We haven't heard much in terms of trade rumors involving the Wizards this season. This is to be expected, considering the Wizards are right around the salary cap level and have few assets to deal.
Despite all this, Sekou Smith of the Atlanta Journal Constitution is "reporting" a rumored three-way deal involving the Wizards, Hawks, and Blazers. (emphasis mine)
Huh? How does this make any sense whatsoever? It's rare that I see a trade that has absolutely no upside, but this is one of them. Brendan Haywood alone is a better center than Magloire, and he's younger, cheaper, and a better fit for the Wizards system. Magloire, at age 30 28, is washed up. Milwaukee thought they were getting toughness inside last year, but they instead got a horrible plodder who slowed down their up-tempo attack. Washington plays at an even faster pace, so why make this move? Magloire's only saving grace is his expiring 8 million dollar contract, but I don't see why the Wizards need to sacrifice this season to clear cap room, especially at this point.
Not to mention that by trading both Haywood and Jarvis Hayes leaves the bench extremely thin. Say what you want about Hayes, but there really is no reason to deal him at this point. His rookie contract runs out after this season, making him an unrestricted free agent. For all his negatives, he's the only real backup the Wizards have on the wing. If the Wizards don't want him, they may as well let the season play out and then let him go and use his salary on a similar player. Trading him doesn't make any sense.
So personally, I'm hoping this is just a rumor and the Wizards aren't considering this move. Ironically, I made a similar trade in my NBA Live Wizards franchise (traded Antonio Daniels and Hayes for Magloire), but that team was 10 games under .500 and 11 million over the cap (thanks to Jared Jeffries and Songaila), so it made more sense. In real life, the Wizards should forget about it.
What's your take? Should the Wizards consider this deal, even if it is a rumor?
[Hat tip: TBJ]