BLOCKBUSTER Trades the Washington Wizards Could Pull Off at the NBA Draft

BLOCKBUSTER Trades the Washington Wizards Could Pull Off at the NBA Draft

The Wizards live up to their name and produce some magic and get their star. But how can they do so? How can they get to the top three? Find out next on Locked on [Music] Wizards. You are Locked On Wizards, your daily Washington Wizards podcast, part of the Locked On Network. Your team every day. Hello all and welcome in to lockdown wizards where myself leaf tulina Abdullah Aubi cheer you up about the draft lottery I know it’s still a trying time in the nation’s capital when you’re looking at the wizards where they landed number six but can they land a star after all I’m leaf tulene credentialed NBA draft analyst attendee of the last two NBA combines host on locked in NBA big boards draft show and beside me is Abdullahubi a diehard Wizards fan to provide hometown insight ites and passion for his beloved Wizards and tell you who he thinks can provide a a player that can provide inspiration for the Wizards despite not landing at the top. And we’re going to talk about some trades. Uh thank you guys for making locked on Wizards your first lesson each and every day. And remember locked on Wizards free and available on all platforms including at YouTube where lock YouTube locked on wizards where the best way to help us grow is comment anything below. And today’s question is who is your dream trade target? We’re going to talk about a few of our our, you know, highly prioritized guys that are in the draft and outside of the draft, but are there any others that make sense to you guys and, you know, we’re going to talk about the trade partners for the Wizards, potential trades, who should Dawkins and the front office target, and how much mo how much is too much to give up, and lastly, maybe a little preview of what the offseason looks like for the Wizards in terms of free agency. So, let’s dive right in. Abdul, I want to turn it over to you. What does it take to move up in the draft if it is for a draft pick? Uh what what do you feel comfortable parting with? Yeah, so I think uh we talked about it uh on the last episode how if you want to trade up in this draft, I think it’s going to cost more compared to last year because last year it was labeled as a weak draft class. Although I don’t think so. And I think some of those three first round picks that we got uh that wasn’t a weak draft class. But I think with the amount of talent with this year’s draft and how the top three picks, I mean, Bailey, Harper, and Flag, they’re in their own tier. I think it’s going to cost more. And I think you start off obviously with pick six. Definitely pick 19 is going to be a consideration. And I think you have to tag a guy like Jordan P. And I love Jordan P, but and I’m not saying the Wizards should trade him, but again, you have to realize that it’s going to cost more. And if you’re will Dawkins and company, it’s going to if if you want to be that GM that changes a franchise, you’re going to have to make moves like that. moves where a lot of people are going to be turning their eye and saying, “Yo, what is this? What is like this is a this is a wrong move.” But in hindsight, in the future, it was the right move. And I’m not saying they should trade Jordan Pool, but the question that you as saying how what would it cost? I think it would cost a guy like Jordan a fringe all-star. I think he’s almost there. I think if the Wizards were a winning team last year, he would have made it. He just he’s gotten better every single day as as from his day from day one as a Wizard to now. And I just think the way he put the his head down when he became a six-man, got that role, got better in the offseason. and I think he’s a really good leader right now. Turning age 26 and still relatively young is hitting his prime. So, I think if you’re the Wizards, that’s one thing you have to consider that if you want to trade up, you’re going to have to trade a guy like Jordan Pool in order to get a top four, top three pick. Yeah. And I think that’s reasonable. Uh they they say fortune favors the bold. And perhaps the most bold move you could make is trading for a guy who was a former number one pick in Zion Williamson. Not too long ago, six years ago, he was seen as the transcendent star, the next best prospect since Anthony Davis. before that LeBron James, he hasn’t lived up to the hype in the sense of injuries and that is a concern and maybe that would make the the possibility for him to be traded because you see someone who’s so productive when he does play but his value is a little lower on the trade market because he’s you know the best availability is availability and maybe that makes him more accessible. So, how do you feel about trading for a guy like Zion and then or maybe Trey Young or or are there other