NBA Free Agency: Washington Wizards need to be smart with Davis Bertans negotiations

As the offseason approaches, Davis Bertans is the main focus for the Washington Wizards. They need to be smart with how they negotiate with him.

With the regular season wrapping up, we are finally approaching what could be one of the most important offseasons in recent memory for the Washington Wizards.

They are about to enter a very critical time in which every move they make needs to be taken with a lot of care. With the return of John Wall, it looks as if the Wizards will try and reload for another playoff run next season.

The Wall/Beal window is slowly closing, and if the Wizards want to compete for a playoff spot next season, they’ll need to make moves in free agency and in the draft to put the best team around them.

But easier said than done. With the Wall/Beal window closing, the front office has to start thinking ahead. Making too many short-term/win now moves may set them back if things go sideways. So Tommy Sheppard and the front office have to be smart with what they do.

The first major domino that will fall and shape how the Wizards approach the offseason will be the contract negotiations for sharpshooter Davis Bertans.

What do we got?

Re-signing Davis Bertans is a high priority for most Wizards fans and execs, as it should be. Bertans is coming off of the best season of his career. He averaged 15.4 pts, 4.5 rebounds, and shot a career-best 42.4 percent from three on 8.7 attempts per game, per Basketball-Reference. He’s the second player in NBA history to shoot over 40 percent from three on over 8.5 attempts per game. The other guy is Stephen Curry.

Bertans is a perfect fit playing next to Bradley Beal. His combination of size plus shooting ability makes him a uniquely dangerous weapon on offense.

His ability to roam the three-point line as a power forward makes him a perfect fit next to John Wall as Wall eases back into NBA action. Simply put, Bertans opens up the floor. With Wall’s ability to attack the basket and Bertans’ ability to roam the three-point line, the drive and kick combo will be beautiful.

Bertans was able to have his best season with the likes of Ish Smith, Shabazz Napier, and Bradley Beal as his primary point guards. Getting the chance to play with one of the best distributors in the NBA in Wall will elevate Bertans’s game even more. We could be in for historic shooting numbers if they’re both in Wizards jerseys next season.

For a team trying to make it back to the playoffs, Bertans is the exact player you want. In the short term, Bertans is a perfect fit in Washington.

The Ghost of Ernie Grunfeld

Having Davis back to try and make one last run with Wall and Beal makes perfect sense, and the Washington Wizards should do what they can to bring him back.

However, in doing that, they need to be smart about how they go about his contract negotiations.

Although Bertans is an unrestricted free agent, the Wizards do own his Bird Rights meaning they can go over the salary cap to re-sign him. So in short, the Wizards can pay him more than anyone else can.

Being able to pay him more than other teams does not necessarily mean that they should, though, and here is why. As we all know in the beloved world of Wizards basketball, things do not always go as planned.

Bringing back Bertans and having Wall return from injury does not necessarily mean that the Wizards will be contenders again. This team is still in need of a lot outside of Wall, Beal, and Bertans. So if things do not go as planned, and the Wizards have Bertans on a huge deal, then what?

Bertans will be 28 years old when he takes the floor next year. If the Wizards sign him to a four or five-year deal, he will be in his 30’s by the time his contract is up. Shooting does not tend to fade with age, which is an advantage, but having a player on a big deal on the wrong side of 30 during a potential rebuild is not ideal.

If things go south for the Wizards and they have to rebuild sooner than expected, Bertans’ cap hit is not the only thing that may become an issue.

The other major problem is that he plays the same position as Rui Hachimura. Unless the Wizards can find a way for the two to play together, Bertans could take minutes from Hachimura. Not a great situation if the Wizards want to build around the promising rookie.

I do not think the Wizards want a repeat of 2019 when Troy Brown lost minutes to the likes of Ron Baker, Chasson Randle, and Trevor Ariza, so they need to be conscious of this.

The Verdict

The Wizards would be smart to bring Bertans back, but they should not break the bank for him, either.

He will probably be in the $15-20 million range. Ian Mahinmi and his cap hit come off the books after this season, so the Wizards should be able to afford that. However, anything at the high end or north of that should caution the Wizards, especially if it’s a deal lasting longer than three seasons.

In theory, the perfect deal for Bertans given the market would be a three-year deal worth something in the range of $45-52ish million. That comes out to $15-17.2 million annually.

This type of deal gives the Wizards the player they want who is a perfect fit next to their stars, but isn’t so steep that the Wizards won’t be able to find trade partners down the road if things change.

There will be plenty of suitors for the 6’10 flamethrower this summer, and the Wizards should be high on that list. However, they should not stress and overpay him.

Bertans is excellent, and he elevated the Wizards’ offense this season, but he is still a specialist. The Wizards could use him, and he would be hard to replace if he does leave. But in the long term, losing him would be better than overpaying him.

The Wizards have to be ok with walking away from Bertans if his price tag gets too high. $18 million/year and above is where the Wizards need to start having second thoughts, or at least serious thoughts. Bertans can help them climb out of the gutter, but it has to be at the right cost.