Washington Wizards Complete Off-season Mock 4.0

In this complete Washington Wizards 2016 offseason mock, the team regains their defensive identity by signing two elite free agents

In my Mock Offseason 1.0, the Washington Wizards addressed the Center position long-term by acquiring Hassan Whiteside as a max free agent.

In Version 2.0 I went the depth route, addressing the need for a third true “stretch” big and an ascending young wing player.

In Version 3.0 I went hunting for big names who came with big risks.

Now we move onto Mock Offseason 4.0 – regaining an identity.

The Washington Wizards lost their identity this past season. They were known to be a defensive-minded team at the peak of the Randy Wittman era during their 2014 and 2015 playoff runs. T

he Wizards were ninth in the NBA in defensive efficiency during the 2013-14 season and fifth in the NBA for the 2014-15 season.

They raised their level of play come playoff time, finishing first overall in the NBA in terms of defensive efficiency in the 2014 playoffs and third overall in the 2015 playoffs.

Defense was Washington’s calling card, but as they moved towards pace-and-space, they failed to realize that a team can play faster and in a more open offense while not losing their defensive identity.

The Wizards sacrificed defense for offense rather than supplement their defense with a modern offensive system.

It’s time to get that defensive identity back.

If the Wizards front office truly assessed what they have, they’d realize that unless they add a dynamic scoring wing in free agency they will be limited in terms of their offensive potential.

That’s not to say they shouldn’t aspire to bet better offensively, but to expect this core of Wizards to consistently out-offense the upper echelon of the NBA seems far-fetched given their struggles with halfcourt efficiency, inability to get to the free throw line, and lack of a one-on-one scorer.

At their best, their calling card has been and should remain defense and that’s where we’re going to focus our attention in Mock Offseason 4.0.

Let’s recap where we are:

The Washington Wizards enter the 2016 offseason with only five players under contract and Bradley Beal as a restricted free agent.

Assuming those six roster spots are set, that leaves potentially nine roster spots open.

To fill those roster spots the Wizards have approximately $30 million in cap room. To get there, I’m making the following assumptions:

Washington retains the current core and maintains their cap hold of approximately $14.2 million for Beal
The Wizards will maintain Garrett Temple’s cap hold at $980,431
$543,417 for five roster spots to get to minimum 12 for cap purposes
Because Martell Webster was waived using the stretch provision, $830K of his salary counts towards the 2016 cap. That salary, however, does not occupy a roster spot.

chart1 /

A point of clarification: any player signed will slide into a minimum salary slot so the hit against the cap won’t be $1 for $1.

Here’s the current roster make-up:

chart2 /

Priority Needs– Rim protection, Wing defense (and shooting), Backcourt depth, Third big

Move #1:

The Washington Wizards sign Bismack Biyombo to a four-year/$70 million deal.

That is a pretty steep price to pay for a player who was probably set to make a third of that amount prior to the playoffs.

Washington has very little in terms of players with elite qualities on its roster.

John Wall is an elite level distributor with a track record for having a positive impact on shooters he plays with. What else do they have that’s elite?

Biyombo offers an elite defensive player and rim protector. At just 23-years-old, he’s young enough to grow somewhat offensively. Speaking of his defensive ability, when was the last time Washington had someone capable of a play like this?

Bismack Biyombo‘s regular season gave us a glimpse of the player we saw in the playoffs.

Per-36, Biyombo put up nine points, 13 rebounds, and nearly three blocks per game. Those numbers held up in the playoffs as he received more playing time, and for all the angst about him offensively, Toronto had a 119 offensive rating with him on the floor in the playoffs and a 118 offensive during the regular season.

Conversely he made his presence known defensively with a defensive rating of 101 in the regular season and 103 in the postseason.

With a starting salary of $16.4 million, Biyombo cuts into Washington’s $31 million of cap space, leaving just $14.6 million to spend.

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They, however, now have two starting centers on the roster with neither likely thrilled to move to the bench so Washington must shop Marcin Gortat.

Gortat, at a salary of $12 million for the 2016-17 season and coming off a double-double season, has value and will likely be an attractive trade option for teams who lose their starting centers in free agency.

