Wizards looking for depth, interested in Lou Williams, Bojan Bogdanovic according to report

Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Mannix of The Vertical posted a video preview on Saturday night, breaking down where several teams stand with less than week before the NBA Trade Deadline. As part of the discussion, Wojnarowski offered the latest on what Washington will try to do:

Washington feels it's a top heavy team. They rely a lot on their starters. John Wall, Bradley Beal, certainly those two. Otto Porter has had a really good year for them.

They got to improve their bench. They feel that if there's a wing player that they can get out in the trade market, Lou Williams with the Lakers they have interest in, Bojan Bogdanovic with the Nets. Washington has shown the inclination to give up a future draft pick, potentially even in this draft to get a veteran who may even turn out to be a rental for them.

They see an opportunity here. This team has played really well. They struggled early, and now have been on a tremendous run. They want to capitalize on it. They want to get better. They’re a dangerous team. A lot of teams in the East look at Washington and don’t want to see them in the postseason.

Williams and Bogdanovic would both make a difference on the Wizards’ bench, which has struggled offensively most of the season. Each player brings different pros and cons to the table. As we wrote last week, Williams would dramatically improve the Wizards’ bench with his playmaking ability, but the Wizards would need to find ways to hide his defensive liabilities and ensure he isn’t disrupting the flow the starters have developed this season. Bogdanovic doesn’t quite have Williams’ upside, but it would be a little easier to throw out there defensively and it would be easier to use him as a floor space with the starters from time to time.

As Wojnarowski mentioned, they’re both on short-term deals. Bogdanovic is a restricted free agent at the end of the season and Williams is an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season.

All things considered, Williams seems like the better of the two options. He’s the better talent, and he’s under contract for longer. But, if the Nets, who are well under the salary floor, were willing to take back a long-term salary like Andrew Nicholson as part of the deal, that might tip the scales in Brooklyn’s favor. Moving Nicholson would help the Wizards’ mitigate some of the rental risk because it gives them more wiggle room to sign Bogdanovic to a new deal this summer.