EXPIRING IN DC? Bleacher Report Says Wizards MUST Rid Expiring Contracts |Washington Wizards Podcast

EXPIRING IN DC? Bleacher Report Says Wizards MUST Rid Expiring Contracts |Washington Wizards Podcast

bleacher Report released an article saying the Washington Wizards have some expiring contracts this front office can use as Arsenal this off season They hit the nail on the head We talk about it right now on Locked on Wizards You are Locked on Wizards your daily Washington Wizards podcast part of the Locked On Network Your team every day DC family this is Lockdown Wizards where you’re part of our family We thank you for making Lockdown Wizards your first listen every single day Part of the Lockdown Network your team every day Alongside DC Sports content creating Savant and credentialed media member of the Washington Wizards Abdullah Aub I’m Ben Strober and I cover all things DC sports for 1067 the Fan and the Team 980 First let’s get into our title sponsor This episode is brought to you by Monarch Money Take control of your finances with Monarch Money Use code lockdown NBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year Abdullah busy busy day around the DMV We have commanders mini camp starting today Terry McLaren is not there Still waiting for that contract extension But that’s not what we’re here to talk about today We are all things Wizards as we are locked down Wizards 5 days a week here Let’s get right into it Bleacher Report released an article yesterday What do all 30 NBA teams need to prioritize this off season for the Wizards they said the top priority should be trading away all of its expiring contracts And can’t say that I I you know I I think they hit it right on the head with this one right here I think this is something that you and I had touched on a little bit through the past couple episodes but to see this now nationally uh some people are starting to take notice of what the Wizards are going to have potentially to make a blockbuster trade at some point but there’s a lot the Wizards can work with here Yeah it’s a blueprint Uh from what we saw what Bill Will Dawkins did in OKC I mean getting those veterans signing them and eventually flipping them at the trade deadline or maximizing their trade value and now trading expiring contracts to get more draft capital For me it is an interesting situation because at some point do you realize as a GM maybe my team is too young and that could be a problem down the line because we all know in in today’s world whether even in for example a company if you only hire young employees it’s going to be it’s going to be a lot of there might be a lack of maturity So maybe you want a guy that just keep whether it’s a Marcus Smart Chris Middleton and let him be the guy that sets the tone here in the locker room or else you’re going to be a locker room full of 20 year olds I get it the youth movement but there might be at some a certain point we’re just like are we too young yeah And I think the biggest thing also that Wizards fans need to consider and I know it’s difficult because we have so many young players and we want every player that we draft into this organization to become a superstar player to be an everyday player but in actuality you know that’s not the way that teams are always going to be built You’re going to draft players that might see more time on the bench than the starting lineup I think there’s a couple candidates that we might see for that given on what the Wizards could do Um Bal Koulabali his future as a starter on this team could be in jeopardy if he does not make the offensive leap that a lot of people have expected I know it was kind of an up and down year for him last year and he does bring a lot to the table defensively and I think he would be one of the better six-man uh in all of basketball if he is But then you have other people or other players on this team rather that you know if you look at the impact they bring to this team like Jordan Pool and I know he is a candidate potentially for being traded but you know if you think about it this way and I’ve had a lot of conversations with people about this if you really like what Jordan P does because I think if there’s anyone on this roster he is the only guy that you can give the basketball and say go create your own shot and go score right now I don’t know if the Wizards have anybody else on this team at this point Um Bob Carrington might become that player eventually but he still needs time for development But if Jordan P is that player I don’t know if I’d really you know be willing to part ways with him in a trade at this point And it just kind of begs begs the question of where do they go from that But there’s other expiring contracts on this roster that the Wizards can dump at this point Chris Middleton uh on there Marcus Smart as well Rashawn Holmes And it’s going to be really interesting to see what Dawkins do um to you know maybe prioritize using this as Arsenal for the Wizards to try to make a move and acquire another star player at some point maybe acquire some more picks Uh where are you feeling on this yeah it’s uh again for me guys like Marcus Smart and Chris Middleton when they came in they made an impact I get it The Wizards losing team but you clearly saw mentorship It was there Chris Middleton has a