NBA Rumors: Washington Wizards consider Marcin Gortat, Trevor Ariza ‘Priority 1A & 1A’

The Washington Wizards had a fantastic 2013-2014 season.

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The Wizards, led by All-Star point guard John Wall and his back court mate Bradley Beal, the Wizards finished 44-38 and wound up being the fifth-seed in the Eastern Conference. They then took on the fourth-seeded Chicago Bulls and upset the veteran squad in just five games, going 3-0 in Chicago. In the second round, they were taken down by the Indiana Pacers in six games.

Of course, it wasn’t just Wall and Beal. The Wizards had arguably the most balanced starting lineup in basketball. Trevor Ariza returned as the starting small forward and Nene came back from an injury to slide into the starting power forward spot. Before the season, the Wizards struck a deal with the Phoenix Suns to trade for veteran center Marcin Gortat.

The Wizards would like to improve upon that success in the 2014-2015 season, but both Ariza and Gortat are set to become free agents.

Although there have been rumors the Wizards have made Gortat over priority over Ariza, J. Michael of CSN Washington believes both players are being prioritized, calling them “1A and 1A.”

Gortat averaged 13.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 54.2% from the field and 68.6% from the charity stripe this season. Ariza averaged 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season. He shot 45.6% from the field, 40.7% from beyond the arc and 77.2% from the free throw line.