guys that you think, you know, fortune favors the bold, let’s try to get a star to couple with the already impressive youthful core and the Wizards have a lot of picks coming up. So, maybe you try to find an established star rather than finding one through the draft, which as you’ve seen, drafting as the Wizards, but also as the history has dictated, it’s not that easy to find a star in the draft. Yeah. So, I think to start off with Zion Williamson, again, I was a huge fan of him when he came out of Duke. Number one overall pick, I just a an athlete to say the least. And I think when healthy and when he’s 100%, I think he is a top 10, top 50 NBA player in this in this league. But it’s just unfortunate because a lot of things have come his way. And for me, like, is it worth taking on that risk? bringing a guy at um very high ceiling but also like could alter your team chemistry. I a team that where you have so many young players. I mean also look at it in New Orleans like the fact that they they lost that many games with that much talent with Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson. Um the list goes on. It’s just it’s frustrating. Brandon Ingram and how much do you blame that on Zion? How much you blame that on the coaching staff? You can be the judge of that. But for a guy like Zion Williamson, you’re going to have to probably give up a lot because again he was a former first round pick and still relatively young. But it’s just is it worth to tackle on all the off the court issues and also needing a nutritionist? Um being monitored 247. To me, it’s a little unprofessional as a professional athlete to constantly being nagged about uh his your diet. It’s it you’re getting paid millions to play basketball, man. A kid sport. So, if you’re the Wizards, is it worth bringing a guy like Zan Williamson? I don’t know. I don’t know. To me, it’s not worth it because again, you want you want to build up the the through the draft and bring in a guy like Zion. Maybe this is a trade, not not particularly Zion Williamson, but maybe down the line you like I mentioned in the last episode, you make that Donovan Mitchell trade. You make that trade that wants to take you over the hump. And a guy like Trey Young who I think relatively young, but there’s only so much you could you could do with Trey Young and how much is that drop off between him and Jordan Pool? I don’t think it’s that big. But at the end of the day, I think those two guys are really good players. And I just think I just think it comes down to do the Wizards make that move uh way like down the line or do you think they make it now? I don’t think they make it now. I don’t know if they make it now, but I definitely think Trey Young’s better than Jordan P and and by a decent margin. And so if you were to feel as if Trey Young or Jordan pulls a fringe all-star getting a true established bonafide all-star, one of the best offensive players in in basketball to complement Alex Sar and his defensive capabilities, Bal Koulali, and you give up picks in the future because the Hawks are in purgatory of basketball. They they’ve made the play in a couple years in a row. They haven’t gotten great picks to help Trey Young. They’ve they have had injury issues. Uh I think there is a world in which that trade could happen. And I like I said, fortune favors the bold and these are the type of moves that have moved the needle for a couple of these teams. You look at the Knicks, they got Carl Anthony Towns and Mikuel Bridges. They were aggressive and they’re on the precipice making the Eastern Conference Finals. You look at the Pacers. Tyresese Hallebertton and Trey Young, I think, are very comparable basketball players. And they he’s got them in the back Eastern Conference Finals. So I I think trading for a guy like Zion Williamson or Trey Young is a good move for the Wizards because the Wizards have a surplus of picks and I understand there’s a good draft class coming. So maybe you do wait it out, but what’s the likelihood you find a player, whether you’re drafting one or six, one through six in fact, that that’s better than Zion Williamson, that’s better than Trey Young. There could be guys that are more conducive to winning, but that’s why they’re so rare. That’s why not getting Cooper Flag hurts so much for the Wizards amongst other teams, but I think that the Wizards have the core in place to make an aggressive move and find a guy that they think can be a star, even if not a superstar. Yeah. No. Um, just for clarification, I’m not saying Jordan Pool and Trey are in the same level. I kind of misinterpreted that, but I I just think getting a guy Trey Young at right now, do you think he makes that that leap of a difference where maybe down the line where the young guys get better, then maybe it makes more sense because you get guys with experience and you bring a guy like