2020 NBA Free Agency: Grading all four moves the Washington Wizards made on day two
By Ethan Smith
The Washington Wizards didn’t stop on day two of free agency. Here’s how they did during their second day of deals.
Aside from re-signing Davis Bertans, the first night of NBA free agency was not terribly enjoyable for Wizards fans. They made some moves, but they didn’t make any major additions. Oh, and John Wall wants out of Washington. So, yeah, things didn’t exactly go as planned. At least not from a fan’s perspective.
However, the front office wasn’t done making deals after one night. No way. They stayed busy and kept making moves along the margins. The Wizards don’t seem to have done anything, yet, to raise this team’s ceiling drastically. But let’s take a look at the deals individually.
Here’s how the Wizards did in their moves from day two of free agency.
Free Agency move #1: Sign Raul Neto
The Washington Wizards got a little more international with their first signing of day two. As John Wall trade rumors raged like dumpster fires at a riot, the Wizards added some point guard depth. Shams Charania of The Athletic was first to report the signing. Raul Neto is a Wizard.
Free agent guard Raul Neto has agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Wizards, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 21, 2020
Adding a point guard, even with Wall, Ish Smith, and second-round pick Cassius Winston already in the fold isn’t a bad idea. They’ll probably need point guard depth if Wall gets traded, and they’ll definitely need point guard depth if he stays. The plan is to limit Wall’s minutes in a condensed season with additional back-to-backs.
However, Neto isn’t exactly the type of help the Wizards need. At the veteran’s minimum, which is what the deal’s been reported to be worth, it’s hard to be too upset with it. But he’s not really an upgrade over anything they had last season. Yes, he’s averaged at least 15 points and 5 assists per 36 minutes in each of his last two seasons. Plus, he’s a career 37.9 percent three-point shooter—all welcome things. The Wizards, though, need help on the defensive end. Neto doesn’t provide anything that Ism Smith and Isaiah Thomas — Washington’s two primary point guards last season — didn’t. The three of them all had nearly identical defensive field goal percentages during the 2019-20 campaign — Thomas: 48.2; Neto: 46.5; Smith 46.1.
It’s an uninspiring move.