The Wizards were surprised that the Deni Avdija fell to them at No. 9 during last month’s draft. The franchise had expected him to go in the top-5, rating him as one of the best prospects in the field.
Washington attempted to trade up, negotiating with the Bulls for the No. 4 overall pick, though “the cost was too high,” as Chase Hughes of NBC Sports reports.
Prior to the draft, GM Tommy Sheppard said the Wizards were exploring a move up in the draft.
“I have eight calls to make tomorrow and over the course of the next week, to talk to the teams ahead of us and see what their needs are and see what they want to do. Then, talk to the teams behind us and see what their needs are,” Sheppard said back in August.
Not able to land a deal with Chicago, the front office nearly lost hope on landing Avdija. They thought for sure the Knicks would take him at No. 8 but with Obi Toppin on the board, New York took the polished power forward.
Avdija impressed during the preseason (I have him as the Rookie of the Year in my 48 bold prediction piece). He’ll likely start most of the season and further grow his game. Luckily for the Wizards, it’ll be in Washington.
