The Washington Wizards face an important offseason that will shape the future of this franchise for years to come. This team is on the fringe of becoming a legitimate playoff contender every year, and with Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook on the roster, anything is possible.
Washington faced some adversity this season after Thomas Bryant fell to a season-ending injury. This left the Wizards without quality play from the center position, which proved to be an issue throughout the year. Luckily for them, Bryant should come back fully healthy next year and provide consistency in the paint.
The front office made a brilliant move in the middle of the season after trading for Daniel Gafford from the Chicago Bulls. Gafford is capable of playing both power forward and center, which gives Washington some versatility off of the bench.
Between Rui Hachimura, Daniel Gafford, and Thomas Bryant, the Wizards have a solid young core to compliment Beal and Westbrook. However, this roster still needs some help around the perimeter. Adding another guard or small-forward to Washington's lineup could be exactly what they need to take the next step. Furthermore, acquiring better depth on the bench will increase the Wizards' longevity throughout next year. With that said, here are three trades the Wizards need to make this offseason.
Re-Sign and Trade Alex Len and Chandler Hutchison for Talen Horton-Tucker
Alex Len hits free agency this coming offseason, but Washington should consider re-signing and trading him in a package deal. Chandler Hutchison hasn't quite lived up to the expectations the Wizards were looking for after acquiring him in the Daniel Gafford trade. As for Len, he could find himself buried on the depth chart once Thomas Bryant comes back into the rotation.
Someone that could give the Wizards a massive boost off the bench is Talen Horton-Tucker. Currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Horton-Tucker proved to be an asset for the LA this year. Averaging 9.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, he has made steady improvements. THT could make a huge leap in production playing for the Wizards, as there is a chance he joins the starting lineup.
This would be a massively underrated move that might not catch the eye of many NBA fans. However, Horton Tucker would be a great addition to this Wizards team and be a nice compliment to Beal and Westbrook.
Trade Davis Bertans and future draft picks for Donte DiVincenzo and Brook Lopez
This one might be a bit tough to get done, but if the front office can pull this off, Washington suddenly has themselves a solid roster. Davis Bertans has been mediocre since signing his last contract and doesn't give the Wizards enough of a boost. He's also expensive for a role player and doesn't produce like a player who earns over $15 million/year.
He did perform well in the 2020 season where he averaged over 15 points per game. That's been the best season of his career so far and he could recapture that again playing for a new team. Sometimes a change of scenery is what's best and Bertans could benefit from playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
As for Donte DiVincenzo and Brook Lopez, they would be coming onto a Wizards team looking to add some major depth to the lineup. Lopez would act as a solid starting center while being a mentor for Thomas Bryant. He'd also be a nice insurance acquisition should Bryant fall to injury again. DiVincenzo is a solid rotational player that would bring some nice depth off the bench in Washington.
The Wizards' rotation would be strong around the perimeter and in the paint, they could then use the NBA draft to select either a team need or the best player available. Either way, conducting both of these trades would put Washington in a great spot for success next year.
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