The Washington Wizards have done a respectable job revamping their roster this off-season. More than the specific trades themselves, the overall decision to move on from Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal to embrace a rebuild is praise-worthy. With limited resources, the new front office was able to turn things around enough and built an intriguing young team with fascinating prospects. However, the roster obviously has significant weaknesses. One of the major ones is the lack of frontcourt depth.
The center rotation for the Wizards is lacking in both quality and quantity. Daniel Gafford and Mike Muscala are solid players with different strengths and weaknesses. Muscala is a good backup to Gafford and his floor-spacing will be valuable for the young Wizards. However, that is about it in terms of big men for the Wizards. They desperately need another center, ideally one that can do different things than Muscala and Gafford.
A center that can switch would give the Wizards additional defensive versatility. The ability to play different defensive schemes is key for player development.
A center who can anchor the defense, point out the mistakes of young players, and be the defensive leader and communicator will go a long way. Young teams need accountability and a defensive-minded center is one of the best ways to provide that. If this center can also work as an offensive hub on the other end, this could take the Wizards to another level.
Obviously, the important element here is the fit. This newly acquired center doesn’t only need to fit on the court, but he also needs to fit Washington’s timeline. There is no need to try to accelerate the rebuilding. The target age needs to be under 25, a player who can grow with the rest of the team. However, to accomplish this goal, the Wizards shouldn’t be giving up too many future assets. An ideal center candidate should be acquired via a trade with a few second-round picks or another similar-level player who plays a different position.
Fortunately for the Wizards, there are plenty of undervalued centers around the league that could fit this bill.