Is Paul George the Best Fit for the Washington Wizards?

Washington Wizards management has been engaged in talks with Paul George off and on in recent weeks. He’s a superstar player in a league where you need multiple stars. But is George a good fit for the Wizards?

With NBA Free-Agency just around the corner, Wizards fans are anxiously waiting the potential players who could come to Washington. Paul George has captivated the attention of Wizards fans and players. While on the surface, getting a big name player seems like a great opportunity, is George the right move?

The main reason why the Wizards should question the decision of trading for Paul George is starting small forward Otto Porter. Porter will be entering his fifth season in the NBA, and after having a career year, the Wizards would have to consider trading him to the Pacers as a part of the deal.

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That won’t work for many reasons.

Convincing Otto Porter

The Wizards would need to convince Porter that Indiana is a desirable environment to play in post-Paul George. The Wizards are coming off a strong season where Porter was a pivotal part of the team’s success. As SB Nation said, Porter must be willing to join a team during its rebuilding years. Otherwise, he can sign with another team and the Wizards can no longer arrange the deal.

Longevity

The Wizards are known for their young back court, and while George had one of the best seasons of his career last year, there is a better chance at longevity if the Wizards keep Porter around. George, 27, is already in the prime of his career, while Porter, 24, has not yet reached his peak.

It seems the George-Porter debacle could be a repeat of the swap from Trevor Ariza to Paul Pierce back in 2014. Ariza left the Wizards for Houston and has continued to be a star 3-point shooter since arriving. While Pierce did help the Wizards win some big games during his one season in Washington, he quickly left again, and the Wizards lost Ariza in the process.

Although George is significantly younger than Pierce and would potentially stay for longer, trading Porter could be a big loss to the Wizards in the long-run.

Too Many Stars

The final issue with the trade is the competition between star players. Although John Wall has been endorsing the rumors, according to ESPN, having two of the league’s top players both in their prime could be problematic. In the Wizards current situation, Bradley Beal, John Wall and Otto Porter are all in different positions in their careers. They work well together because Wall can dominate while the others are his supporting cast. It is not definite that there will be issues, but it is possible.

While Paul George coming to Washington is unlikely, in the slight chance it does come true, it is important for the Wizards to weigh all their options. They have a good thing going with their strong back court, and it might be worthwhile investing their time into younger players who last longer, rather than investing their money into older players.

Next: Wizards 2017 Season Review: Marcin Gortat

George is a skilled player and is desirable to any team, but he may not be the best fit for the Wizards after all.

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