Wizards Free Agency: Did Washington Overpay for Point Guard Delon Wright?
The point guard position was obviously high on the Wizards needs this offseason. They’ve been aggressive in adding talent to that rotation, first trading for Monte Morris and then signing Delon Wright in free agency.
According to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal for Wright comes in at $16 million over the course of two seasons. In the range of $8 million per season, with no commitment past the next two seasons.
Free agent guard Delon Wright has agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal to sign with the Washington Wizards, his agent Greg Lawrence of @wassbasketball tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022
Wright spent last season with the Atlanta Hawks. He primarily came off the bench behind all-star point guard Trae Young. Wright appeared in 77 games, starting eight of those.
His numbers are very underwhelming on paper, but they aren’t necessarily representative of the player he is and the impact he can have on the court. In Atlanta, Wright obviously played a very specific role and was only asked to do so much. After all, that team ran thru Trae at every possible chance.
Ultimately, Wright finished the 2021-22 NBA season with averages of 4.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. All of those numbers were his lowest averages in years due to the drastic change in his responsibilities last season.
He did shoot a solid 37.9 percent from behind the arc with Atlanta, something that will be crucial in helping the Wizards fix their shooting woes from a season ago. Wright, along with Monte Morris, will make up the point guard rotation for the 2022-23 Washington Wizards.
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Did the Wizards Overpay for Delon Wright?
Washington spent most of the money they had available in order to lock up Wright. It makes sense that Tommy Sheppard and Co. felt the need was so important that they must spend whatever it took to upgrade the position. While Wright’s raw numbers from one year ago may point toward him being overcompensated, his skillset and fit cancel out any of those concerns.
Wright is a big point guard who can play off-ball when asked, making him a flexible rotation piece in lineups that feature either one of Monte Morris or Bradley Beal. He doesn’t need to get a bunch of shots up, either, which means plays can be run for the likes of Beal and Kristaps Porzingis.
The fact that Wright can make the shots when asked is a great bonus. They won’t feature him offensively, but he will do more than his part when he is asked.
In terms of the market for other guards in free agency, nothing screams this was a reach by the Wizards. Ricky Rubio got slightly less on a per-year basis but he is coming off a serious injury and is a very different type of player. He wouldn’t be nearly as good of a fit for this roster.
Gary Payton II is right around the same number as Wright, proving it’s a reasonable number for a very solid guard. Wright is going to get an expanded opportunity just like his new teammate Morris with the Wizards. It’s fair to see why both of them will make the most out of this opportunity.
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