The Washington Wizards are entering another season with modest expectations, as they are still led by the duo of Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. NBA pundits do not see the Wizards reaching the NBA Playoffs this season, especially with the deep Eastern Conference this season. A play-in tournament appearance will already be an immense achievement for the organization, but unexpected occurrences may give them the chance to creep into that playoff race.
Bradley Beal's gigantic $251 million supermax extension indicates that the Wizards intend to build around him for the rest of his prime. After John Wall's injuries started to pile up, the front office has been having difficulty building around Beal, so they decided to pounce on the low value of Porzingis and acquired him from the Dallas Mavericks last season.
Surrounding pieces like Kyle Kuzma and Rui Hachimura is not intriguing, so it will be interesting for the Wizards fan base on what to expect this season. Entering the season as one of the most confusing teams, these are two individuals they could shop and tinker for possible trade deals.
Will Barton
As previously mentioned, it does not seem like Washington will seriously contend for a deep playoff run this season. Thus, there seems to be no incentive or reason to keep the expiring contract of Will Barton until past the trade deadline. The Wizards executed a trade with the Denver Nuggets that does not move the needle, so it was strange why Washington decided to acquire him in the last year of his deal.
At the early juncture of the season, Will Barton will fit well alongside Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis because he is a great off-ball mover and cutter as proven during his tenure with the Denver Nuggets. Averaging over 15 PPG will be tremendous for Barton because it will raise his value and gain the interest of teams seriously contending for the NBA Championship.
Any team will never have a surplus of shooters as long-range snipers are a premium in any playoff rotation. Barton is not a superior defender in the league, but he can also keep up with some of the most skillful wings in the league. At 31 years of age, Will Barton must play exceptionally as could likely be winding down in his peak years in the NBA.
Rui Hachimura
This may not be pleasing for a slew of Washington Wizards fans, but Rui Hachiumra is one individual that must be considered in trade negotiations. He was a lottery pick a few years back, and it is very evident that he is well-loved by many NBA fans, but it just seems redundant to have several players that have a similar style. Deni Avdija and Kyle Kuzma are two other wings who play the three-position but all three of them are undersized if slide down to the four.
This causes a crowded depth chart for head coach Wes Unseld Jr. so swinging a deal for Rui Hachimura could be a plausible scenario for the organization. If there will be no contract extension, Hachimura will be a restricted free agent after this season, so it could be better for Washington to offer him in exchange for other pieces that would fit the nucleus of the roster.
Another rollercoaster season will occur in Washington D.C., but one guarantee is trades and player movement will be inevitable with this franchise. The tandem of Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis has still not played together for Washington, so that is one pleasing sight for Wizards fans. The key factor is how Unseld Jr. will craft the perfect lineup combinations to unlock the potential of this unit.
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