“We were both crazy excited to be able to play with each other again,” Tillman said to reporters Thursday morning. “And now to have it be a third time, it’s kind of ridiculous.”

The two now-Memphis forwards played together first in AAU before their second tenure together at Michigan State. There might not be two closer teammates in the league. Jackson served as the best man in Tillman’s wedding last year; his reaction speaks for itself.

I noted Toronto as a possible destination that was fitting for Winston, whose playstyle flashes similarities to Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry, not to mention he just looks right in their jersey. Memphis might be just as fitting for Tillman. Former Spartan big man Zach Randolph spent nine seasons as a staple for Grind City. Tillman’s hard-nosed playstyle will be welcomed in Memphis, which he acknowledged on Thursday.

“They were definitely on my radar,” Tillman said. “They talked to me about an agent. They showed a lot of love and desire to have me and my family out there.”

Tillman also acknowledged his emotions during the draft, especially after falling past the first round when he had the possibility of being picked within the first 30.

“With me getting passed up on in the first round, definitely it was motivation," Tillman said. "I mean after 26 and 29 and 30, because those are the teams that I really thought I had a good chance with Boston and Toronto. After getting passed on by those teams, it definitely lit a fire under me.”

Winston slid a bit further than some expected. He waited into the waning picks of the final round, watching a medley of point guards go off the board before eventually ending up in D.C.

“Emotions were probably all over the place, just worried, a little bit excited,” Winston said. “You figure eventually one of these got to be mine. ... A little bummed out, you felt like you could’ve got picked earlier, so a little bummed out. And then when you get picked, it's like all that just goes out the window. When you see your name, the feeling takes over.”

Winston said that Tom Izzo delivered an encouraging message from the Wizards organization after speaking with their coaches.

“I think he was probably one of the first to talk to the Wizards' coaches,” Winston said. “He told me how excited they sound, how excited they sounded that they could get me into their organization, how proud he was of me and how I've been in this situation before. I've been doubted before, being told things that I can't do and what things will hold me back. And I know what that situation feels like and look what I made of it before. So, he said he has a full faith that I could go out there and do it again.”

Winston’s athleticism is something many NBA teams may have been weary of when contemplating him as a prospect. However, his ability to see the floor better than most and shoot the three efficiently may slot him in a useful role in the modern league.