Move #2:

Washington trades Marcin Gortat to the Houston Rockets for cap relief and a future first round selection.

Washington could potentially explore sign-and-trade options with Houston for Terrence Jones or Donatas Montiejunas, but there would be too many variables to take into account to make that assumption, so for the purposes of this exercise let’s assume Washington opts for max cap room and future draft picks (which also can be used towards trades into cap room down the road).

You may ask, why give up a center who is an above average two-way player for a more one dimensional threat? My argument would be that I’ll take someone who is elite on one end of the floor and young enough to improve on the other versus someone who’s pretty good on both ends.

Priority Needs– Rim protection, Wing defense (and shooting), Backcourt depth, Third big

Move #3:

With approximately $26.5 million in cap room after dealing Marcin Gortat, Washington doubles down on defense by signing Kent Bazemore to a three-year/$45 million contract.

Kent Bazemore provides Washington with an athletic 3-and-D player who’s capable of guarding multiple positions and both wing spots in Washington.

Bazemore posted a Per-36 of 15.1 points and nearly seven rebounds per game last season for the Atlanta Hawks in a starting role while shooting 35.7 percent from beyond the arc and posting a defensive rating of 100.

He is just 26-years-old and while that may no longer be considered young by today’s NBA standards, Bazemore, experience-wise, is still young having just played 2,000 minutes one season in the NBA.

He brings the ability to straight line slash off of the 3-point line with the elite athleticism necessary to finish strong at the rim.

This move may seem redundant – signing a 3-and-D while Washington already has Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre Jr. on the roster. I am still going with Bazemore, though, because of his ability to play both wings which is especially important given Bradley Beal’s injury history.

Bazemore provides Washington with a defensive player who physically matches up better with athletic wings who gave Porter, in particular, trouble last season.

If he’s anything like numerous players before him to join Washington in recent history, I’d expect the John Wall effect to result in a bump to his 3-point shooting percentage.

This opens up minutes for Porter as a stretch-4 – a role where he showed promise in limited opportunities.

I don’t think this blocks Porter nor Oubre from developing.

With 48 minutes at each wing and, say, 20 minutes at the four position behind Markieff Morris, that’s 116 minutes to be split between Bradley Beal, Kent Bazemore, Otto Porter, and Kelly Oubre Jr, resulting in enough minutes to spread and added depth.

Hypothetical minutes distribution:

Bradley Beal: 33 minutes

Kent Bazemore: 30 minutes

Otto Porter: 28 minutes

Kelly Oubre Jr: 25 minutes

Washington now has a starting lineup featuring John Wall, Kent Bazemore, and Bismack Biyombo and still has incredible length to throw at on the opposition with Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre Jr. as their top reserves.

IDENTITY RE-ESTABLISHED!

Washington has the defensive talent necessary to make it very uncomfortable for the opposition. Opposing teams will be anything but thrilled seeing Washington on the upcoming schedule.

Kent Bazemore’s first year salary of $14 million leaves Washington with $12.5 million in cap space.

Priority Needs– Rim protection, Wing defense (and shooting), Backcourt depth, Third big

Move #4:

New coach Scott Brooks reportedly visited Satoransky in Spain last month, which is an indication of the team’s interest in signing him this summer.

Additionally at 6’7″, his ability to play behind both John Wall and Bradley Beal makes him an attractive economical addition to the roster.

Satoransky has also developed beyond the young high-flier we saw in his first glimpse of Summer Lease action back in 2012. He has improved as a shooter and has gained strength, enabling him to finish in traffic through defenders.

(The last two shots in the highlight below show an incredible amount of skill and maturity)

I’ve been consistent, sticking with Satoransky in now four straight mocks.

If for some reason a contract doesn’t get done with Washington, they can no longer wait on him and have to move on to acquire a more long-term solution behind John Wall and preferably someone capable of handling combo guard duties.

Names that I would consider under such as scenario include Ty Lawson, Mario Chalmers, D.J. Augustin, Greivis Vasquez, and Brandon Jennings.

