Washington Wizards make point guard change. Ish Smith in, Tomas Satoransky out.
By Ethan Smith
On day two of free agency, the Washington Wizards went to work on their backcourt. The point guard position should be very different next season.
The Washington Wizards wasted little time locking up their top priority, Thomas Bryant, when the free agency period started on Sunday night. Monday morning, they made a decision on their second-highest priority: Tomas Satoransky.
Despite extending a qualifying offer to the 27-year-old-guard, Sato will not be returning to Washington next season.
Chicago has reached agreement on a sign-and-trade with Washington for guard Tomas Satoransky, league sources tell ESPN. Bulls are signing Satoransky to a three-year deal, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2019
Instead, Satoransky will be joining fellow former Wizard Otto Porter with the Chicago Bulls. The three-year deal will pay Satoransky $30 million over the next three seasons. At that price, it’s probably for the best that the Wizards let him walk. Considering their financial and competitive situation, locking up that much money on a better-than-average backup wouldn’t make much sense. Instead of helping them stay truly competitive, it would more likely have secured the Wizards’ fate in basketball purgatory for the next couple of seasons.
At least Tommy Sheppard was able to keep restocking the cupboard and added a few draft picks instead of letting a restricted free agent walk for nothing in return.
The Bulls are sending a 2020 2nd round pick and the rights to swap a future 2nd round pick in the Satoransky deal, per source.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 1, 2019
Letting Satoransky walk may have been easier once the Wizards landed a temporary replacement, anyway. After a short summer league stint with the Washington Wizards back in 2015, Ish Smith is back in Washington on a two-year, $12 million deal. For much less money, the Wizards have replaced Satoransky with a veteran guard that can push the pace and help the Wizards play much faster, something they struggled with at times without John Wall.
Free agent guard Ish Smith has agreed to a two-year, $12M deal with the Washington Wizards, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2019
dark. Next. Thomas Bryant Agrees to Re-Sign with the Washington Wizards
The Wizards might not be done at the point guard position, either. Even with the addition of Ish Smith, there have been rumors floating around that the Wizards could bring in Isaiah Thomas, according to David Aldridge of the Atheltic. We’ll have to see what happens, but the free agency fun is just beginning.
Strap in, folks.