By Teddy Owusu

Washington – The Washington Wizards are in desperation mode this off season. Not only is the team’s roster super thin, they are due to lose a bunch of money. Despite earning a playoff berth for the first time in six years and winning in the second round for the first time in 32, the Wizards will reportedly net -$13 million. Washington will be among nine other NBA teams that, following the league’s upcoming revenue sharing payments, will be in the tank after the 2013-2014 season.

With half the roster in free agency, Washington management – Ernie Grunfeld, President of Basketball Operations and VP Tommy Sheppard have been scrambling to gather enough coins to at least go after integral free agents Trevor Ariza and Marcin Gortat. After fumbling through Ted Leonsis’ couch cushions, last Thursday’s draft-day trade between Washington and the Los Angeles Lakers for the 46^th pick (Jordan Clarkson) was the first major attempt to recoup some of the lost revenue.

“We focused in on two, three players who we thought would be there but were gone by the time it was our turn to pick, and we didn’t want to waste it and just bring someone in that we didn’t think would fit in with what we were trying to do,” Grunfeld told reporters at Verizon Center late Thursday night.

Notwithstanding, a young, 6-5 point guard, who can score (18ppg), if not an upgrade to current backup Andre Miller (38), would certainly be a cheap and auspicious move by Wizards management. Instead, it appears the team has its sights set on getting older.

“Nothing really came up for us,” said Grunfeld. “We felt like it was best to move the pick for cash considerations, and this way it opens up another roster spot for us to get someone who’s established.”

All that matters is that Washington can win now. Wizards brass figures that if last year’s team was good enough to reach the second round in 2014, they’ve at least got another playoff berth in them in 2015. The East, as weak as it was last year, is in upheaval this off season. Half the playoff teams Miami (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh – free agency), Brooklyn (traded coach), Toronto (Kyle Lowry – free agency) and Indiana (various absurdities) all have huge question marks this upcoming season.

So the Wizards are keeping home intact. During last month’s exit interviews, Wizards players to-a-man announced that they’d prefer to return but unlike the Heat’s Bosh, neither Ariza nor Gortat intimated that they’d take a pay cut to stay with the home team. Despite how potentially overpaying last year’s team may undermine its future, the fact is, they can’t afford not to. Washington can’t afford another losing season – they lost $13 million during the most successful season in decades! At least with Gortat and Ariza they have pieces they know work with its young core of John Wall and Bradley Beal.

Washington was $11 million over the salary cap in 2014 and is currently at $16 million under for 2015.

Washington has already committed 25% of its salary cap to Wall for the next five years and $26 million through 2016 to 32-year-old Nene, and currently only has seven players signed to its roster.

Sheppard and head coach Randy Wittman have traveled way out to Poland to woo Gortat, who averaged 13.2 points and 9.5 rebounds in 80 games, made over $7.7 million in the final year of a five-year, $33.95 million contract he signed with Orlando. Gortat has piqued the interest of several teams but the Wizards own his (early) Bird Rights, meaning they can offer him the biggest contract and initiate contract negotiations earlier than any other team.

In a career year, Ariza averaged 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season for the Wizards. The 10-year vet is rumored to be seeking a three to four year deal for $9-10 million per year after the team picked up his $7.7 million player option last season.

There are a lot of factors that brought the Washington Wizards to such a crossroads: bad signings, bad trades, poor planning, Andray Blatche etc. Still, management believes the best they can do at this juncture is to continue to ensure gradual success on the court in the hopes of immediate windfall. 

 

Update:

Trevor Ariza is with the Houston Rockets after a three-team sign and trade that included Washington and New Orleans. Washington will receive center Melvin Ely and a trade exception as part of the deal. The Rockets send center Omer Asik, forward Omri Casspi and cash to New Orleans. Houston will also get forward Alonzo Gee, guard Scotty Hopson and a 2015 first-round draft pick from the Pelicans.

The Wizards have indeed resigned center Marcin Gortat to a five-year, $60 million contract.