Washington Wizards Mailbag Monday: Breaking Down Possible First Round Match Ups
By Ben Mehic
I’ve seen people worrying about this already.
Look – the Washington Wizards are in a good situation. Having too many contributing small forwards is a problem teams wish to have.
Otto Porter is just 23 years old and he’s having a breakout season. He’s become the league’s leader in 3-point percentage, showing legitimate growth in his game. Bojan Bogdanovic is a dangerous scorer, capable of scoring 20-plus points on virtually any night. Kelly Oubre has shown flashes of being an elite defender and possesses unparalleled athleticism.
Some have speculated that Washington will avoid giving Porter the max, or close to it, and opt to re-sign Bogdanovic instead.
Porter is younger, more versatile and has a higher ceiling than Bogdanovic. But he’s also going to cost upwards of $50 million more.
Say, Porter agrees to a $110 million extension with the Wizards. Bogdanovic could be had for about half that price, probably.
Ultimately, though, the Wizards will likely re-sign Porter and Bogdanovic, creating room by moving someone already under contract, like Marcin Gortat.
Porter is going to be a Wizard for a long, long time. The Wizards are investing in their core group. Wall is locked up for the next few years and Bradley Beal signed the biggest deal in the team’s history last season, worth almost $130 million. Scott Brooks, a known player developer, is going to be the team’s coach for an extended period too.
There’s no reason to let an asset like Porter walk. If anyone does end up walking – and I don’t expect this to happen – it’ll be Bogdanovic.
Washington is in a solid position. Having options in the NBA is a rarity. Ernie Grunfeld has compiled a group of very intriguing players. Porter is a priority and will remain in the nation’s capital.