The Washington Wizards have made two trades that makes all the sense in the world. They moved Otto Porter and his contract to Chicago for Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker. Later that night, it was Markieff Morris’ turn to start organizing a suitcase as he was moved to the New Orleans Pelicans for Wesley Johnson. The combination of the two moves took the struggling Wizards out of the Land of Luxury Tax.
On the surface, this might look like reshuffling chairs on the deck on the Titanic but that’s not the case. Portis will be a restricted free agent and the Wizards hold a team option on Parker.
Portis can bring a lot to a team that could use a dual threat. His three point shooting has improved enough for him to stretch defenses. He’s shooting a career high 37.5% from beyond the arc. He’s also on pace for a career high in points per game.
Last week, Portis turned in a 33 point, 9 rebound performance versus the Charlotte Hornets along with a 24 and 4 game against the Miami Heat.
Parker is a different story. He didn’t work out in Milwaukee. He didn’t work out in Chicago. At times, he seems like a malcontent. No telling if that will change in Washington but it’s worth kicking the tires. If it doesn’t work, there’s nothing to lose.
The Morris deal to the New Orleans Pelicans was the one that took the Wizards out of the Luxury Tax. It’s hard to imagine that Johnson will contribute anything in the nation’s capital. He’s been on more teams (six) than he averages point (3.7).
What’s next for Washington will determine how successful the current re-tooling will be. In theory, the Wizards should trade Trevor Ariza and Jeff Green for draft picks. Both players have value to playoff caliber teams and the Wizards could use draft picks. Seems like a marriage made in Heaven until you read how Washington wants to hold on to both players with hopes of re-signing them. At this point, acquiring second round draft picks is more important than hoping you can re-sign Ariza and Green
The Wizards need to concentrate on adding young pieces to Bradley Beal. That means trying to re-sign Portis and Thomas Bryant. Both are restricted free agents along with 28 year old restricted free agent to be, Tomas Satoransky. Then start using the draft to fill in with young, affordable pieces under team control. That’s why it’s so important to trade Ariza and Green. The value of the second round of the NBA Draft is going to rise real quick. With the anticipation that the NBA will change the rule on high school players being eligible, that will push more talent to he bottom of the first round and into the second round.
No matter how this plays out, it looks like Wizards owner, Ted Leonsis, will trust Ernie Grunfeld’s decision making. The same guy who got them in this position