Depth Chart and Updated Salary Cap Situation

John Wall, Tomas Satoransky
Bradley Beal
Kent Bazemore, Kelly Oubre Jr.
Markieff Morris, Otto Porter
Bismack Biyombo

A little preview of @OBtoojiveforyou's latest Wizards Off-Season Mock that will be published shortly... pic.twitter.com/1WsKFqlzK6
— Wiz of Awes (@WizOfAwes) June 20, 2016

While I want to establish an identity, I realize that this team still needs to improve offensively and just as I argued that offense shouldn’t come at the expense of defense, the same could be said for the alternative.

The depth chart as it stands is disruptive and can be a menace for opposing offenses, but lacks scoring, and similarly to recent iterations of the Washington Wizards, is dependent on the backcourt for scoring.

I also can’t dismiss the impact of Marcin Gortat’s loss on the offensive end as his pick-and-roll play was one of the few things Washington could rely on in a half-court offensive set.

That’s why the priority has to be adding a two-way center with their remaining $8 million in cap space, which leads us to…

Move #5:

Washington re-signs Nene to a one-year/$7 million contract.

I know, I know.

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I have wanted out of the Nene business for years.

I appreciated what he’s done for this team but the lack of reliability and propensity of Randy Wittman to defer to Nene was exhausting.

Wittman is gone, though, and under this scenario Washington needs a center capable of providing offense while not being a negative defensively – Nene is just that.

Nene had a rebound 2015-16 season with Per-36 averages of 17.3 points and nearly nine rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the field, his best since the 2010-11 season.

His true shooting percentage jumped 30 points from two seasons ago to 56.4 percent and his defensive rating was 103.

Nene was productive and would provide this lineup with some much needed offensive punch at the center position, and a player more than capable of filling in as a starter over the course of an 82 game season.

Washington is now in essence tapped out of cap space but still has tools to improve their roster which starts with…

Move #6:

Washington re-signs Garrett Temple using their Bird Rights to a two-year/$5 million contract.

Temple isn’t a great player by any stretch of the imagination and has been forced into a role that probably exceeds his skill-set but that doesn’t mean he’s not a benefit to this roster or the locker room.

Limited by a lack of cap space, Bird Rights gives Washington the ability to re-sign a player they otherwise may have been unable to given that they’ve exhausted their cap room.

Armed now with sufficient wing depth, Washington fortifies the backcourt with…

Move #7:

Washington signs Aaron Brooks to a one-year/$2.89 million contract using the room exception.

Given John Wall’s unsure availability for training camp, Washington will need some insurance behind Tomas Satoransky at the point guard position.

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Aaron Brooks can step in if Satoransky struggles and gives Washington someone to split point guard duties with him if Wall has to miss any time during the season.

The roster now stands at 11 and the Washington Wizards are now left with little ammunition and three to four oster spots to fill.

Washington will have to look at the veteran minimum free agent market, camp invites, and last year’s second round pick Aaron White, who spent last season playing in Germany to fill out the roster.

A young shot-blocking big and perhaps another power forward option behind Markieff Morris and Otto Porter might be prioritized for the last few spots.

A few possibilities include the following:

It’s important to note that Washington should have an advantage when it comes to signing priority undrafted free agents or attracting veteran minimum free agents given the number of open roster spots they have open and the potential for immediate playing time.

Agents likely will view Washington as a landing spot where a player may have the opportunity and playing time necessary to establish himself under a head coach who has a proven track record for player development.

Final Depth Chart

John Wall, Tomas Satoransky, Aaron Brooks
Bradley Beal, Garrett Temple, Jarell Eddie
Kent Bazemore, Kelly Oubre Jr.
Markieff Morris, Otto Porter, Aaron White
Bismack Biyombo, Nene, Jaleel Roberts

What I like about this scenario:

The team has re-established an identity on the defensive end of the floor.

This is a roster that opponents will not look forward to playing. Between Bismack Biyombo, Nene, Kent Bazemore, John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Markieff Morris, this roster also has an edge, a collection of players that will not back down from the opposition and won’t mind mixing it up when necessary.

That edge showed during Washington’s successful 2014 and ’15 playoff runs and is an element that was sorely missed this past season.

