Why Players Will Avoid The Wizards

As an NBA fan, I can't help but look at the Washington Wizards and ask myself, what the hell are they doing? Some NBA franchises prefer to comfort the anxiety of their fans with rebuilding plans. They'll tank games and hoard high draft picks, just as the Philadelphia 76ers did during the process days. Or they'll make painful decisions and trade away superstars while embracing a youth movement, as the Oklahoma City Thunder is doing right now. This characteristic way of running a franchise, which provides a sense of stability for a fan base and even a vision for the future, might be for other cities, but not for Washington. It's no secret that they have been struggling for quite some time. They haven't been in serious contention for a while, and over the years, they've followed similar patterns that always end poorly for them. Many times in the past, the Wizards have begun their seasons with a bang, catching the attentions of fans and experts. And people start to wonder, could this be the year that the Wizards take that leap and become a true contender? But unfortunately, time and time again, they fail to live up to those early season expectations and instead return to the mediocrity that seems to be their destiny. So, how did the Wizards find themselves in this predicament? Let's find out. Contract with Beale Now, it is important to note that the struggles of the Wizards can be attributed to various things, and one of them is their organization and their own player, Bradley Beale. It's no secret that when a player and a team sign a new deal, there's always the possibility of that player hitting the trade market at some point. But in this case, we can confidently say that's not going to happen with Bradley Beale. First, Beale is heading into his 30s and still has hundreds of millions of dollars owed to him, thus he's unlikely to become more tradable or attractive as a trade asset. Secondly, the Wizards gave him a full no-trade clause, making Beale the 10th player in NBA history to have a no-trade clause. That list of players includes LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwayne Wade, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and John Stockton. Imagine if the Washington Wizards had put their pride aside and focused on the future. They could have traded Beale for a package that would have set them up for success in the long term. And if Beale truly wanted to win, he could have pushed for a trade and then signed a similar deal with a team that acquired him. But unfortunately, the Wizards' pursuit of a few home playoff games has led to missed opportunities for both the team and Beale. And of course, Beale likely knew all along that few, if any, teams would be willing to commit a quarter of a billion dollars to him. And just like Beale knew that, the Wizards knew that few players of his caliber would ever be willing to commit to them as long as Beale did. It's a match made in basketball heaven. The perfect combination of player and team. But it's not all sunshine and rainbows. It's a perfectly flawed marriage. Bradley Beale and the Washington Wizards are tied together for the long haul. They can't escape each other now, but who really wins in this situation? As usual, it's the Wizards fans who lose. But as they say, love is a battlefield. And in the world of basketball, it's a game of give and take. The Wizards' struggles can't be solely attributed to one player. The team has been mired in mediocrity for much longer than his tenure with the franchise. In fact, it's been over 40 years since the Wizards last reached the conference finals or even recorded a 50-win season. Yeah, you heard that right. The last time the Wizards had this level of success was back in 1979 when they won the NBA championship. In the 2000s, they had Gilbert Arenas leading the team, but despite his talent, the Wizards were unable to surround him with a strong supporting cast. Fast forward to the 2010s and John Wall was the star player. Again, the Wizards failed to build a strong team around him and ultimately fell short of contention. And now, in the present day, it's Bradley Beale leading the team. But the Wizards have yet to surround him with the right supporting cast or make the necessary moves to bring the team to contention. With Beale and Christaps Porzingis leading the team, the Wizards are at best a play-in squad. Sure, the defensively improved Wizards should compete most nights, but this revamped team ultimately looks destined to meet Washington's usual depressing fate. Too competitive to tank and nowhere near good enough to contend for anything of significance. Their best bet might be to get some lottery luck and end up with a franchise-changing star in the draft, but there's a problem to that. Their current star player, 29-year-old Beale, won't be on the same timeline as Eddie Youngster's drafted in 2023 or beyond. Washington Wizards Trades Wizards trading Hachimura is not a win whatsoever. Now, I know some of you may be thinking, oh, but they got Kendrick Nunn and three 2nd round picks. Think about that. The Wizards used a high draft pick, number 9 to be exact, to select Hachimura. Then they spent years developing him, working with him to hone his skills and become the player he is today. All of that time and effort just to trade him away. To me, that doesn't make any sense. This also makes it impossible to know the long-term strategy in Washington. Yes, he had been facing a difficult challenge trying to find a spot on a Wizards team filled with high-quality players, but lacking the experienced veterans that could help him grow into the player Washington had hoped for when they drafted him. Now, some may argue that Hachimura isn't a player to build a team around, but here's the thing, he's a player to invest in. And that's something the Wizards haven't done in a while. The last Wizards draft pick to earn an extension? That would be Otto Porter Jr., who was taken almost a decade ago at the 2013 NBA draft. Let's take a look at the first round picks since then. In 2014, the Wizards traded for center Marcin Gortat. In 2015, they drafted Kelly Oubre Jr., but later traded for Trevor Ariza. In 2016, they traded for Markeith Morris. In 2017, they traded for Bojan Bogdanovic. In 2018, they drafted Tony Brown Jr., but later traded him for Daniel Gafford. In 2019, they drafted Rui Hachimura, and have recently traded him for Kendrick Nunn and second round picks. In 2020, they drafted Denny Evija, who is currently averaging 8 points per game. In 2021, they drafted Corey Kispert, who is currently averaging 9.5 points per game. And in 2022, they drafted Johnny Davis, who is currently averaging 1.1 points per game. Yet again, the Wizards have proven either unwilling or unable to properly develop young players. But this problem is becoming increasingly pressing as their two stars, Bradley Beal and Christaph Porzingis, continue to age and become more injury prone. Without proper support from the younger players, it will become increasingly difficult for Beal and Porzingis to keep the team afloat. Now, some of you may be wondering if Hachimura has lived up to the team's expectations, but in all honesty, that's almost besides the point. The fact of the matter is, he's a young player with a lot of potential, and let's face it, the Wizards don't have many of those. Another player on the verge of leaving is Kyle Kuzma. In just two seasons, Kyle Kuzma has proven himself to be a force on the court, averaging an impressive 21.8 points per game this season. But it looks like his success hasn't gone unnoticed by other teams, specifically the Lakers. Rumors were swirling that the Lakers were interested in bringing Kuzma back. But after they scooped up Hachimura, I don't think this will be the case, but you never know. And as we get closer to the trade deadline, we can expect to see more teams trying to acquire Kuzma as they look to make a playoff push. Do you think Kuzma will stay put on the Warriors, or will he be traded to a new team? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. So far, he has been a valuable player for the Wizards, and if he does end up getting traded, then I do believe that would be the beginning of the end for this version of the Wizards. Let's hope the Wizards can turn things around and give their fans something to be proud of. Will this trend continue, or will the Wizards finally build a strong team around their star players? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks for watching, and be sure to tune in for more NBA insights. Until next time, take care.