As we near the start of the 2023-24 regular season, the rumor mill has naturally begun to intensify. As teams need to finalize their rosters before their season openers, there will be another round of transactions once training camps are underway. This includes the Washington Wizards as well. Currently at 16 guaranteed contracts, the Wizards have to offload at least one player before the season starts. So, unsurprisingly, rumors are surfacing about who that player could be. The latest reporting by Mike Scotto of HoopsHype suggests that Delon Wright, Danilo Gallinari, and Landry Shamet are the likely candidates to be moved.
This makes sense. Despite being potentially useful players on a playoff team, Wright and Gallinari don’t fit the Wizards’ timeline or plan. They are also on expiring contracts, making them easier to move. Shamet, on the other hand, is a prime candidate to be squeezed out of the crowded backcourt rotation in Washington. He can really shoot the ball, but he is a one-position player who can’t defend and doesn’t have much upside. If a team is willing to give up any assets to trade for him, the Wizards should be thrilled to move on from him.
Scotto adds in his reporting that Wright previously had interest from the Charlotte Hornets but they recently added Frank Ntilikina, a player of a similar mold. They may not be interested anymore. However, there should be teams willing to give up one or two second-round picks for Wright, according to the sources Scotto spoke with.
The reporting highlights the fact that the Wizards “plan to go into the season with the current roster.” This likely means that even if there was a trade, not all three of these players would get moved. Similarly, there would likely be no players coming the Wizards’ way since Washington doesn’t have a roster spot to offer without making more cuts.
So, this further underlines what we already knew. One of these veterans will presumably not be wearing a Wizards uniform for their season opener. We should be finding out who in the next couple of weeks.
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