Washington Wizards: reacting to trade proposal by The Athletic

In this article by James L Edwards III and John Hollinger on The Athletic (behind paywall) a trade is proposed that pushes the Washington Wizards into a rebuild. This is actually a move that seems incredibly interesting now let’s dive in.

In this deal the Washington Wizards would receive former second overall pick James Wiseman as well as the fifth overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. They could possibly draft players such as Cam Whitmore or even Amen Thompson with this selection. However, they would have to give up Corey Kispert, Delon Wright and their eighth overall pick.

The justification for the trade is the Wizards get a new face of the franchise in potentially Whitmore and the Pistons get already tested players in their rotation plus a solid pick. Edwards III went on to add that the Wizards may need to add a lightly protected first round pick in order for the Pistons to make this trade.

Could this trade happen for the Washington Wizards?

In my eyes, this trade is perfect as is. After an incredible end to his season, Corey Kispert looks like he could be a legit contributor to a contending team. It is clear that he has been underutilized thus far in his career. Jis trade value has never been higher.

On top of Kispert, Delon Wright is coming off of a career season for the Washington Wizards. He was incredibly efficient from all over the floor on offense and would have made an All-Defensive team had he not missed a significant portion of the season.

The Detroit Pistons should start aiming towards the playoffs in the upcoming season. They already have two stars in Cade Cunningham (19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6 assists per game) and Jaden Ivey (16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game) as well as great young players such as Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart.

It makes sense for the Pistons to look to complete the roster with shooting and defense while also adding a pick that could be used on Jarace Walker. This seems like a great move for the Pistons.

On the Wizards side, they would be able to grab a franchise player with the fifth pick while also adding a third second round selection to their repertoire. With the new leaders in the front office and their incredible history in the draft, it seems like a fantastic idea to gather as much picks as possible.

The Wizards could also use their three picks to move up in the draft to late in the first for a player like Kris Murray. they could even package players like Johnny Davis or Deni Avdija to move up into the late lottery to target a player like Cason Wallace.

James Wiseman would also be a great pickup for the Washington Wizards as he still has an incredible ceiling. His positioning and timing are both great and he has a soft touch on his jump shots, especially his free throw line floater. The biggest aspect of his game holding him back from truly breaking out is his lack of strength. He gets pushed around on screens and in the paint, stopping him from being the defender he is capable of being.

This is a move that would force the Washington Wizards to rebuild, something that is on the table for the newly reorganized franchise. This seems like a move that could greatly benefit both teams and should be something they consider.