Trey Young who could, you know, Alexar would be more of a lob threat, opens up this offense in a whole different way. So, it’s going to be really interesting to see what the Wizards do. I still think they don’t trade for that guy just yet. I think maybe that’s a move that could be down in a year or two. And I I I’m satisfied with it. Again, I always mention how Michael uh Winger and Will Dawkins, I think they they have a lot of confidence in this roster. I mean, there’s a reason why um they traded uh DVD. They got a guy like Bub Carrington. That’s their guy. And I think he could definitely be uh that guard of the future for the Wizards with him and Jordan Pool with that with that good back court, potentially a good great back court. And and at the end of the day for the Wizards, there’s only so much you could do. And I think giving it give it another year. I think next year hoping to get 25 to 30 wins. That’s the goal. I think the year after is when you seriously consider making that playoff uh or at least getting that last playoff spot. So my my final question would be would you rather trade up in this draft and probably uh part with fewer assets and go for a guy like Dylan Harper or Ace Bailey, trade up a few picks to do so or uh go after the guy like Zion Trey who are going to cost more and you know they they fasttrack you a little bit but like you mentioned you may not get over the the summit and so therefore you could be shortch changing the process. What’s your read on that? Yeah, that’s an interesting question, Leif. I think if you’re the Wizards, getting a guy like Zion Williamson, if all things go right and there’s legit no distractions and he figures out a way to be that guy that the guy that he was coming out of Duke, I think you go after a guy like Williams who’s still relatively young and and you pair him up with Alexar with that Balak Koulali with the Jordan pool with above character with the Keshan George you have a really really nice core here in Washington and maybe you can make the argument that how it didn’t it didn’t work out in New Orleans. Why would it work? Why would it work in Washington? I don’t know. It’s going to be hard to justify that one. But I think a guy like Zan Whims and how I’m just I was a big fan of him coming out of college. I think that would be amazing. And who knows, Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, I mean, I think the ceiling is there, but will their game translate in the NBA? I don’t know. I don’t know. We’ll just have to see. I I’m still confident that they’re going to be really good players, but in due time, we’ll see. Well, one thing’s for certain, you need a star to go far in the NBA playoffs, and that’s the ultimate goal. Like you said, it might be a process for the Wizards, but you need a star. So, coming up next, we’re going to talk about the philosophy of what does it take to make a trade, what is the timeline, and maybe we’ll talk about just how much better Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper are than what will be available at six, and if it justifies the necessity for making a trade. All that and more straight ahead on Lockdown Wizards. The days are getting longer and the weather is warming up and people are spending more time outside which means it’s the perfect time to refresh your outdoor space. Whether you’re working with a big backyard or a small balcony, Wayfair has everything you made you need to make it feel more like you. And that’s what matters, feeling like yourself and your best self. 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Head to wayfair.com right now. That’s w a yf air.com. Wayfair, every style, every home. All righty. Welcome back to Lockdown Wizards. I’m Leaf Tuli joined by Abdullah Aayubi. We’ve been talking about the draft of course and we’ve thrown out some possibilities of trades for guys like Zion Williamson, Trey Young. Abdullah mentioned Donovan Mitchell who’s a little bit older but you see that he can be an all-NBA guy despite losing in the playoffs. You you know the ultimate goal is the playoffs. So my question to you is the the thought around teams like the Wizards, like the Jazz, like the Hornets, the the thought is you rebuild and you have enough chances in the draft, you’re going to find your guy. The the case uh the proof in the pudding is the Pistons. They’ve had five the fifth pick three straight years and they made the playoffs but they did get the one once. The Wizards just got the two with Alex R and perhaps got the best player in the draft. They go to six and there are some good options. We’ve talked about them as Nazium. Uh you look at Derek Green, common model watch, Trey Johnson, guys like that. But how important is it to find that guy and how much better are Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey? Because Cooper flags off the table. The Mavericks said