The Washington Wizards are reportedly evaluating Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears as a potential selection with one of their two first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft.
According to Grant Afseth of Responsible Gaming, the Wizards have conducted “extensive due diligence” on multiple backcourt prospects. Fears is viewed as a serious option for Washington at either No. 6 or No. 18, depending on how the board develops on draft night.
Fears declared for the draft on April 2 after a standout freshman season at Oklahoma, where he averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals across 34 games.
The 6-foot-3 guard began the season coming off the bench but quickly carved out a leading role.
During the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in late November, Fears led Oklahoma past then-No. 24 Arizona and helped the Sooners capture the championship. He averaged 18.7 points and 5.3 assists during the three-game event, earning all-tournament honors.
Fears became the first true freshman at Oklahoma to score at least 30 points in a game since Trae Young in 2018. He earned two SEC Freshman of the Week awards over the course of the season.
He finished the year shooting 43.4% from the field and 85.1% from the free-throw line.
The Wizards are coming off a 18-64 season, the worst record in the Eastern Conference. With significant roster turnover expected, Washington appears to be targeting high-upside perimeter talent in the upcoming draft.
Fears, who was named a midseason finalist for the Wooden Award, is among the top guard prospects in the 2025 class, though he’s expected to be available outside the top five.
Washington owns picks No. 6 and No. 18 in the first round, as well as No. 40 in the second round. The front office has flexibility to address multiple needs on draft night.
The 2025 NBA Draft begins with Round 1 on June 25, followed by Round 2 on June 26.
