Expendable: Johnny Davis
The Washington Wizards are a young, rebuilding team that is thinking about the future rather than the present. Then why would they even think about trading away their 21-year-old former lottery pick?
Because Johnny Davis has shown no signs of development through his first 1.5 seasons in the NBA. If anything, he has regressed due to his broken shot form.
Right now, Davis is not taking any jump shots, he is passing open looks because he has no confidence in his shot. When he is forced to take them, he is not making them. In fact, he has only attempted three three-pointers all season, making one.
There isn’t a role in the modern NBA for a shooting guard who can’t shoot, especially one who doesn’t have superb physical or athletic tools. Davis is currently a man without a country. It might benefit both sides for him to spend some time in the G League. This could help boost his confidence and get his scoring touch back.
In his current trajectory, Davis’ NBA stock continues to go down. With how things are going, it’s not clear whether he would get a second NBA contract. Therefore, if the Wizards can get anything of value in return for Davis, they should seriously consider it. This could be multiple second-round picks, another prospect who has disappointed so far, or a veteran who could be a good presence in the locker room.
Again, one could argue that trading Davis at the nadir of his trade value doesn’t make sense. There is no guarantee, however, that he is going to play well enough any time soon to recoup his trade value. Sometimes it’s better to wash your hands off a past mistake rather than insist on an improvement that may never come.