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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 Bradley Beal?

The final big piece of the Washington Wizards’ rebuild is Bradley Beal and his five-year deal worth $127.1 million, which was also signed during the 2016 contract fiesta. So far, Beal has lived up to his end of the bargain. He answered his durability questions, made his first All-Star game last season and has averaged 22.6 points a game as a secondary offensive option. Why move on?

Because the goal is to blow it up, not pay Beal an average of $27.1 million for the next three years so he can put up good stats on a bad Wizards team. I will admit, this one took a bit more research to find a willing trade partner.

The deal gives the Pelicans an additional scorer to join their young, talented roster featuring Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and Julius Randle. Actually, I kind of like this move a lot for the Pelicans, who need to do anything within their power to convince Davis to sign a supermax contract extension next summer.

In return, Washington gets two salaries that come off the books completely by the end of 2019 in Nikola Mirotic and Solomon Hill, more financial breathing room and another future first round pick.

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To recap, the Wizards have zero current salary flexibility to add any relevant players to their roster and the situation was actually set to get worse over the next 3-4 years. This rebuild achieves its No. 1 goal of shedding the top three salaries owed to John Wall, Otto Porter Jr. and Bradley Beal, who combine for over 90 percent of the Wizards’ annual total salary cap until 2021-22.

In the process, the Wizards get Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, three additional future first round draft picks (which increase in value with the end of the NCAA “one and done” rule coming as early as 2020), multiple expiring veteran trade assets in Mirotic, Deng, Hill and Barnes to help acquire even more draft picks, and most of all, financial freedom.

So I know what you’re asking now: Why on Earth would Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld ever do this? He’s the one whose terrible vision is the main reason the Wizards are stuck in this position in the first place!

Well, drastic times call for drastic measures, meaning the Wizards would have to start off the entire rebuild by firing Ernie Grunfeld first.

But then the question remains, who can pull it off? Who in the history of the NBA has demonstrated the ability to completely blow up a roster and start from scratch?

Enter Sam Hinkie.

Next. 2018 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far. dark

That’s right, it’s time for the Washington Wizards to blow it up and trust the Process.

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