Washington Wizards: 5 options for pick No. 15 in 2018 NBA Draft

4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The Wizards lacked any kind of depth in the backcourt outside of Tomas Satoransky in 2017-18. Tim Frazier played well in spurts, but didn’t pan out in crunch time. Considering Frazier will be an unrestricted free agent, it’s unlikely he will be back. Shooting guard Jodie Meeks will be serving the rest of his suspension for the early part of the 2018-19 season.

After that mouthful, it’s apparent that the Wizards need some assistance in the backcourt. Depending on who’s available with the 15th pick, they could end up selecting Kentucky Wildcats freshmen sensation Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander put up 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game for the Wildcats in 2017-18.

The 6’6″ combo guard shot 50 percent from the field and 40.4 percent (23-of-57) from 3-point range in his lone season at Kentucky. He brings playmaking ability as well as a scorer’s mentality to a team in need of both off the bench, albeit at a rookie scale.

The good thing here is there’s no need to rush Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s shown he can keep up with the college level and possesses a seven-foot wingspan. The NBA is a different beast, but bringing him off the bench with Kelly Oubre Jr. isn’t a bad proposition. It gives the Wizards a chance to rest their dynamic duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal, something that should be a focus in 2018-19.