Re-signing Davis Bertans is a priority for the Washington Wizards. The question remains, how much is he worth in NBA free agency?
The Washington Wizards have made it no secret they want to resign Davis Bertans. The Latvian Laser is coming off a year in which he set career highs in points, assists, rebounds, blocks, steals, and minutes per game. Standing a robust 6’10” and owning a career 3-point shooting percentage of 41.1, Bertans is the prototypical stretch power forward or center for the modern NBA. In a weak NBA free agency class, players with Bertans’ combination of height and shooting will be on every team’s wish-list.
The market for Bertans’ services could see him be this year’s most sought after free agent. His coveted skill-set combined with him not being a player who will command a massive salary will allow most of the league to chase his signature.
However, the Washington Wizards have a distinct advantage over other interested parties by being able to go above and beyond the salary-cap to retain his services. With the salary cap projected to be at $115 million and the Wizards current salary commitments for the 2020-21 season starting at $101 million, they have the salary ammunition to retain Bertans.
Bertans, soon to be 28, is looking at his first and possibly his last chance to earn a massive guarantee. The Wizards have made resigning him a priority and there is no doubt his representatives are aware of this. Are the Wizards prepared to win a bidding war if one ensues? Should they set a limit on the number of years and total dollar figure? The Wizards can’t and shouldn’t offer Bertans a blank check. The question for the Wizards is, how much is too much for Davis Bertans?