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Washington Wizards NBA Trade Deadline 2017: John Wall Thinks Wizards Will Make Trade

By Ben Mehic

Feb 18, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; Eastern Conference guard John Wall of the Washington Wizards (2) talks with Eastern Conference guard Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets (15) during the NBA All-Star Practice at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; Eastern Conference guard John Wall of the Washington Wizards (2) talks with Eastern Conference guard Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets (15) during the NBA All-Star Practice at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Washington Wizards star John Wall thinks his team will make a deal before the NBA Trade Deadline to address the second unit.

John Wall has looked for help his entire NBA career.

Since arriving to the nation’s capital in 2010, Wall has been surrounded by teammates who were completely dependent on his talent. The likes of Trevor Ariza, Jared Dudley and even Martell Webster went on to have career-seasons because of Wall, only to depart from D.C.

The prototypical teammate for Wall could either shoot or roll to the basket, but couldn’t create offense for themselves.

But this season, that’s somewhat shifted.

Bradley Beal has become more than just a spot-up shooter, averaging over 22 points per game. He’s gotten to the free throw line on a regular basis and has used his quickness to attack the basket more than before.

Markieff Morris is a go-to option in the post, often bailing the Washington Wizards offense out when it becomes stagnant.

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Washington’s starters are now reliant on each other – not just John Wall.

Beal, for instance, benefits from Marcin Gortat‘s off-ball screens just as much as he benefits from Wall’s passing.

Wall’s assist numbers are atop the league because Otto Porter is leading the NBA in 3-point percentage.

For the first time in his career, Wall has four players next to him that give back.

Both Beal and Porter are having All-Star caliber seasons, while Morris and Gortat are putting up career-high numbers, respectively.

With that said, the starters have been carrying a considerable load this season.

Washington is on-pace to finish with home court advantage in the NBA Playoffs, but other teams that are in similar positions are able to rest their starters before that point is reached.

The Wizards’ second unit is 29th in scoring, challenged only by the Minnesota Timberwolves, whose head coach, Tom Thibodeau, is notorious for over-playing his starters.

The reserves haven’t produced on a consistent basis, forcing Scott Brooks to rely on his starters more than anticipated.

For the Wizards to make a serious push in the postseason, Ernie Grunfeld will have to make a move to bolster the bench.

John Wall, who’s become the ultimate team player, has noticed the need, too.

During NBA All-Star weekend, Wall spoke about the team potentially addressing the roster deficiency.

Grunfeld has always done a solid job of keeping the cards close to his chest, but the Washington Wizards are rumored to have interest in multiple players known for scoring, including Lou Williams and Bojan Bogdanovic.

It’s unclear if the team briefs Wall before making a trade, but the team’s star frequently checks his Twitter and is aware of the speculation.

Scott Brooks, who’s one of the league’s highest paid coaches, is in constant communication with Grunfeld and likely has some input on roster changes.

Next: Predicting a Wizards Trade Deadline Deal

The window for an NBA Finals push has never been more open for the Washington Wizards. Wall is in his seventh season and the team is third in the Eastern Conference. The time to make that push is now. Acquiring another player is a necessity.

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