draft mistakes in NBA history.

1989 NBA Draft

Washington Wizards Selected: Tom Hammonds, 9th Overall Pick

Better Available Picks: Tim Hardaway (14th Overall Pick), Shawn Kemp (17th Overall Pick)

Four seasons after the Karl Malone disaster, Washington would miss out on not one, but two potentially franchise-altering players. The Bullets held the ninth overall pick and with it selected Tom Hammonds, a 6’9’’ power forward out of Georgia Tech. Hammonds would spend three seasons coming off the bench for Washington with 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Hammonds would go on to play nine more seasons for three different teams, finishing with career numbers of 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 rebounds per game.

It turns out that the real treasure of the 1989 NBA Draft came in the middle of it. At the time of the draft, the Bullets could have used a star point guard which is exactly what the Golden State Warriors got with their 14th pick, Tim Hardaway. Known for his elite ball-handling skills, Hardaway took off right away in his career, earning three All-Star selections in his first four seasons with Golden State. Over the next 10 seasons, Hardaway would continue with his Hall of Fame career averaging 16.1 points and 7.3 assists per game and earning two more All-Star selections with the Miami Heat.

The Bullets also could have gone in a different direction if they wanted to stick with a big man. With the 17th pick, the Seattle SuperSonics lucked out with Shawn Kemp, an athletic specimen who would go on to become one of the greatest players in franchise history. From 1993 through 199, Kemp became a six-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA Team selection averaging 18.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. Kemp would have been the piece for Washington that could have made a real difference through their struggles during the 1990s.

2001 NBA Draft

Washington Wizards Selected: Kwame Brown

Better Available Pick: Pau Gasol (3rd Overall Pick)

In 2001, the Washington Wizards joined the wrong side of NBA history when they selected Kwame Brown as the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. Brown was held in high regard coming out of high school in 2001 and the Wizards decided he was going to be their next franchise superstar taken with the first overall pick. That would not be how it panned out.

Brown would struggle in his first four seasons with the Wizards, averaging just 7.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while struggling to find a starting spot. Brown would play eight more seasons with the Lakers, Grizzlies, Pistons, Hornets, Warriors, and 76ers with just 5.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. It turns out almost anybody else in the draft would have been a better choice for Washington.

The biggest player that the Wizards missed out on in this draft was far and away was a 7-footer out of Spain by the name of Pau Gasol. Gasol would go on to win Rookie of the Year with the Grizzlies in 2002, averaging 17.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Over the next 17 seasons, Gasol would have a Hall of Fame career with the Grizzlies, Lakers, Bulls, and Spurs. Gasol would help the Lakers go back-to-back as NBA champions in 2009 and 2010 along with earning six All-Star selections and four All-NBA Team selections in total.

2011 NBA Draft

Washington Wizards Selected: Jan Vesely, 6th Overall Pick

Better Available Picks: Klay Thompson (11th Overall Pick), Kawhi Leonard (15th Overall Pick)

The Wizards would go another 10 years without making another detrimental mistake in the NBA Draft. Then 2011 happened. With the sixth pick in the draft that year, the Wizards decided on Jan Vesely, a power forward out of the Czech Republic. Vesely was yet another bust chosen by the Wizards, lasting just two seasons in Washington, averaging 3.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He would last just three seasons in the NBA in total before walking away at 23 years old.

A little further down the draft board, two franchises were changing their futures with their draft selections. With the 11th pick, the Warriors struck gold with Klay Thompson, one of the greatest sharpshooting three-point shooters in NBA history. Thompson has helped the Warriors win four NBA championships since 2015 while also earning five All-Star selections and two All-NBA team selections in 10 seasons. While nobody knows if Thompson is the same player in a place like Washington, he would have been an upgrade over Vesely regardless.

AN even more franchise-changing selection was being made at No. 15 in that same draft. The Indiana Pacers would simultaneously draft and then trade Kawhi Leonard to the Spurs with that selection, altering both franchises for the foreseeable future. Leonard would go on to lead the Spurs to an NBA championship in 2014 then win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016. In 2019, he would lead the Raptors to their first NBA title, capturing his second Finals MVP award in six years.

Either one of these two players could have helped deliver the NBA championship Washington has been seeking since 1978.

2013 NBA Draft

Washington Wizards Selected: Otto Porter Jr., 3rd Overall Pick

Better Available Pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo (15th Overall Pick)

Just two seasons after missing out on Klay and Kawhi, the Wizards, and 13 other NBA teams, would miss out on a generational talent in the 2013 NBA Draft. With the third pick, the Wizards took a chance on Otto Porter Jr. out of Georgetown University.

Porter would be a decent addition for the Wizards, averaging 10.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in six seasons. In 2022, he played a small role in a Warriors championship run off the bench and has been with the Raptors for the last two seasons where he has seen limited time on the floor.