they’re not going to take any trades uh whatsoever. They’re just taking Cooper Flag. Done deal. How much better are those guys than the guys at six? And does it make it worthwhile to fasttrack and try to find one of those guys as the star of the Washington Wizards? Yeah, I think like I mentioned earlier, I think Flag, Bailey, and Harper on their own tier. I think do I I don’t know. I don’t know if I want to say it’s a big drop off after the top three, but I mean again, there’s a reason why if the Wizards had fell to two or three that we still would have been satisfied as Wizards fans, but you got pick six, so that’s another story. But I think if if you’re the Wizards, how much confidence do you have in an Ace Bailey and a Don Harper? And how much do you also factor in the fact that you want to go with the guy that best fits your need on this roster? And I I’ve been saying it for a while. I think it is Ace Bailey. And I think Ace Bailey is has that ability to be a better pro a better NBA player than Dylan Harper just because of his unique combination of athleticism and skill and the and the way he can definitely be a key a defender and something that we add him to defender list of Keshan George Alexar Bak Kulabali getting that theme of being a good team defensively here in DC but also I mean offensively the way he can move and be a three-le scoreer I think that’s something you have to consider and and maybe if the price is right and you want it you think that trading up for a guy like him and you’re just so confident that he can be that franchise changing guy, you do it. And down the line, you consider that Donovan Mitchell type move like I mentioned. But I think right now just because of how much you’re going to give up, I think the more the better better option, the more safer option is go for a guy like Dylan Harp or or Ace Bailey. And I just think a guy like Zimson Trey Young teams are going to want a lot especially since also the Hawks in the Eastern Conference. You might there might be some tacks there as well. I’m just putting trying to think of a lot of scenarios, but I think if if you’re the Wizards, why not go for another a young guy? Take a swing on it, man. I think with all these young guys that we have on this roster, like uh eventually all these guys are going to it’s it’s it’s it’s crazy because again, the Wizards never had a problem where it’s too much talent for so for a year ago or even two years ago, not too long ago, it was we don’t have enough talent, but now you can make the argument that there’s going to be too much talent that eventually you’re going to have to trade one of these young guys uh to make that uh push to get you as a contender. So, if you’re the Wizards, I one thing you have to be happy about is also as a Wizards fan that you have a lot of options. I think for so long here in DC, there was limitations on bad contracts, um, bad trades, trading young guys at the at the wrong time. And I think right now being a Wizards fan, it’s the best time because, and I get it, it does suck getting picked number six, but you also have to realize that there’s just so much talent still there after the top three. And it’s going to be interesting to see how the Wizards attack this draft. See, I agree with a lot of what you said. I I do think Harper’s the better prospect than Bailey despite Bailey fitting the more prototypical archetype of being the top guy. Uh you if if Bailey pans out and is a scoreer, you look at a guy who’s similar to Paul George. As for Harper, I heard a comparison that that said you can kind of blend guys like Cade Cunningham, Jaylen Brunson, and James Harden and take attributes from all the above. And all those dudes are all all NBA performers in different levels. they they played differently and obviously James Harden’s peak was a a level that’s ahead of all these guys. But what that what stands out to me about that is James Harden uh has this shooting ability that that’s very very rare. But I think the similarity there is that Dylan Harper can get to the paint at will much like James Harden could in his prime years. And he can distribute the ball if his shooting comes around. He’s ever so dangerous and I think it’s very worthwhile for the Wizards to try to trade up. There’s a reason that the Bucks now seem likely to trade with uh Giannis and and look at Dylan Harper as a serviceable return. Obviously, they’d want more for Giannis, who I think is the second best player in the world, but my point being is I think Dylan Harper is the type of guy that the Wizards should take a swing for. Ace Bailey, I think I’d have a little more pause because I don’t know if the difference between he and Trey Johnson is enormously vast, though I am higher on Ace Bailey. But here’s the question I’ve got for you. Would you, if you were to say, hey, at the end of the rookie contract, four years