Two NBA seasons have passed since the Washington Wizards last made the playoffs, and while that may not seem like a long time ago, this organization has changed dramatically over the years. In 2017, the Wizards had a core of John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr. This team looked like it was going to be a force in the Eastern Conference in the near future, but now, the core is Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal and a bunch of young talent unproven in rookie contracts.
The Washington Wizards were one of the most aggressive teams in the past off-season as they made the biggest deal of the year, acquiring former NBA MVP Russel Westbrook of the Houston Rockets in exchange for John Wall and a 2023 first-round pick protected by the lottery.
Pairing Russel Westbrook with Bradley Beal made many believe that Washington could be a legitimate playoff team in the East, but things did not go as they expected. The Wizards are currently between 5 and 13 and one of the worst teams in the entire league.
As a result of the lack of success, there have been many commercial rumors related to Bradley Beal’s future with the organization. He wants to win now and is at the height of his career. He currently leads the league in scoring and is one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league and, unless he receives more help, he can request a switch.
Although they thought getting Westbrook would solve many of their problems, Washington looks worse than it did last season, and as a result, they could try and see if anyone would be willing to negotiate for Russell Westbrook. With them also struggling this season, the Mavericks could be a team that could potentially be interested in Westbrook to get Luka Doncic’s help.
Dallas is currently out of the Western Conference playoffs, and while there is still a lot of basketball to be played, they have really struggled to find production outside of Luka Doncic this year. Could the Mavericks shock the NBA world and negotiate to acquire the former Wizards League MVP?