Washington Wizards: Five worst draft picks in team history
By Ben Palmer
4. Oleksiy Pecherov (2006) – Picked No. 18 overall
Oleksiy Pecherov was selected by the Washington Wizards as the number 18 overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft, but he didn’t actually play for them until the 2007 season due to an injury.
The wait wasn’t worth it, as Pecherov’s time in Washington was almost entirely useless. In his two years with the Wizards, Pecherov 3.6 points per game and never played in more than 35 games.
Pecherov had been playing professionally in Europe since 2002 when he was drafted, and the 7-foot-tall center out of the Ukraine was seen as a potential future big man for a Wizards team that needed one.
Eventually, after two seasons, Pecherov was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves along with Etan Thomas, Darius Songalia, and Washington’s 2009 first round pick (which the Timberwolves used to pick Ricky Rubio) for Randy Foye and Mike Miller.
Pecherov spent one year in Minnesota and then went back to Europe to continue playing there, which he does to this day.
Players drafted later: Rajon Rondo (21st), Kyle Lowry (24th), Paul Millsap (47th)