into their NBA career, what would you say the expectation is for a guy like Ace Bailey and whether it’s on the Wizards or any other team, uh, what just kind of a points, rebounds, assists, maybe maybe if they have an all-star in their in those four years, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper versus a guy like Derek Queen, like what is the disparity in the early returns? That’s another good question, Leif. I think just because of them them being that top three pick there’s going to be more expectations compared to a Derrick Queen who’s probably going to be there at six or seven or eight. So, I expect that for a guy like Ace Ben Harour, the way that they’re being talked about, maybe in year two or year, I don’t know if that’s too early, but maybe an all-star appearance when it comes to points per game, maybe at year year two, maybe even let’s say year three at 20 points per game because again, a lot of people are talking about their high offensive upside. And for a guy like Derek Queen, I think even though it’s okay for the game to it take a little longer to translate for any player. I mean, if you do it quicker than others, hey, that’s good on you. But just because you’re slower than others doesn’t mean anything. So for a guy like Derek Queen, I think he could definitely um year two year three make that leap of being that uh I don’t want to say top 10, but maybe top 15 center then eventually down the line get better and better. And I think if you pair him with Alex Sar, I think just the fact that they could definitely complement each other really good and you have a guy like Jordan P who could when pick and rolls pick and pops with him. I I I think you’re in a really good position to uh understand that hey, even if you don’t get a guy like Ace Bailey or Dylan Harper, guys like Derek Queen could be a really key contributor and a guy who’s played on the big stage, a guy who played with Cooper at Mount Vern. So, he’s been uh he’s been through it all and also a guy like Trey Johnson we mentioned. So, there when we really think about it, like outside the top three, there is a lot of young talent. It’s just how the Wizards want to go, what direction do they want to go? Do they want to get that wing that they desperately uh need if block doesn’t take that year three jump offensively or do you want to um go for a big man and Derek Queen? And you also got to mention that you also have pick 19. So that that do you double down on a position? Do you want to switch it up and go for a guard? We’ll just have to see when the draft comes. Yeah. Yeah, and that’s an interesting perspective and and coming up in a moment, we’re going to talk about some guys that could fall out of the top 10 and perhaps are too appealing for the Wizards to to let try to fall to 18. I think I misled us yesterday by saying 19 because they had 19 last year. It’s pick 18. They I I think there’s going to be some guys that fall there. But my last point on Ace Bailey is the guy can score in a phone booth. Like he doesn’t need any separation, but that’s also his knock is that he takes tough shots. And the question is, can he get easier ones? because he shot incredibly well with contested catch and shoots. He shot well off the dribble when guarded. His open ones strangely were a bit uh inaccurate, but you know that the shot looks effortlessly uh effortless to score and he scored 39 in a Big 10 game, which is a league known for playing at a slower pace. He scored 37 and these are against big-time athletes as a 18-year-old. He’s now 19. He’s he’s physically still a project. So, there is an appeal, but you know, it takes two to tango. Who is the Wizards trading partner? Is it the 76ers? I think the Spurs are a little ambitious. It’s unlikely that you can give a package that allures to the Spurs who obviously have when Benyama and are drafting two and have Darren Fox and have the reigning rookie of the year. So, is it the 76ers who do appear in more of a win now mode? Uh, and is that an appealing trade to go six to three and and hope that you can get Ace Bailey, which I know you’re very high on. So, you had Ace Bailey as the higher than Dylan Harper. very well could be right, but do you think the the riskreward is worthwhile if it is the 76ers? Yeah. So, I think for the Sixers right now, I think that would be the team that makes the most sense that you trade with and you got Jared Kane, you got Tyres Max, I mean Joel Embiid situation and I mean Paul George, they definitely want to contend with that much time that they have on that roster, at least time that they think that they have. And um I I don’t see why not. It’s it’s going to cost it’s going to cost a lot. It’s going to cost something for sure. I think you start off with pick six, other first round pick and then again a guy like Jordan P could definitely be a consideration. But if you’re