The Washington Wizards rebuild has come with several head scratching decisions as the team's decision makers have made multiple bold decisions with the future in mind.
From offloading Kristaps Porzingis for minimal return and ultimately netting an inconsistent guard like Jordan Poole for superstar Bradley Beal, Washington's fanbase has been forced to endure some hard times over the last few years.
However, through those questionable decisions, arguably the most confusing move was the team's sudden trade of former No. 9 overall pick Deni Avdija.
Avdija spent four seasons in Washington, and while he didn't emerge as the star player the Wizards had envisioned when the selected him in the 2020 NBA Draft, the forward showed plenty of flashes to indicate he could be a long-term option in the DMV.
Instead, with Avdija being an older prospect in their rebuild and the fact he hadn't developed into a cornerstone yet, the Wizards' front office opted to move on from the talented wing which resulted in the addition of Malcolm Brogdon and draft compensation that eventually landed them Bub Carrington in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Fast forward to now, Avdija has used the fresh start and the added chip on his shoulder to not only prove his critics wrong, but to prove the Wizards may have started their rebuild by making the biggest mistake possible.
Averaging 26.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists on shooting splits of 47.1% from field goal range and 35.6% form beyond the arc, it seemed hard to envision that the Wizards' front office doesn't have any ounce of regret.
Nonetheless, in a recent interview, the man behind the team's decisions broke his silence and made it clear there was no regret.
Michael Winger doesn't regret Deni Avdija trade
Michael Winger serves as the President of Monumental Basketball and while general manager Will Dawkins' gets most of the recognition for the Wizards' moves, no move gets done without Winger on board.
In response to a question on whether trading Avdija in a recent interview, the executive made his stance on the situation clear.
“No, it was not a mistake," Winger said. "We’re all very happy for Deni. We saw Deni as a very high-level ascending player…but no, we did it for the reasons we said then which was to take us back a couple of years so we could reset the roster and so that everybody was on the same age curve and Deni’s ahead of that.”
If Washington's motive to move on from Advija truly was about getting younger, so be it.
Regardless, it's hard to ignore the fact that the former Wizards' draft pick has emerged as a superstar in Portland that could have absolutely brightened Washington's future outlook.