The Washington Wizards struggles to start the season can't be pinpointed to one specific reason.
Between sophomore breakouts, sophomore slumps, inconsistent play from veterans and the fact the team is just inexperienced can all be linked back to the main reason for Washington's early season woes.
Nonetheless, the reason why the Wizards have opened the season stacking losses is irrelevant when it relates to the inevitable roster moves that loom in the future for general manager Will Dawkins.
As we all know, the NBA trade deadline in February always brings a wave of moves for nearly every team in the league.
Contenders look to fill in their weaknesses, playoff hopefuls look to bolster their depth charts and rebuilding teams look to offload veterans in efforts to land young talent and/or draft compensation.
Obviously, the Wizards have several candidates to be moved in the future, especially following their poor start to the season.
For starters, Khris Middleton will be a name that many expect to be moved on from whether that's via trade or an eventual buyout.
Another prime candidate to be moved is CJ McCollum, who landed in Washington this offseason.
However, McCollum's path off the Wizards may not be as simple compared to the likes of Middleton.
McCollum is on an expiring contract, with $30.6 million on the books for this season.
The guard is set to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, but until then, his direct future ties him to the Wizards.
Originally, when Washington landed McCollum they used the opportunity to not only free themselves of Jordan Poole's lucrative contract, but to land a veteran presence that could help aid the development of the young players on the roster.
And while McCollum may be doing that off the court in terms of preperation and how to be a professional, his on the court play has not only impacted the team negatively, but his value as a whole.
McCollum is averaging 14.3 points, 3.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds, while shooting 37.1% from field goal range 35.3% from beyond the arc.
The veteran guard's in the midst of one of his worst seasons of his professional career and while you can blame his situation, the harsh reality is that between his age, contract and underwhelming play, no team will be willing to swing a deal with the Wizards to take him on ahead of the deadline.
Furthermore, if the Wizards were to be willing to buy McCollum out, it's fair to wonder if any team would be willing to sign the playmaker for a playoff push, especially considering how minimal of an impact he's proven to have on winning over the course of his career.
All that to say, McCollum may be stuck in Washington longer than originally expected.