With all of the crazy deals that have been made thus far, it has been easy to let what the Wizards have done go unnoticed. During this summer, the Lakers finally got AD, the Clippers pulled off a trade for the ages, KD and Kyrie decided to team up in Brooklyn, Kemba landed in Boston, and even more crazy moves went down. It has been an undeniably exciting summer for the NBA, and most importantly, the NBA has parity again as a result of all the movement. As spectators, we finally don’t feel like the championship is locked up by one team before the season has started. Previously, no one would dare bet against the Warriors, and now, there are legitimately 5-6 teams in the West that could compete for a conference title.
Okay, that’s enough about the rest of the NBA. Remember, we’re here to talk about the Wizards. Let’s look at what the interim GM, Tommy Sheppard, has accomplished so far this summer:
Joined the AD Deal
My last article was all about this deal. So, if you haven’t read it yet, scroll down and check it out!
Re-signed Thomas Bryant
Thomas Bryant was waived by the Los Angeles Lakers a year ago but just recently signed a 3-year, $25m contract with the Wizards. That’s a pretty impressive 180 turn, and I am extremely excited to watch him continue to grow in D.C. The 21-year-old center out of the University of Indiana plays with heart, can run the floor extremely well and has shown the ability to hit shots from the outside.
With the ineffectiveness of Ian Mahinmi along with the injuries sustained by Dwight Howard last season, Bryant was thrust into a larger role. In 72 games, Bryant averaged a little bit over 20 minutes, 10.5 points, and 6.3 rebounds while shooting an efficient 61% from the floor. He undoubtedly earned this contract from the Wizards, and I am really glad the front office offered it to him.
Traded Dwight Howard
Well, that was fast. Dwight Howard signed a two-year deal with the Wizards last summer in hopes to rebuild his image in the NBA. However, he was only able to play 9 games before shutting down his season for back surgery. After Howard opted into year 2 of his contract, the Wizards opted to trade Howard to the Grizzlies for CJ Miles.
With the resigning of Thomas Bryant and the acquisition of Mo Wagner from the Lakers, the Wizards will be focused on the development of those two at the center position. Also, Ian Mahinmi is owed $15.4m next year, so keeping Dwight Howard and having 4 centers on the roster would tie up too much money into one position. Howard was the one that needed to be traded because Mahinmi is severely overpaid, so it would’ve been hard to move his contract without giving up a future pick. Luckily, Mahinmi’s contract comes off of the books after next season, so keeping him around does not hinder the team far down the line.
Receiving CJ Miles in this deal adds necessary elements to the Wizards roster. CJ is a very good outside shooter and will add another veteran voice in a locker room that badly needs it. Also, most of the Wizards young guys are not proven outside shooters, so CJ’s ability to space the floor with his shot will give them more room to operate and grow offensively while their shots develop.
Signed and traded Thomas Satoransky
After a good year that was spent mostly in the starting lineup, Sato earned his payday. Unfortunately, his price was a little bit more than the Wizards wanted to give up. The Wizards signed Sato to a 3-year, $30m contract and sent him on his way to Chicago. Here’s the return the Wizards got for him:
I like this move because spending $10m/year on Satoransky for 3 years would not make too much sense for them while they are rebuilding. Sato will be 30 when this deal is up, and the Wizards flipped him into some future draft assets. Whenever you’re in an atrocious situation like the Wizards are, it’s never a bad idea to stockpile as many picks as possible. Tommy Sheppard has been doing just that since taking over the reins of the front office.
Signed IT
I was thrown for a turn when the Wizards decided to sign IT to a deal. He has had trouble finding a stable situation since his final season in Boston. However, he has stated multiple times that all he wants is an opportunity to show that he can still play at a high level, and the Wizards have given that to him. When I was a junior in high school, I went to all 3 Wizards home games against the Celtics in the ECSF. I saw John Wall hit a game-winning 3 to force game 7, and I also saw IT get away with everything on the court.
In that series, on defense, IT would climb on Bradley Beal’s back and nothing would be called. On offense, I watched IT carry and travel all the time with it going unnoticed. I also saw him whine if no foul was called whenever he would miss a lay-up. Then, I would watch him go into the post-game press conferences and proceed to complain about the refs in the series. All of that really bothered me. However, if I put my feelings about that series aside, I know that bringing in IT has its benefits. Thomas will bring toughness since he was the last pick in the 2011 NBA draft and plays with a chip on his shoulder. Also, the Wizards simply need guards since Thomas Satoransky was traded, and John Wall will be hurt most of the season. If IT comes in and balls out, the Wizards can get a good return for him by trading him at the deadline to a team making a championship push. If IT is just average, he will still be able to make plays for the young guys on the roster and show them what it takes to win. I look forward to watching him in a Wizards uniform.
Signed UFA Justin Robinson
Very soon after the draft ended, it was announced that the Wizards had come to some sort of a deal with undrafted free agent Justin Robinson. Then, in the summer league, the PG from VT really impressed both me and the front office. I will go into more detail about his performance in a post later this week, but for now, the point is that his stellar showing in Vegas earned him a 3-year deal with the Wizards. I think Robinson has a bright future as a back-up PG in the NBA and am excited to watch him develop on this team.
Acquired Davis Bertans
In a 3-team deal with the Spurs and the Nets, the Wizards added sharpshooting forward Davis Bertans to the roster. Last season, Bertans finished just outside of the top 5 in NBA 3PT shooting percentage, and to get him, the Wizards only had to move the draft rights of Aaron White.
White has been playing overseas since the 2015 NBA draft, and I have not heard much about him since. When Sato was overseas after being drafted, there were rumblings about his play and his potential over there, so we as spectators had a certain level of confidence that he would become an NBA player. Nothing of that nature has been going on in regard to Aaron White, so I have no problem with them moving on from him. Also, I like the move to bring in Bertans because his shooting alongside the playmaking of IT and shooting of CJ Miles will help space the floor on offense, taking the pressure off of the young guys when they are out there.
Overall, I feel that this has been a productive offseason for the Wizards, and I’m really looking forward to watching the development of this young roster. Feel free to tweet me your thoughts on any of the moves Tommy Sheppard has made thus far @BoosBulletsBlog !! In the coming days, I will put out a post recapping what I saw from the Wizards in the summer league! Stay tuned!
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