Washington Wizards: If the playoffs are Plan A, then what’s Plan B?

Pivot focus to the upcoming draft

If the season is lost, albeit in just a sense due to other underlying factors, then the Washington Wizards should pivot all focus to the upcoming draft. They landed a future starter in Hachimura last season with the eighth overall pick, and they’re slated to pick in the same range again this year.

The 2020 Draft presents a clear fork in the road for Washington; the Wizards are as liable to trade down in return for more assets as they are to trade up for a potential top-5 pick.

Depending on Wall’s timeline, and what kind of vibes Beal has given off to the coaching staff and front office, Washington could really lean either way.

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They’re on the cusp of contending in the Eastern Conference with their current roster when it’s healthy all at one time, so they may end up prioritizing the present over the future.

And the upcoming class features more question marks than in previous years, loaded with talent at the guard position. If Washington’s goal is to find Wall’s successor in the next two to three years, then this might be their best chance to draft a young point guard.

At the same time, a lot of teams around the league are growing uneasy with their positioning in the standings, and could be looking to move assets and trade up for more of a “surefire” talent. Teams will no doubt come knocking on Washington’s door about their lottery pick, and some offers will prove harder to ignore than others.

For the Wizards, the upcoming draft reinforces the caution they have to take with their current timeline, for it is a fine line between contention and rebuild. Will they continue to go young and bolster their roster with pieces for the future, or go all in once again with eyes on a championship?

The Washington Wizards are still in the playoff picture. Their chances may be slim, but a team with nothing to lose is one of the most dangerous to disregard. A month from now you may be here reading a preview of their first-round matchup, or on the silver linings to a postseason-less year.

But as the fuzzy image that is their playoff position becomes more clear, it’ll be on the coaching staff and front office to be ready for anything. Things change quickly in the NBA, and if you’re not ahead of the curve, then you’re nearly five steps behind everyone else.