The Washington Wizards might just be on the cusp of a new day. For the Wizards and their fans, the last half-decade (half-century?) has been lived out in the haze of dusk, never finding the hope of contention or the hope of a rebuild to bring a brighter future.
That future isn’t imminent, but for the first time in a long time, it looks possible. New team president Michael Winger has come over from the LA Clippers and looks to have a level of competency unheard of in the nation’s capital. He has the capability of steering the ship in a positive direction.
It’s time for the Washington Wizards to rebuild
The Washington Wizards don’t have a top-25 player on their roster, they don’t have a young star in the making, and they have an expensive roster that could get even more expensive if they run everything back. The path to becoming a team that can contend in the Eastern Conference involves tearing the current experiment down before something new can be built in its place.
Winger has indicated he is open to any potential team-building path, and The Athletic reported that many rival executives expect Winger to take the rebuilding route. If so, trades involving the team’s biggest names could be imminent.
What could that path look like? Let’s cook up four different trades for the Wizards to take this roster from purgatory to rebuild, starting with their homegrown star.
Trade No. 1: Bradley Beal to the Magic
Bradley Beal is the exception to the Wizards’ team-building woes, the one player who was drafted highly and has turned into a legitimate star player. Unfortunately, that “star” label can’t be confused with a superstar one, but Beal is certainly paid for like a top-15 player in the league.
The Wizards can’t rebuild with Beal on the team, but between his expansive salary and the inexplicable no-trade clause the former front office handed to him, trading him is a difficult proposition. He will likely want to go to a good team, but most of those are unlikely to trade for a player as overpaid as Beal. Michael Winger could try calling the Golden State Warriors about a Jordan Poole trade, or the Brooklyn Nets about a deal centered around Ben Simmons.
There is one up-and-coming team that could be attractive to Beal, and could be interested in a deal for a high-octane scoring guard like Beal. After attending the University of Florida for his one year of college, he could return to The Sunshine State:
Jonathan Isaac is the kind of upside-swing rebuilding teams make; if he can stay healthy and get on the court, he could be a part of Washington’s next team or be moved as a trade chip once his value is rehabilitated. Gary Harris is a veteran wing to move to a contender for extra value. Jalen Suggs and the No. 11 pick are two bites at the apple to try to get a long-term starter.
Beal’s production and name value might suggest that this is an underpay, but there truly are very few options available when you factor in Beal’s massive salary and how much his no-trade clause depresses his value. This is likely around the most the Wizards can expect to get.
Trade No. 2: Kristaps Porzingis to the Trail Blazers
The Washington Wizards have been absolutely abysmal in the draft in recent years, and they tend to lack judgment in re-signing their own players. Where they have excelled, however, is on the trade market, and that includes trading for Kristaps Porzingis at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline.
Porzingis had a career year last season, staying healthy and scoring 23.2 points per game with 8.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 2.1 3-pointers per game. He reached true “Unicorn” status and looks in line for a big payday this summer.
If at all possible, the Wizards need to avoid being the ones to pay that. Porzingis is going to be expensive and injury-prone, and that’s a bad combination for a rebuilding team. Thankfully, Porzingis is likely to have more suitors after the year he just had, and there are a number of sign-and-trade options to consider.
In this deal, the Portland Trail Blazers would finally find a solution at center, with Porzingis and Damian Lillard a formidable one-two punch on offense, especially with Jerami Grant returning at power forward. Delon Wright replaces Gary Payton II as a backcourt defender and Anfernee Simons as a backup ball-handler.
The Wizards get Simons, a dynamic young scoring guard who can be a part of the new, young core they are looking to build. Add in the negative salary of Jusuf Nurkic and it’s enough for the Wizards to get a bump on their first-round pick, going up from eighth to third. That would put players such as Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller and Cam Whitmore into play.
Trade No. 3: Kyle Kuzma to the New York Knicks
Kyle Kuzma had a breakout season this past year, but for a play who will turn 28 years old before the season starts he isn’t the kind of player the Wizards should look to build around when they emerge from their rebuild. The time to capitalize on his value is this summer.
Kuzma will be hitting the free-agent market after declining his player option, and will likely look for a new contract at $20 million per season or higher. The New York Knicks are a big-market team that can reasonably contend next season, checking Kuzma’s self-proclaimed boxes. If they move Julius Randle in a trade for a star, they could look at Kuzma as a replacement at the four:
The Wizards aren’t getting one single premium asset in this deal, but they are getting quite the collection of second-tier ones. Immanuel Quickley was one of the league’s best bench players this past season and could get a tryout as the starting point guard for Washington. Obi Toppin has a case to make as a future starting power forward. In exchange for taking on the salary of Evan Fournier, the Wizards also earn a first-round pick in the deal.
Trade No. 4: Monte Morris to the Rockets
Finally, the Wizards will have a pair of veterans that hold much more value to other teams than to Washington in Monte Morris and Gary Harris. While acknowledging that the team might need to structure things as a three or four-team deal to move Gary Harris, here’s what this portion of the transaction might look like:
The Houston Rockets, eager to take a step forward, add two veteran depth pieces to fill out their rotation. The Wizards take on the contract of Kevin Porter Jr., who could continue to develop into a long-term starter but can also be cut loose at any point along that journey. Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba are intriguing young prospects.
After making all four of these trades, the Wizards will have completely reset and reshaped their roster. Here’s what their asset pool would look like:
- Guard: Immanuel Quickley, Anfernee Simons, Jalen Suggs, Kevin Porter Jr., Josh Christopher
- Wing/Forward: Corey Kispert, Deni Avdija
- Big: Obi Toppin, Daniel Gafford, Jonathan Isaac, Usman Garuba, Isaiah Todd
- 2023 Draft Picks: No. 3, No. 11, No. 20
That’s not a bad starting place, although there is a possibility that the team would be too good again to fully bottom out next season. Still, having Pick No. 3 could allow this team to find their blue-chip star to build around, and players like Quickley and Simons could be perfect fits around such a star.
It’s a painful path to walk, but it’s one that offers hope instead of resigned dejection. That’s a future the Wizards and their fans deserve.