championship experience in Milwaukee Marcus Smart former defensive player of the year has that experience from Boston So if you’re the Wizards do you package these guys i don’t know because right now I think they’re really good veterans compared to the veterans that we had before in Kyle Kosma who was let’s be real he was a little more of a distraction than actual leader for the young guys I’m just calling a spade a spade and Jonas Valentunes I think he was a good leader but again he just the timeline here in Washington I think he’s he wanted to go compete for a championship and that clearly wasn’t going to happen last season here in DC So I I don’t know I don’t know Ben It’s it’s crazy because you have all these young guys I didn’t think for so long here in DC that we would have a a young guy problem but now it’s gone to the point where you want to get in some veterans just so you can figure out uh who’s going to lead the pack Because at the end of the day when you have guys like Alex Sar Bob Bub Carrington Keshan George going into year two Bal Kabali year three jump So so many young guys I mean last year I think we were at the average starting lineup for the Wizards at 20.2 years old I mean that’s that’s insane And that just goes to show that Will Dawkins is different from the previous regimes under Grunfeld and Tommy Shepard And I I can’t wait And I think Will Dawkins will do a fine job I think he has done a fine job I know we made an episode talking about how how much pressure isn’t going on in this draft I don’t think there’s that much pressure at all I think he’ll be able to still cook up something with pick six and pick 18 Fewer than 10 teams are projected to have non-t taxpayer mid-level exception level flexibility heading into this off season And that’s really good news for the Wizards because even after they pencil in salaries for the number six number 18 picks that are upcoming here in a couple weeks uh Chris Middleton’s $34 million player option and the possibility of guaranteeing all are part of Rashawn Holmes 13.2 million deal This gives the Wizards a ton of wiggle room beneath the luxury tax Uh and this you know this gives the ability for Washington to take in some more money and use that as a commodity And it could kind of let Michael Winger and Will Dawkins in the front office facilitate a potential blockbuster a way of getting some more picks for the future or other players because you and I have talked about it I feel like this Wizards team at some point needs to trade for a superstar player And if they’re able to use some of these expiring contracts to either acquire more picks or acquire a couple of other players we might see in the future when this Wizards team is ready to take a jump and become a contender in the postseason them go out and get a superstar player just like Oklahoma City did a couple years ago getting Shay Gilders Alexander Uh Indiana does the same thing getting Tyrese Hal Howlebertton from the Kings You know I think the proof is in the pudding with you know trading for a superstar player because it’s tough to develop a true superstar player And given that the Wizards don’t get a pick in the top three you know you’re a little bit more unsure of what you’re going to get I’m very positive they are going to get a super talented player someone that’s going to contribute really well for this Wizards team but superstar I don’t know if they have that on the roster yet and I don’t know if it’s going to come in this draft either Yeah And that that’s why I bring up the question I saw a a trade scenario where the Wizards could I mean this was by Greg Finnberg great friend by the way check out his stuff he proposed the idea of the Sixers trading with the Wizards and they trade pick three and Paul George So before we end this segment let me what are your thoughts on that do you think is is it worth it getting a guy in Ace Bailey potentially but taking on Paul George’s contract probably not at this point because I’m more unsure about Ace Bailey I think than most and I think that’s why we’ve seen some mocks where he has slipped and fallen a little bit We’ll get into another mock draft that just came out uh courtesy of Clutch Sports and Brett Seagull mockdraft 3.0 That’ll be our third segment today Ace Bailey I don’t know if I have a fair assessment of him though because uh obviously I I didn’t get to watch a lot of Ruter’s game because I was covering Maryland basketball the entire year and the one time that Ruters was in College Park really wasn’t a fair look for Ace Bailey He was really down with the flu that game He did not play the entire second half I think he only finished with four points So it was a little disappointing for me to not really get to see uh the true talent that was put on display by Ace Bailey this year But I don’t think it’s worth it to take on Paul George’s contract I mean look at how disastrous that has been in Philadelphia And I know we’ve become the team that takes on terrible contracts at this point in order to acquire better picks or maybe even move up in the draft at this point I just don’t really think Ace Bailey is the player that’s worth it for Washington here Yeah for me I’ve seen like recently like the him dropping a six and five or even out of three At one point I thought it was going to be Flag