Washington Wizards: Updated look at lineups and rotations after the trade deadline
By Ethan Smith
The Washington Wizards made a small move at the trade deadline. Here’s how it will impact the minutes.
The Washington Wizards didn’t make huge waves at the trade deadline. But, given that they were committed to keeping their key assets and first-round picks, that was no surprise. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango, and without attractive assets to offer, there’s only so much the Wizards could do. They did make the most of a few movable pieces, though, by trading Troy Brown Jr and Moritz Wagner in a three-team trade that welcomed Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchison to Washington.
Brown is now with the Chicago Bulls, who are getting used to taking on defunct Wizards prospects. Two seasons ago, they traded for Tomas Satoransky and Otto Porter Jr at the deadline. Moritz Wagner will now be drawing charges for the Boston Celtics.
Related Story. Grade the Trade: Wizards acquire Gafford, Hutchison. light
It wasn’t a trade that will move the needle for the Wizards and elevate them to new heights within the Eastern Conference during the final 20-some games of the season. But the Wizards were able to address a few glaring deficiencies without losing much. They needed a young, athletic big man with some upside. They got one in Daniel Gafford, and he’s under contract for two more seasons. They also needed a wing defender, and they maybe got one in Chandler Hutchison. But Hutchison has played fewer than 40 games since the start of last season. He’s less likely to come in and contribute right away than Gafford, but don’t discount what a change of scenery can do for a guy in a rut.
Whether Hutchison and Gafford pan out is yet to be seen. This move (and the lack of other moves) makes it obvious that the Wizards are still riding the Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal duo as far as it will take them, no matter how this season has been.