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The time is now for the Washington Wizards to blow it up

By Matt H

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 25: Bradley Beal #3 Otto Porter Jr. #22 and John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards pose for a portrait during Media Day on September 25, 2017 at Capital One Center in Washington DC. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 25: Bradley Beal #3 Otto Porter Jr. #22 and John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards pose for a portrait during Media Day on September 25, 2017 at Capital One Center in Washington DC. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images /

Why trade John Wall?

John Wall enters the 2018-19 season coming off another disappointing campaign where he missed half the season due to a knee injury, the third of his career, only to rejoin the team for an early playoff exit, this time to the Toronto Raptors.

Add in the fact that Wall’s pending supermax salary finally kicks in after next season, bumping him from $19.1 million all the way to an average of  $42.3 million over the next four years, and it’s now or never for the Wizards to move on from John Wall.

Quick note before we dive into the trade scenarios.

The trades mentioned in this article were filtered through the NBA Trade Machine in order to successfully match player salaries. However, player fit, return of assets and each team’s overall willingness to trade were key factors to determine if the scenario was feasible. If salaries were the sole factor, technically I should be able to trade John Wall and Ian Mahinmi for Stephen Curry.

(Actually, what would be required to pull off this trade? Would the Wizards have to hit Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers over the head with a two by four? Hold his family for ransom? Aside from committing multiple felonies, I went with a more conventional approach.)

Here’s how the Wizards move No. 1:

The Lakers get an immediate star in John Wall to play along side LeBron James for the next few years in addition to Markieff Morris, whose salary is set to expire after the upcoming season and can provide additional comic relief to the bizarre series of Lakers offseason additions. Factor in the Lakers’ ability to print money so they can absorb Wall’s pending supermax deal and the trade makes even more sense.

As for the Wizards? They shed Wall’s mega contract, take on Luol Deng‘s garbage deal of $18.4 million over the next two years and net two young talents in Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart as future centerpieces of the Washington franchise in addition to an extra first round pick. Also, the opportunity to bring Lonzo’s dad LaVar Ball to the D.C. swamp was too good to pass up.

I’m just getting warmed up. Who’s next?

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