Harper and Bailey Lock but I guess people think there’s really much a big drop off between him and Harper So it’s going to be really interesting to see how it pans out during the draft because at the end of the day if you’re the Wizards you’re praying that Trey Johnson’s going to be there at six I don’t know if he will be And there’s just been so much speculation about Derrick Queen not being worth it at six common Malawatch potentially jumping into the top five So it’s it’s a lot of scenarios that could go down I mean I feel like you and I all we can do at this point is just hope certain players are there and talk about potential prospects because you and I have no idea and I think really nobody has any idea uh how this draft is going to shape up because I mean this is how it goes When there’s smoke there’s fire And if some of these players are projected to fall or maybe Malawak even goes in the top five uh there might be something there for that And you know we’ll get more to the mock draft side later Well let’s keep this conversation going When we’re back Abdullah and I are going to discuss what we’d like to see this front office do with these expiring deals We’re going to play a little GM Abdul And I know that’s something that you know you don’t really like to do often as a fan or someone covering the team but I figure why not at this point All right real quick let’s hear about one of my favorite offers from Door Dash NBA fans you know what time it is Playoff season meets big 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free threepiece crispy tenders combo from Wingstop Man I’m I’m getting hungry thinking about the next day with a $20 order and code Wingstop 50 That’s Dashpass Your door to more savings more flavor and more ways to win Terms apply All right we welcome you back here to Locked on Wizards What expiring contracts might be the easiest to move here for Washington abdullah and I here are going to play a little bit of GM Abdullah let’s start with you with the expiring contracts that we know are upcoming here and some of the veteran presence that we’ve seen from Chris Middleton Marcus Smart I know you’ve touched on why you like those guys maybe to be on this team next year but if you are Will Dawkins in this situation what are you doing personally if I had to choose to pick keep one of them Is that is is that what you’re trying to say or just in general like what whatever Whatever you’re feeling Whatever you’re feeling man This is a open book I’d say I’d say bring them back man I think both those guys I generally think you need veterans on a team whether it’s a rebuilding team or a championship team and I think their veteran presence I mean from day one once they came into Washington to now you can clearly see they’ve made a difference And a guy on Marcus Smart definitely helps it defensively a guy in Chris Middleton is going to help you down the line where you need someone to make a clutch bucket give him that last shot Obviously we want those shots to go to the young guys as well But Chris Middleton is a guy that again goes back to a championship experience And Marcus Smart I think the the fact that he’s out there always hustling willing to sacrifice his body willing to take a charge a guy that can set the tone a guy that can go to the opposing team’s best player and get in their face and try to get in their head and just defend him 94 feet That’s just something in the NBA where you rarely see especially a guy his age when so many guys that are his age not they don’t want to play They’re trying to take as many days off and not play half the season So if you’re the Wizards I say you bring him back And if the trade value is there if if it is there maybe consider getting someone out there But I don’t think it’s worth it because at the end of the day I brought up the fact that you don’t want to have a problem where the team is too young You have to have a right balance And once you find that right balance I think it’s just steps to eventually get into that championship Dude I totally agree with you on this especially about Marcus Smart because I’m so hyperfixated on defense Like I I don’t know if that’s unpopular at this point I think a lot of Wizards fans feel the same way but like I can’t stand to see our dudes getting cooked night in night out anymore Like I’m tired of giving up 160 points to Indiana Like how is that even possible but we can’t have that happen anymore And Marcus Smart is a guy like you said that brings the energy night in and night out because what do we know about defense in the NBA it’s all effort It’s literally all effort Everyone that is in the NBA can play defense They have the athletic ability They have the intangibles needed to play defense but you need to want to play it And that’s what I really like about head coach Brian Keefe and then Marcus Smart He is a guy that is going to instill that mentality into these players If you want to play defense if you want to give up only a 100 points per game and win more games in the National Basketball Association it’s all about effort You need to get after it as a team If the traps are there go for it You need to hustle for everything Dive for the 50/50 loose balls I want to be a team that plays its hardest every single night on both ends of the floor I want to be