NBA Draft 2019: Mock Draft 3.0

With Jarrett Culver sitting as high as No. 4 on several major mock boards, he should be a snap-selection for the Wizards at No. 9. Even as All-Star Bradley Beal occupies Culver’s natural shooting guard position, this is simply too much “Best Player Available” to ignore.

Wing positions in the NBA are becoming increasingly amorphous, and Culver — at 6’6” — likely has the size to match up with a variety of opposing threes. While not outstandingly long or athletic, he is deficient in neither, and will add strength to his frame as his body fills out.

Culver does many things well, which will be crucial for a Wizards roster that whose makeup is largely uncertain. Assuming they (wisely) decline Jarbari Parker’s team option, the Wizards have just five players under contract for 2019-20. That includes John Wall, who might miss the entire season, while making a harrowing $37 million.

As such, Culver’s role could take on many forms, depending on the Wizards’ offseason and Wall’s eventual health. Ideally, Culver could serve as a secondary scorer to Beal, with playmaking upside from the wing.

The Wizards are severely handicapped by Wall’s salary, and if they cannot retain Tomas Satoransky’s services on the cheap, could be scrap-heaping for point guards. This makes Culver’s active passing and high-IQ mentality added assets. If he can develop NBA range to complement Beal as a stretch threat, that is just icing on the cake.

There is also a universe where the Wizards trade Beal; which becomes infinitely more likely should they succeed in luring Masai Ujiri to Washington. If the team does hit the full rebuild switch, Culver then becomes the focal point, with broad range of potential pluses for the team to build with.