Even when they were on the cusp of being a competitive team in the Eastern Conference with John Wall and Bradley Beal, the Washington Wizards still seemed like they were missing something. Years have gone by and the Wizards have been unable to solve their problems, which has led to yet another rebuild.
Washington saw a complete overhaul this offseason, one that began in their front office. Team president Tommy Sheppard, who had been with the organization since 2003, was fired and replaced by Los Angeles Clippers general manager Michael Winger. Amongst other changes at the executive level, the Wizards began building their long-term plans for the future. As a result, the time came to tear this roster apart, starting with Kristaps Porzingis and Beal.
After spending the first 11 years of his career with the Wizards, Beal and the organization decided it would be best to part ways, which is why he ended up with the Phoenix Suns. Acquiring future Hall of Famer Chris Paul in the said deal, the Wizards then flipped Paul for Jordan Poole and other assets from the Golden State Warriors. Even before Beal was traded, the Wizards gave Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics in a three-team trade that brought Danilo Gallinari and Tyus Jones to Washington D.C.
Winger and the front office made sure that if they were going to start over and go through a rebuild, they would do so under their vision. Moving on from Porzingis and Beal just seemed like the most practical decision, especially since the Wizards had shown no growth and no sense of direction over the last couple of seasons.
A new era of Wizards basketball will begin during the 2023-24 season, one that definitely features some potential. Poole is only 24 years old and already a proven champion, plus the team still has Kyle Kuzma as one of their youthful leaders. There is a path to success for the Wizards, but it is going to take time and likely result in many losses.
Wizards offseason additions and departures
Additions: G Jordan Poole (trade – GSW), G Tyus Jones (trade – MEM), G/F Bilal Coulibaly (draft), G Landry Shamet (trade – PHX), F Danilo Gallinari (trade – BOS), C Mike Muscala (trade – BOS)
Departures: G Bradley Beal (trade – PHX), F/C Kristaps Porzingis (trade – BOS), G Monte Morris (trade – DET), G Jordan Goodwin (trade – PHX), F Taj Gibson (waived)
Trades, trades, and more trades. This is how the offseason went for the Wizards, as Winger began executing his vision for what the long-term future of this organization would look like. Flexibility is all any rebuilding franchise can ask for and by acquiring youthful assets and future draft picks, flexibility is exactly what the Wizards were able to add.
Aside from adding the likes of Poole, Jones, and Gallinari, the Wizards were able to bring in a 2030 first-round pick, four first-round pick swaps, and a plethora of second-round picks that can easily be flipped for assets over the course of the next several years.
As far as players go, Poole can immediately become one of the faces of the Wizards' rebuild for many years to come. This is the reason why they went out and got him from the Warriors in the second Chris Paul trade.
Poole has always been a dynamic scorer and athletic playmaker, but he was held back with the Warriors due to his sixth-man role behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. With the Wizards, he will be able to truly run the offense and be the high-level scorer we saw flashes of during his first few years with Golden State. With the ability to average well above 20 points per night and being as young as he is, Poole can be this team's star moving forward, potentially contend for the Most Improved Player award.
Perhaps one of the more underrated moves of the offseason involved Jones going from Memphis to the Wizards. A poised point guard who has arguably been the best backup guard in the league over the last couple of seasons, Jones can be a veteran leader for this young group. His assist-to-turnover ratio is always amongst the best in the league and from the front office's perspective, Jones could be flipped at the trade deadline for even more future value.
Although Poole and Jones highlight the list of additions for the Wizards this offseason, you can't talk about what this organization achieved over the summer without bringing up the 2023 NBA Draft. Moving up one spot on draft night in order to secure him, the Wizards came away with Bilal Coulibaly, a lengthy and athletic wing from France who enters his rookie year after recently turning 19 in July.
While he is a very raw prospect who is most definitely going to be a work in progress, Coulibaly checks off all the boxes in terms of becoming an elite two-way player on the wing. Potential is all the Wizards wanted this offseason and they certainly got that with their lottery pick.
Stars and experienced talents left the Wizards in the offseason and they were replaced by youthful, high-potential options for the future. Tough times may be ahead for their fans, but the Wizards certainly have a vision and they have already made progress in this rebuild.
2023-24 season outlook
Even though they are rebuilding, the Wizards definitely have talent on their roster. Poole, Kuzma, and Jones are all steady contributors who have played for playoff-contending and championship-winning teams through the years. Not to mention, Gallinari has paid his dues in the league and Delon Wright still remains on the roster as he prepares for his ninth NBA season.
It's easy to say the Wizards will finish at the bottom of the league standings, but they will be a competitive team, especially during the second half of the season. Rebuilds cannot be rushed and as this group gains more experience playing with one another, they will become more confident in their ability to win games.
The entire 2023-24 season is going to be about growth for the Wizards. This pertains to the young players on their roster like Coulibaly and 2022 first-round pick Johnny Davis. However, it also involves the front office and their ability to learn as the season goes on.
Figuring out the needs of the roster and being able to flip assets around to continue building for the future is what will set this rebuild for the Wizards apart from other young, growing teams in this league. Overall, expectations should not be high for this team entering the new year.
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