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Why the Washington Wizards may be better off without Otto Porter Jr.

By Randy Porga

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 30: Otto Porter Jr. #22 of the Washington Wizards looks on during the fourth quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on April 30, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Cetics defeat the Wizards 123-111. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 30: Otto Porter Jr. #22 of the Washington Wizards looks on during the fourth quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on April 30, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Cetics defeat the Wizards 123-111. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Amid all the action from 2017 NBA free agency, Otto Porter Jr. accepting terms with the Brooklyn Nets may not be a huge loss to the Washington Wizards.

With all the non-stop breaking news in the past week, it can be hard to keep up with who is going where. Already just one week into July and several teams have swapped stars or even changed their rosters from top to bottom. In the latest news, the Washington Wizards are no exception.

According to Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post, Otto Porter Jr. agreed to terms with the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets offered a four-year contract worth $106 million to Porter, a restricted free agent who would be joining a team that is broken and in the middle of rebuilding. Porter accepting these terms makes sense financially, since he will be hoping the Wizards match so he can earn his payday and still remain on a playoff team.

Although the deal is not yet official, the Wizards do have until noon on July 8 to match the offer. But at what cost should the Wizards retain Porter, and will doing so be effective in the long term?

Wizards may be better off down the line

While John Wall has yet to accept his max contract offer, the Wizards have several directions to take. Otto Porter Jr. has proven to be talented and remarkable from the field, finishing the season making 51.6 percent of his attempts from the field.

However, with only four years and 266 games played under his belt, is a max contract warranted for his performance?

Overall, it would seem like a resounding yes is the answer, but with the talent-packed four of Wall, Beal, Morris and Gortat it does not seem like Porter’s best destination individually.

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    • While the Washington Wizards are currently heavy contenders in the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets are quite the opposite. They finished 20-62 during the regular season and are in need of a reliable star.

    Between John Wall and Bradley Beal taking a majority of the scoring opportunities, its clear that Porter has trouble finding opportunities of his own. Porter scored only 13.4 points per game this season despite his prolific accuracy from the field and playing 32.6 minutes per game.

    Without a doubt the Washington Wizards would have trouble filling his shoes, as his reliability was certainly an asset through the 2016-17 season. However there are several forwards still available on the market to suit their needs and for less money than Porter is currently commanding.

    One prospect would be Rudy Gay, following Gordon Hayward‘s recent departure from the Utah Jazz.

    Rudy Gay is much more established in his position and offers much more experience with his 10 seasons in the league. While he only played 30 games for the 2016-17 season, he finished with a 45.5 field goal percentage while scoring 18.7 points in 33 minutes per game.

    In this offer, the Nets have everything to gain and nothing to lose by offering Porter a max contract. Its likely their best chance of landing a key piece for the long-term to build around this offseason.

    Other players worth mentioning that are still available if the Wizards let Porter go are sure to draw interest. Andre Roberson, Johnathan Simmons and Bojan Bogdanovic are all still available if the Wizards are unwilling to make a move for Rudy Gay.

    Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

    Only time will tell which direction the Washington Wizards will go, and they are on the clock until this Saturday afternoon.

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