The start of the Tim Frazier era in Washington also signals a decisive end for another point guard the Wizards acquired with a a second round pick: Trey Burke.
J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic is reporting the Wizards will not extend a qualifying offer to Burke before he hits free agency on July 1. Washington would have had to make a $4.1 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent, that also would have resulted in a $8.5 million cap hold on the team’s cap sheet until his restricted free agency was resolved.
Wednesday’s trade for Frazier sealed Burke’s fate, but the odds were against him returning to Washington long before this week. He had some solid moments in December and January as the team surged, but his struggles as a ballhandler and defender made it hard to keep him on the floor consistently and eventually led to the Wizards signing Brandon Jennings in March.
If anything, Frazier’s trade should illustrate just how bad last summer’s trade was to get Burke. Frazier has arguably accomplished more through his first three seasons than Burke, and Washington is getting Frazier on a cheaper contract. And since the pick for Burke won’t convey until 2021, there’s a chance the Wizards may end up giving up a better pick to Utah than the one they’re giving up to New Orleans in 2017.
Oh, and don’t forget the Wizards could have just used the cap space they burned in the trade for Burke last summer to sign Frazier when he was a free agent, and then they wouldn’t have had to trade a second round pick last year or this year. Fun!