New Orleans Pelicans senior vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver was born and grew up in the DMV area, so it’s not unusual that he has an affinity for basketball players who come from the same part of the country. Enter University of Maryland forward Solomon Washington.
Yes, that’s right, Weaver is once again setting his sights directly on the Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. areas. One might question this focus on just one part of the country, but it worked out well with Derik Queen.
According to agent Josh Goodwin, the Pelicans were hosting Washington for a pre-draft workout. So, what is it about Washington that could be attractive to Weaver and the Pelicans. Let’s hope there is more to Washington’s game than him playing in the DMV area.
Maryland forward Solomon Washington is scheduled to have an NBA pre-draft workout with the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, per @AgentGoodwin.
— Vince Wolfram (@vincewolfram15) May 27, 2026
Washington averaged 9.8 PPG and 9.2 RPG in his lone season at Maryland after transferring from Texas A&M. pic.twitter.com/UkNG50SoNG
Solomon Washington brings with him athleticism and toughness
The senior transferred to Maryland from Texas A&M last season, playing a career-high 31.9 minutes per game. He averaged nearly 10 points and more than 9 rebounds per game while suiting up for the Terrapins.
24/7 Sports says he is not a great three-point shooter and that is confirmed by his shooting 24% from the behind the arc last season. Washington also is 6’6, which makes him a bit undersized for the small forward position.
On the other hand, Washington is known as a super-athletic forward who can finish around the basket. He also is a terrific rebounder with a non-stop motor. He also gets positive reviews about his shot-blocking and his ability to guard every position on the floor.
No one is going to confuse Washington with Derik Queen, but he seems to have the potential to become a solid bench player if he can improve his shooting. High energy guys like Washington can be very valuable to winning teams.
It also sounds like Washington is the type of player new head coach Jamahl Mosley wants to have on the team.
There is one other fun connection between Washington and the Pelicans. Washington was born in New Orleans. This doesn’t mean anything regarding his on-court performance, but it would make a good story if Washington were to make the team.
The Pelicans currently have the 58th pick in the 2026 NBA draft. Washington could be someone they pick in that spot, or they likely could sign Washington as an undrafted free agent.
While Weaver’s fascination with players from the DMV area paid off when they selected Derik Queen with the 13th pick in last year’s NBA draft, it also cost the Pelicans the 8th overall pick in this year’s draft.
Queen had a great rookie season and looks like a potential building block for the Pelicans, but they now don’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft.
Washington is clearly a much lower risk, but it would also be nice to know Weaver is scouting the rest of the country, and the world, and not putting too much focus on the DMV area.
I am choosing to believe in the former. Washington is a low-risk draft prospect, and it doesn’t hurt to take a closer look at him. I’m just hoping Weaver’s fascination with players from the DMV area doesn’t result in the Pelicans missing out on a better prospect.
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