The Official Washington Wizards Thread

[No Excuses]

what is the goal of this trade?

There is none. The primary purpose this offseason, which was pretty unanimously agreed by everyone, was that this team was in serious need of offensive upgrades. And we go in and tie up all the cap space and end up in the same situation we were in last year. There is no balance of skills.

Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor can be useful players on the right team. This is not that team.

[stevemcqueen1]

A) If Okafor and Ariza weren't decent players who improve the team

Ariza is hot garbage dude. A 13.1 PER as a 9 year vet is pathetic. A player like that should not make it 9 years in the league. We'd seriously be better off starting Vesely. At least he has a chance to get better.

Okafor is at least decent... when healthy. But he's going to suddenly get healthy here? He's a shell of his former self. And paying a backup center 14 million per year for two years is utterly ludicrous.

B) Weren't also set to become expiring deals just next year--when we have a chance to actually attract decent players to take up the free cap space we'll have

Why even take on their deals? Why not just let Shard's contract expire next summer and sock away the money saved. You really think we can't go out and lure a few Willie Green or Gerald Green D list free agents by paying them just a bit more than they could get elsewhere? If we're going to overpay, at least overpay for some pieces that ****ing fit.

And I'd rather waste one roster spot for one year on Shard, then two roster spots for two years on two similarly useless players.

C) We gave up something more than Rashard ****ing Lewis and a pick that is almost a lock to spend more of his career in the D League than on someone's active roster

You're missing something here. It's not Rashard Lewis we gave up in this deal. It's Rashard Lewis's 21 million ****ing dollar expiring contract that we gave up. Has there ever been an expiring contract that big coming off the books for a team?

He has the second highest salary in the league. His salary constitutes almost half a team's total cap space! It's the single biggest cap clearing tool in the league--by far! And we gave it away! To take on two terrible deals for an extra year! And we threw in a draft pick to boot! How is the mindboggling absurdity and stupidity of this not computing for some of you?

I can understand not liking the move for whatever reason, but the hyperbole in the negative reactions is just mind boggling. I think that's what's getting to me the most. EDS, Ernie Derangement Syndrome

What's mind boggling to me is how any Wizards fan can feel good about this deal. It's almost as stupid as trading the fifth pick was. The fact that we just gave up something to get two players that New Orleans would have gladly given us for free if they could have doesn't at least give you pause? That right there tells you the deal was stupid. Any kid trading cards on the playground knows you don't give away something the other guy wants without making him actually give up something in return.

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

And your position would make sense if

A) If Okafor and Ariza weren't decent players who improve the team

B) Weren't also set to become expiring deals just next year--when we have a chance to actually attract decent players to take up the free cap space we'll have

C) We gave up something more than Rashard ****ing Lewis and a pick that is almost a lock to spend more of his career in the D League than on someone's active roster

I can understand not liking the move for whatever reason, but the hyperbole in the negative reactions is just mind boggling. I think that's what's getting to me the most. EDS, Ernie Derangement Syndrome

A) I never said they werent decent players. My post said they were decent players. But remember they played on the 3rd worst team in the NBA last season as well.

B) Okafor is up in 2014. Ariza has a player option for 2014. These contracts have two more years left on it.

C) It would have been cheaper to keep Rashard Lewis as this would be the last year of his deal on our cap (as we buy him out for 13 million). Now we have two more years committed to two guys with big cap numbers.

[dg28daman]

Not getting why people are mad about this trade. We got two players who WILL contribute here for a guy who wasn't and a pick that was going to end up being a D-Leaguer at best. We know have depth and size. It's easy to find SGs and SFs. Hell, for years it seemed like thats all we had. But we now have three talented true big men. This is a good move all around

[No Excuses]

If we're going to overpay, at least overpay for some pieces that ****ing fit.

This is what I wish people would get.

If this trade is made for... let's say Ben Gordon then I'd be ok with it. Because this team needs offense and can't afford to bring in players which are completely worthless on the offensive end.

[stevemcqueen1]

You all realize that Dwight Howard is going to be a free agent next summer.

Meaning that good teams will be wanting to clear cap room to make a run at the most dominant big in the game next season.

Meaning that Rashard Lewis's expiring deal was the single most valuable tool for doing so in the entire damn league?

The opportunity cost of giving away his deal for crap is what kills me.

---------- Post added June-20th-2012 at 10:40 PM ----------

You know what's really going to kill me?

If New Orleans goes on to flip Shard's contract for something like Pau Gasol at the deadline...

---------- Post added June-20th-2012 at 10:46 PM ----------

Who here would trade situations with Minnesota?

*raises hand*

Who here would trade situations with New Orleans?

*raises hand again*

Fans of those teams can thank Ernie. I feel like they should add him to their Christmas card list.

[Skins199021]

FAs that are good aren't going to come to this team at the moment. Now we can get rid of an even worse contract and amnesty blatche.

I also think this move definitely mean we pick Barnes or Beal

[Destino]

Not getting why people are mad about this trade. We got two players who WILL contribute here for a guy who wasn't and a pick that was going to end up being a D-Leaguer at best. We know have depth and size. It's easy to find SGs and SFs. Hell, for years it seemed like thats all we had. But we now have three talented true big men. This is a good move all around

Best case scenario is sneaking into the playoffs and getting blown out while being unable to improve our team because of our cap situation and ending up with a bad draft pick. This trade makes the wizards mediocre and locks us there.

Beal better turn out to be DWade or the two years of Ernie and Wittman are going to be worse than I thought, instead of simply being bad they are going to do far reaching damage.

