3 signs that the Washington Wizards are definitely tanking this season
The Washington Wizards are looking to bounce back after a putrid 2022-23 season, but will it be a comeback season or a tanking campaign for future talent?
The 2023-24 NBA season is less than a month away and all 30 teams are trying to improve in some form or fashion. One team to watch out for is the Washington Wizards, however, it may not be for the reason you think.
Washington finished the 2022-23 season in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with a 35-47 record. Fans of the nation's capital were disappointed with the result of another lackluster year.
After the season's conclusion, management had to evaluate their next steps and how they would rebuild this roster. In 2020, the team moved on from the massive John Wall contract which started to push the franchise toward a rebuild process.
This summer, Washington made a colossal decision by trading Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns. Chris Paul was a part of the trade return and he was eventually swapped for Jordan Poole. Now that the Wizards have a younger roster and are officially in the rebuilding phase it's worth asking how far they will lean into the tank this year.
Here are three signs that Washington is defintely tanking the 2023-24 season.
Signs the Wizards are tanking: 3. Moving on from Bradley Beal
The first sign that the Wizards are going to tank this season is their recent trade of Beal. Since 2019, the Wizards have extended the Flordia product numerous times.
When the team traded Wall in 2020, fans, critics, and analysts assumed that Beal would request a trade or not sign an extension. Instead, he continued to take the bag and extend his stay in the Nation's Capital. But after this season both parties decided to part ways. Moving on from him is a huge sign that the team is tanking because he was their focal point for the last decade.
Also, Beal was the one player who kept the franchise relevant and in contention to make the postseason (pending all things went right). The departure of the 11-year veteran shows that the franchise wants to start over and rebuild. One of the quickest ways to rebuild is to obtain draft picks and position yourself for the NBA lottery.