2. Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards are heading into a very important offseason. The future direction of the franchise will be determined as their All-Star Bradley Beal could be hitting free agency. Beal has a player option for the 2022-23 season, and it is likely he declines it. What happens after that, there has been no indication given.

It sounds as if Beal is leaning toward remaining with the Wizards, but they have to be prepared for everything. Things can change between now and free agency, especially if Beal does take some meetings with other teams.

Washington needs to have contingencies in place. Some sign-and-trade scenarios will be plentiful as Beal is unlikely to leave Washington for any of the franchises with projected cap space. This would also enable the Wizards to recoup some assets if Beal does leave.

If Beal commits to Washington long-term, they should be on the lookout for a big upgrade to the roster. This is a deep, talented team, and consolidating some of the players could make some sense.

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Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija, and Corey Kispert are recent first-round picks that could be part of a package. Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are veterans that could be moved. Washington needs a point guard and could be holding out hope that Westbrook finds his way to free agency via the stretch provision or being bought out.