Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards’ stock is at an all-time low amongst the NBA community. Washington just doesn’t look impressive at first glance. They struggled last season and John Wall seems to be on the decline. He’s a one-way star with turnover issues and a short temper. Adding Dwight Howard, a notorious locker room detriment, can’t be a positive for a team with noted locker room troubles.
However, when I dive deep into this Washington roster, I see a roster that could turn some heads this season in the East. A perennial mid-40-50 win team, Washington has the star power and depth to guarantee a top-six seed at worst in the East.
Wall is still a star point guard and his backcourt counterpart, Bradley Beal, may be more valuable than Wall. His shooting, athleticism and defensive ability make him an invaluable piece for Washington. Dwight Howard showed signs of rejuvenation last season, averaging splits of 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds. Adding another piece could turn the Wizards into a contender to make it out of the East.
Proposed trade package:
Wizards receive: Jimmy Butler
Timberwolves receive: Austin Rivers, Kelly Oubre, Troy Brown Jr., WAS 2020 first round pick
This package centers around Kelly Oubre, Brown, and the future first-round pick. Oubre has flashed potential as a long, athletic defender with scoring potential. He’s improved his splits every season, culminating in an 11.8 point and 4.5 rebound performance. Brown, Washington’s first-round pick in 2019, has potential as an offensive impact player on and off of the ball and is already stingy on defense. Rivers is to match salaries but has some scoring ability.
The Wizards would likely play a small lineup focused on spacing, rolling out a starting lineup of Wall, Beal, Butler, Porter, and Howard. Their bench isn’t the deepest, but Ian Mahinmi, Tomas Satoransky, Markieff Morris, and Jodie Meeks form a passable unit. That roster likely isn’t good enough to outright top the Celtics or Raptors but it certainly has the personnel to give those teams a run for their money.
Next Up: Team 1
