The Washington Wizards’ attempt at reshaping the roster for their rebuilding process is in full swing. After trading away Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, we are likely to see more deals where the Wizards send their veteran players who don’t fit their timeline. One of the next dominoes to fall will almost certainly be Monte Morris.
The 27-year-old point guard spent the last season as the starter with the Wizards after mostly being the backup with the Denver Nuggets. Monte Morris, who started 61 of 62 games in the 2022-23 season, averaged 10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 27 minutes per game in Washington.
Morris is not an elite point guard in any one area. He can do most things well or at an above-average level but he is not going to set the world on fire with his scoring, playmaking, or defense.
His efficiency of 58% true shooting is exactly league-average. His three-point accuracy of 39% for his career is pretty good, but he has low volume and versatility on his jump shot. He is one of the best in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, which demonstrates his style of play perfectly: he makes very few mistakes and is a good floor general.
As valuable as Morris is as a player, he is redundant on this Wizards roster. He is a very similar player to Tyus Jones, who the Wizards just acquired. Washington is likely to give Jordan Poole, Deni Avdija, and Bilal Coulibaly on-ball reps as the lead guards as well, making it hard for Morris to have a role on the team.
This opens up Morris for a variety of trade scenarios. Morris has one year remaining on his contract worth $9.8 million for next season. As his ideal role is the backup point guard on a good team, he is properly paid, making a potential trade involving him relatively easy.
Morris should generate interest around the league among teams looking for a point guard. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, the Washington Wizards already started calling teams who may want to acquire Morris. Let’s take a look at who some of these teams may be.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Washington Wizards and the LA Clippers already tried to execute a trade that landed the Clippers a point guard. In the first iteration of the Porzingis deal that landed him in Boston, the Clippers were about to acquire Malcolm Brogdon from the Celtics before the three-team trade collapsed.
So, it is not a surprise that the Clippers are actively looking for a floor general. Their interest in Chris Paul was also made public before he was traded to the Golden State Warriors. They should presumably be interested in a table-setter like Monte Morris.
The main ball-handler in Los Angeles right now is Russell Westbrook. Regardless of how Westbrook’s free agency plays out, Morris would be a good addition since the two guards are diametrically opposed in terms of their play style.
The Clippers are very low on passing and playmaking. Morris would fix those issues and put their star duo Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in good positions to succeed.
In return, the Wizards receive Robert Covington and Amir Coffey. Covington is in the deal mostly for salary-matching purposes but he is on an expiring contract and could easily be flipped later at the trade deadline. Coffey, on the other hand, was already in the initial deal mentioned above, so the Wizards are presumably already interested in him.
To make the deal enticing for Washington, the Clippers could add a second-round pick or two to help the Wizards refill their draft asset cabinet.
Toronto Raptors
Another team that desperately needs a mature point guard with high basketball IQ is the Toronto Raptors. The uncertainty of Fred VanVleet’s free agency is looming, and there is a decent chance Toronto will not be able to retain him. In that case, Monte Morris would be a godsend for the Raptors. Even if VanVleet resigns, Morris would be a solid backup who can play next to him as well.
The Raptors have a surplus of big, athletic forwards with long wingspans. They can defend, rebound, and physically overwhelm you. But, they are low on playmaking, an area where Monte Morris would be massively helpful.
In order to balance their roster more, the Raptors need to move some of their forwards and big men for perimeter players. The Wizards have the opposite problem; they have more guards than they know what to do with and need more athletic forwards. That’s what makes this deal enticing for both sides.
The Wizards land a 23-year-old beast in Precious Achiuwa. The Nigerian power-forward’s offensive development has plateaued in the past few years, but he is an incredible defender. He is long, strong, and athletic with impressive lateral mobility. If he figures out his shooting a little bit, he would be a very valuable piece for the Wizards in the long run.
Thaddeus Young is mostly in the deal for salary matching but he is a good veteran who can pass and defend, the Wizards could always use players who can do that, especially if they are on an expiring contract like Young.
Brooklyn Nets
Another Eastern Conference playoff hopeful that could look to add to their guard rotation is the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets have a slew of talented forwards but they are short on point guards who can set them up. The only point guards on their team are Spencer Dinwiddie and Ben Simmons.
Dinwiddie is not the best passer or playmaker for his teammates and could be better utilized as a shooting guard, while Simmons never plays. They could certainly look to add to their point guard depth.
Morris can provide stability and basketball intelligence to a team that has lacked it recently. The Nets have a lot of different players and contracts that they can offer to Washington. The Wizards might be most interested in Day’Ron Sharpe.
Sharpe is a big, strong, traditional center who can dominate the paint and the boards. He is only 21 years old and has a lot of room to improve with a bigger role and more minutes. The Wizards are lacking in their big-man rotation, so adding a promising center to back Daniel Gafford up makes sense for them.
Patty Mills is the salary fodder in the deal, but he is also one of the most respected veterans in the league. He could provide leadership and mentorship to the young players for a year until his contract expires next offseason.
To make the deal more balanced, Brooklyn can add a second-round pick or two.
These may not look like the most appealing packages but it is good value for Morris whose contract expires next summer and who can sign with any team without bringing a return to Washington.