After just one season with the Miami Hurricanes, forward Kyshawn George was selected 24th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.
George was then promptly traded to the Washington Wizards, alongside the 26th overall pick Dillon Jones to the Oklahoma City Thunder, for the 51st pick and five future second-round picks.
Now that George has found (and arrived in) his future home, should Miami fans be content with their former forward landing in Washington?
WIZARD 🪄👇✨ pic.twitter.com/m4ld7uRaUG
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) June 27, 2024
Here are three reasons why the Wizards are a better team for George than the Knicks and definitely better than the Thunder.
1. He can study Kyle Kuzma and Marvin Bagley III
George only started in 16 games with the Canes, and is obviously a young player entering the league, so his experience levels are slightly lacking as he heads to the Wizards.
If George earns a spot on the permanent roster, he has the opportunity to play under highly talented and veteran forwards like Kyle Kuzma and Marvin Bagley III.
Last season, Kuzma averaged 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game for Washington. In his eighth season in the NBA, Bagley produced 11.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
2. There are no Nova Knicks in the way
The New York Knicks recent acquired small forward Mikal Bridges, the fourth member of the NCAA national title-winning Villanova squad.
As Bridges joins Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Donte DiVincenzo in New York, the Knicks' roster is filling out quite nicely, without the addition of a rookie forward who is only 19 years old.
While George has the potential of becoming a star player, it would take years for him to break into a starting role for the team.
3. Unlimited room for growth as a team
The Washington Wizards were the second-worst team in the league last season, only ahead of the Detroit Pistons, and finished with a 15-67 overall record.
After such an abysmal performance, there is (almost certainly) only up from here for the Wizards during the 2024-25 season.
George is entering the franchise at the perfect time, as Washington looks to rebuild and he looks to make a name for himself in the NBA.