Thomas Bryant

It's fair to say the last two years have been rough for Bryant, having played a total of just 37 games across both campaigns. Having worked his way back from a significant knee injury, Bryant averaged 7.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in his 27 games during the 2021-22 season. As a typically efficient scorer who can rebound the ball and provide steady rim protection, Bryant could start at center next to Anthony Davis, who prefers to play power forward during the regular season. A starting role could see Bryant return standard league value. Although, given the risk, he is probably only worth a flier at the end of most drafts.

Bryant came into the 2020-21 NBA season with high expectations after impressive play in the NBA's bubble. But then 10 games into the season the big center tore his ACL and was forced to miss the remainder of the year. In his 10 games, Bryant managed to average 14.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists, while he hit 64.8 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from beyond the three-point arc. The former Indiana star's greatest performance last season was a 21-point, 14-rebound effort in a win over the Nets. For the upcoming season, Bryant is expected to miss the beginning of the season as he continues the rehab process for his knee. When healthy, the center will likely face more competition for playing time as the Wizards acquired Montrezl Harrell over the offseason. Also, center Daniel Gafford showed great potential when he started for the Wizards in the playoffs last season. The Wizards could possibly go through another full season with a three-man rotation at the center position, but that ultimately depends on how well Bryant's play is once he returns to the court. The 24-year-old Bryant is a very risky fantasy selection as he's battled with injuries in each of the last two seasons and could see limited minutes if Gafford or Harrell start the season strong.

While injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic conspired to reduce Bryant's 2019-20 season to just 46 games, the emerging big man made good use of his opportunities. The fourth-year pro finished with averages of 13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks while putting up 9.1 shot attempts across 24.9 minutes per contest. Each of those numbers represented a career best for Bryant, who now has 89 career starts under his belt and could be ready to take his game to yet another level in the 2020-21 campaign. Bryant's play in the Orlando bubble was especially encouraging, as he posted a trio of double-doubles over eight games on the way to averages of 18.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.4 steals across 31.0 minutes. The big man was particularly aggressive on the offensive end, averaging a robust 4.6 three-point attempts during that stretch and draining them at a 40.5 percent clip. If that type of usage carries over into the new campaign, a Wizards team that's once again likely to get involved in plenty of shootouts due to questionable defense could afford Bryant a chance to up his scoring average for a third consecutive season. The expected return of star point guard John Wall from the Achilles injury that cost him the entire 2019-20 campaign could be a factor, but that remains up for debate -- Wall will reportedly have his minutes monitored and won't be deployed in the second game of back-to-back sets, and he could certainly be an excellent facilitator for Bryant down in the post as well.

Bryant inked a new three-year, $25 million deal with the Wizards in the offseason to remain with Washington. He was effective during his first season in DC, starting in 53 of 72 appearances and playing 20.8 minutes per contest, averaging 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 blocks. The Wizards' frontcourt was hectic last season, with the trio of Bryant, Ian Mahinmi and Bobby Portis splitting minutes at center with Dwight Howard out of action. With Howard and Portis off the team this season, Washington has committed to Bryant as the starter at center. It would be reasonable to expect Bryant's production to grow if he secures more minutes and takes on a larger role. He averaged 18.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.2 combined blocks/steals per 36 minutes last season, giving him big upside for the upcoming season.

Bryant was an early entry for the 2017 NBA Draft following a two-year collegiate career with Indiana. In his final season with the Hoosiers as a sophomore, Bryant averaged 12.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 blocks across 28.1 minutes. At 6-foot-11, with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, Bryant has the size that NBA teams covet, but he was fairly raw coming out, which resulted in him falling to the Lakers with the 42nd overall pick. Bryant does, however, have a solid jump shot and can get it done from the perimeter. He shot 55 percent from the field and a respectable 38 percent from deep during his final year at Indiana, which evidences his ability to stretch the floor. Questions about his athleticism, his ability on the defensive end and his abundant turnovers ultimately led to his fall in the draft and he'll need to address those issues before he gets extended run at the next level. The Lakers already have Brook Lopez and Ivica Zubac at center, leaving minimal minutes for Bryant. That likely means Bryant will spend plenty of his rookie season developing with the team's G-League affiliate.