3 signs that the Washington Wizards are definitely tanking this season

Signs the Wizards are tanking: 2. Parting ways with key role players

The second indicator Washington is preparing to tank this upcoming season is their continual offloading of key role players. In addition to Beal, the team also traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics this summer and Rui Hachimura to the Lakers at the last deadline. Washington also bought out the contract of Will Barton.

These moves are a huge sign that the team will tank because they don't want to be tied down to a specific contract which makes them less competitive roster-wise. Trading players like Hachimura and Porzingis allowed the team to stock up on assets.

Trading key role players also creates more space for veteran minimum contracts and shorter deals roster-wide. Entering the upcoming season, the Wizards will have the flexibility to continue to move role players to other teams for solid value.

It's also a sign that they would rather use minutes on young players for the sake of development than continue to chase wins with middling veterans. Three notable names that will be important for people to watch are Poole, Kyle Kuzma and Landry Shamet. They don't necessarily fit the current timeline and could be flipped for additional assets.