Does this trade make sense for the Washington Wizards?
Davis Bertans has been a key role player for the Wizards over the years, but I was someone that did not agree with them giving him a five-year, $80M extension. Bertans is not a franchise-altering player and while he can get hot and knock down numerous three-point shots, he really cannot do anything else.
Opposing teams target him due to his lack of defensive consistency and he often turns the ball over because he is not much of a ball-handler. He can really only catch-and-shoot, which works in Washington seeing as he has guys like Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal to make plays for him, but anywhere else, he may not really be that big of a factor.
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Getting his money off of their books would be huge, which is why this trade makes sense for the Wizards. This offseason, the Wizards need to be able to find another high-level talent to pair with Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, otherwise, they are not going to be able to improve from being the 8-seed in the East.
In order to add this third talent to their team though, Washington will have to part ways with Davis Bertans since he has the third biggest contract on this team. The Wizards made a mistake giving him the large contract they did and now, it will be hard to move from him, but this is definitely a trade they should be happy with.
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Dario Saric is a cheaper version of Davis Bertans that is not as gifted of a shooter, but can pretty much do the same thing Bertans can and Jevon Carter is a terrific young defender that could carve out a role on any team in this league.
Phoenix likely would not accept this deal, but if it is offered to the Wizards, they should accept this trade in a heartbeat. Davis Bertans is a solid player in Washington’s system, but he really does not present much of a future to them other than his three-point shooting.
