2019 NBA Draft: Full Mock Draft 2.0, Atlanta Hawks Pick #4 and #10, Lakers Win Lottery
By Chris Guest
#7. Washington Wizards – Jaxson Hayes
Though Dwight Howard of the Washington Wizards unsurprisingly picked up his player option for 2018-19, Howard will be in his 15th season next year – meaning the Wiz should begin to look around for a cornerstone at the center position.
Perhaps the team already has it in Thomas Bryant, who played an astonishingly good season at age 21 last year, but he might command a larger sum than the Wiz are willing to pay in restricted free agency this offseason (perhaps even from the Atlanta Hawks).
If that’s the case, the Wiz might opt to add raw, high-upside big man Jaxson Hayes out of Texas.
Hayes was a rim-rolling, shot-blocking extraordinaire in his freshman season. His 10.6 block rate was 13th in the entire country and his 2.2 blocks per game were 3rd in the Big 12 conference per College Basketball Reference.
Beyond that, Hayes didn’t force this issue on offense, only going for shots he could capably finish – which, for the most part, were lob dunks that he could crush home over far smaller defenders.
At 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Hayes has the requisite height and length needed for a center, though he could still look to pack on some muscle to truly hang with the biggest centers in the NBA.