The next few days leading up to the NBA trade deadline on February 10th are going to be very important for a few teams around the league. One of the teams with arguably the most to lose is the Washington Wizards.
While the Wizards don’t look like they will be contending for a title this season, if they want to anytime soon, they have to retain Bradley Beal on a long-term deal. Beal is likely going to decline his player option and hit free agency this summer. His decision will ultimately decide what path Washington goes down.
If he leaves, they will be entering a rebuild. People will question why they didn’t trade him earlier, as he could depart and the Wizards may be left empty-handed. Or, he can commit to the franchise long-term and they can get to work continuing to build the roster up around him.
The latter is what the Washington Wizards are hoping for and every move they make should be made with Bradley Beal in mind. The easiest way to convince a player to stay is by creating a winning roster, which they will assuredly try to do.
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Washington has the pieces to swing for a sizable upgrade on the roster. They need to consolidate things at some point, as there are log jams at multiple positions. Two players to keep an eye on, according to Bleacher Report, are Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers and Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons.
As the Wizards have discussed adding key reinforcements such as Jerami Grant, Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis has also emerged as another significant trade target, sources told B/R.
Both players would present sizable upgrades at the power forward spot for Washington. Acquiring them won’t be cheap, but the Washington Wizards possess the assets to at least put together a competitive package that each team would seriously consider.
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Of the two, Domantas Sabonis is likely the player they will pursue more aggressively as opposed to Jerami Grant. Bleacher Report shared that Bradley Beal would welcome playing alongside Sabonis, but the source added that Beal has not actively encouraged them to do so. But, if they know that is something that will make him happy, they should pursue a deal.
When it comes to Sabonis, it has been reported that they are seeking a deal similar to the one the Orlando Magic received from the Chicago Bulls at last year’s deadline in exchange for Nikola Vucevic. They received Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and two first-round picks.
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Washington will certainly have some competition to land the Pacers’ big man, but not as much as you would think. According to Bleacher Report, the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans are the only other teams, along with the Wizards, to show significant levels of interest in landing Sabonis.
If the Washington Wizards want to get a deal done, it certainly sounds like there will be an opportunity to do so. The only disadvantage they have is that they are in the Eastern Conference with Indiana, as they may want to trade Domantas Sabonis to a Western Conference team and face him fewer times. But, if they present a strong package to the Indiana Pacers, they will have as good of a chance as anyone.
