Make D.C. Attractive
The Washington Wizards have been pretty clear about their team-building intentions. John Wall and Bradley Beal are the catalysts and most of the cheap pieces around them are there to compliment the backcourt.
The strategy was somewhat born out of necessity as Ernie Grunfeld‘s decisions left the Wizards in salary cap hell once Tommy Sheppard took over. So far, Sheppard has made waves with moves on the margins, bringing Davis Bertans and Mortiz Wagner to D.C. for next to nothing.
However, eventually, the Wizards are going to need to spend. And if they are serious about capitalizing on a closing Wall/Beal window, then they might need to spend this summer.
The free agency class for 2020 isn’t great, but the Wizards won’t necessarily be looking to break the bank and add top-line guys. Next year’s cap is projected to be $116 million, with the luxury tax level at $141 million. Right now, the Wizards have $99.5 million in guaranteed salaries that they owe for next season. Assuming they pay for Davis Bertans (who will likely be in the $15 million/year neighborhood) and add a first-round draft pick, that cap space disappears pretty quickly.
However, they’ll still have some wiggle room and a Mid-Level Exception to take advantage of. The only thing left is to make D.C. a destination for free agents.
Recently, Washington has not been high on the list of places free agents are dying to go. The KD2DC movement flamed out spectacularly. For a time, Al Horford preferred Washington’s talent but ended up in a Boston Celtics uniform. Of course, high-profile names like Paul Pierce, Dwight Howard, and Isaiah Thomas have all donned the Washington red, white, and blue, but all those guys were past their primes, and only the Pierce experiment was a success.
It’s been a while since Washington was the place to be for free agents, but a playoff birth without John Wall could prove that this team really is just an All-NBA point guard away from contending. That success could have fringe free agents lining up to be role players beside Wall and Beal. Otherwise, the Wizards are just another cellar-dweller looking to turn things around.