The Washington Wizards will surely not win them all but teams will remember and come to dread having to go against this defensive-minded, chippy team for 48 minutes.

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This is a roster flush with position versatility as well.

The depth chart may not look great behind the starters but Kent Bazemore, Otto Porter, Kelly Oubre Jr, and Tomas Satoransky all are capable of playing multiple positions and can be extremely interchangeable.

The additions of Bismack Biyombo, Kent Bazemore, and Tomas Satoransky also gives the roster an infusion of athleticism and above the rim play – something that was missing outside of the backcourt last season prior to the addition of Markieff Morris.

People who paid close attention to the Washington Wizards last season got a glimpse of how disruptive length could be when Otto Porter and Kelly Oubre Jr. were on the floor together.

This offseason approach also leaves open the possibility for Washington to be active again in the summer of 2017.

Washington would be very close to the projected salary cap of $110 million in 2017 under this scenario after Bradley Beal’s cap hold turns into his actual salary.

However, by prioritizing young players with the potential to continue to ascend and a subsequent cap jump coming in the summer of ’17, the contracts of the players on this roster may be very moveable or attractive on the market as salaries continue to spike.

Then there’s the Otto Porter situation.

Washington is up against the ’17 cap assuming Porter’s cap hold of approximately $15 million.

Otto Porter may sign elsewhere as a restricted free agent, leaving that space open, or Washington could explore sign and trade options, or decide to retain Otto Porter depending on how he develops as a stretch-four.

Lastly, I love the age of this roster.

By getting nine years younger at the center position, Washington’s projected starting lineup for the upcoming season has an average age of 25.4 with no player above the age of 27.

On top of that, three of their top four reserves -Otto Porter, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Tomas Satoransky – will be 23, 20, and 25 on opening night next season, respectively.

The Washington Wizards have sold the notion of a young core for years but it hasn’t actually been the case. This roster represents a true young core – one that can grow together into a true contender.

What I don’t like about this scenario:

Scoring could be problematic at times and will be again dependent on the development of Bradley Beal as a go-to scorer.

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Washington also loses Gortat in this scenario without sufficiently replicating his pick-and-roll production.

I used the last chunk of cap space to re-sign Nene, but if a more offensive minded big man is available with stretch ability, that might be the preferred route (as long as they aren’t a sieve defensively).

If Washington were able to move Marcin Gortat for Donatas Motiejunas in this scenario to Houston, it could better serve that purpose.

I do think the loss of Marcin Gortat is also somewhat mitigated by Washington’s acquisition of Markieff Morris before last season’s trade deadline.

Criticism of the trade and what was viewed as Ernie Grunfeld sacrificing an asset to try to save his job has clouded an accurate assessment of the player Markieff Morris was in Washington.

As a starter in 21 games, Markieff posted a Per-36 of 18 points and eight rebounds per game, showing good chemistry with John Wall in the pick-and-pop game.

If Morris can stay out of foul trouble, Washington can further exploit that duo moving forward.

Washington’s depth at the four position may be tested.

There is no true four on the roster behind Morris and this scenario is dependent on Porter successfully transitioning to a stretch-four.

What if Porter misses time? Does Washington have enough to get by if Porter is forced into a starting role for a significant amount of time? That may be a tall ask for Otto Porter.

You could argue it may be more prudent to use the room exception for power forward depth and fill the third point guard role via the vet minimum route.

There’s risk associated with this suggested course of action just as there is in any other that doesn’t involve Kevin Durant ending up in Washington, D.C.

Next: Complete Offseason Mock: Adding Dwight and Parsons

This mock offseason does offer a clear identity – something that any teams needs if they want to be considered a true contender.

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Washington Wizards Complete Mock 2016 Off-season Version 4.0

By Osman Baig | Jun 20, 2016

In this complete Washington Wizards 2016 offseason mock, the team regains their defensive identity by signing two elite free agents

Priority Needs– Rim protection, Wing defense (and shooting), Backcourt depth, Third big

Priority Needs– Rim protection, Wing defense (and shooting), Backcourt depth, Third big

Final Depth Chart

What I like about this scenario:

What I don’t like about this scenario: