The Washington Wizards hold all the cards heading into the 2026 NBA Draft. However, even with the top selection, this draft class is absolutely stacked with young, superstar-worthy potential players all around the board. With that, every team could look to add another pick or two to their boards, and reports suggest the Wizards may be interested in taking pick 17, which currently belongs to the 2025 NBA Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
According to The Consensus, the Wizards and Thunder could be looking to make a trade for OKC’s mid-first-round pick; however, who they’re asking for in return may upset fans.
The Washington Wizards May Trade A Fan Favorite To Reigning Champs If Rumors Prove True
The 2026 NBA Draft contains some of the most hyped prospects of the decade, and possibly, the century. AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, Caleb Wilson; one can go down the list and find hidden gems throughout any expert’s mock drafts. Why wouldn’t Washington want an extra pick? They’ll add to their young core and possibly draft a future star, whereas typically a team would select a rotational piece.
All Oklahoma City wants in return is 24-year-old Justin Champagnie. Who, as Wizards fans know, is a franchise favorite and has cemented himself as a crucial building block for Washington’s rotation. So, should the Wizards take the bait, giving the Thunder even more power off the bench? Or, should they hold off and hope Champagnie can once again be the key to their bench?
Building Upon A Beautiful Relationship
If Washington wanted to get another first-rounder in the 2026 NBA Draft, trading with the reigning champs should be considered their best option. The franchises have ties, but not due to on-court action. Wizards’ General Manager Will Dawkins spent 15 years (2008-2023) with OKC before being hired by Washington, while Wizards’ President Michael Winger served as Assistant General Manager under Sam Presti for over half a decade (2010-2017).
The teams’ connections run deep, and both Dawkins and Winger use Presti’s building strategy of building through the draft, and drafting “people, not players.” The reigning champs will almost certainly run it back, being just one game away from the NBA Finals and being favored to win it all for a second straight season. They can’t afford to take on multiple players, and getting Champagnie for their 17th pick could do a great service on a relatively small investment.
Potential vs Actuality
What the Wizards need to carefully consider is what Champagnie’s current value is. The forward is coming off a strong campaign, averaging 8.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across his 69 games this season. He’s one of the more reliable scorers in D.C, shooting over 50% for a second straight season. Taking his current and known abilities, Champagnie still has some room to grow and could even become the backbone of the Wizards’ bench this season.
Putting his known production level against a player’s potential coming in, the drafted rookie would need to prove themselves for rotational minutes on a bench filled with talent. While experts’ opinions differ, our draft expert Benjamin Yu believes pick 17 will be used to select Nate Ament from Tennessee in his latest mock draft.
While Ament can play, would he be able to provide the same value as Champagnie? Ament shot just under 40% from the field last season on over 12 attempts per contest. If a trade were to go through, Champagnie’s offensive consistency would be missed coming off the bench; could Ament fix that issue?
It’s certainly possible, while 40% is considerably low, Washington has others on the bench who could ease the tension on the rookie. Will Riley rose exponentially to end the regular season, averaging 15.6 points after the All-Star Break. Bub Carrington has proven to be a streaky offensive weapon, highlighted by hitting 40% of his threes last season.
Others like Cam Whitmore, Tristan Vukcevic, and, depending on who Washington takes at one, Tre Johnson or Kyshawn George could take defenses’ primary focus, allowing Ament to prioritize open opportunities instead of constantly creating for himself.
The Last Word
Currently, with the Thunder still in the midst of what seems like an inevitable back-to-back, the team cannot trade for Champagnie. However, that doesn’t stop those talks from happening, and, if the Thunder get eliminated, fans could see a deal happen quicker than thought.
Should Washington make the deal? It depends on how they view Champagnie among their core players. If they believe they stand to benefit from his departure, they could just be waiting for the Larry O’Brien trophy to be hoisted.
Featured Image: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