a team that’s pesky I don’t necessarily think this Wizards team is going to have the talent next year to just win a ton of games I I don’t see them making a huge jump in terms of the win total but I want them to be damn competitive the way they were down the stretch And if they can instill the defensive mentality that Marcus Smart brings to the table I’m all for that I think they’ll be a very tough team to beat if that’s the case And you have the pieces too You got Keshan George a versatile guy that can shoot it from three Belali I get it We want to see the offensive three jump but defensively I mean he could he’s definitely our best defender on this team I we saw the strides his first year second year going up against guys like Giannis Han Kmpo and putting up a great defensive performance So you have the pieces You have a rim protector and Alex R and potentially a guy you can draft in the first round whether it’s maybe Malawatch or some wing out there that you really could be that lockdown guy So I think you have the the pieces It’s just going goes back to effort It goes back to coach Keefe leading the pack Can he do it we’ll just have to find out Now here’s something that’s really interesting giving a given defense in the NBA and knowing what you’re up against in the Eastern Conference like Boston and Indiana These are teams that stretch the floor and shoot so many three-pointers Like Boston shot 57 uh in that one playoff game I get game one against the Knicks or or whatever it was or or maybe that was I can’t even remember which series it was at this point You know the point I’m trying to make here is the NBA has evolved where teams are shooting so many three-pointers night in night out Do you think maybe if you’re the Wizards you value a wing defender even more than you do a rim protector because teams are a lot more reluctant to getting buckets at the rim at this point yeah that’s that’s definitely a good point Ben I think if you’re the Wizards you got to prioritize a guy that can defend and close out in the three-point shooting That’s something that I’ve seen here for a while lack of closing out and just um on a pick and roll just that shooter being wide open The Wizards just that’s like the blue blueprint of beating them They can’t switch and you get beat off the three three-point line So that is a good point Maybe a a three-point uh defender three uh three three-le wing that can defend is more important than a rim protector But at the end of the day defense is defense and there’s got to be some form of improvement because you can’t be bottom five and and another year in a lot of defensive categories It’s just inexcusable Absolutely That’s what makes this six pick so intriguing because of the way the board uh could fall to Washington here if there is no movement at all from Will Dawkins and Michael Winger I feel like at the six pick there is going to be one of those really elite defenders there available I would be pretty confident to say that if Trey Johnson is not there I think the most recent mock I saw he goes number five to Utah If he’s not there I think that does leave you the possibility that either your rim protector and Malawatch is there or VJ Edgecomb could be one of your uh wing defenders So I I think there’s going to be a big decision uh for Washington to make at this six pick given on how much they value each player defensively Do they want somebody that can go out there on the wing and close out the three-point shot as you bring up defend the perimeter really well or do they really want someone that can protect the rim alongside Alex Sar uh it’s going to be really interesting to see Abdullah I’ll leave you with the last thoughts on this topic for you right here Yeah a lot of scenarios uh could go down VJ Ecom is a guy very athletic two-way guy but for me I just think I love offense Ben As much as I want the the D to be um a factor here in DC which hasn’t been for the past couple years a guy in Trey Johnson could change the trajectory of this franchise I’m so high on him Ben because what he did as a freshman in SEC conference for me what do you do in Dude I know Yeah And what what do you do in in college and at the highest level he’s perform He was the number one option scoring at all three levels going to it’s just he delivered and I I don’t I don’t see why not do it in Washington where you’re around some of the young guys where it’s not going to be that much pressure on you but he could excel to be that number one point guard I think if possible if possible and if you’re the Wizards I mean we saw last year Will Dawkins trading away Denny Abdia for Bob Carrington He has been aggressive So come draft night I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised and I love Jordan P I know you love him too but I generally wouldn’t be surprised if you deal him and get some draft capital you somehow land Trey Johnson at six or maybe you move up and maybe get a big later on in the first round I think that would be ideal But at the end of the day it’s Will Dawkins and Michael W They’re just so unpredictable We just don’t know what’s going to happen But I’m a big Trey Johnson guy Uh as you guys can tell I I I love Jeremiah Fears but I just think at six a little too soon I I maybe at eight in Brooklyn I think they’re eyeing him That’s