---------- Post added June-20th-2012 at 11:21 PM ----------

FAs that are good aren't going to come to this team at the moment. Now we can get rid of an even worse contract and amnesty blatche.

I also think this move definitely mean we pick Barnes or Beal

It means Beal IMO.

[StillUnknown]

Wittman's extension looks worse after this deal.

[Reaper 21]

Love this trade I think it means beal for sure
Wall
Beal
Ariza
Emeka
Nene

[Warhead36]

Looks like the goal is to build a defensive team that can suffocate opposing offenses, and have a roster with depth that can survive the rigors of an 82 game season. I also think EG is placing a lot of hope on Wall blossoming into a star. If he lives up to his potential he automatically makes everyone around him better, so an average offense with what should be a good D probably gets you a decent playoff seeding.

[Destino]

Wittman's extension looks worse after this deal.

After the 2013-2014 season the following are not under contract:
Grunfeld
Wittman
Wall
Ariza
Booker
Crawford
Okafor
Seraphin

We are locked into this ride. Buckle up.

[Skin'emAlive]

I cant believe we just gave away the best ammo in the league for nothing. Those two players add nothing to this team. I would be frustrated if i didnt expect them to do this.

[Warhead36]

I cant believe we just gave away the best ammo in the league for nothing. Those two players add nothing to this team. I would be frustrated if i didnt expect them to do this.

I wouldn't say they add nothing. Okafor is a decent C with experience and is a good presence in the locker room. Ariza has been in big games and is a good role player for the young guys as well.

I think after last year's toxic and immature locker room the FO and coaches badly want to create a more positive atmosphere for the young players to develop in. They also want more vets to balance it out as you really can't have a team of all 20-22 year olds or you end up with the early 2000s Bulls/Clippers or mid 2000s Celtics.

I agree that this trade doesn't solve our shooting woes, but there is still the draft and FA for that. And I think people are overrating raw cap space. Unless you're a team like the Lakers, you're not gunna be landing big name FAs with raw cap space. How often do these golden expirings really work out for teams? Look at the mess the Nets are in because they tried to go all in on Williams/Howard.

[Destino]

Assuming the trade goes through, here is the Wizards' salary data for next season:

Emeka Okafor: $13.5 million
Nene: $13 million
Trevor Ariza: $7.3 million
Andray Blatche*: $7.2 million
John Wall: $5.9 million
No. 3 pick**: $4.1 million
Jan Vesely: $3.2 million
Kevin Seraphin: $1.8 million
Chris Singleton: $1.6 million
Trevor Booker: $1.4 million
Jordan Crawford: $1.2 million
Shelvin Mack: $762,000
No. 32 pick**: 762,000
*=Likely Amnesty candidate.

**=Equal to the slotted first-year salary of the 2011 No. 3 and No. 32 picks. Those numbers are expected to stay the same this year.

TOTAL: $61.72 million

TOTAL WITHOUT BLATCHE: $54.52 million.

NOTE: This does not include any cap holds for existing free agents James Singleton, Cartier Martin, Brian Cook or Morris Almond.

This means that the Wizards will not likely be a big free-agent player this summer, even if Blatche is released via the Amnesty clause. The salary cap will be set at $58 million, so that should eliminate all high-level and even mid-level free-agent prospects. The most the Wizards could do is sign someone for potentially half of the value of a mid-level exception.

The more interesting scenario is next summer. Here's the Wizards' situation then, assuming Blatche is let go:

Emeka Okafor: $14.5 million*
Nene: $13 million
Trevor Ariza: $7.7 million**
John Wall: $7.5 million***
2012 No. 3 draft pick: $4.3 million
Jan Vesely: $3.3 million
Kevin Seraphin: $2.8 milllion***
Trevor Booker: $2.35 million***
Jordan Crawford: $2.2 million***
Chris Singleton: $1.7 million
2012 No. 32 draft pick: $762,000
2013 first-round pick: ????
2013 second-round pick: ???
*=Can exercise an early-termination option and become a free agent; this is what he's owed if he doesn't.

**=Can exercise a player option and become a free agent; this is what he's owed if he doesn't.

***=Eligible for a contract extension, but it would not kick in until the following year.

NOTE: Does not include any cap holds.

TOTAL: $60.11 million, not including draft picks.

That means that, barring bounce-back seasons from Ariza and/or Okafor that cause them to opt out of their current deals, the Wizards probably won't be a free-agent player in 2013 either. Essentially, they've decided that Nene, Ariza and Okafor are their free-agent acquisitions for the next two years, with Nene also being one for the two years after that. This also means that the Wizards will not be able to execute unbalanced trades with the salary cap, which could be even more valuable that using the space to sign free agents in the coming years, with many teams likely to shed long deals to get under the luxury tax before harsher penalties kick in after the 2012-13 season.

http://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/6...iza-salary-cap

---------- Post added June-21st-2012 at 12:25 AM ----------

I agree that this trade doesn't solve our shooting woes, but there is still the draft and FA for that. And I think people are overrating raw cap space. Unless you're a team like the Lakers, you're not gunna be landing big name FAs with raw cap space. How often do these golden expirings really work out for teams? Look at the mess the Nets are in because they tried to go all in on Williams/Howard.

1- not much room to do anything in free agency (see above)
2- past cap space situations didn't happen with the new luxury tax looming. Teams are scrambling to avoid it.
3- Nets were screwed by their primary trade asset braking his foot. Their chances of getting Howard all but vanished the second that happened. Howard wasn't a free agent, if he was he'd likely be a Net right now.