Washington Wizards: 3 free agent forwards to target

Georges Niang

One of the best stylistic fits on the market for the Wizards is Georges Niang. The 6’8 power forward, who spent the last two seasons of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, has shot over 40% from behind the three-point line for each of the last five years.

Niang is not only one of the best shooters at his position, but he is also strong, can put the ball on the floor, and competes defensively.

As a 30-year-old, he may not be on the ideal age curve for the Wizards, but his game should age relatively well thanks to his elite shooting and size. Plus, he should still have a few more seasons in him at this level before he starts declining. At that point, the Wizards would have probably traded him for positive value anyway.

Stylistically, there are no players on this Wizards roster who plays the same way Niang does. A stretch-four who can help space the floor for young players like Bilal Coulibaly, Deni Avdija, Johnny Davis, and Jordan Poole is a key player type for any rebuilding team. Wizards’ young players need the space and open driving lanes to maximize their performance, Niang would be the perfect player to provide that.

The Sixers may want to keep Niang because he is an important bench player for them. However, if the Wizards were to offer more than the taxpayer-MLE, that should be enough to lure him. Niang, who was a second-round pick back in 2016, has made relatively little money in his career so far, so he could potentially prioritize a long-term guaranteed salary in what is likely his last big contract.