This three-team trade lands the Wizards a young defensive specialist
By Cem Yolbulan
The Washington Wizards had a busy offseason, offloading Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis to set themselves up for a developmental season. This was a much-needed step in the right direction for a franchise mired in mediocrity for much of the last decade. The new front office has done an admirable job reshaping the roster so far, but the work is far from over.
The Wizards still have to make some moves. They have one more guaranteed contract than the allowable 15 roster spots. They have a roster imbalance where there is a logjam at the guard position and a lack of depth at the frontcourt. This could be solved by moving on from some of the veteran players still on the roster. This would help open up more playing time for the young players with upside.
Veteran Delon Wright is a prime trade candidate
The most obvious candidate here is Delon Wright. The 31-year-old had an impressive defensive performance last year and could contribute to a playoff team. It would be beneficial for both sides to move him. The same can be said about Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala as well, although they are presumably more helpful to a rebuilding team with their position and floor spacing.
In a potential trade to move on from these players, the Wizards should look to acquire younger players who fit their timeline. Obviously, it’s impossible to land a blue-chip prospect with that package. However, an undervalued player or a prospect who failed in his previous destination could be gettable for the Wizards.
One potential transaction that comes to mind is one between the Wizards, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In this proposal, Washington ends up with Isaac Okoro from Cleveland and AJ Green from Milwaukee, while the Bucks land Delon Wright and Mike Muscala and the Cavaliers land Pat Connaughton from Milwaukee. This has the potential to be a win-win-win trade.
The Milwaukee Bucks land two rotation players by giving up one. Wright fills in the hole of Jevon Carter who left this offseason. Muscala is an interesting pairing with Giannis Antetokounmpo with his perimeter shooting. Landing these two players by only giving up Connaughton who had a down year and is on a multi-year contract is a win for the Bucks.
Isaac Okoro could find the fresh start he needs with the Washington Wizards
The Cavaliers fill their most important need with a playoff-proven starter. Connaughton is not an elite player in any one skill but he is an all-around wing with no weaknesses. He could easily start and close games for this team when healthy. They acquire him by giving up on Isaac Okoro, who is likely not going to have a role on this team next season anyway.
Okoro desperately needs a fresh start. Entering his fourth season, he failed to take the next step in his development so far. But he is still only 22 and has shown improvement in his shot every year. Without the playoff pressure and high expectations, Okoro could have an easier path to blossom into the two-way starter everyone was hoping for. The Washington Wizards could easily provide that patience and playing time for him.
AJ Green is mostly in the trade for salary-matching purposes. But, he is a sharpshooting guard who has room for improvement. Considering the Wizards’ need for shooting, he could have a role on the team.
We need to wait to see what the Wizards’ front office has up their sleeves. Considering the success of their offseason moves so far, there is reason to be hopeful that they will come out as winners in whatever transaction they decide to make.
