Wizards Select Porter in 2013 NBA Draft

WASHINGTON, DC – The Washington Wizards selected Otto Porter (third overall) and acquired Glen Rice, Jr. (taken 35th overall by Philadelphia) in exchange for the 38th and 54th overall picks in tonight’s 2013 NBA Draft.

“Otto’s versatility, feel for the game and size fit in well with our team and combining him with John Wall and Bradley Beal gives us a trio of talented young players that we can continue to build around for years to come,” said Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. “We’re very excited about what his addition means to both the short-term and long-term success of our franchise.”

Porter (6-8, 205) averaged 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting .498 from the floor and .422 from three-point range to become the Big East Player of the Year and a First Team AP All-American as a sophomore at Georgetown last season. He scored in double figures 27 times, including eight games with at least 20 points, and tallied a career-high 33 points in a win at Syracuse. Porter was the only unanimous selection to the All-Big East Conference First Team and helped lead Georgetown to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a share of the Big East Regular Season Championship. For his career, Porter averaged 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals in two seasons as a Hoya, shooting .498 (293-588) from the field, .751 (181-241) from the line and .355 (55-155) from behind the arc.

Rice (6-5, 206) played last season for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League, averaging 13.0 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting .491 from the floor and .385 from three-point range in 42 regular season games. He improved his numbers in the postseason, averaging 25.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks to lead the Vipers to the D-League championship. Rice played three seasons at Georgia Tech, averaging 13.0 points and 4.8 rebounds as a junior before being suspended for the final six games of the season.

“We had Glen rated very high on our draft board due to his shooting ability and overall game,” said Grunfeld. “He was able to use his season in the D-League to show that his commitment to the game matched his talent and we’re confident that he will work hard to take advantage of this opportunity.”