Miami's Kyshawn George selected with the No. 24 pick in first round of 2024 NBA Draft

Former Miami Hurricane guard Kyshawn George has a new home. After being selected with the No. 24 pick in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, the Swiss native will be taking his talents to the Washington Wizards after being selected and traded by the New York Knicks Wednesday night.

“I was enjoying the moment and being with my family,” George said. “Just grateful and very happy that my name got called.”

Coming off a 15-67 season last year, the Wizards are in rebuild mode with hopes that George and fellow 2024 first-round draft picks Alexandre Sarr and Bub Carrington will help aid the turnaround.

“Great,” George said when asked about his fit with the Wizards. “I think I can bring a lot to this team with my versatility, size, length, IQ, and shooting ability. They’re expecting hard work, which I can obviously provide. And just overall, my versatility, shooting ability, how I can space the floor, and how smart I am with the ball.”  

After working his way into the Hurricanes starting lineup midway through the season last year, the 6-foot-7, 205-pounder averaged 7.6 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from beyond the three-point line. 

Before his time in Miami, George, who is a native of Monthey, Switzerland, played in France for Élan Chalon in the Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB) second tier, averaging 17.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 44.3% from the field and 33.3% from behind the arc for Élan Chalon’s under-21 team in 12 appearances. He also appeared 22 times for Chalon’s top team in Pro B.

As a high school recruit, George was ranked as the No. 281 overall prospect in the 2023 class and the No. 60 ranked small forward according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

George is now the third Hurricane selected in the NBA Draft in the last two years, joining former Miami stars Jordan Miller and Isaiah Wong, who were selected in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft.

What NBA Draft analysts are saying about Kyshawn George 

Clej Gabriel on NBA.com broke down George’s game and talked about both his strengths and weaknesses ahead of the draft. 

Gabriel believes “George checks off all the boxes that scouts love in today’s NBA – he’s got great length for his position, and he can shoot the three-pointer.”

“He doesn’t have elite handle, but at 6-8 with a 6-11 wingspan, it’s good enough to get him separation and allow him to create off the dribble,” Gabriel said. “He plays with a nice natural rhythm and never appears rushed. He’s got an innate feel for the game, is a crafty passer and has the length to see over the defense. He’s three-point shot when his feet are set is described as a “thing of beauty. He’s a better team defender than one-on-one, but he knows how rely on his size pressuring the ball. He has a good, solid build at 210 lbs.”

His Weaknesses? 

“Scouts love George’s three-point stroke, but teams will need to see if he can do more than that consistently on the next level,” Gabriel said. “In his sole season at Coral Gables, 68 percent of his shot attempts were from beyond the arc, and he had just three dunks in 713 minutes of action. He’s a solid ballhandler for his size, but he’ll need to improve greatly if he wants to be a full-time lead guard at the next level. He’ll need to improve on his decision-making, especially in the open court, struggling with turnovers as a freshman. 

“Aside from his struggles to get to the rim, George – who lacks elite explosiveness – simply hasn’t posted the numbers to warrant a high pick. He’s the definition of a high-risk/high-reward prospect.”