Why The Washington Wizards Do The Deal
Perhaps not. At the same time, these Wizards don’t appear to be very focused on the future at all.
After all, they just inked Bradley Beal to a massive contract extension. They’ve had every opportunity to trade Beal in recent years, and they’ve passed on all of them. If their intention is to forge ahead, they might as well improve.
This deal has them doing so. Firstly, they net a much-needed starting point guard in VanVleet. Combined with Beal, the Wizards would suddenly have a backcourt that hovers around the league’s top 5 or 10 pairings. Meanwhile, Anunoby would instantly slot in as this team’s starting small forward.
With that said, the Wizards would have a logjam there. Between Deni Avdija, Rui Hachimura, and Anunoby, something may have to give. That’s a good problem to have.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kristaps Porzingis, Washington Wizards & Toronto Raptors Updates
In 2022, you can’t have too many wings, and the Wizards could eventually move one – potentially, for a Porzingis replacement. In the meantime, Daniel Gafford is more than capable of manning the starting center position.
All told, this deal puts the Wizards in a position to do what they need to do to get competitive: complete a more coherent puzzle.
