Okpara Traded to Wizards
Tennessee Center Felix Okpara Drafted by Magic, Rights Traded to Washington Wizards
Key Points
Okpara started all 38 games for Tennessee in the 2024-25 season, setting a Tennessee single-season record for starts.
He is one of four Tennessee players in program history to record two 50-block seasons, underscoring his elite rim protection.
In the NCAA Tournament, Okpara showcased his shot-blocking impact with four blocks against Virginia and three against Iowa State.
Okpara is a Lagos, Nigeria native who played at Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, transferred from Ohio State to Tennessee, and is listed at 6-foot-11, 243 pounds; he was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team for 2025-26.
Felix Okpara, the defensive anchor from the University of Tennessee, was selected 48th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 25 — and traded to the Washington Wizards just 35 minutes later. UT Sports confirmed that the Magic sent Okpara's rights to Washington in exchange for picks No. 51 and No. 60, according to Bullets Forever.
The deal makes Okpara the third Tennessee Volunteer taken in the 2026 Draft, joining Nate Ament (13th, Milwaukee Bucks, then traded to Miami Heat) and Ja'Kobi Gillespie (42nd, San Antonio Spurs). Rick Barnes's program has now produced 60 all-time NBA draftees, according to Rocky Top Talk.
Record-Breaking Starter Becomes Washington's Interior Answer
Okpara started all 38 games for Tennessee in the 2025-26 season — a single-season program record, according to UT Sports. That followed a year in which he started 34 of 35 games. In two seasons with the Vols, he started 72 of 73 games total, making him one of the most durable big men in the country.
Washington GM Will Dawkins zeroed in on that durability and length. "We value Felix's length and his mobility," Dawkins said. "He fits the profile of the versatile defender we want to pair with our young core." At 6-foot-11 and 243 pounds, with a 7-foot-3 wingspan measured at the NBA Draft Combine, Okpara gives the Wizards a physical presence they have lacked inside.
Seven Blocks in the Tournament Caught Every Scout's Eye
Okpara entered the draft conversation in part because of what he did in March. He recorded four blocks against Virginia in the Sweet 16 and three more against Iowa State in the Elite Eight — seven total across two NCAA Tournament games. Those numbers put him among the most productive shot-blockers in the 2026 postseason.
He is one of only four players in Tennessee history to record two seasons of 50 or more blocks. ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony called Okpara "one of the most NBA-ready rim protectors in this class," adding that his ability to "switch onto guards in pick-and-roll situations is exactly what the Wizards need." Coach Barnes put it simply: "He doesn't need the ball to impact winning."
Magic Traded a 'Redundant' Asset for Future Draft Capital
Orlando already has Wendell Carter Jr., Goga Bitadze, and Tristan da Silva in their frontcourt, according to All for Tennessee. With Okpara's defensive profile overlapping those players, the Magic moved quickly to convert his rights into two future picks. The Wizards sent picks No. 51 and No. 60 to get the deal done, per Bullets Forever.
The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor noted that Washington can afford to develop Okpara slowly. "The Wizards are in a full-scale rebuild and can afford to let Okpara develop his short-roll passing," O'Connor wrote. As a second-round pick, Okpara is expected to sign a deal worth roughly $4.2 million to $5.1 million over three years, per Spotrac's CBA projections.
Lagos to Link Academy to Knoxville to the NBA
Okpara grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and came to the United States to attend Link Academy in Branson, Missouri. He first played college ball at Ohio State before transferring to Tennessee — a move that proved pivotal. He was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team in 2025-26, his second year with the Vols.
Okpara kept his message simple after being drafted. "Washington is getting a worker," he said in an official team statement. His selection as the 60th player ever drafted from Tennessee caps a landmark night for Rick Barnes's program — one that placed three players in the first 48 picks of the same draft for the first time since 2019, according to Sports Yahoo.
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