Wizards need to do this 3-team trade to open up minutes for young guards

The Washington Wizards already took major steps towards shaping their roster this offseason. They added more youth, dynamism, and athleticism, but they have not finalized their roster yet. There are still imbalances on the roster, namely the logjam at the guard positions. They can help solve this with one trade involving two other teams.

Between Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole, Bilal Coulibaly, Johnny Davis, and Ryan Rollins, there simply aren’t enough rotation minutes to go around for other players. This likely means that Delon Wright and Landry Shamet will be squeezed out. It may make sense to trade these players before the season starts as they might lose some of their trade value if they are out of the rotation early on.

Fortunately for the Wizards, there are interested teams for both players. The Charlotte Hornets are reportedly targeting Delon Wright, while the Miami Heat are rumored to be eyeing Shamet.

If this reporting is true, there is one trade construction that makes sense for all the teams involved.

In this deal, both Miami and Charlotte land their player, while Washington acquires one intriguing prospect and one excellent offensive player.

The Wizards solve their guard logjam by trading away Shamet and Wright and adding a big man in Kai Jones and a small forward in Duncan Robinson. This creates a more balanced roster for Washington.

Kai Jones is entering his third year in the NBA. He hasn’t shown more than flashes here and there so far, but the flashes have been eye-popping. The 22-year-old combo big is one of the best athletes in the NBA. He has all the physical and athletic tools to become a productive NBA player, making him a worthy flyer for the Wizards.

Robinson, on the other hand, is a more known commodity. He has played in two NBA Finals with the Miami Heat, impressing with his sharpshooting and constantly improving all-around offensive game. He is overpaid and has defensive limitations but neither of those are massive concerns for the Wizards who have clean financials and no playoff aspirations for the foreseeable future.

Miami wouldn’t prefer to part ways with Robinson, but this saves them a lot of money, which would be a huge help especially if they trade for Damian Lillard.

It is not clear whether the Wizards’ front office will prioritize acquiring players or draft picks in potential Landry Shamet or Delon Wright trades. But, a similar trade construction to this makes sense for Washington.