what I was about to tell you man Is there a possibility where the Wizards could trade back can and say and tell the Brooklyn “Hey we’re going to take Jeremiah Fear You better trade down with us and acquire more draft capital.” So many scenarios man Greg Greg Finnberg brought that up in his latest podcast Actually you can check that out after listening here He hosts the Wizards podcast so I would definitely advise checking out his work He does fantastic coverage for Washington on his Twitter as well Uh that’s great that you actually segueed us perfectly into the next segment here because Brett Seagull of Clutch Sports released his mockdraft 3.0 yesterday and he had some really interesting nuggets on what the Whiz Kids might consider That’s next here on Lockdown Wizards Real quick let’s hear about this special offer from Game Time There’s nothing like the NBA 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the best deal If you can find a better price in the same row and section they’ll credit 110% of the difference The NFL schedule release just dropped and you better believe I’m already looking at when I get to see G85 and the Commanders play in person again You’ll find great seats for as low as $100 thanks to exclusive discounts Given how hot the Commander tickets are going to be this year I’d get on that ASAP Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time Download the Game Time app create an account and use locked on NBA That’s the code lockdown NBA for $20 off your first purchase Terms apply Again create an account and redeem code locked on NBA Loca for $20 off Download the Game Time app today Last minute tickets lowest priced guaranteed We welcome you back here Segment number three of today’s episode of Locked on Wizards This Tuesday edition of the week alongside Abdullah Yubi I’m Ben Strober and we are going to discuss senior NBA reporter for Clutch Sport Brett Seagull He dropped an article about his mockdraft 3.0 and he gives some great nuggets here about the Washington Wizards So getting right into this thing right here mockdraft 3.0 he really gets down into the details of a lot of things in this draft He said why the 76ers control this draft with Ace Bailey and the number three pick dilemma and how that might shape things up But when you get into where he gets into the Washington Wizards here he has them selecting Jeremiah Fierce out of Oklahoma And you and I just talked about this Abdullah you were saying someone that you like in Fears but maybe you don’t want to see him go at six but given that Brooklyn and eight might be really interested uh we could see potentially a move there if the Wizards are saying “Hey you want fears you got to trade with us to come get him And I mean do you do you feel like that’s something that’s going to shape up at this point because this mock has the Wizards taking him in at six And I feel like that’s something you and I kind of both don’t really agree with right here It’s kind of interesting because uh a week ago we I talked about the fact that Jeremiah F has been rumored to go as high as two and no later than seven So he’s been I think climbing up boards I think his playmaking ability is something that GMs just can’t pass up on But for me the biggest thing is shooting concerns Ben I if you’re a guy especially a guard who is not that tall at most 6’2 maybe 6’3 with shoes it’s it is a little concerning and we’ve seen point guards down the line in the playoffs where a guy in Jaylen Brunson great scorer but defensively is a liability I mean it is what it is It’s just his size So if you’re the Wizards and the Brooklyn Nets want him at you just straight up threat and say “Hey we’re taking him right now Give us a good offer or all fears is a wizard.” Maybe try to gaslight them into thinking that you’re going to actually take him but I don’t see why not you get more draft capital at pick eight You could still get your guy potentially And I say you do it Ben If Trey Johnson’s off the board because you can’t pass up on Trey at six but if if he goes at five or four Ferus is there tell Brooklyn send us your best package and then potentially use that draft capital pick 18 and other draft capital go back in the lottery after picking at eight It definitely opens up the draft boards Again I I think there’s more of a chance of the Wizards being really aggressive on draft night compared to not being aggressive because what we saw last year Mhm All right Well let’s give you the skinny from what Seagull details here in his section about Washington So he said unlike the Jazz the Wizards are not as open for business when it comes to trade talks because this front office what do we know they want to build a long-term sustainable core and they’ve already done so in these recent drafts Koulali Alex Sar and Bob Carrington add Keshan George to the mix and since they also own the 18th pick and the 40th pick there’s always a possibility of the Wizards making a big draft day move as you just alluded to Abdullah but he does say that his league sources has signaled that Washington is very confident that a highle prospect will fall to them at this sixth pick and with Jeremiah fears being on the radar Malawok and Canipple these are also two players that would fit into the Wizards young core however This article also details that