Grade the trade: Wizards buy low on a potential defensive star in a proposed deal
By Cem Yolbulan
The busiest time of the offseason may be over, but the teams around the NBA are not done reshaping their rosters. This includes the Washington Wizards.
After starting the offseason with a flurry of trades that included Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Monte Morris, the news out of Washington has slowed down. However, there are still plenty of trade rumors going around that involve the Washington Wizards.
The most likely trade candidates on the Wizards are the older players that don’t fit the rebuilding timeline. These players include Delon Wright, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, as well as Tyus Jones and Landry Shamet, depending on the direction the Wizards choose to go.
These players fit on a playoff team better than they do on a young, rebuilding team.
Gallinari and Muscala presumably don’t want to spend their last few years in the NBA on a team with no hopes of contending. Wright and Tyus Jones are on expiring contracts and the Wizards may prefer to get assets in return for them before they become free agents. Shamet may have interested playoff teams that need his sharpshooting.
These players aren’t going to swing a championship, but they are more than capable of filling holes on good teams. If they are combined with one another or other assets, they could net the Wizards valuable draft picks or young players.
Tyus Jones and Delon Wright hold the most trade value out of all these players. Jones could presumably bring a first-round pick or equal value in a deal, while Wright can bring in a few second-rounders.
The latest trade idea involving Washington came from the Bleacher Report, and it acknowledges the trade value of Tyus Jones. It helps solve the guard logjam in Washington while adding intriguing young players into the mix. Let’s get into the details of the proposed deal.