Wizards Rumors: 3 Players Likeliest to be Traded at the NBA Trade Deadline

Wizards Likeliest Traded by the NBA Trade Deadline: No. 2 – Thomas Bryant

Thomas Bryant is a young center that has flashed plenty of promise in his still very young NBA career. At 24 years old, Bryant is set to hit the open market this coming offseason.

He will be an unrestricted free agent, so other teams will be free to sign him if they reach an agreement. So, why would anyone trade for him now instead of waiting until the offseason to get him?

Simply put, to see what kind of investment they are willing to make in him. A young team can see his fit with their young players and have a leg up on other suitors in free agency by getting him familiar with their team and city.

It would basically be a head start with the added insurance of getting a sneak peek into how he fits with players. That will be enticing to certain franchises but certainly isn’t enough to make up for the value he loses just by being an upcoming free agent.

He could very well get paid. We know that won’t be by the Wizards, though, so they have more reason to move him than to hang onto him. It doesn’t require any type of over-the-top assets in return to make sense for the Wizards.

Get assets now that won’t expire this offseason. This is their chance to do exactly that, and they should have a number of options. Young teams like the Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder or Houston Rockets might want to see what Bryant could bring them. If any value is sent to the Wizards at all, we could see a deal reached.