Washington Wizards: Three free agent fits after the 2023 Draft
By Cem Yolbulan
Now that the 2023 NBA Draft is over and the Washington Wizards reshaped their roster by trading Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, it’s time to look at what further additions the team can make this offseason.
With a young roster bereft of veterans or starter-caliber players, the Washington Wizards project to be one of the worst teams in the league next season. The plan for the Wizards is to gather as many assets; including promising young players and future draft picks, develop your players, and try to contend a couple of years down the line.
Every free agency move and trade need to be done with this timeline in mind. It is of utmost importance for the Wizards to find players who fit this overall vision, both in terms of age and skill set.
The two most significant pieces the Wizards have on their roster are Bilal Coulibaly and Jordan Poole. Finding players who need to be able to play alongside the duo is going to be key for Washington.
Poole’s biggest weakness is his defense. He is lacking in strength, awareness, effort, and concentration on the defensive end. Putting a guard next to Poole who can defend the opposing team’s best guard would help overall team defense and optimize Poole.
Coulibaly on the other hand is a very good transition player and defender but has to improve in half-court offense. In order for his aggressive attacking style to work, he needs spacing and shotmakers around them. Poole and Corey Kispert are good fits on this front, the more shooters there are around Coulibaly, the better it will be for his development, as well as the Wiz offense.
The Wizards also don’t want to have big contracts on their books going forward. The fact that the front office prioritized expiring contracts in their dealings so far, it is obvious that maintaining cap flexibility is key for Washington going forward.
Therefore, they will most likely look for younger players on short, cheap contracts. The Wizards can offer significant playing time and role for these free agents, so they should be able to acquire a young piece or two for less than the mid-level exception.
Here are some free-agent candidates that fit this description.