Nets receive: Daniel Gafford, the no. 8 pick
Wizards receive: Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Thomas
One option the Wizards have with the no. 8 pick is to trade it for multiple rotation players. The Wizards arguably need both guard and wing depth. This sort of trade helps in both departments; as Cam Thomas provides instant scoring and a high upside while Dorian Finney-Smith brings dependable 3-and-D play to the table.
Brooklyn Nets have an abundance of defense-first wings and will almost certainly look to offload a few this summer. This could be an opportunity for the Wizards to get one of them, preferably Finney-Smith or Royce O’Neale. A two-way forward who will relieve some of Kyle Kuzma’s defensive burden will fill a big hole for the Wizards. Cam Thomas, on the other hand, will be a massive help for the half-court offense that struggled without Bradley Beal at times. Thomas is a microwave scorer who broke the NBA record last season as the youngest player ever to have three consecutive 40-point games. The 21-year-old can play both off-ball and on-ball and has tremendous upside that the Wizards should look to explore.
Daniel Gafford, despite having a solid season, is about to start his 3-year, $39 million contract next year. That is pricey for a limited center who has never played over 20 minutes a game for a season in his career. Gafford would be a good addition for the Nets, who don’t have a backup center behind Nic Claxton. For the Wizards, packaging Gafford with the 8th-pick to get two rotation-level players is a smart idea.