One Trade Wizards May Regret

The Washington Wizards are in complete rebuilding mode, and it’s something that has been a long time coming for a team that has made the playoffs just once dating back to 2019 while not posting a winning record since 2018.

The Wizards have actually done a solid job assembling an interesting group of young talent, but they have also made some considerable mistakes along the way.

Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has identified one trade in particular that Washington probably could have executed better: the Kristaps Porzingis deal.

In June 2023, the Wizards sent Porzingis to the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. Washington’s return package? Tyus Jones, Mike Muscala, Danilo Gallinari and Julian Phillips.

“This could have looked better had the Wizards flipped Jones for something during his lone season in the District, but they instead had him pilot a 67-loss season and then leave for nothing in free agency,” Buckley wrote.

And how many of those players are still remaining on Washington’s roster? Oh yeah…zero.

To be fair, the Wizards flipped Gallinari and Muscala to the Detroit Pistons for Marvin Bagley in what constituted a salary-dump trade for the Pistons, and they also dealt Phillips to the Chicago Bulls for a pair of second-round picks.

Jones? He walked for nothing in free agency, which is brutal considering he was the most “valuable” asset Washington recouped in that trade.

Yes, the Wizards were trying to clear some money, but they couldn’t have gotten something for Porzingis?

We know the rest of the story from there. Porzingis starred for the Celtics last season, and while he was injured for most of the playoffs, he returned for a legendary Game 1 performance in the NBA Finals, was solid in Game 2 and then had a Willis Reed-esque moment in Game 5 after re-injuring himself. He ultimately won a championship.

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