Washington Wizards: Updated look at lineups and rotations after the trade deadline

How will Daniel Gafford factor into the Washington Wizards lineup?

For the most part, the Wizards will look largely the same when Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchison are available. Westbrook and Beal will still be running the show. But Gafford should take over the starting center position. Maybe not right away. Gafford will need some time to get acclimated to a new team. But sooner than later would be better.

Gafford is an excellent shot-blocker and is more aggressive on the boards than either Lopez or Len. He probably has twice as much athleticism as Len and Lopez combined. With Gafford, the Wizards have a rim running lop threat that can keep up with the fast-paced offense they like to run.

Robin Lopez and Alex Len will both be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. They’ve been fine as the Wizards try to power through Thomas Bryant’s absence with a center-by-committee approach, but Gafford is a better fit than either of them. Gafford is also on a team-friendly deal that will pay him $1.8 million next season with a $1.9 million team option for the 2022-23 season. If the Wizards value Gafford enough to trade for him midseason, they may as well turn him loose and see if they have Thomas Bryant’s backup next season or if they’ll need to keep looking for frontcourt help in the offseason.

Gafford was averaging just 12 minutes per game, so whether he works his way into the starting lineup or not, he’s definitely going to see a jump in minutes. Thomas Bryant, Robin Lopez, Alex Len, and Moritz Wagner all averaged or are averaging at least 15 minutes per game as Wizards this season.

Scott Brooks seems to like Lopez as the first center off the bench, so if Gafford ends up starting, expect to see Lopez before Len.