The 2023 NBA Draft is in the books, free agency starts in two days, and transaction rumors are in full swing. The Washington Wizards already executed their big moves, trading away their two All-Stars Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. However, the roster reshaping is still not over. The looming trades of Delon Wright and Monte Morris, as well as a potential sign & trade of Kyle Kuzma, keep the door open for the Wizards to continue to be active in the next few weeks. A long rebuilding process awaits the Washington Wizards. The lack of established stars and veterans will likely make it difficult for the Wizards to be competitive in the next few years. And that is fine. The focus needs to be on the development of young players, gathering future assets, and maximizing their own draft picks.
One of the key elements of a long rebuild is taking flyers on young players with upside while their stock is low. Since the Wizards are not trying to win any time soon, they will have playing time to offer, a sizable role, and patience for players who either failed or didn’t get an opportunity in their previous stops.
This is a good strategy to get high-potential players in the door by only sacrificing second-round picks and salary fillers, or veterans who don’t fit the timeline.
Think of it as a second draft for these players. For a multitude of reasons, it may have not worked out for them with the team who drafted them, but sometimes a fresh start in a new city and organization is all one needs. Kyle Lowry and Jermaine O’Neal could be two examples of players who couldn’t succeed with the team that drafted them but became All-Stars once they were given a bigger opportunity by a new team.
Let’s look at some players who could potentially follow the same path for the Washington Wizards.
Jonathan Isaac
Orlando Magic’s 25-year-old forward had a star-crossed career so far in the NBA. Jonathan Isaac, after bursting onto the scene in the 2019-20 season as one of the best defenders in the league, tore his ACL in the Bubble and never looked right since then.
Before the injury, Isaac was averaging 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game for the season. He was a beast on the defensive end, being able to switch on smaller players, move his feet and also protect the rim as one of the best help defenders in his position. With a 6’10 frame and an impressively long wingspan, he is the perfect mold of a modern defensive forward.
However, Isaac only played in 11 games in the last three seasons, and only 147 games in his six seasons in the NBA. He hasn’t been able to get his body right since suffering the injury.
He is, however, still only 25 years old, and only has $17.4 million on his contract if guaranteed for next season. The season after is fully non-guaranteed, so he could be let go if it doesn’t work out in the 2023-24 season.
If healthy, he would fill an important role for the Wizards team. He provides much-needed size, athleticism, and defense to the team.
Most importantly, he should be easily acquirable from the Magic. Depending on what the Wizards’ salary cap structure looks like after Morris, Wright, and Kuzma’s situations are resolved, Washington could bring Isaac in using a trade exception created in these deals, or by sending a matching salary.
Isaac Okoro
Another young player with a high defensive upside who needs a change to fully come into his own is Isaac Okoro of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 5th-overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Okoro lived up to expectations on the defensive end, being able to guard multiple positions as a shooting guard. However, he has shown a disappointing lack of improvement on the offensive end.
After three seasons with the Cavs, he is averaging 0.9 threes per game on 33% shooting from downtown. Almost all of his looks are wide-open as teams consistently dare him to shoot. Yet, he hasn’t been able to make them pay.
Okoro’s playing time has decreased every season, and last season he averaged a career-worst 6.4 points per game.
Okoro needs a change of scenery. The Cleveland Cavaliers have high aspirations with their core four of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, and Okoro doesn’t fit into this lineup. Okoro is only 6’5 and doesn’t have the size to play small forward next to this group. And it’s hard for him to get significant minutes as the shooting guard, hindering his potential for improvement.
Okoro is only 22 years old and has the potential to show a lot more than he has so far in his career. He is strong and athletic, and once he figures out his shooting, he could be a solid two-way player. He is certainly worth a flyer and could be gettable for the Wizards in exchange for a more established rotation player.
Josh Christopher & TyTy Washington
These two players are in a different situation than the previous two on this list. Christopher and Washinton haven’t actually disappointed in their stint with the Houston Rockets. They just never had the opportunity to show what they can do. And with the new additions to the Rockets, their path to playing time seems even less plausible. This could be an opportunity for the Wizards.
Christopher was the 24th overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft. He has good athleticism and strength at the shooting guard position with an upside as a dynamic scorer. Tyty Washington was Houston’s 29th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He is not the flashiest or most athletic point guard, but he is an intelligent floor general that can quickly rack up points and assists.
The misfortune of both players is the fact that they are low on the pecking order in Houston. The Rockets have a surplus of young talent that was drafted above Christopher and Washington, and they are rightfully prioritizing them. With Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr, Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore already a big part of the Rockets’ future, there simply isn’t a role for both Christopher and Washington. They need playing time to develop and the Wizards can offer more of that than the Rockets.
Both players are on small, rookie-scale contracts, and considering Houston’s cap flexibility, a trade involving one of them should be feasible. Washington can send a bigger salary to the Rockets to take a flyer on either of these young prospects.
These are the sort of moves the Wizards should be chasing: low-risk, high-reward swings in upside players without giving up significant assets. Let’s see who they end up targeting.