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The Washington Wizards have the 10th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Here is the latest in our series on draft prospects who could fall around where the Wizards will select...
2021/22 stats: 39 G, 18.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.6 apg, 0.9 spg, 0.6 bpg, 47.5 FG% (6.6/13.9), 40.7 3PT% (2.6/6.5), 74.3 FT% (2.9/3.9)
Player comparison: Desmond Bane, Reggie Jackson
Projections: NBC Sports Washington 14th, Sports Illustrated 13th, Ringer 15th, Athletic 15th, ESPN 15th, NBADraft.net 10th, Bleacher Report 18th
-Ochai Agbaji is a pro-ready guard that should be considered a plug-and-play prospect with an outstanding mark from 3-point range and defensively versatility. Projected as a late-lottery prospect, he would be a vital contributor for a team that is ready to win now and already developed as a 22-year-old. He would be a huge addition to any team's backcourt. On top of his ballhandling skills, he's a pest off-the-ball who is constantly moving much like last's year 3-point lottery prospect Corey Kispert.
-Agbaji has sneaky athleticism for a player that displays a lot of poise on the court. When reaching the rim, the 6-foot-5 guard is explosive in the air. Kansas actually ran alley-oop plays for him throughout the 2021-22 season. Good speed and leaping ability help him stand out from some other guards projected in the middle of the first round.
-Defending multiple positions is a skill that NBA franchises covet. And Agbaji's length allows him to guard 1-3 in the lineup while holding his own against some small fours. His plus-five-inch wingspan allows him to be a disruptor and he'll occasionally get a block with his phenomenal close-out ability.
-He was originally redshirted his freshman year at Kansas but then got it pulled after Udoka Azubuike got injured and Silvio de Sousa faced eligibility issues. In January of that season he made his first collegiate start by scoring 24 points. Each season he showed sustained success culminating with an NCAA Championship and the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player honor.
-Out of high school Agbaji was only considered a three-star recruit. He also had a crazy growth spurt his sophomore year where he grew nine inches. Rising from a three-star prospect to a potential lottery pick takes tremendous work, giving insight to his work ethic and his transformation as a player.
BLAKE. WESLEY!!!! Notre Dame knocks off No. 10 Kentucky thanks to the freshman's game winner!pic.twitter.com/DlogxLvTmo
Backcourt depth is a noted concern for the Wizards with only Bradley Beal, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith as the only guards on the roster for this year. Washington needs to get longer, add to their 3-point shooting and add some versatility to their roster. All of which check off a lot of boxes if drafting Ochai Agbaji.
The Kansas star is projected to be available when the Wizards select at No. 10 overall and could possibly be there in a trade-back situation as well.
Some other tantalizing options available at 10 for Washington have a higher upside. But general manager Tommy Sheppard has shown that he is content taking established players over trying to predict how good a player could develop into. This could make Agbaji a legit option as a Day 1 contributor.
If selected, it's likely Wes Unseld Jr. and company would hope he could transition to a lead guard that can play alongside Beal. At Kansas, Bill Self didn't have a true point guard with multiple people running the offense including Agbaji. It's not a perfect fit, but over the past four years, Beal has become more and more of a primary playmaker for Washington. Adding another playmaking guard, whether or not he's the natural facilitator or not, would still take off a load for him and may end up being the best option for the franchise.
It's very likely Agbaji would start out on the bench but have the opportunity to play starter's minutes by the midway point of the season. He can make an immediate impact and if he hits shoots like Kispert did then there is a place for him in the starting group at times.
Defensively, he might be the best depth piece that has versatility to guard multiple positions. He, alongside Deni Avdija, would give second units fits as two of the top defensive assignments.
The one drawback is that the Wizards have drafted the 'safe' pick for several years now with all of the players turning into rotation pieces. What's missing is a player that can turn into a star and the risk associated with it. In this exercise, Agbaji is the safe pick with other risky options on the board.