Why Washington Wizards Do This Trade
The Washington Wizards made a big trade this offseason, sending Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers. They received Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the No. 22 overall pick in exchange for him.
When Westbrook was dealt, many assumed that Bradley Beal would be the next out of town. Instead, it sounds like they may try building the roster up around him. Needing to take a shot and upgrade the roster around him, Kristaps Porzingis could be their target.
Porzingis would give the Wizards a high-upside player to add into the frontcourt alongside Beal and Spencer Dinwiddie, who was also acquired this offseason via sign-and-trade in a massive five-team trade.
Porzingis is an upgrade on Davis Bertans at the power forward spot, providing a more diverse scoring punch and a little more of a presence defensively. The team would have an excellent trio when it came to scoring the basketball and would have a ton of depth around them.
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With Daniel Gafford and Montrezl Harrell still on the roster, Washington would be afforded the ability to play Porzingis almost exclusively at power forward, which is where he is most comfortable being.
His contract is an albatross, but Washington should be willing to take the risk given how much higher their ceiling would be with him in the lineup. Would Dallas be as willing to take part in this deal? Let’s take an in-depth look at it from their perspective.
