Davis Bertans loves being with Washington Wizards, wants to stay in D.C.

Teams are calling the Washington Wizards for Davis Bertans. Is he bothered by the rumors? Or will he retire a Wizard with his jersey in the rafters?

The NBA trade deadline is full of rumors and reports, some more credible than others. For months now, Davis Bertans has been at the center of trade rumors for the Washington Wizards. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks, and Denver Nuggets have reportedly been calling up Tommy Sheppard to see if he’d be willing to part with the Latvian Laser, per Chase Hughes of NBCSports Washington.

Apparently, he isn’t. The Wizards have been clear that Bertans is a player they want to keep around. With his Bird Rights in hand and Bertans is in the midst of his greatest season yet, it’s fairly easy to see why the Wizards wouldn’t want to let him go.

But that doesn’t mean the rumors aren’t flying. Most recently, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported that the Boston Celtics had “strong interest” in Washington’s 6’10” sharpshooter. Bertans, though, would be happy staying in Washington for the rest of the season and beyond.

When asked about his possible future with the team and if he’d like to stay with the Wizards for a while, Davis Bertans said “Of course. I love it here.”

With the rumor mill heating up, it’s nice when someone can set the record straight. Who better than Davis Bertans, himself.

And why shouldn’t Bertans like it in a Wizards uniform? After spending three seasons buried on the San Antonio Spurs’ bench, Bertans has become one of the Wizards top scoring threats and one of the league’s most feared outside shooters.

This season, Bertans is averaging career highs in pretty much everything. His minutes are up. His usage rate his up. His shot attempts have nearly doubled, up from 6.0 last season to 11.1 this season, per Basketball-Reference. As a result, he’s scoring more than ever, too. And none of that is likely to change if Bertans remains in D.C.

If the Wizards are able to retain Bertans and he’s here for Wall’s glorious return, he’ll be a great piece and likely the team’s third-best offensive option. Per NBA.com, Bertans averages more than seven catch-and-shoot attempts per game, making up more than half of his total shot attempts. And on those shots, he has an incredibly effective field goal percentage of 65.7. He’s by far the team’s most dangerous catch-and-shoot threat, and he’ll be even more deadly next to one of the NBA’s most dangerous point guards.

Since the Wizards have Bertans’ Bird Rights, they’ll have a leg up in free agency this summer if they want to retain him. Now, if a HUGE offer shows up – like a  Ryan Anderson-type offer that the Wizards don’t want to match entirely – Bertans might end up liking the money more than he likes D.C. But knowing he likes it here is step one in the retention process. And it’s a step in the right direction.

Now Bertans doesn’t totally control his own fate. Even if he wants to be here, the Wizards can ship him out if they get the right offer. And honestly, they should. But only if they get a haul.

If the Wizards stick to their word and keep Bertans through the deadline, they better be prepared to open up their wallets this summer. He’ll be expensive, but he’ll be worth it. And letting him getaway in a few months when teams are willing to trade for him now would be a definite loss.