the Wizards, if you really really really think Ace Bailey could be that guy, why not? Again, like I always me like I mentioned earlier, the the one thing that separates normal GMs from the really great ones is that they make that that swing. They make that trade that people again say, “Hey, what are you doing there?” But down the line it was the right move. So if you’re will Dawkins, why not, man? Again, you get a guy in Ace Bailey, you pair him up um with Alex Sar, with the Balak Kulabal, with all this young talent on this roster down the line could make that uh what what he did in OKC, get all that young talent and translate it into a contender in in due time. Yeah. And I think it really depends on the evaluation of Ace Bailey because I don’t think you move up if it’s for VJ Edgecom with the understanding of the athleticism that you have already in employed. Uh the ball in hand guy like Bub Carrington could play with VJ. I just don’t think you take the risk of moving up for a guy that potentially could be there. I think it’s unlikely he falls to sixth. And Trey Johnson is a guy I have ranked higher on my personal big board than VJ Edgecom. So, it really depends on the Wizards analysis of Ace Bailey and how much they believe in his superstardom chances. And he’s a guy that could fall, not not necessarily to six, but I’ve heard rumblings that he falls to five and and could fall. So, maybe that trade partner is is more amunable to making a trade than you may think. Considering how many people say it’s a three-man draft, it sounds like the NBA Rumblings are not as convinced of that and believe that there’s people who can infiltrate that top three and therefore make some Wizards fans more skeptical of trading for that guy in the top three if some teams don’t believe in it. Anyway, we’re going to talk about some guys in the draft that may fall out of the top 10, but probably won’t make it to 18 who are too tempting to let fall and the Wizards should go make a run for and then we’ll maybe touch on free agency. Should the wizards stand pad or are there some names that stand out to us in the upcoming free agency? All that and more ahead on Locked on Wizards. Welcome back to Lockdown Wizards. I’m Leaf Tulene and I’m joined by Abdullah Aub. All week long we’ve had a blast talking about the draft despite the unfortunate results of the lottery placing the Wizards at six. But like we mentioned, the Wizards have pick 18 along with pick six. that could also be used as a trade ship. But maybe, just maybe, the Wizards find strength in numbers. Like last season, they found three very good picks that if you were to do a reddraft after one season, the Wizards might have three top 15 rookies. Probably do. So, are there players, Abdullah, that you see in this draft that you say, “Oh, I wouldn’t take them at six, but if they’re there at 11, 12, I couldn’t couldn’t stand Patton wait, and you really want to get in a Washington Wizards uniform.” Yeah, I definitely I think the guy the the big man out of Duke is definitely a consideration. I think especially I mean if you if you go with Derrick Queen at six and you want to trade back in to that top 10 top 12 range. Uh Malu I think with his defensive upside him playing at Duke also playing on the big stage it matters. I mean, playing at um elite programs uh hopefully will translate into the NBA. And I think a guy like him who has wingspan plus seven foot and pair him with Alex Sar, I mean it’s going to be hard to get any shot up over them. So I think that’s a guy definitely consider a guy that um I mean I I think he might be there at pick 18, but if if you’re scared that he’s not going to be there, Danny Wolf, that’s a guy that we I’ve been talking about for a while. I think offensively the way he moves at his size just moves like a a guard and it’s just it’s hard to get guys like that in today’s league. I mean, it’s becoming a common theme, but to get a guy that can do that and actually at a a really good level, it’s difficult. So, maybe you want to trade up for a guy like Danny Wolf and it’s just a lot of young talent on this in this draft is just with the Wizards, what what position do you address? Do you want to go for that best player available and do you want to trade up for that best player or do you want to sit back and just say, “Oh, he fits our need. Let’s go with him. The the interesting part is you’ve alluded to this numerous times. The Wizards came out of a poor draft with three very good players last year and it was a draft that was not well regarded at the top but also not that well regarded in terms of depth and the Wizards came away three for three with hits on the draft board. This year I don’t think there’s a necessity to trade up because the difference between 12 and 18 isn’t super vast. However, you know, there are some guys that stand out and you say, “Man, I love the