The Washington Wizards are not expected to be active during the NBA free agency period, but it looks like they are kicking the tires on some players who likely won't command big salaries. One such player appears to be Chicago Bulls point guard John Lucas III. Michael Lee of the Washington Post is reporting that the Wizards have reached out to his representatives.
You may remember Lucas III's name because he had arguably the best game of his career against the Wizards, when he scored 25 of the Bulls' 78 points in a Bulls win on January 11. Lucas was certainly a surprise for the Bulls last year, helping to keep them afloat at point guard through all of Derrick Rose's injuries. He averaged 7.5 points and 2.2 assists per game last year, shooting 39 percent from three-point range.
Is Lucas III a good fit? It depends on how badly you think the backup point guard position needs an upgrade. Lucas III was definitely better than Shelvin Mack last year, but was it significant enough? On the one hand, Lucas III is far craftier in the pick and roll, especially when stepping back to shoot jumpers. He generally takes pretty good care of the ball, which is important for a backup point. On the other hand, he has a tendency to pound the ball aimlessly as he looks to set up his own shot, a quality that worked OK on a Bulls' second unit without many scorers, but may not work well elsewhere. He's not Earl Boykins-bad there, but he certainly isn't great at maintaining proper ball movement and flow.
Ultimately, to me, it depends on price. If he's not too expensive, it's a worthwhile addition. I'd rather have Cartier Martin, though.
(Also in Lee's post: the Wizards reached out to Kirk Hinrich to bring him back. Given all the offers Hinrich will get from contenders, though, I would be surprised if a reunion happened).