Marcin Gortat didn’t want to leave Washington Wizards
By Bryan Rose
The Washington Wizards aren’t what you’d consider to be a hot spot for free agent activity, be it on the open market or retaining their own players who are no longer signed to a contract. But when it comes to Marcin Gortat, it appeared as if the Polish big man didn’t want to go anywhere else.
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Gortat, who re-signed with the Washington Wizards after agreeing to a five-year, $60 million dollar deal told Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that while he considered a handful of options during the early portions of free agency, it was always about the Wizards.
It’s a nice sentiment from Gortat who never seemed to sway much in his desire to remain with the organization, however, the fact that he’s getting paid upwards of $12 million dollars annually may have a little to do with his desire to remain with the Wizards.
Still, since his days with the Orlando Magic, Marcin Gortat has continued to grow and emerge and has become one of the better big men in the NBA. Given that, the Wizards have to feel pretty thrilled to retain the center for what could be deemed as a rather reasonable contract in comparison to what other players are being given.
Gortat is coming off a fine 2013-14 campaign which saw him post 13 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, all while anchoring the Washington Wizards defense.
No, he may not be a franchise center, but those are few and far between and cost upwards of $20 million dollars per year. Simply put, it looks like a solid deal for both parties.