Washington Wizards: 4 Names to Keep an Eye on Ahead of Trade Season
Straight to the Point
One of the Wizards most glaring issues this season has been their point guard depth, the John Wall situation excluded. They signed Ish Smith and Isaiah Thomas in the offseason, and neither have shown they’re ready to start for a winning club.
Smith is, and has always been a good (but not great) facilitator, who can maintain the right level of offense from the bench. Thomas has shown flashes, but it’s clear he’s nowhere near his prime.
Together, the two guards are averaging just 20.6 points and 9 assists nightly.
One veteran point guard the Wizards should monitor is Jeff Teague. The 11-year veteran was most recently shifted to the second unit in Minnesota, but not to his own fault. 2014 first overall pick Andrew Wiggins has surfaced as a premier playmaker for the Timberwolves.
The coaching staff has given Wiggins full reign of the offense, making Teague’s position at starter all the more meaningless. But in the 16 games he’s played this year, the veteran guard has shown that he’s got plenty left in the tank.
Teague is averaging 11.8 points, 7.4 assists, and a steal in 29 minutes per game. He’s the kind of point guard that could really command the Wizards’ league-leading offense, and help to draw less attention off of Beal, who’s serving as the primary playmaker in Washington.
For Minnesota, it’s a cheap and longterm solution for the backup point guard position, as opposed to combing the free agency market come next summer.
And if the Timberwolves don’t budge at first, Washington always has a 2020 second-round pick (Chicago or Memphis, whichever is more favorable) to throw into the mix. Coupling that with Mahinmi and Smith’s salaries in exchange for Teague and big man Jordan Bell works, numbers-wise.
So the Wizards immediately receive a starting level point guard with plenty of postseason experience. And adding Bell to backup Bryant in the frontcourt would provide some much-needed athleticism to the center rotation.