As it becomes more and more clear that the Wizards won't have a shot at recruiting Kevin Durant, Washington needs to find a new top target. J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic reports that his sources say the Wizards' new top target in free agency is Ryan Anderson.
The question is: How much would it take for the Wizards to win a bidding war for Anderson? It won't be easy, according to Michael:
The Wizards will have a lot of competition for Anderson's services. He may command in the range of $17 million in the open market, one league GM projected in an interview with CSN recently. At that number, however, it could be problematic for the Wizards' front office.
Rumors have connected the Wizards to Anderson since last year's trade deadline. Anderson himself fueled those flames when he mentioned the Wizards in an interview on J.J. Redick's podcast last month.
You can read Mike Sykes' free agent evaluation of how Anderson would fit on the Wizards here.