NBA writer and podcast host Andrew Sharp is one of the perhaps few who doesn’t seem to like what the Wizards did to move Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis (and later CP3).
“It’s a complicated spectrum of emotions; with this new era of the Wizards, relative to the last 10 years or so where we feel like we’ve been competing for ninth place, fans should be excited,” Sharp told the Sports Junkies Monday. “But relative to some who think the last week was some master stroke, I’m a little bit underwhelmed. They kicked off the new era by getting relatively nothing in their first three trades…and there was nothing out there forcing them to do these deals now.”
The Beal trade, to Sharp, was the most egregious of the three.
“With Beal in particular, they let his agent treat it like free agency. There was no attempt to go back to him and ask for five teams he’d consider to create a bidding war,” Sharp said. “It was basically let Mark Bartelstein do whatever he wants. In the big picture, the team is moving in the right direction, but there’s an alternate timeline I wonder about where they trade Porzingis and then tell Beal they’ll trade him if he’s willing to work with them – but if he’s only willing to waive his no-trade clause for one team, we won’t move you.
It’s a no-trade clause, not a must-trade clause, and the Wizards didn’t want to go that direction.”
Bish replied by saying we don’t know what was said behind closed doors, and we also don’t know if the Wizards (or Beal) felt any other potential offers were better for either party – so the Suns could’ve been the best possible deal that Beal would approve?
“Right, so you have to wonder, if he’s ony going to approve one team, why are we trading him now? People look at getting out of contract as a miracle and just etting out if it is reason to celebrate – I agree it’s a bad contract, but he has value. He was not post-injury John Wall, he could help a number of teams as a complimentary star. That’s why, again, I understand the front office’s thinking to get it done and move on, it’s not worth celebrating, because they didn’t do anything all that impressive in giving him away for a handful of second-roind picks. The new era will sink or swim depending on how well they can do things other regimes weren’t able to do – and I’m not doing backflips about what they did to kick-off this rebuild.”
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EB jumped in and said he’s anti-tank, but it’s apparent the Wizards are trying that strategy – so what is the balancing act between developing young players and ensuring a chance at the No. 1 pick?
“They are well on their way to having a Bottom 3 season next year based on the roster,” Sharp said. “The reason to want that is because for so long, the Wizards have been content making or being around the playoffs, and a lot of fans have checked out because the tea doesn’t have grander ambitions.
It seems like the front office wants to lay the foundation to build a team that matters, and if that means tanking for a year of two, I’m okay with that, and I think they’re well-positioned to do it.”
But that brought Sharp to another point about the trades – why take good players like Tyus Jones and Danilo Gallinari back, even as expiring contracts, and take the chance they actually perform and help the team be better than wanted or anticipated?
““And why do we have Poole? That sort of broke me, wondering what was the point and what we’re trying to achieve?” Sharp asked. “Salary would be front office’s argument, but I would have kept Chris Paul if that was the case and try to trade him as an expiring contract because he has value.
Although, Poole is a gunner and will help them lose games, and he had alienated some people in Golden State.”
There has to be a certain level of salary, so maybe that’s it…and maybe they can become trade bait?
Listen to Sharp’s entire segment with the Junkies above!
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