Lol at the people saying "But there in teh Harry Potter!!1!" as if those books somehow invented wands. Wands have been a part of a myths, stories and religions for thousands of years, they aren't some newly invented plot item from a mediocre children's series. Saying something like "Harry Potter had them and therefore Skyrim inherently shouldn't" is silly.
I wouldn't mind wands as a weapon, they could have a faster cast rate than a staff but lower power.
I don't think anyone thinks Harry Potter invented wands, but I still don't see the point of them being in ES. The fact is, wands are now associated with Hogwart's and magicians like Gob. It would seem out of place if an NPC started waving a short stick around in Skyrim.
There is no need for wands since we already have staffs.