Washington, DC - As the season has came to a conclusion, GM Gary Chan, and his team wasted no time to pull off some moves to begin a full rebuild of the Washington Wizards. Gone are the long time fixture in John Wall, and incoming are youth studs such as Khris Middleton, Tyus Jones, and Cole Aldrich.
GM Chan: We would like to thank John Wall for everything he has done for this city, and this organization. He was a class act who was also involved with the community, and a fantastic leader for this team. However, business is business, and with us transitioning into a rebuilding phrase, we felt it was only fair to send John to a team that will be competing for a playoff spot.
Trade One: Sending John Wall away for the number 3 pick, number 15 pick, Jrue Holiday, Kelly Olynyk, and Lakers 2019 2nd rounder
GM Chan: After some serious scouting, we feel that we need to acquire multiple picks in the draft in order to have the building block pieces for the future. We hate to see John go, but sometimes you have to trade the big guns in order get things done. After this deal was completed, we were able to land Khris MIddleton, who is someone that we feel can build our team around with.
Jrue is a veteran two way point guard that can also man the shooting guard position. He will no doubt be the leader of this team, and we are extremely excited to see what he can do under coach D'Antoni's system. We feel Jrue is one of the best two way player in the league, and he's going to have an all star season here.
Kelly is a nice stretch four that can help us space the floor, and has good size. He's going to be a good reserve player for us, and provides some offensive spark off the bennch.
Khris is a fine young man who has a league ready offensive game, and has the potential to become a lockdown defender too. He possesses a fantastic three point shot, and has good size that allows him to play both small forward, and shooting guard. We are extremely excited to see what he will bring to the table.
Trade two: Sending Bulls 2019 first for the number 28 pick, Marcus Lee, and Bucks 2020 2nd.
GM Chan: This was a relatively minor deal, as we were able to select Cole Aldrich with this acquired draft pick from the Bulls. Cole is the perfect big man who can rebound, play defense, and block shots. He also has a very efficient post game, so we were extremely pleased that he was still available.
Marcus is a young swingman who has shown potential on the defensive end of the floor, and with his size, we feel he can be a strong defensive stopper down the road. CSL is such an offensively driven league that you will need defensive stoppers to compete with the big dogs, and that's exactly what we got here.
Trade three: Sending Monte Morris, and Knicks 2nd rounder this year for Eric Moreland, Thomas Robinson, Denver 2019 2nd, and Dallas 2020 2nd rounder.
GM Chan: I hate to see Monte go, as he did a very fine job coming off the bench for us last year. However, we were able to acquire a young big man with good potential in Eric Moreland, and a good reserve big man who's also expiring in Thomas Robinson.
Eric is a big man with good size, and has the unique ability to pass the ball. He also is a great shot blocker, and has a knack for getting steals as well. While his offensive game still has a long ways to go, but we have no problem help him to work on that aspect of his game. Thomas is a high energy player who can rebound the ball, and that's always going to be useful.
Trade four: Sending away Suns 2019 2nd for the 40th pick for this year;s draft.
GM Chan: Another relatively small deal, as we used this pick to select Justin Harper out of Richmond. Kid has good upside as a scorer, and has the ability to force turnovers. He's definitely a raw player, and will need a ton of work. And with us being in a rebuilding phrase, giving Justin time to develop will not be a problem at all.
Final transaction: The Wizards used their 10th overall pick to select Duke point guard - Tyus Jones
GM Chan: Tyus is a fantastic talent that's full of potential to grow, as he can be a lights out shooter that can also play make, and force turnovers on the passing lanes. This young man was coached by the legendary Coach K, and we know how talented this kid is. While he is still very raw, but we will certainly give him time to learn, and adapt to the speed of the CSL. When it's all said, and done, watch out!
Now the Wizards will be focusing on this upcoming free agency, as it is a class that's loaded with superior talent. Fans can expect the Wizards front office to stay busy during this period of time, as GM Chan feels they can get some great value players from this group of free agents.
GM Chan: We will look for more defensive stoppers, shooters, and playmakers. We still have a lot of work to do, and by the end of this off-season, our fans can expect a young team that's going to be very exciting to watch. Patience will be the key here, as Rome was not built in one day. We will trust the process, and become a title contender soon!