way this guy plays.” Think of Jaylen Williams for the Thunder. He he failed the 12 and the Thunder did have 11 and 12, but most mocks had him about 25. Then he went to the combine and balled out. So, a couple guys that stand out to me that fill a glaring deficiency and need. You’ve talked about it numerous times. Rebounding, securing possessions, and you you mentioned Danny Wolf as a potential guy who fits that. Asa Newell is a guy from Georgia who’s been well regarded, often mocked in the lottery. I don’t know if you need to trade up for him, but that’s one that comes to mind. And another one that I think would be very intriguing, especially given the French connection with Bal Koulabali as well as Alexar, is Noah Asen. He plays for a team in Germany, but he’s French. Scores about 19 points a game, gets eight boards. He’s not a proven shooter, but he’s got tremendous traits. 69, about 200 pounds, crazy long arms, and you know, most those guys who are uh, you know, baby giraffe types typically don’t attack the rim. They’re more, oh, this guy has potential. This guy’s got a bit of substance to him, scoring 19 a game in a professional league and gets to the free throw line at an alarming rate as not a big guy, but rather a wing. So, I think there’s some more tools there and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a draft day riser. Yeah, know a guy like AC New is definitely someone you could consider with his upside and his um his size and physicality. He also I think played among Redwood Derek and Cooper flag. a lot of talent coming out of there and and again um it’s you have who knows maybe even package some second round picks that you have or some pick swaps that you again there’s just there’s so many options for Wizards fan and like I mentioned hitting on all three draft picks uh last year and a weak draft class for me that’s just another reason why like I get it having pick six it does hurt but if a guy like Will Dawkins and his crew can hit on all three draft picks draft picks in a weak draft class why can you do it in a way stronger draft class for sure. And then if you were to look at wings, which is the other position you’ve you’ve mentioned, and you don’t necessarily want to go the free agency route, a guy that would be under a rookie contract and you could be plugandplay, Liam McNeely seems as a like a possibility to be there at 18, but likely off the board. He played at Yukon under Dan Hurley, so he’s undoubtedly very well schooled, knockdown shooter. uh he plays physically very competitive and he was perpetuated into the number one option on a team that had high hopes and a freshman usually crumble under that and so his efficiency is not amazing but the fact that he scored 38 and 10 joining the likes of Kevin Durant Michael Beasley and and guys like that uh to have 35 plus and 10 on a road game in college basketball stand out to me. And then a guy who’s more toolsy which fits a lot of what the Wizards have done is Carter Bryant. I’d imagine he’s gone by 18, but he’s a guy that I think can fit a lot of roles. He’s very versatile, long arm, very strong athlete. Uh, so we’ve talked about some of these guys. If you got any more, feel free to shout him out. But there’s another route to adding depth and play pieces, and that’s free agency. The Wizards, however, have a lot of young pieces that you want to get more time. So, how do they thread the needle and find a way to, you know, maybe get a veteran to lead the way or do they just trust the youth movement and the development staff of the the coaching staff? Yeah. So, I think especially since I feel like a lot a lot of those free agents are probably going to stay or go to contenders. I think right now if you’re the Wizards organization, I don’t think there’s any need of throwing money um um like it’s nothing and throw it in a guy who’s is not worth that value. That was a common theme of the past regimes where you just overpay for guys and expect them to make a be a contributor and it clearly didn’t work out the way that a lot of us Wizards fan wanted it to work out. So I think let the let the youth movement go. I think especially since you haven’t seen a guy like Sadique Bay play who before injury was averaging 15 to 20 points per game. So you still have guys like him. You still have some really good veterans on this team that can definitely be mentors for these young guys. And I just think throwing a money like like there’s no need to me. It’s it’s kind of a it’s a dumb thing to do because at the end of the day, you want to you want to make sure that these young guys are that that’s what the emphasis is on. You trust these young guys. You trust the development of these young guys. And I think Will Dawkins and Mike Wing are going to do that. I just think there’s no need of throwing money around like it’s nothing on free agency, especially teams