Washington Wizards pass or pursue #3: Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis has had his name churn through the rumor mill lately and it hasn’t gone over well with Dallas Mavericks’ team owner Mark Cuban. The thing is if you offered Cuban Bradley Beal for Porzingis he’d do the deal in a heartbeat before mocking your intelligence on television.
The question of passing or pursuing a player as talented Porzingis has everything to do with what you have to give up for him. If Bradley Beal stays in Washington then ten times out of ten you should pursue him.
Porzingis has been much maligned this season but NBA critics have been far too harsh on a player who had offseason knee surgery and had to use real regular-season games to get back into game condition. The injury concerns are real but Porzingis is a 20 points per game scorer from the perimeter who also offers credible rim protection.
The number of guys with his skill set can be counted on one hand. If Porzingis is available then the Wizards should pursue him with the frenzied determination that led captain Ahab to his doom.
However, the Mavericks likely won’t entertain an offer for Porzingis that doesn’t have Beal sent back their way. If that is the case then the Wizards should pass on Porzingis by immediately hanging up the phone.