Four outlets were split on two guards for the Washington Wizards in recent 2026 NBA mock drafts
The Washington Wizards enter the All Star break sitting favorably in the tank race with Tankathon projecting general manager Will Dawkins and the front office with the second-best odds to land the top overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. But recent mock drafts have pointed to a pair of guards not named Darryn Peterson to the Wizards with four outlets split on two players.
Both CBS Sports and NBADraftNet point to Houston point guard Kingston Flemings as the Wizards' first round selection, while both Yahoo Sports and No Ceilings point to Illinois combo guard Keaton Wagler as the pick.
Both are named to the Wooden Watch List with the Illinois freshman guard earning the mid-season selection this past week, while Flemings became one of two freshmen to be named a midseason Bob Cousy Award top ten candidate at the beginning of the month.
Fleming, standing at 6-foot-4, is roughly one month removed from setting a freshman program record with 42 points against 12th-ranked Texas Tech, but he's also been dominant on both ends of the floor with nine games with two or more steals including five games with at least three steals.
A tall, patient ball handler at 6-foot-6, Wagler leads the country in offensive rating among players with at least 24% possessions. He's also coming off his second game with 30 or more points, doing so while shooting over 52% from the field, while he now has eight 20-point games and sits two away from tying the program freshman season record.
It's been a fast rise for the one-time three-star recruit out of high school, but the freshman has already proven himself among the most consistent Big Ten players this season while his poise and ability to be a multi-level scorer have been a key part in the Illini's success through 2025-26.
Wagler is also one of two freshmen averaging at least 17 points, five rebounds and four assists this season, ranked ninth in the Big Ten with 18.5 point per game to go with a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
No Ceilings pointed to Wagler's fit in the backcourt alongside Trae Young and Tre Johnson and ability to thrive in the pick-and-roll with Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr as reason for the pick.
"General manager Will Dawkins recently spoke on wanting multiple decision-makers on the floor and not having one dominant handler," they added. "Wagler fits the description as a versatile offensive threat with a coveted blend of size, feel, shooting, and playmaking ability."
Wagler has a chance to become the fifth player in Big Ten history to finish the season averaging at least 17 points, four rebounds and four assists alongside Magic Johnson, Jalen Rose, D'Angelo Russell and Dylan Harper.
But would either Wagler or Fleming materialize into a day one starter? With Trae Young, Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson all under contract next season - assuming Young opts into his $48 million player option as expected - how would either projected draft pick shake up the future Wizards' backcourt? Wagler adds versatility to the a backcourt with his ability to play on or off the ball while upgrading the floor of the unit.