The Washington Wizards are on the brink of a rebuild, and the latest rumor about one of their possible long-term pieces may push them closer to tearing it down.

Kristaps Porzingis is reportedly thinking about taking his $36 million player option with the Wizards, according to Keith Smith. That would make him a free agent after next season.

The assumption has always been that Porzingis would opt out of the contract and sign a long-term deal with the Wizards. Instead, the one-time All-Star may take a big paycheck now before signing a big deal anyway, whether it is with the Wizards or not.

Porzingis was a very good player for the Wizards this season, averaging 23.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in 65 games. At 27 years old, this is an ideal time for Porzingis to sign a new long-term contract that secures him financially for life while also giving him security from a team.

Porzingis is a top-tier NBA talent when he's at his best, but the oft-injured big man has four seasons of less than 50 games and missed an entire season due to injury. Some teams may take caution in pursuing him knowing the injury risk that is involved.

If Porzingis opts in, there's no guarantee he plays for the Wizards again. The franchise is likely already losing Kyle Kuzma and the rumors about a Bradley Beal trade are stirring once again. Teams don’t normally recover quickly from losing two of their three best players, so moving on from the third one, in this case Kristaps Porzingis, may be the logical choice to make.