Wiz of Awes
Fansided

Grade the trades: 3 proposals to help the Wizards get younger

By Jay Hanson

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - OCTOBER 25: Delon Wright #55 of the Washington Wizards dribbles the ball while being guarded by Aaron Nesmith #23 of the Indiana Pacers in the fourth quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on October 25, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - OCTOBER 25: Delon Wright #55 of the Washington Wizards dribbles the ball while being guarded by Aaron Nesmith #23 of the Indiana Pacers in the fourth quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on October 25, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
(Photo by Amanda Loman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Amanda Loman/Getty Images) /

Washington Wizards receive: Matisse Thybulle, Moses Brown

Portland Trail Blazers receive: Delon Wright, Anthony Gill

The addition of Matisse Thybulle would provide the Wizards with one of the best perimeter defensive players in the game. Thybulle’s weakness is his inability to shoot the three. However, when it comes to locking down players, getting a steal, or blocking a shot, no one is better at it from the wing position than Thybulle. Plus, he is only 26.

Thybulle is a career 33.4% shooter from three-point range, which is arguably not great for a wing.  However, he had his best performance last year after his trade from Philadelphia to Portland where he shot 38.8% on 3.9 3-point attempts per game in just 22 appearances.

It’s not clear if the system and usage in Portland allowed Thybulle to thrive, or if the Portland bump was just a one-time blip. If Thybulle can reproduce his accuracy from the end of last season and maintain his defensive excellence, there would be a lot of potential upside to the Wizards.

Thybulle averaged 1.5 steals per game and 0.8 blocks per game for his career. Excellent numbers for a player who averaged just 20.5 minutes per game.

The loss of Wright in this trade for Thybulle would thin out the Wizards’ point guard rotation and free up more playing time for Ryan Rollins. The other piece of the trade brings the Wizards Moses Brown, a young journeyman who is a rolling big man.

From a basketball perspective, the trade marginally weakens the Wizards’ offense while improving the defense. More importantly, the trade gives the Wizards younger assets with upside.

There is a huge intangible loss for the Wizards, however, from a locker room perspective. All reports indicate that Gill is a tremendous locker-room presence for a young team. This would be an added benefit for Portland, as well as getting better shooting without sacrificing much defensively.

This proposed trade would not be able to happen until after January 15th due to restrictions on trades after recent extension signings.

Home/Wizards Rumors