The Washington Wizards surprised many people with their hot start in their 2021-22 campaign despite the dreadful shooting efficiency by franchise cornerstone Bradley Beal. Wizards President Tommy Sheppard executed a brilliant trade in the offseason by acquiring five rotational pieces in exchange for talented guard Russell Westbrook.

Newly-hired head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has been implementing his defensive culture and identity to a franchise that has heavily struggled at that end of the floor over the past few seasons. Their role players have been exceeding expectations, such as Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, and Daniel Gafford. As they still have a young core, they could acquire a star to complement Beal and convince him to sign another long-term contract extension in Washington.

3 players Wizards must pursue at NBA trade deadline

Ben Simmons

Over the last seasons, the Wizards have had difficulty in signing big name free agents. But perhaps a trade for a disgruntled superstar in Ben Simmons could remedy their previous woes. Beal has shown his ability to flourish even as a secondary ball handler during his time with John Wall and Russell Westbrook, thus Simmons could be an upgrade over Spencer Dinwiddie or he could even be inserted as a forward in the first unit.

When Beal takes a brief rest, Simmons could run the offense alongside Harrell, which would make the Wizards a more formidable squad that could compete in the same tier with the likes of the Atlanta Hawks or Philadelphia 76ers. Additionally, Simmons would be a terrific fit in Unseld Jr's system because of his defensive versatility and ability to maneuver through various roles. With Simmons in a new environment, he could revolutionize his game and prove that he is still an All Star caliber player

Domantas Sabonis

In a report from The Athletic, the Indiana Pacers have already expressed their interest to entertain trade talks for Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis, and Caris LeVert. Sabonis could fit in Washington because he is also a secondary facilitator wherein Unseld Jr. could run his offense through him as well. Running dribble handoffs with Beal and Sabonis could be a dangerous combination for their Eastern Conference counterparts.

His salary is a tradable asset that does not necessarily for Washington to unload many of their role players. Rui Hachimura could be moved in this possible deal as he still has high upside despite not suiting up for a single game yet this season. The Wizards also has the liberty to give Indiana the chance to choose from some of their players, which other franchises do not have the ability to offer. Moreover, Sabonis  already has the proven track record with his two All Star appearances and being a leader of the Pacers franchise.

Pascal Siakam

It would be more brilliant to have Fred VanVleet or OG Anunoby in a Washington Wizards jersey, but it seems that the Toronto Raptors would be more willing to negotiate a deal with Pascal Siakam. His contract is not ideal as he is still going to be paid close to $110 million in the next three years, but Siakam has proven to be a secondary star already in a championship squad.

Washington would want to have more playoff and championship experience on their team along with the ex-Los Angeles Lakers players that are playing at an incredible level this season. The Raptors are another organization that will likely move toward the rebuilding stage, thus offering Hachimura, Corey Kispert, salary fillers, and numerous picks could be enough for Toronto to pull the trigger. Nevertheless, the Raptors also have Anunoby and Scottie Barnes to continue playing at both forward positions despite the possible departure of Siakam.

The Wizards have already been impressive this season, but they still lack one or two more pieces if they want to seriously be in the consideration for a deep playoff run. Their scoring prowess is still lacking compared to the powerhouses in their conference like the Milwaukee Bucks or Brooklyn Nets. Even if the Wizards are not able to add remarkable pieces before the deadline, they still have young individuals that could be enticing in the offseason.