The Washington Wizards have been a mess in recent weeks. After starting the NBA season 10-7, they lost 14 out of their next 17 games. A 10-game losing streak was snapped on Tuesday with their victory over the Phoenix Suns, as they are now in 12th place in the Eastern Conference.
They are in a tough spot because they just paid Bradley Beal a supermax in the offseason, locking them into their current core for the foreseeable future. While it may not result in too much changing, no one would fault the Wizards if they went all-in trying to get the most out of the Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kyle Kuzma trio that they currently have.
“It’s been great because me, Brad and KP don’t get in each other’s way,” Kuzma told The Athletic’s Shams Charania. “We all just flow out there. It’s been a pretty good jell for the first 20 games. We’re all averaging 20 a game without having any friction out there.”
Despite having three players that can score 20 points on any given night, Washington still feels like they need a little more to really make some noise. It would be hard to argue against that given the team’s record, so why not give the Chicago Bulls a call?
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls & Washington Wizards Updates
The Bulls are right ahead of the Wizards in the standings but could be on the opposite end of the spectrum. Rumors are floating around that tension is rising between Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan on the court as the losses mount. Staring down a potential retool, Washington should make a call and see if they can pry DeRozan away from the Windy City.
As shared by Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, a proposal of Will Barton, Rui Hachimura, Johnny Davis, and a future first-round pick that is top-five protected could pique the Bulls’ interest. They get some nice young pieces in Hachimura and Davis, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, to restock the cupboard after some recent trades. Barton is a solid veteran but could be flipped in another deal for more assets.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls & Washington Wizards Updates
As for Washington, they would have quite a quartet for opponents to deal with by adding DeRozan to their established Big 3. There would be some question marks defensively, but adding the versatile Deni Avdija to the mix would quell some of those concerns. That core would certainly be enough to challenge for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and overcome the brutal stretch they recently went on.
