The Wizards answered one question with their first-round pick. That, in turn, led to another.
They filled a need by drafting a big man — 6-foot-11 Olexsiy Pecherov, who potentially gives them a rebounder and outside shooter.
But the bigger question is: when?
Pecherov, selected 18th overall, is the first international player selected by Washington in the first round. He’s under contract overseas, which means he’ll have to be bought out of his deal. The Wizards can pay up to $500,000 of the buyout.
They plan on him playing with their summer league team. After that, it’s up to Pecherov, 20, as to when he wants to play here.
“When you’re drafting in the late teens, there’s no sure thing,” Wizards General Manager Ernie Grunfeld said. “We got a player who has a future in this league. It’s up to him how quickly he matures.”
The Wizards say they can wait. They view last year’s second-round pick, Andray Blatche, as comparable to a first-round pick this year.
Besides, in Pecherov, they say they’ve added someone who can do two things: shoot and rebound. In the Princeton offense, it’s important to have a big man who can hit an outside shot. And their interior rebounding has been too inconsistent.
“Anytime you shoot the ball well and you’re 6-11 and you rebound,” Grunfeld said, “that’s a very good sign. And he’s not afraid to mix it up.”
Pecherov averaged 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds in 21 minutes a game for Paris Basket Racing in France’s top professional league. He was on loan from BC Kiev of the Ukraine league because he was not getting enough playing time.
In 2004, he was named the MVP of the Global Games playing for his native Ukraine. Last year, he averaged 26.2 points and 14 rebounds in the Global Games, scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against the United States’ under-21 team.
He worked out for Washington earlier this month.
White traded to pacers
Kensington native James White was the first pick of the second round by Portland and was later traded to Indiana.
