Is It Time for Bradley Beal to Move On?
Bradley Beal (3) | photo retrieved from ESPN.com
The Washington Wizards are making moves. To recap:
On June 23, the Wizards made the most of the 10th pick in the NBA Draft and selected Johnny Davis from Wisconsin.
On June 26, Adrian “Woj” Wojnarowski reported that Bradley Beal will stay in Washington and sign “a five-year max contract” after declining his player option. Woj later confirmed on Wednesday that Beal declined his option. He is now a free agent.
On June 29, both Woj and Shams Charania reported that the Wizards traded Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Monte Morris and Will Barton.
With the addition of Davis and Morris as point guards, Barton as a small forward, and Beal presumably staying on as a shooting guard, the Wizards are gearing up to go places. In addition, Kyle Kuzma will return as the starting power forward next season, and Kristaps Porzingis will start at center. It feels like everything is falling into place in Washington, just as the cherry blossoms bloom at the Tidal Basin every spring.
Kyle Kuzma (33) | photo retrieved from NBCSports.com
However, even with this seemingly secure roster, there are still things I would change. For example, suppose Beal chooses to sign with another team? Or organizes a sign-and-trade? This leaves Washington with a few options:
1) Continue to play Corey Kispert as the starting shooting guard. Beal and Kispert have a similar field goal percentage, with Beal shooting 45.1 percent from the floor and Kispert 45.5 percent.
2) Bring Russell Westbrook back to Washington, move him to the shooting guard position, and let him cement his greatness as a Wizard. Westbrook broke the triple-double record in Washington; frankly, he’s a better fit in Washington than in Los Angeles.
Russ needs to play in an environment where he can be a star for the rest of his career. Los Angeles already has LeBron and Anthony Davis, and if their current roster couldn’t get them to the playoffs last year, it’s naturally time for a change. Bringing Russ back to the Wizards would also be an interesting opportunity to rebuild the team and its starting lineup around Kuzma. Also, with the addition of Morris, Kuzma is reuniting with a childhood teammate.
Westbrook and Kuzma, though traded for one another by the Wizards and Lakers, respectively, will have their status as a former Laker in common if Russ returns. With villains and villain arcs popular in the NBA (Trae Young and Kevin Durant come to mind as the most notable villains), maybe building a team around a scorned Westbrook will light a fire under him to prove his critics wrong and lead the Wizards to a more successful season.
And like Kuzma, Westbrook has been known for his statement outfits. So who’s to say the Wizards’ City Edition cherry blossom jerseys wouldn’t make a great addition to his wardrobe?
