Things appear to be heading in the wrong direction this NBA season for the Washington Wizards, as they have gone from being at the top of the Eastern Conference standings to fighting for a play-in tournament spot.
Through the first 20 games of the regular season, the Washington Wizards were 13-7 and amongst the best teams in the Eastern Conference. However, Washington has struggled to find their identity of late and they are now just 24-27, good for 11th place in the conference and currently a half-a-game back from the Atlanta Hawks for the 10-seed.
Bradley Beal is the only key contributor for this team offensively once again and while they did add some key secondary talents in Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Spencer Dinwiddie in the offseason, it seems like the Wizards’ marriage with Dinwiddie could be coming to an end.
The Wizards acquired Spencer Dinwiddie from the Brooklyn Nets as part of a sign-and-trade agreement, a deal in which Dinwiddie received a three-year, $54M contract from Washington, but tensions are beginning to arise for the Wizards just a week before the trade deadline.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Future For Wizards, Beal Hangs In Balance At Trade Deadline
According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Wizards have explored opportunities to move Spencer Dinwiddie at the trade deadline because he looks like a “shell of his former self” and “his teammates do not want him there.”
This is pretty big news coming out of Washington, as Spencer Dinwiddie was supposed to be their No. 2 option in the backcourt next to Bradley Beal and help them take the next step as a growing franchise in the Eastern Conference.
There has been no word out of Washington on whether or not they are actually going to try and move Spencer Dinwiddie ahead of the trade deadline, but the Wizards need to try and make a big move quickly.
With the trade deadline just one week away and the Wizards being just about $2M under the tax line this season, their only chance of making a big move could result in them having to get rid of Dinwiddie.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Future For Wizards, Beal Hangs In Balance At Trade Deadline
Another team that has been struggling in the Eastern Conference and are currently behind the Wizards in the standings now are the New York Knicks. Just a half-a-game back from Washington for 11th place and a full game behind the Hawks for the 10-seed in the East, the Knicks need more talent on their roster, primarily in the backcourt.
It is hard to imagine the Wizards and Knicks coming together to make a trade given that they are fighting for a play-in tournament spot in the Eastern Conference, but could Spencer Dinwiddie possibly be on the move to New York in the upcoming week?
