As the NBA trade deadline looms, the Washington Wizards continue to be a team to monitor, especially following the blockbuster trade for Trae Young.
Washington has been rumored to be a team that's expected to be active on the trade front and not just to improve their roster, but to free up additional space moving forward.
Leading up to the February trade deadline, multiple players were emerging as likely candidates to be shipped out of the DMV for several reasons.
Corey Kispert, who was on a team-friendly contract, was one of the main names being linked to a potential trade considering his lack of a long-term role in Washington moving forward in the team's rebuild.
In addition to Kispert, veteran guard CJ McCollum was one of the most obvious candidates to be dealt considering his age, expiring contract and the fact that Washington seemed to make it clear that the playmaker's addition was expected to be a brief stint.
Surprisingly, the Wizards managed to find a trade partner for not only McCollum, but Kispert too in the same package that netted them a four-time All-Star in Young following the split with the Atlanta Hawks that eventually led to Washington being listed as a preferred landing spot for the star.
With both McCollum and Kispert already being dealt, the Wizards have one obvious move to make ahead of the trade deadline.
Wizards need to move on from Khris Middleton
There's no doubt that general manager Will Dawkins looks like a mastermind following the management of the Bradley Beal situation.
Moving Beal for Chris Paul to eventually flip him for Jordan Poole seemed like a questionable move at first, but now he's managed to turn Poole into McCollum which eventually led them to land a cornerstone player to build around in Trae Young, who's entering his prime.
Now, Dawkins' is tasked with the challenge to find a way to move on from the the lone veteran on a lucrative contract on the roster left...Khris Middleton.
Middleton opted to pick up his player-option with the Wizards this offseason leaving Washington forced to enter the season with the 34-year-old forward on the roster.
Throughout the start to the season, Middleton is averaging 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists, while shooting 42.9% from field goal range and 28.8% from beyond the arc.
Obviously, the veteran's underwhelming play isn't making it easy for the Wizards to find a willing trade partner, but considering his expiring contract, Washington very well could find a team willing to give them an out.
Regardless, whether it's via trade or a contract buyout, Washington needs to find a way to move on from the Texas A&M product to open up playing time for the young players on the depth chart, not to mention what the departure of Middleton's contract would do for the team's financial flexibility moving forward.