The Washington Wizards are bringing back veteran big man Taj Gibson for another season. Considering the team’s need for more frontcourt depth and experienced veterans, the signing makes a lot of sense. However, it complicates things for the front office and the rest of the players on the roster.
The Wizards already had 16 guaranteed contracts on the roster before the Gibson signing. With the addition of the 38-year-old, the Wizards now need to part ways with two players before the season opener. This likely means that the Wizards will be active on the trade market in the next couple of weeks. Otherwise, they will have to waive a few players currently under contract.
The likeliest candidates to be traded are Delon Wright, Danilo Gallinari, and Landry Shamet, for whom Washington is reportedly already fielding calls. The signing of Taj Gibson only increases the likelihood of at least one of these players getting moved in the next month or so.
The tricky part of these potential trades is the fact that the Wiz can’t take any players back in such deals. So either they will have to find teams with cap space and roster spots to take in these players, or have to waive any player they receive back in the deal.
That could prove to be easier said than done. Finding teams to take on Gallinari’s or Shamet’s contract without giving up any salary will be difficult, especially considering Gallinari’s health concerns and Shamet’s overpaid status.
This might mean that other players on the Wizards’ roster might be moved or waived instead. Xavier Cooks and Anthony Gill may be candidates to be waived considering that they don’t fit Washington’s timeline perfectly and don’t have clear paths to rotation minutes.
The Wizards still have some time before they have to make a decision. They can see how everyone looks in training camp and how the rotation shakes out in preseason. A surprise trade candidate might emerge or a buyout for someone like Danilo Gallinari might materialize. Regardless, one thing we know is that it’s going to be a busy month for the Wizards front office.
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