Washington Wizards: Setting the table for the 2020 offseason

Constructing the dream Wizards’ offseason

Taking away the pie-in-the-sky scenarios like moving on from Scott Brooks, let’s go through what an ideal (at least in my eyes) offseason would like for Washington, starting with the draft on November 18:

With the ninth pick, the Washington Wizards select…

There are five prospects (Deni Avdija, LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Obi Toppin, James Wiseman) that have been widely mocked to come off the board before the nine-spot. Assuming we don’t see an unanticipated drop on draft night, here’s my wish-list among the realistic targets:

1. Onyeka Okongwu

(Full scouting report here)

The Wizards’ once unsalvageable defense may have found its potential savior, and it’s named Okongwu. He would provide them with everything that Thomas Bryant lacks as a true rim-protector who’s also versatile enough to guard out on the perimeter. This is especially important because the all-star back-court hasn’t gotten through a screen since the Randy Wittman-era, so switching kind of became the scheme by default in 2017/2018.

Okongwu would also step in and give John Wall that lob-threat he has always clamored for (and openly disrespecting the legend of screen-setting). He’s just the best option to me, both because of the short-term fit and the long-term upside.

2. Tyrese Haliburton

(Full scouting report here)

This would be going all-in on the offensive side, and hoping that it leads you to the promised land (so 45 wins?) in spite of a brutal defense. Haliburton is an excellent potential fit with Wall/Beal because it means that he wouldn’t ever be tasked with creating shots on his own. Instead he’d just play in his freshman-year Iowa State role as an off-ball efficiency wunderkind – spotting up, attacking closeouts, keeping the machine churning. It would actually be a joy to watch, the other end of the floor on the other hand…

3. Isaac Okoro

(Full scouting report here)

Another Isaac! Okoro would help inch the Wizards’ defense towards respectability, and while rookies aren’t culture-setters in the NBA, his motor/intensity is infectious to any team. I would worry about Brooks classifying him as a traditional “3-and-D” wing (so that’s what he’ll probably do), since spotting-up and pure isolation defense aren’t what drive Okoro’s value. On the other hand, you could do much worse at nine in this draft (*cough*Precious*cough*).

What if all three of these guys are gone?

Barring something crazy, this would mean that Killian Hayes is still available; which is who I’d take. I actually have Hayes rated above both Haliburton and Okoro as a prospect, but the fit is so poor (both in terms of short-term impact and long-term development) that I’d rather have the other two. While it would be great in terms of a talent play, I’d much prefer to watch Killian’s development with a better franchise elsewhere.

So the Wizards have picked Onyeka Okongwu, what’s next?

Time for free agency. Since “Ted Leonsis paying the luxury tax for a playoff-hopeful” is one of those pie-in-the-sky scenarios, the Wizards will have about $29 million in breathing-room to round out the roster of:

Guards: John Wall, Bradley Beal, Ish Smith, Jerome Robinson

Wings: Troy Brown Jr., Rui Hachimura, Isaac Bonga

Bigs: Onyeka Okongwu, Thomas Bryant, Moritz Wagner

(*Anzejs Pasecniks was waived)

Given that the team is already over the salary-cap with just those 10 players, the only avenues in which they can spend money (other than minimum contracts) are: 1) retaining Davis Bertans (no other way to replace him) and 2) using the mid-level exception (MLE, about $9.2 million). So now with all of that in mind, what should the Wizards do?

With the post-2021 outlook of the franchise in-flux, I would not be looking to use the MLE on a long-term deal. It’s difficult to find players in that price range who help them win-now since the rotation is so crowded. Here are the veterans that I’d be interested in on one-year contracts:

Wesley Matthews

He’d never sign in Washington, but Matthews would be a reliable “3-and-D” option on the wing next to Wall/Beal, while also holding them accountable for their defensive effort.

Tyler Johnson

Johnson seemingly revitalized his NBA career with his performance in the bubble. He’d give the Wizards some competent guard minutes, while also being Wall insurance (he’s going to rest in back-to-backs I’m guessing) and a potential Ish Smith replacement should they look to move his $6 million contact.

Garrett Temple

Temple would play a similar role to Matthews as a role player who also helps set the culture (he was a beloved figure during his four-year run with the team).

Other potential options: Jared Dudley, Courtney Lee, Patrick Patterson

Should the vet-route not pan out, I’d look at some low-cost flyers if I were running the Wizards (Bruno Caboclo, Josh Jackson, Furkan Korkmaz, and Andre Roberson come to mind)

Man, this free-agent class is uninspiring to say the least. You can see why Davis Bertans is expected to have such a robust market. Paying Bertans is not ideal, but Sheppard painted himself into a corner by not trading him at the deadline – letting him walk now would just be a bad look. The Wizards should look to go as short-term as possible with him, given that he’s already 28 years-old and you don’t want his contract clogging up the books in potential rebuild down the line.

I would rather hold off on using the MLE (at least a good chunk of it) in order to give him a one or two year balloon payment – a possible thought being over $20 million for one year with a player-option for Year 2. It would be a tough pill to swallow giving him three or more guaranteed years to me. It’s not going to be an eventful off-season for the Wizards, but you can see why the franchise could be heading towards an inevitable Bradley Beal trade.