The 2020-21 season is quickly going up in flames. Where do the Washington Wizards go from here?
The Oxford Dictionary defines a watershed as “an event or period marking a turning point in a course of action or state of affairs.” Well, the Washington Wizards are in the midst of (yet another?) watershed moment. What was supposed to be a year of revitalization for the Washington Wizards has been anything but. Thomas Bryant is done for the year after an incredible start. The “durable” Russell Westbrook arrived at the Wizards’ facilities and promptly injured his quad, which is still hindering him. And no team has been hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic than the Wizards this season.
This is not how anyone thought this season, which started barely a month ago, believe it or not, would go. Yet, here we are. It’s still early, but the Wizards are at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, not inspiring any confidence. Despite adding Westbrook this season, a third-straight lottery pick looks more likely than a playoff appearance. The Wizards have to make some hard decisions, and they have to make them fast. So, where do they go from here? Let’s take a look at three directions they could go in for the remainder of the 2020-21 season…
Direction #3: Tough It Out
The Wizards have only played 12 games, so there’s still a lot of basketball to go. But with only 72 games on the schedule this season, there’s less basketball left than usual. And after having six games postponed already, who knows if the Wizards will even be able to play all 72.
Many of the team’s early-season struggles can be attributed to a shortened offseason and preseason. New pieces weren’t able to build chemistry. Plays weren’t even implemented into the offense. And some players were/still are using regular-season games to get into regular-season shape.
It’s not an excuse for the poor start (the Wizards still shouldn’t have dropped both games to the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls), but it’s an explanation. And it’s an explanation that would assume the Wizards can get over their early struggle with a little more time together. Their win over the Phoenix Suns, in which they played some of their best basketball all season, certainly speaks to that. That win shows this team can get it done without a fully healthy roster. But for how long?
The Wizards could bravely take on their remaining 50-60 games, relying heavily on their All-Star backcourt. Just pile everything on Bradley Beal’s shoulders and hope for the best…again. With that strategy, there’s a chance they could sneak into the play-in tournament and maybe earn a low playoff seed. Beal’s that good. However, that strategy has failed each of the last two seasons. And what would they gain if they went that route? An early playoff exit? It’d be just another year of floating aimlessly between contention and a complete rebuild, wasting Beal’s greatness along the way.
Direction #2: Get Some Help
While the Eastern Conference is getting better with James Harden joining Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Washington Wizards are getting worse. No Thomas Bryant. A banged-up Russell Westbrook. A laundry list of players yet to return from COVID-19 health and safety protocol. This team can’t compete with the top dogs. Not as presently constructed.
If the Wizards want to change that, they can’t keep operating as though it’s business as usual. No matter how many 30+ point games Bradley Beal has this season, losing Bryant is a devastating blow that sets this team back for the 2020-21 season.
Since losing Bryant, the Wizards have applied for the Disabled Player Exception (DPE). If granted, this would give the Wizards $4.2 million to use in either a trade or to sign a free agent. The Wizards have recently signed Alex Len and Jordan Bell to help them through this current rough stretch, but neither of those acquisitions are shining pillars that raise the Wizards’ ceiling. More like rotten beams barely keeping things from bottoming out.
The Wizards could create a somewhat enticing offer by packaging the DPE with some of their young wings. Bundling that $4.2 million with Troy Brown Jr, Isaac Bonga, and/or Jerome Robinson may net the Wizards an interesting piece in the trade market. The Houston Rockets, after parting way with James Harden, may be willing to move PJ Tucker. And the Cleveland Cavaliers have far too many bigs than any one team needs after acquiring Jarrett Allen. If the Wizards want to salvage this season, both of those teams should be receiving calls from Tommy Sheppard.
Direction #1: Blow It Up
It’s time. The Washington Wizards must trade Bradley Beal.
Unfortunately, going in this direction means that both the John Wall era and the Bradley Beal era will end on fairly low notes. However, if the Wizards want to salvage their future, they need to make the most of the assets they have now. Mainly Bradley Beal. His value is INCREDIBLY high. He’s the NBA’s leading scorer (34.5 ppg). He’s under contract for at least 1.5 seasons, with a player option for 2022-23. Plus, he’s a consummate professional. Any and every team should be in line for Beal if he’s available.
Before the season started, the Wizards were firm on one thing. Bradley Beal was not for sale. But it’s time for the Wizards to sell, sell, sell.
We’ve seen the types of hauls that teams have gotten for Paul George, Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, and most recently, James Harden. The Wizards can and should get a deal in that stratosphere. If they sell Beal, they should settle for no less than a budding star (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Michael Porter Jr., Tyler Herro) and multiple picks.
Once Beal is gone, there’s one more player on the roster the Wizards must move to enter full rebuild mode: The Latvian Laser. Davis Bertans is great, and re-signing him this offseason was a win for the Wizards. But if they ship out Beal and put their dreams of contending on hold, the Wizards could get a sizable return for Bertans, as well. His skill set is much more beneficial to a contender than a rebuilding team. Because Bertans signed as a free agent this offseason, he cannot be traded until March 2. The trade deadline for the 2020-21 season is March 25.
Add the purse the Wizards get from Bertans to whatever haul of young players and picks they get from a Beal deal, plus a promising frontcourt of Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdjia, and Thomas Bryant (ACL injuries aren’t what they used to be; hopefully, the 23-year-old can bounce back), and the Wizards future might actually look brighter than anything they currently have with Bradley Beal.
Bryant’s injury has turned this into another lost season. All NBA teams deal with injuries, but this will now be the third consecutive season in which the Wizards’ plans were derailed by a devastating injury to one of their top players. Sometimes, bad luck forces teams to move on. Luckily, the Wizards already have a good base to build on and an avenue towards collecting even more building blocks if they chose to go in that direction.