The Washington Wizards are known as a franchise who've struggled immensely when it comes to making the right decisions over the last decade or so.
Between the poor management of the John Wall situation, questionable contract negotiations with Bradley Beal (shoutout to the Suns for bailing them out of the no-trade clause) and the failure to land an adequate return for players like Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma when they had the chance, there's no doubt that Washington has made some questionable calls.
However, with a new regime of President of Monumental Basketball Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins now calling the shots, the Wizards have seemingly turned things around when it comes to their decision-making...mostly.
Despite the team's recent success assembling one of the best young cores in the league, while managing to add a premiere talent like Trae Young for a discounted price in his prime, there's one mistake that the team's front office has made that will continue to haunt the fanbase, especially after this recent development.
That mistake? Trading Deni Avdija.
Deni Avdija named to NBA All-Star Team
Deni Avdija was drafted by the Wizards with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-8 forward spent the first four seasons of his career in the DMV, where he contiously showed progress in his development taking small leaps each year.
In his final season with the Wizards, Avdija emerged as a capable starter averaging 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists, while shooting 50.6% from field goal range and 37.4% from beyond the arc.
And while the former lottery pick's progress may have seemed encouraging to some, Washington's new regime seemingly weren't encouraged enough to keep him around for the long haul.
In the 2024 offseason, the Wizards dealt Avidja to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon and draft compensation that eventually led them to the addition of Bub Carrington.
Fast forward now, it seems clear who came out on the winning side with Avdija in the midst of a career-year, averaging 25.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists shooting an efficient 46.7% from field goal range and 35.6% from beyond the arc.
Although Michael Winger may not admit that the decision to move on from Avidja was a mistake, there's no denying that the forward could be the exact player to pair with Alex Sarr in the frontcourt that would have immediately made the Wizards core one of the most dangerous groups in the league; even more than they already are.