The Wizards are expected to be busy leading up to the NBA trade deadline and losses like their 116-87 debacle to the Celtics on Sunday place a bigger spotlight on the team’s need to make moves over the coming weeks.
How the team’s frontcourt shakes out will be an interesting development. Thomas Bryant (ACL) recently returned to the team and it has led to a decreased role for Daniel Gafford despite Gafford remaining in the starting lineup. With Montrezl Harrell also in the fold, as well as Rui Hachimura and Kyle Kuzma (both candidates to see time at the five in small-ball lineups), it’s likely that one of the centers are included in a trade should one come to fruition over the next few weeks.
Bryant seems like the least likely to be traded; he’s a front office favorite and his outside shooting makes him a great fit with a multitude of lineup combinations in Washington.
Trading Harrell comes with risk given that Bryant is coming off an injury and Gafford’s history of foul troubles, though it’s fair to wonder if the Rich Paul client would net the team the most in a deal. The big man is making $9.72 million on an expiring deal and has proven he can make an impact in a role off the bench for a contending team. I’d expect Tommy Sheppard to swing for a major deal over the coming weeks, though short of that, dealing Harrell along with another piece for an upgrade elsewhere on the roster could be a sound maneuver.
More NBA Rumors, News & Notes
- Warriors have no plans to add center to roster: Golden State is without Draymond Green (calf/back) and there’s still no timetable for James Wiseman to make his season. Yet, the team has no plans to trade for or sign a big man at this time, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
- Latest on Zach Lavine: The All-Star guard is re-joining the team on the road in Oklahoma City on Monday and could suit up vs. the Thunder (via Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic). LaVine has missed the past five games because of a knee injury. JaVonte Green (abductor) could also return to the lineup on Monday, which is even more good news for a team that is expected to be without Lonzo Ball (knee) and Alex Caruso (broken wrist).
- Latest on Lakers’ pursuit of Jerami Grant: Los Angeles has reportedly put Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn, and a 2027 first-round pick on the table for Grant, though longtime NBA journalist Marc Stein hears that the offer hasn’t moved the Pistons. Grant is expected to be one of the most coveted players on the trade market leading up to the February 10 deadline.
- What teams make sense for Paul Millsap? The Nets and Millsap have agreed to find a trade for the power forward and we examined some possible destinations, including the Utah Jazz.
- Joel Embiid credits fatherhood, bubble loss for elevated game: Austin Krell of the Painted Lines details how Embiid took a hard look in the mirror after the Sixers’ disappointing loss in the 2019-20 playoffs. “So just felt like, between Drew — my trainer — and nutritionist, we needed to find a way to make sure I felt great about my body and also about my game,” Embiid said. “I also saw it as an opportunity to kind of actually make use of the talent that I have. And obviously, becoming a father is probably the biggest part of it because I want my son to look at his dad and I want to set the bar high for him.”
- J.B. Bickerstaff continues to preach consistency: The Cavaliers have exceeded expectations this season and part of their success is not overlooking any games, such as the contest over the weekend against the Thunder. “It’s an understanding of the bigger picture of what we’re trying to get done and the seriousness of every game for us and what it means,” Bickerstaff said (via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “That’s part of our growth and maturation. There’s games like this where if you lose these games, you’re looking back in April and they matter.”
- Latest on Bradley Beal: Despite Beal not signing a contract extension during the season, the Wizards have no plans to trade the star. Beal has financial reasons to wait until the offseason to sign a new deal rather than signing an extension now.
