Trade Deadline 2017
The final deal on our list is probably also going to be the worst deal on our list, unfortunately. At the deadline in 2017, the Wizards were in the middle of one of the best seasons they had had in over forty years. Led by John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, Markieff Morris, and Marcin Gortat, the Wizards statistically had one of the best starting units in the NBA. In desperate need of some pop off the bench, the Wizards went shopping at the deadline.
There were reports that they had a sincere interest in trading for Lakers guard, Lou Williams, but the asking price was reasonably high. So the Wizards went out and traded for sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic from the Brooklyn Nets.
As far as the player they received, Bogdanovic was a really solid fit in DC. With a second unit lacking any firepower, Bogdanovic was able to come off the bench and do what he does best; shoot. In the 26 games he played in for DC, Boggy averaged almost 13 points per game while shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc.
He had a couple of serious shooting nights in which he looked like a real deal 6th man. Once the Wizards began there playoff run, Bogdanovics play regressed a bit, but he still shot about 36 percent from three during the playoffs. In game 7 of the second round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics, he was responsible for all Washington’s bench points. He had…..5.
Although he shot pretty well during his short stint in DC, the bigger issues around this trade came after the season. The Nets ended up using the 22nd pick in the draft that year (which they got from Washington) to select Texas center Jarrett Allen. Allen has gone on to be a vital piece and defensive anchor of the new-look Brooklyn Nets.
Until the arrival of Thomas Bryant, the Wizards biggest hole the past few seasons had been their center play and lack of rim protection. It would have been really nice if they could have had a defensive-minded center who could catch lobs from John Wall and protect the rim. Perhaps a guy like…Jarrett Allen?
Although the Wizards dealt another 1st round pick that turned into a good player the other issue was what ensued in free agency. The Wizards were basically left in a conundrum where they could either sign Otto Porter to a max contract offer sheet, or sign Bojan Bogdanovic to a shorter deal worth less money. They chose to sign Porter and Bogdanovic walked as he signed a 2 year, $23 million dollar deal with the Indiana Pacers.
So not only did the Wizards trade a useful 1st round pick but they traded it for a rental. Bogdanovic walked for a very affordable contract in the offseason. The Wizards now have zero to show for this trade and that decision to sign Otto Porter only throws salt. He was traded just two seasons later.
The Wizards’ trade deadline decisions in the past have mostly resulted in short term gains that help for the moment but end up causing issues in the long run. Some of the players on this list worked out in a vacuum but all in all, trading away pick after pick just was not the best choice.
Now under the direction of new GM Tommy Sheppard, hopefully, Washington will be more cautious around the deadline after looking back at some of these deals. The Wizards have seen their share of positives from deadline deals, but as it looks now, it may not be worth all the negatives.