The Milwaukee Bucks would be declared winners of this draft by a long shot after they found Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 15. Over the last 12 seasons, Giannis has gone from a relatively unknown prospect out of Greece to one of the biggest superstars in the NBA. Antetokounmpo is a former two-time MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and a Finals MVP when he led the Bucks to an NBA title in 2021. In 2023-24, Giannis is still dominating with 30.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. There is no doubt that he could have brought the championship to Washington by now.

The Worst Trade Mistakes In Washington Wizards History

1996 Trade Between The Washington Bullets And The Portland Trail Blazers

Washington Bullets Receive: Harvey Grant, Rod Strickland

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Rasheed Wallace

The amount of mistakes that the Wizards have made on the trade market may be a little less but they have been detrimental to team success all the same. The first time Washington messed up on the trade market would be in 1996. Rookie forward Rasheed Wallace had just finished a season in which he averaged 10.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game to begin his NBA career.

After just one season in Washington, Wallace was traded to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Rod Strickland and Harvey Grant. It was said that Wallace and the coaching staff in Washington could not find common ground and the situation was dealt with promptly. Well, in Portland, Wallace became an All-Star and one of the best two-way players in the NBA. Later on in 2004, Wallace helped anchor a Pistons team to an NBA championship.

Meanwhile, in Washington, the Bullets dealt with the fallout, Strickland was fantastic for them even earning All-NBA honors in 1998. However, there was no success on the team level with first-round exits in the playoffs and 18-win seasons to follow. Harvey Grant’s return to Washington was less than eventful as well as he averaged just 3.0 points per game off the bench. The championship impact Wallace had later in his career was something Washington missed out on by giving up on him too soon.

1998 Trade Between The Washington Wizards And The Sacramento Kings

Washington Bullets Receive: Mitch Richmond, Otis Thorpe

Sacramento Kings Receive: Chris Webber

After the Washington Bullets were able to land Chris Webber from the Golden State Warriors at a bargain in 1994, he began to thrive as a member of the team almost right away. Over four seasons, Webber would average 20.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game. He would be an All-Star in 1997 and looked to be the future of the franchise.

After the 1998 season, the Bullets would make a blockbuster move by trading Webber to the Kings in exchange for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe. Richmond was coming off six consecutive All-Star selections with the Kings and Thorpe was 36 years old and at the end of his career. Unfortunately for the Bullets, they got a step below the All-Star version of Richmond as he averaged 17.8 points per game over the next two seasons.

In the meantime, Webber became one of the best power forwards in the game and the Kings became NBA championship contenders almost immediately. Over the next seven seasons with the Kings, Webber earned four All-Star selections and averaged 23.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. While the Kings came within minutes of an NBA title, the Wizards struggled to make the playoffs.

1999 Trade Between The Washington Wizards And The Orlando Magic

Washington Wizards Receive: Isaac Austin

Orlando Magic Receive: Ben Wallace, Terry Davis, Tim Legler, Jeff McInnis

During the 199 offseason, the Washington Wizards were looking to be active on the open market, especially in the trade department. In August of that summer, the Wizards pulled the trigger on a deal that would send four players out of town to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Isaac Austin.

In typical Washington fashion, they acquired the 6’10’’ big man far too late in his career. Austin would last just one season with Washington and averaged just 6.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Little did the Wizards know that their solution to their issues at the center position was within their ranks the entire time.

That’s because one of the four players that Washington sent to Orlando was future Hall of Famer Ben Wallace. After just one season in Orlando, Wallace was acquired by the Pistons where he would become an NBA legend. Wallace would win four Defensive Player of the Year awards between 2002 and 2006 while also being the engine that led the 2004 Detroit Pistons to the NBA championship. Wallace’s power was always there with him and it was unlocked in Detroit once given the right opportunity. Washington just missed out on being the one to unlock it.

2002 Trade Between The Washington Wizards And Detroit Pistons

Washington Wizards Receive: Jerry Stackhouse, Brian Cardinal, Ratko Varda

Detroit Pistons Receive: Richard Hamilton, Hubert Davis

In 2002, the Wizards would make the last big trade mistake in their franchise’s history, and it saw them lose yet another member of the 2004 Detroit Pistons championship team. The Wizards were looking to make a splash in 2002, and thought they were doing just that when they swapped budding star Richard Hamilton to the Pistons in a deal centered around Pistons All-Star Jerry Stackhouse.

The deal seemed to perfectly align for both teams but as it would turn out, only one would benefit in the end. Injuries and feuds with Michel Jordan would shroud Stackhouse’s time in Washington in darkness. He spent just two years with the team before being sent on his way again to Dallas.

On the other end of the deal, the Pistons got Hamilton just as he was entering his prime. In 2004, Hamilton would lead the offense alongside Chauncey Billups to an NBA championship. From 2006 through 2008, Hamilton would make three straight All-Star games averaging 19.1 points per game on 48.1% shooting. It is quite astonishing that the Wizards once had 60.0% of a championship-winning squad and traded them all away to remain in mediocrity, still seeking their first NBA championship in 45 years.