There are plenty of reasons for the Washington Wizards to lean into a rebuild, aging stars, questions regarding health, and the questions surrounding how much their core can win together.
With these burning questions and more regarding the team and its roster, it is not surprising that many wish to see them pursue a trade and embrace a rebuild. The only problem is the fact that of their three major pieces, one has an extensive injury history, one is a free agent, and the other has a no-trade clause in his contract, this makes it incredibly difficult to kickstart a rebuild.
Even worse than the difficulty of moving Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kyle Kuzma is the fact that if they want to rebuild right now, they may have to accept lower offers in order to do so. This could mean that the Wizards may have to settle for one quality young player and some picks for a player like Beal.
Should the Washington Wizards still commit to the rebuild?
While some think that the Wizards should retool rather than rebuild, there are plenty of holes in the roster right now with no cap space or trade assets outside of the core trio. They cannot retool and the player development has not been good enough to keep drafting in the middle of the first round.
To add to this, the front office has spent nearly every draft pick since Bradley Beal in 2013 on players that fit the team rather than picking the best player available. When picking as highly as they have been, that very rarely works out.
Embracing the rebuild seems to be by far the best choice. With elite prospects available this year, it seems to be the perfect time to fully commit to a new franchise cornerstone. With all that out of the way, let’s get into the actual trade.
The Washington Wizards gain a legit scoring option from Miami
While this doesn’t immediately seem like a lot for the Wizards, they would be gaining two first round picks as well as a second-round selection. That is actually pretty fair value for the three-time All-Star.
When comparing every player involved in this potential trade idea, Bradley Beal is the most efficient scorer, best defender (somehow), and the best playmaker. He is easily the best player, however as in most cases, that also means that he is the highest paid player of every player in the trade.
How would the Washington Wizards benefit from this trade?
Tyler Herro is six years younger than Beal and is a better shooter from beyond the three-point arc. However, he is a far less diverse scorer as his skills around the rim and in the midrange are far less refined than the former All-Star.
Even though he is less refined as a scorer, Herro has always seemed as if he could be a leading scorer for a team. His handle mixed with his jumper allows him to slice apart a defense. If he grows as a scorer inside the arc, he could be one of the elite scorers in the league.
Add the elite shooting of Robinson and the draft capital and it’s clear that the Wizards do gain more than they lose.
Is this trade even possible for the Washington Wizards to make?
Many potential trades fall apart due to the finances behind the deal. With this move, there isn’t any issues with that. The combination of Duncan Robinson’s $18.1 million per year and Tyler Herro’s $27 million per year contracts is enough to make the trade legal and get close to Bradley Beal’s $46.7 million per year deal.
However, the picks are the true key to making this trade make sense. The Wizards in this situation would be looking to rebuild and doing so is far easier with picks and trade assets. Gaining a 2023 mid first round pick as well as a 2027 first round pick which could be in the lottery are intriguing pieces for a team looking for youth, especially when combined with their lottery pick this year and the plethora of second round picks already obtained from the Los Angeles Lakers in a previous trade.
The Miami Heat have already expressed interest in Bradley Beal in the past
In both the offseason and the trade deadline when rumors of Beal finding a new home were soaring the Heat were a team that was consistently being named. They need an explosive scoring option who can play off the ball next to Jimmy Butler.
While Tyler Herro has done a good job in this role, Beal spent years playing off the ball next to John Wall and is far more experienced in the roles that the Heat need out of the shooting guard position. He is also one of the league’s best when it comes to scoring in the clutch.
He is also a smarter player who has greatly improved in making the right play throughout his career. This is possibly the best way to get experience on the floor without losing much production doing so.
This trade is a great way to kickstart a rebuild if the Washington Wizards have a hunch that they may be unable to bring back Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis in free agency. While it may not be the biggest trade in the world, the Wizards do greatly benefit even if it takes a few years to show.