After years of mediocrity, the Washington Wizards could be in full liquidation mode.
They agreed to trade away Bradley Beal, their best player, to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, and they already shipped off Rui Hachimura, one of their more skilled players, to the Los Angeles Lakers in late January.
In big man Kristaps Porzingis, they currently have another very skilled player who could become a free agent this summer if he turns down his player option for next season.
But if he opts in, the Wizards may end up trading him and looking to get something in return for him.
NBA reporter Evan Sidery outlined how intriguing and perhaps underrated a talent Porzingis is.
Assuming Kristaps Porzingis soon opts in for $36 million with the Wizards, the 7’3″ stretch big could soon be a key piece added to a contender via trade.
Last season, Porzingis quietly put together his best season ever while playing in 65 games:
23.2 points (career-high)
8.4… pic.twitter.com/pKGrOTythI— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 19, 2023
The 7-foot-3 big man is originally from Latvia, and as a result, many were skeptical about his prospects when he was available in the 2015 NBA Draft.
But Phil Jackson, who was then the executive of the New York Knicks, thought highly enough of him to take him with the No. 4 pick.
Porzingis turned out to be as good as his believers thought he could be, as he averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds a game as a rookie, then increased his scoring to 22.7 points a game two years later.
This season, he established career highs in scoring (23.2 points per contest) and shooting efficiency (49.8 percent).
The knock on Porzingis has always been his durability — he has appeared in at least 70 games just once, and he has had a number of significant injuries over the years.
But when healthy, he could represent a big piece to a championship puzzle for a number of teams.
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The Wizards Reportedly Were Denied 1 Suns Player In Bradley Beal Trade
