The Bradley Beal trade rumors are finally starting to die down, so let’s take a look at three other Washington Wizards players who may be available prior to the trade deadline!
The NBA trade deadline is getting closer and closer and we’re now less than two weeks away before the 3:00 pm cutoff on March 25. Teams across the league will be scrambling to pull off deals that will strengthen their playoff push or start preparing for the future. With the Washington Wizards currently in 13th place in the East (14-24) and three games out of the play-in for the playoffs, the question now becomes: Will the Wizards be buyers or sellers at the deadline?
So far this season, the Wizards have been somewhat quiet on the trade front. The blockbuster trade for Russell Westbrook took place in the offseason but they haven’t made any in-season acquisitions via trade since that move in December 2020. As we all know, trades can come fast and furious as we get closer to the deadline. Will Washington swing for the fences to try and secure a playoff spot? Or will they stand pat for now and look to explore the buyout market?
They’ll have to weigh all of their options carefully but no matter what move they make, the goal should be ending their two-year playoff drought. After a slow 6-17 start, teams were hoping the Wizards would be willing to part with their franchise player, Bradley Beal. However, they’ve continued to maintain the stance that he’s not available, which is smart because the playoffs are still well within reach. They don’t need to give up yet.
Other players might not be so lucky, though, and could see their time in Washington come to an end very shortly.
So with Bradley Beal apparently off the market, here are three other players the Washington Wizards should consider trading before the trade deadline!
No. 3 – Jerome Robinson
Last season, the Washington Wizards made two small transactions at the trade deadline and one of the deals involved Jerome Robinson. The Wizards acquired Robinson in a three-team deal on February 6, 2020, by sending guard Isaiah Thomas to the LA Clippers and the draft rights to Issuf Sanon to the New York Knicks.
When he arrived in D.C., Robison was still only 23 years old, and Washington was hopeful they could unlock the scoring potential of the Boston College standout. At the collegiate level, Robinson was first in the ACC in total points and was named All-ACC First Team as a junior, averaging 20.7 points while shooting 49 percent from the field and 41 percent from three. Unfortunately, his scoring ability hasn’t really translated to the professional level and he’s struggled to adjust to the NBA game. In 109 total career games, Robinson is shooting a lowly 37.2 percent from the field, 31.5 percent from beyond the arc, and is averaging 4.6 points per game.
Let’s just say, it’s been an extremely difficult adjustment for Robinson. Earlier in the season, coach Scott Brooks gave Robinson ample opportunities to prove that he deserved consistent minutes. In the first 15 games of the year, Robinson averaged 20.1 minutes per game and was a starter in three of those games. However, he only scored 6.1 points per game in that stretch and shot 28.5 percent from three and 33.8 percent overall from the field. For that reason, Robinson has been a DNP in 19 out of the last 22 games with his two most recent sightings coming strictly in garbage time.
On December 29, Washington declined Jerome Robinson’s 4th-year option, which means he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. Since the Wizards don’t seem to have a role for him, they should call around the league and see if there are any takers. Hopefully, there’s a team out there that bites but I highly doubt it because the sample size is so limited. Teams aren’t in a rush to make a deal for a player that’s only seen 220 minutes of live game action this entire season but hey at least they can give it a try.
No 2. – Robin Lopez
Robin Lopez signed with the Washington Wizards this offseason in hopes of helping them get back to the playoffs. But sadly, the season has gone somewhat like the tweet he sent out when John Wall was shockingly traded to the Houston Rockets for Russell Westbrook not too long after Lopez’s signing was officially announced.
— Robin Lopez (@rolopez42) November 21, 2020
Washington decided to use their mid-level exception on Robin Lopez during the past offseason and signed him to a one-year deal worth $7.3 million. He was slated to come in and be the backup center to Thomas Bryant, who was having a career year (14.3 PPG), before tearing his ACL in the 10th game of the season. With Bryant out, Lopez has had to pick up the slack and he’s been doing a decent job. He’s averaging 8.1 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 20.4 mins of play. That’s almost identical to his career averages of 8.7 PPG and 5.0 RPG.
In late January, the Wizards were hit with a COVID-19 outbreak, and the team had to sign center Alex Len as an extra big. Len has started in the last two games, and he’s been a starter in six out of the 22 total games he’s played with Washington. As a Wizard, Len has averaged 6.4 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 14.5 mins of play. Len just recently replaced Moritz Wagner in the starting lineup after Wagner started the 13 previous games and played admirably. Wagner averaged 8.2 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 16.2 minutes as a starter, and the Wizards went 8-5 in that span.
However, Scott Brooks seems to be conflicted with all the depth at the center position. He can’t seem to figure out which one out of the three to give consistent minutes to. Since signing Len in January, Lopez, Wagner, and Len have each started at least six games. For that reason, the Wizards should look to trade Lopez for a quality wing player. At the moment, Garrison Mathews and Deni Advija are the top wing options on Washington. They’re both solid players but the Wizards need someone with more upside that can make an impact on a nightly basis.
The Wizards should be monitoring the 3 and D market closely. A team in the playoff hunt may view Robin Lopez as a nice, veteran, defensive big who can instantly improve their second unit. Or maybe his expiring deal will be attractive to a team looking to shed salary and rebuild. If anyone is willing to take Lopez off the Wizards’ hands, the Wizards should take advantage.
No. 1 – Troy Brown, Jr.
This has been an odd situation for the third-year player, who many expected to have a breakout season. On December 28, the Washington Wizards announced that they were exercising Troy Brown Jr’s fourth-year option. That led many to assume that he would be a key rotational piece for Washington this season. However, that has not been the case as TBJ has been a DNP for 13 of the team’s 37 games this season. He also missed four games due to health & safety protocol. Instead of becoming a fixture in the rotation, Brown has faded.
It’s been a rough go this season for Troy Brown Jr as his numbers have dipped dramatically across the board. In 20 games played, he’s averaging 4.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 0.9 APG in only 13.6 mins per game. He’s shooting a career-low from the field and beyond the arc at 35.7 percent and 27.3 percent, respectively.
This is a huge disappointment because TBJ started to show a ton of promise last season! He finished the year averaging 10.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 2.6 APG while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three.
His option was picked up because his play last season was supposed to be a glimpse of the good things to come. But the lack of a defined role on the team this season has caused Brown to seemingly take a step back. It’s almost impossible for him to find any type of rhythm because he’s not sure if he’ll even see the court most nights.
We have to remember, even though it’s his third season, Troy Brown Jr is still just 21 years old. There’s a lot of time for him to improve and develop into an effective NBA player but he needs the right opportunity. If the Wizards aren’t willing to give it to him then there’s definitely a team out there that will. Rumors are already starting to swirl that the Wizards are letting the league know Troy Brown Jr. is available, and I pray there’s some truth to that because he deserves to have a chance to shine.