Wizards Land Sixth Overall Pick in 2011 NBA Draft

The NBA announced tonight that the Washington Wizards received the sixth overall pick in the 2011 Draft during tonight’s Draft Lottery in Secaucus, NJ.

“We have worked extremely hard to execute our rebuilding plan and reshape our roster over the last year and a half, and the draft will be a big part of continuing that process,” said Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. “We will continue to develop and build around our young core of players, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to add more pieces to our team.”

The Wizards were originally slotted to pick in the fourth spot prior to the unveiling of the draft order. The team has held the sixth overall pick four times before in franchise history, selecting Jerry Sloan in 1965, Mel Turpin in 1984, Tom Gugliotta in 1992 and Calbert Cheaney in 1993.

In addition to the sixth overall pick, the Wizards hold Atlanta’s 18th overall selection (as the result of a Feb. 23 trade that sent Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong to the Hawks in exchange for Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans, Mike Bibby and the pick) and their own second round pick (34th overall).

The 2011 NBA Draft will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, on June 23 at 7:00 p.m.