The Washington Wizards are a week away from beginning what is one of the most important offseasons in the history of their franchise. The 2022 NBA Draft will be the first opportunity for them to show Bradley Beal that they can build a winner around him.
Beal is going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and there is a chance that he leaves Washington. All he cares about is winning and if he doesn’t feel like he will have the best chance of doing so in Washington, he will look elsewhere.
The first order of business to show Bradley Beal that they can build a winner is finding a point guard. Outside of the New York Knicks, there may not be a team in the NBA that needs a point guard as badly as the Washington Wizards.
There currently isn’t one on the roster with a guaranteed contract for the 2022-23 season. Ish Smith’s contract isn’t fully guaranteed, while Raul Neto and Tomas Satoransky are both free agents. All three are better suited for reserve roles than being starters, so the Wizards should be on the lookout for upgrades.
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Since they don’t have cap space to spend in free agency, making a trade is likely the avenue they will take. According to Quinton Mayo on his Substack, there are some players they already have in their sights; Dejounte Murray of the San Antonio Spurs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Malcolm Brogdon of the Indiana Pacers.
Mayo was told that all three would be welcomed additions by Bradley Beal, which should be all the motivation that Washington needs to make a deal. However, it could be very difficult to swing trades for Dejounte Murray and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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Both players are the cornerstones of their respective franchises. Out of the two, SGA may be easier to land, but not by much and he would still cost a pretty penny. Brogdon is the most realistic of the trade targets, but he comes with the most question marks when it comes to durability.
While a deal may not be made, it is encouraging to see the Washington front office at least look like they are willing to swing a big deal by making calls to the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. They have to do everything they can to show Beal they are willing to spend to build a winner and this would certainly help build their case.