a prospect that has come up in multiple conversations regarding the Wizards is the French guard Nolan Triorg I mean a third year potentially of a first round draft choice out of France And you know a lot of people will say it jokingly I mean we’re just we’re going to draft some French guy aren’t we but you know based on what these sources are saying right here it sounds like there is a real possibility about this Abdullah Yeah It’s kind of funny Ben I always think about how like the Commanders that time of couple years where they would draft guys from Alabama and for the Wizards Yes Guys drafting them from France But hey I I I’m not on high as the on on the guy but if you’re really if you have so much potential of thinking that he could be that guy I don’t see why not But again at six I don’t know You I think you go best player available You want to draft potential I get it And the draft is a crapshoot But right now you have to you have to capitalize on this draft because you just don’t know if you’re going to get as high of a pick in the 2026 draft I’m hoping I mean there’s a lot of talent in that draft but every draft is important Even the second round picks you have to take advantage of it And I think now as a Wizards fan second round picks are actually relevant just from the fact that a guy in Tristan Buch was given opportunities produced Absolutely All right There’s one thing here in the back half of this article that I really enjoy and this is really funny because I love hearing something like this because now I’m starting to see how this front office might actually uh kind of emulate what the commanders have done with Adam Peters It says this is just an idea There haven’t been any real indications from those close to the Wizards that this is what they’re thinking Washington hardly ever leaks any information That is what you need out of your general manager Under Tommy Shepard Ernie Gruntfield everyone always knew what move we were going to make next We were going to trade away uh one of our young players or a first round pick for some washed up veteran like Trevor Arza to come back to Washington for a second Trevor Arza Ben just gave me a throwback I mean hey I mean he was he was cooking way back in the day but when we traded for him again in 2018 that was that was disastrous But beside the point I I really love to hear that this Washington front office is a lot more secretive about what they’re doing because that is how you get leverage over a lot of these other teams You can’t let anybody know your next move because if anyone knows what your plans are then they have leverage over you You aren’t able to get one over a team like Philadelphia or maybe in this situation Brooklyn And I’m just really excited to see that actually in the end of that article I agree Ben I thousand% agree The way the commanders do the way the Wizards do it that’s how it should be done That’s how professional sport should be Your opponents your enemy should not know your next move and they shouldn’t know them the move after the next move And I love it I love it You keep everything in itself And again this going back to last year I know I’m talking about it a lot but that was a prime example of it man No one and I mean no one I remember I was at work when I saw Denny Abdia getting traded I was like and no freaking way Denny Abdia got traded before Kyle Koozma And it just go go it just goes to show that Will Dawkins has something under his sleeve and has something under that as well So you just have to be alert and he can pull the trigger at any moment And that’s what separates good GMs from great GMs They make those aggressive moves Yeah I feel like Dawkins has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and we’re going to see how things shape up as we inch closer and closer to the NBA draft upcoming in a couple weeks That’ll do it for us here today on Lockdown Wizards Want to thank everyone who tuned in with us Be sure to engage with our content Leave us a comment Let us know how we’re doing or where we are falling short That is our best way to get feedback on how we can improve this show day in and day out We’ll be back tomorrow Once again DC family thank you for making Lockdown Wizards your first listen today For your second listen check out the Lockdown NBA Big Board show NBA draft expert Rafael Barlo reacts to every workout interview and rumor leading up to the NBA draft Find Locked on NBA Big Board on YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast For my co-host Abdullah Yubi I’m Ben Strober We’ll see you tomorrow

The Washington Wizards’ front office faces crucial decisions as the NBA draft approaches. Should they flip expiring deals for draft capital or retain veterans like Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart? Ben Strober and Abdullah Ayubi analyze potential trades, draft prospects, and team-building philosophies. They explore the value of defensive specialists in today’s NBA and debate the merits of selecting offensive firepower versus two-way talent with the 6th pick. The hosts also praise the new front office’s secretive approach, contrasting it with previous regimes.

0:00 – Bleacher Report Article
11:58 – Abdullah and Ben play GM
22:59: Clutch Points NBA Mock 3.0

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