Retaining Bradley Beal in his prime, rather than trading him for assets, might be the best course of action for the Wizards, Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington argues. Beal could be the ideal role model to establish a new identity and culture for the franchise, Standig continues. Beal could be the main locker room leader next season with John Wall recovering from his Achilles injury and he’d embrace that role, Standig notes. Giving Beal that power might deepen his connection to the franchise’s long-term success, Standig adds.
We have more on the Wizards:
- With Wall’s super-max extension kicking in, owner Ted Leonsis wants his star point guard to take all the time necessary to make sure he’s fully ready when he starts playing again, as Leonsis expressed in an NBC Sports podcast and relayed by Chase Hughes. “John understands his commitment will show from this rehab,” Leonsis said. “If it takes the whole season, we don’t care. We are not putting pressure on you on a time. Make sure that you are rehabilitating in the right way so that when you do come back, you don’t have that little voice in your head [saying], ‘Did I do everything the right way to be able to come back and be a great, great player?'”
- North Carolina shooting guard Coby White and Kentucky small forward Keldon Johnson are among the prospects the Wizards are bringing in for workouts, Hughes reports in post written by NBC Sports Washington’s Josh Luckenbaugh. White is currently ranked No. 8 overall by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and the Wizards have the ninth pick. Johnson is ranked at No. 19. The Wizards will also soon bring in Georgetown’s Trey Mourning, Duke’s Marques Bolden and Temple’s Shizz Alston Jr.
- Unless the franchise promotes interim president Tommy Sheppard and ends its long search for a new front office leader to replace Ernie Grunfeld, it’s unknown who will determine Washington’s draft decisions this month, Hughes writes in a separate story.
By all accounts, White is actually a point guard, not a shooting guard..Personally, I think he will ultimately be a solid combo guard for whichever team that drafts him.
I really would love for him to fall to the Bulls, but with the lack of high quality, lead guards in the draft, I doubt he will fall to the Bulls. There are a couple of PG needy teams picking ahead of the Bulls, and almost every NBA scout only has three lead guards listed in their top 10. Those three guards are unanimously lead by Ja Morant, and then I’ve read and seen that most scouts are split on whether the second most talented PG is Darius Garland or Coby White.
If he’s fully healthy, most scouts seem to think that Garland has more overall potential than White; however, those same scouts also tend to think that White is more NBA ready as of now.
If the Bulls can land White, he would be the perfect compliment to their growing young core. Right now, the Bulls are trying to build around Markkanen, LaVine, Carter Jr., Porter, and then a couple of young role players in Kris Dunn, Denzel Valentine, and Chandler Hutchison…
A potential starting five of White, LaVine, Porter, Markkanen, and Carter Jr. would be a very talented mix of young talent for the Bulls. Then, if they could add a couple of veterans through free agency, I think the Bulls could ultimately make a solid playoff push next season.
Realistically, I’d love for the Bulls to go hard after D’Angelo Russell or Terry Rozier, but most likely they’ll end up signing a veteran PG like Darren Collison. He would be a perfect mentor for White, and with DC, White, and Dunn they’d be an excellent defensive mixture for the Bulls. After adding D.Collison, the Bulls should target a backup big like Aaron Baynes, Nerlens Noel, or Kenneth Faried. Adding those two veterans, and another shooting 2/3 off their bench like Wesley Matthews, Danny Green, or Reggie Bullock would go a heck of a long way towards completely turning this team around..
So, drafting White, and say they could ultimately sign Collison, one of Baynes, and either Danny Green, this would give the Bulls the following 12 man roster:
Guards: LaVine, White, Collison, Dunn
Wings: Porter, Green, Valentine, Hutchison
Bigs: Markkanen, Carter Jr., Baynes, Felicio
This would give the Bulls the flexibility to match-up against both bigger and smaller teams. It would provide the Bulls with the versatility to mix and match multiple solid defenders against opponents, and at any point the Bulls would have enough outside shooting to be dangerous from beyond the arc. Their starting five they would trot out, would have all five being capable of hitting the three. And when you go down the roster with guys like White, Dunn, Collison, Porter, Carter Jr., Hutchison, and Baynes you would potentially have seven above average defenders..Good rebounding all around, I mean, I think they’d potentially be a force in the East, possibly even going as high as the #4 or #5 seed, with room and the potential to further develop, gel, and improve together..
Nice analysis, but what in the world does this have to do with the Wizards?
That front court is pretty shallow. Baynes and Feliciano are pretty mediocre. I think Dunn will get traded for a big that can play.
That was tiring and off-topic and was negated by saying the Bulls probably won’t even get White. Garland has the same 6-5 wingspan as White, Culver even longer, why not plug them into all that.
wiz wud be wise to bundle picks to unload wall. resign beal and rebuild with flexibility.
They WILL NOT be able to trade wall until he puts together a full year of good health and high play. Just face it.
lakers, pistons, cavs, knicks, nets could absorb walls contract and allow him to rehab
Over 25 mill a year for a 30 year old tht will not pkay next year and is not garauanteed yo return to all star form?? Are you kidding me????
That would simply make the Wizard’s situation even more dire. They have zero assets aside from their own draft picks. They don’t have extra. Chances are those picks will be top 5 even with the new lottery system. They would have to give up at least 4 or 5 to convince a team to take on Wall’s 4/$144 mil contract which runs from his age 29-32 seasons.
Doesn’t seem like they would have the opportunity to make that mistake anyway as I just can’t see any owner signing off on his GM acquiring Wall, who will miss the entire 2019-20 season, but yet collect $38 mil this year and $40+ the next 3 seasons.
Wall has had chronic knee problems and now the torn Achilles. I’m 100% positive that he will do all that he can to come back in the best shape possible. However, I just can’t see the wisdom in acquiring him not knowing what level of play he can return to once he’s 100% recovered.
Washington would be better off eating that contract rather than compounding their problem by trading away future 1st round picks which might net them elite talent which could help the rebuild.
Well put! Washingtons only sensible course of action is to get all they can for beal ASAP draft well and develop a young core next season. And hope wall can come back atleast 80% of what he was at his peak.
I would trade Beal to the Lakers for the number 4 pick, Kuzma, and Hart. Makes sense for both teams.
Not a horrible thought. Although I would love for Lonzo to be part of that trade just so he’d be in Washington and we could potentially get more LaVar/Trump interactions. I’ve decided to just steer into the madness.
Fasten your seatbelts people.
I think the Lakers trading for Beal would be an excellent idea. If they can net good talent from LA and make the right picks at #4 and #9 then they might have enough to get the fans to maintain some interest in the franchise thru what I’m sure is going to be a tough year in DC.