are probably not right now want to come to DC just because again like there’s going to be so much emphasis on the young guys. But down the line, I feel like DC is going to be an option where, hey, there’s so much talent there. Why not go there? Yeah, that’s an interesting perspective because often these youthful teams need a vet and perhaps the the vet uh of the team, Malcolm Brogden, is a guy that could be on his way out, though Chris Middleton likely resigns with with the Wizards in terms of the player option. So, uh, the reason I bring this up as a possibility is, you know, you typically want to time your free agency additions when when you have the the core that can contend you, that’s when you want to pay your money. Whereas the Wizards have so many youthful pieces, then you don’t pay the money and then you have the money for that. But at a certain point, you need to find players before they’re valued as such. What I mean by that is is there a reclamation project type of free agent that the Wizards believe in correctly identify their skills and they get a steal on the market. So then they have a supplementary piece that doesn’t cost a fortune but is an established NBA player should they draft a star whether they strike goal at six should they trade up whether they make a trade. So I think there’s always a room to navigate. Uh you could maybe throw a restricted free agency offer at Quentyn Grimes. Santi Alama are a couple of guys that I think are undervalued in the NBA uh and could be a worthwhile role player. Gary Trent Jr. is another one who played well in the playoffs who’s going to draw some attention that I think you put him on the Wizards and it’s not necessarily a guy that moves the needle, but once you have the the guy, those are very good complimentary pieces. So, those are a couple pieces that I would consider. And one just, this is a strange one, but Nick Batum because of the French players on this team, he’s a very good vet. He plays winning basketball, so I’d imagine he doesn’t want to go to a team that’s in a rebuild process, but maybe you lure him away with a little little extra cash. Um, what do you think of those guys? Yeah. No, I think I think Quinn Grimes just because of how his emergence and re in the recent playoffs, I think he’s gonna probably want a lot of money. He came out of nowhere. Nick Batum, I get the French connection, but I I just feel like at the end of the day, I mean, you want I think he wants to be on a contender and just right now wouldn’t make sense for at the point of his career playing at a team like Washington where right now they’re probably not going to make I don’t even say probably they will not make the playoffs next year. It’s going to be very difficult. A lot of things have to go right for it to happen. But um yeah, I just don’t think it would make sense right now at this point of his career. Yeah, I I think it’s worthwhile to throw out the the veteran mentorship, but I agree with you in that assessment. Well, let us know guys in the comments if you find if you have any free agents or guys that we didn’t mention as trade targets because the Wizards need to make moves in the offseason both via the draft and and perhaps during free agency and definitely should be at least acknowledging the possibility of making trades to make their roster better because they’ve got a lot of options. That’s the luxury. Let us know in the comments what you think. Thank you once again for making Lockdown Wizards your first listen today. And for your second listen, check out Lockton NBA game night. every game, every night until an NBA champion is crowned. Get local analysis on a national scale. Find NBA Game Night on Locked on NBA on YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast. And thank you for tuning in. Uh we’ll see you guys tomorrow and appreciate you guys for listening and let us know if you want to hear about any specific players and we’ll give you the in-depth coverage. So, we’re definitely reachable. Uh and we appreciate your support all the time.

In this episode of Locked on Wizards, hosts Leaf Tulin and Abdullah Ayubi discuss potential trade scenarios for the Washington Wizards following their sixth pick in the NBA draft lottery. They explore the possibility of trading up for top prospects like Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, or pursuing established stars such as Zion Williamson and Trae Young. The hosts debate the merits of aggressive moves versus patient rebuilding, considering the Wizards’ recent success in drafting young talent. They also touch on potential free agency targets and the importance of finding a star player to elevate the team’s playoff aspirations. Throughout the discussion, they analyze the risk-reward balance of various strategies to improve the Wizards’ roster.

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