The previous Washington Wizards regime struggled in a variety of aspects of NBA front-office decision-making. Their overall vision, execution, draft selections, and free agency moves left plenty to be desired. These have often been bandied about by Wizards fans and analysts alike. However, one under-discussed aspect that the Wizards need to improve on is finding value on the margins. One of the best ways to do that is by targeting undrafted players.
The Washington Wizards have historically been weak in finding undrafted gems and developing them into valuable players. Even in the rare times when opportunity strikes and lands them Ben Wallace, they manage to fumble it and let him go only for the Detroit Pistons to turn him into a Hall-of-Famer.
Certain teams in the NBA are incredible at finding great value on the margins. The Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers lap the field on that front. The Washington Wizards need to follow in their footsteps.
The Los Angeles Lakers managed to find two starter-caliber players that went undrafted in the last couple of years; Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves. Reaves seemingly came out of nowhere to take the NBA by storm and made his way into Team USA in the FIBA World Cup this summer.
The Miami Heat similarly found an impressive amount of talent in players that weren’t selected in drafts. At one point last season, they had nine undrafted roster players, including Max Strus, Caleb Martin, Gabe Vincent, and Duncan Robinson, who were big-time contributors in Miami’s Finals run.
This can be repeatable by any team in the NBA. It requires scouting and player development acumen.
The best part of relying on undrafted players is the fact that they are affordable. Teams can give them a chance on minimum or two-way contracts for a season or two, then extend them on a long-term cheap deal.
The Washington Wizards who are entering a long rebuilding phase, have every incentive to do this. Earning a reputation for player development will not only make the Wizards a free-agent destination, but it will also help gather cheap contributors and valuable trade assets.
It has been a while since the Wizards had a successful player development story. It’s time that they start giving a shot to undrafted players and find their own Austin Reaves or Alex Caruso.
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