Grade the trade: proposed three-team deal lands Wizards an athletic wing
By Cem Yolbulan
Ever since the Washington Wizards made the decision to rebuild this offseason, their veterans have been in constant trade talks. Players who don’t fit Washington’s timeline and can help a playoff team are regularly mentioned as potential trade targets for contenders. A few weeks ago, Zach Buckley of The Bleacher Report identified every team’s top three trade targets. Naturally, there were plenty of Wizards players who made the list for some teams. One of the players whose name came up more than once was Tyus Jones.
As an elite backup point guard, Jones can contribute to every contender. He doesn’t make any mistakes and he can slide into the starting lineup when needed. He is also on an expiring contract with a reasonable annual salary that makes a potential trade construction relatively easy.
Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Boston Celtics were mentioned as a potential Jones suitor. This makes even more sense following the reporting that Malcolm Brogdon is unhappy with the Celtics after they tried to trade him this offseason. That deal fell through at the time, but the latest news plus the Los Angeles Clippers not having filled their point guard need, makes a similar trade machination possible.
The Boston Celtics would ideally get another guard if they traded away Brogdon. They need more ball-handling, passing, and pick-roll mastery. Jones helps on that front.
In this trade, the Boston Celtics get their guy, add to their depth with Amir Coffey, and get salary cap relief, while the Los Angeles Clippers finally end up with their point guard target in Malcolm Brogdon.
The Washington Wizards, on the other hand, receive Kenyon Martin Jr. from the Los Angeles Clippers. Former member of the Houston Rockets, Martin Jr. was traded to LA this summer. The 22-year-old forward has an intriguing upside with impressive physical and athletic tools. He brings the Wizards much-needed size, bounce, and defensive chops. Additionally, the Wizards add Marcus Morris Sr.’s expiring contract for salary-matching purposes. They would likely agree to a contract buyout in this scenario. Moreover, Washington gets a second-round pick from the Clippers.
It is uncertain what the Washington Wizards have in mind with Tyus Jones. They might want to hold onto him as their floor general of the future or get assets for him in a potential trade. If they choose the latter, they should have plenty of trade packages to choose from.
