The Washington Wizards have a young, dynamic roster with a lot of raw potential. They have scoring, playmaking, shooting, and defensive potential throughout the roster. However, one weakness they have is in the center position. Adding another big man into the mix could do wonders for the Wizards.
The current center rotation for Washington consists of Daniel Gafford and Mike Muscala. Especially if Tristan Vukcevic were to be stashed in Europe for a season, there is a real lack of depth in that position.
Fortunately for the Wizards, Muscala, and Gafford are stylistically different players that could help Washington achieve different things on the court. Muscala helps space the floor with his shooting while Gafford provides rim-running and rim-protecting. A third center who can play in smaller lineups and be a switchable defender would be a tremendous addition to the big man rotation.
The Washington Wizards can put out lineups that are suitable for switching on the defensive end. Lineup combinations of Deni Avdija, Bilal Coulibaly, Johnny Davis, and Kyle Kuzma could make for fascinating, switchable groups on the court. Those players can guard multiple positions without creating matchup advantages for the opponent. What these lineups would need is an equally switchable center.
Gafford and Muscala don’t fit that style of play. Neither is Vukcevic even if he were to come over this season. Those centers are more suitable for traditional drop coverage. Even though that defensive strategy has its own merits, a lineup with five similar-sized players who could stay in front of perimeter players is a more modern and intriguing look.
One potential solution could be sliding Kuzma or Avdija to play small-ball center. This is worth a try but neither of these players has shown a capability to guard centers or protect the rim to a respectable degree. Yet, especially Kuzma, with his size, strength, and athleticism could be an interesting choice to play the five.
The easiest solution, however, is to add a cheap, switchable center, either through a trade or a free agent signing. Players like Precious Achiuwa, Isaiah Stewart, Onyeka Okongwu, and Xavier Tillman come to mind as potential acquisitions. A couple of these names are easier to acquire than others but it can’t hurt for the Wizards to ask for the price tag.