Wizards “Going Big” or “Going Home”
Bradley Beal’s future with the Wizards hangs in the balance of the trade deadline on Thursday and what moves GM Tommy Shepard makes to try and better this franchise which seems to be stuck in limbo right now.
The Washington Wizards have been to the playoffs just once in the last three seasons and currently 24-28 on the season, their playoff hopes seem bleak once again. It seems like every three to four years, the Wizards are rebuilding again, which is why it is time for a big change.
Having various young assets to leverage in trade talks this week and being able to deal some of their first-round picks through the years, Washington is expected to be very aggressive in their pursuit of another star player to pair with Bradley Beal.
Pistons’ forward Jerami Grant and Pacers’ All-Star Domantas Sabonis are the two big names with the most connection to the Wizards right now. While anything can change within the next few days, the feeling around the league is that Washington is going to end up with one of these two players.
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The trade market for Jerami Grant has been very vast this season and while the Kings, Knicks, Blazers and Jazz have all shown a lot of interest in him, the Wizards have a ton of assets that would be appealing to a rebuilding franchise like the Pistons.
Rui Hachimura (23), Deni Avdija (21) and Coey Kispert (22) have all been brought up in trade talks recently surrounding the Wizards adding another star-like player and Washington knows they need to add another high-level talent to appease All-Star Bradley Beal.
While he may not be an All-Star yet, Jerami Grant has certainly emerged as a possible All-Star talent in the league since signing with the Pistons ahead of last season. Trading for Grant would cost the Wizards a good chunk of money long-term given Jerami Grant wants a big contract extension, but he is certainly a two-way talent that could help shift the downward trend upwards in Washington.
As for Domantas Sabonis, he remains above Jerami Grant at the top of the Wizards “wants” list.
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The Pacers have a heavy asking price for Sabonis and are wanting multiple young talents and first-round draft picks for the 25-year-old All-Star. Getting a deal done for Domantas Sabonis is what the Washington Wizards would like to do ahead of the deadline this week and it does appear that they are interested in giving up the assets to acquire him.
Between Hachimura, Kispert, Avdija, Caldwell-Pope and Kuzma, the Wizards have multiple ways to get this trade done. The only tricky part about trading for Sabonis could be the draft compensation that gets included, as the Wizards cannot trade a first-round pick until two years after their obligation to Houston, which could be settled in 2023.
Indiana has shown a level of interest in trading Domantas Sabonis this season, but they are not going to do so unless they feel they are getting the best return possible for his value. The Pacers are not prepared to take a “discount” on a Sabonis-focused trade ahead of the deadline.
