2019 NBA Mock Draft: Charlotte moves up thanks to a Tankathon simulation
. F/C. Kentucky. PJ Washington. 9. player. 142
After all this time, Washington finally moved on from longtime general manager Ernie Grunfeld, throwing a wrench in much of what people around the league can expect from the Wizards. You knew under Grunfeld the team would be conservative and was likely to misdiagnose talent. That’s how you end up in a situation with Ian Mahinmi making over $15 million per year and Jan Vesely going from top-five pick to out of the NBA.
However, the Washington veteran is gone. In will soon come David Griffin, Gersson Rosas or another hotshot executive. This job seems to be desirable, as top candidates throw their name in the hat. Aside from figuring out how to manage the albatross of John Wall’s supermax deal, there’s a fair bit to work with.
Firstly, a new Washington executive will have Bradley Beal to build around. Not many lead decision-makers can claim an All-NBA-level talent on their roster when they set out on the long journey of remaking a team. Beal is all that and is still younger than 25.
Washington, of course, will also need to figure out what to do about John Wall. Perhaps a new executive will craft a better relationship with the veteran, but if not, giving up assets to move his contract may be the best bet sometime during the next two or three years.
So what else do the Wizards need? Since so few of their young big men have worked out, that’s a decent place to start.
Washington will be able to play either big man spot though of course, his biggest value will come if he can slide into a center role. He can dominate second units as a scorer or play more of an energy game by defending and rebounding at a high level when the lineup around him packs more of a punch.
All of that would be a welcome shot in the arm for Washington, a risk-averse team with too much talent to actually bottom out.