One of the more intriguing NBA draft prospects is off the board after the Washington Wizards selected Yannick Nzosa, a Congolese center who plays for Unicaja of the Liga ACB in Spain, with the No. 54 overall pick.
Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report
Player: Yannick Nzosa
Position: C
Height: 6'10''
Pro Comparison: Precious Achiuwa
Scouting Report: Projected to go in the lottery before the season, Nzosa struggled offensively against quality competition overseas. Athleticism around the rim and defensive versatility still say he's a worthy second-round flier.
Wizards Active Roster and Average Salary (Expiration Year)
Johnny Davis, SG: rookie scale contract
Yannick Nzosa, C: rookie scale contract
Bradley Beal, SG: $35.1M (2023, Player Option)
Kristaps Porzingis, PF: $31.7M (2024)
Daniel Gafford, PF: $13.4M (2026)
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG: $13M (2023)
Kyle Kuzma, PF: $13M (2024)
Rui Hachimura, PF: $5.1M (2023)
Deni Avdija, SF: $5.1M (2024)
Ish Smith, PG: $4.6M (2023)
Corey Kispert, SF: $4.1M (2025)
Vernon Carey, Jr, C: $2.2M (2024)
Isaiah Todd, PF: $1.7M (2025)
Raul Neto, PG: UFA
Thomas Bryant, C: UFA
Cassius Winston, PG: RFA
Anthony Gill, PF: RFA
Tomas Satoransky, SG: UFA
Cassius Winston, PG: RFA
The 18-year-old Nzosa looked like a potential first-round pick in 2020-21. He only played 12.5 minutes per game in Liga ACB play but managed to score 4.3 points on 64.7 percent shooting while recording 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.
However, this past season did not go nearly as well.
Nzosa averaged 2.2 points per game on 36.8 percent shooting in an average of 11.1 minutes of league play across 29 appearances. He did miss five months with a groin injury, per Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN, so that could have played a part in a rough season.
Still, Nzosa has plenty of time and room to grow his game. He obviously isn't ready to contribute on the NBA level now, but Washington could have a high-upside player on its hands with some patience and continued development.
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