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The Washington Wizards got busy at the 2022 NBA trade deadline. They made numerous trades as they flipped some of the players on their roster that needed to be moved and added some decent assets for the future.
Once the dust settled, Washington exited the deadline with Kristaps Porzingis, Ish Smith, Vernon Carey Jr., two second-round draft picks (one for 2022 and one for 2023) and cash considerations while sending Spencer Dinwiddie, Davis Bertans, Montrezl Harrell and Aaron Holiday to new homes.
Bradley Beal won't get the chance to team up with his new teammates this season. He underwent wrist surgery that will sideline him indefinitely. The three-time All-Star has once again found himself in a difficult situation in Washington. Even at his best, the team around him hasn't been good enough to amount to anything significant.
The Wizards did sell off some pieces at the deadline to improve their future outlook. But Washington is still not on a trajectory towards the playoffs. They had the chance to completely start over and trade Beal. Passing up on that chance was a big mistake.
Wizards’ biggest mistake at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline
A team needs to go up or down in order to truly be making progress. Going up simply means becoming a playoff team and hoping to break into title contention after solidifying a high enough floor. In the era where NBA teams best understand the advantages of tanking, going down can be a solid decision if a front office can accumulate enough draft capital and make the most of it. Stagnating in the middle is the worst place to be.
As far as standings go, if you ain't balling or falling, then you're just stalling. The Wizards will actually be going down this season due to Beal's season-ending surgery. They will be tanking this season. But they have not shown any willingness to trade Beal after disappointing seasons before.
Beal has been one of the most-discussed trade pieces for years. Ever since John Wall suffered numerous injuries that wiped out his last year and a half, the basketball world has watched and waited for the Wizards to trade Beal and commence a rebuild. With every passing season, Beal loses his trade value and the team goes nowhere fast.
Porzingis offers some intriguing versatility and the Wizards could add valuable players with those picks. But the odds that they become a truly good team once Beal comes back is slim. Finge stars have proven to not be enough for the Wizards to make playoff runs. Beal's one-year stint with a legitimate star, Russell Westbrook, got Washington a first-round matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, where they got swept.
Trading Beal this offseason would rectify the Wizards' problem of never having a clear, productive direction. If Beal was moved at the deadline, though, they could have added picks for this upcoming draft and incorporated any young players they got right away. Considering the Portland Trail Blazers traded CJ McCollum for a pick that is currently in the top 10, the Wizards could have gotten a similar pick plus other future picks for Beal.
Beal's talents are, quite frankly, being wasted. The Wizards are wasting something as well: rebuilding time. Trying to stay afloat on a rickety foundation instead of bottoming out rarely works in the NBA. Washington needs to trade Beal for the betterment of both parties.
