One of the NBA’s youngest teams just got younger.
The Washington Wizards selected a pair of 19-year-olds during the first round of the NBA draft Wednesday night. First, Washington selected Texas shooting guard Tre Johnson with the No. 6 pick. Following a trade with Utah, the Wizards selected Will Riley from Ontario, Canada, with the No. 21 pick.
“We added two players we feel are really skilled wings, skilled basketball players that know how to move the scoreboard,” Washington general manager Will Dawkins said. “They both wanted to be here and that’s important to us.”
Johnson, a 6-foot-5 guard, averaged nearly 20 points in his lone college season in Texas. In February against Arkansas, Johnson posted a career-high and a new Texas freshman single-game record when he scored 39 points, surpassing the previous mark of 37 set four times by Prince George’s County, Maryland, native Kevin Durant in 2006-07.
“I think, pound for pound, if he is not the best shooter, (he’s) one of the best shooters in the draft,” Dawkins said. “But that’s not his only skill. He’s someone who can make plays and make plays for others.”
The Wizards originally had the No. 18 pick and used it to select University of Florida point guard Walter Clayton Jr. However, Washington quickly trade him to the Utah Jazz for the No. 21 pick, a pick in the second round (No. 43) and second round picks in 2031 and 2032.
That resulted in Riley becoming a Wizard. The 6-8, 195-pound forward from the University of Illinois, appeared in 35 games as a freshman, averaging 12.6 points per game. He finished the season winning 2024-25 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year.
Dawkins praised both players for their offensive ability, something the Wizards are looking to improve after finishing the season with the 30rd ranked offense in the league.
“He’s somebody that we feel confident is going to come in the gym and push people and develop at his own time,” Dawkins said. “But he has ball skills, he can make plays … and he’s probably a better defender than people give him credit for.”
The draft trade was the second time in 24 hours that the Wizards completed a deal, as on Tuesday, it traded guard Jordan Poole and wing Saddiq Bey for the New Orleans Pelicans’ veteran guard CJ McCollum and center Kelly Olynyk. The move won’t be official until early July.
Washington’s new 19-year-olds come into a young core that includes 2024-25 NBA All Rookie players Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington. Washington also has other recent first round picks Bilal Coulibaly, AJ Johnson and Kyshawn George, who are also 21 years old or younger.
Dawkins said he sees Riley and Johnson as versatile players that can fit any lineup and the “right mold of player we drafted” that can fit right away with the current roster.
“It may not be the right partnership for everyone, but I think players that love basketball and want to work and bet on themselves and use the resources that we’re going to give them, we are typically good matches for that,” Dawkins said.
Wizards fans party in style on NBA draft night
As Washington dealt with the draft process, inside the MGM national Harbor, fans partied the night away while watching the annual event.
With Capital One Arena undergoing renovations, fans were invited to the Prince George’s County venue for a special watch party. It featured music, food, drinks and more, including meet and greets with franchise alumni Phil Chenier, Harvey Grant and Jason Smith, as well as University of Virginia legend Ralph Sampson.
“I love the camaraderie,” D.C. native Tony Bell said. “I love the group of people being here. I love to see all of our fans being out here also. This is nice.”
Fans even participated in a raffle for an autographed Bud Carrington jersey. Nancy Shaw of Springfield, Virginia won the prize, telling WTOP’s Bryan Albin that she couldn’t believe she had the lucky ticket.
“It was awesome. I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I couldn’t even find my ticket. My friend said ‘look in your pocket,’ and there was my ticket.”
It was the first time the Wizards’ draft party was held at the MGM National Harbor.
WTOP’s Bryan Albin and Rob Woodfork and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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