NBA Free Agency: The Wizards did not win the Marco Belinelli sweepstakes

UPDATE: Bellineli signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to reports:

The original post is below.

On Friday, the Atlanta Hawks agreed to enter into a buyout agreement with swingman Marco Belinelli. Belinelli averaged 11.4 points a game and averaged 1.8 made threes a game for Atlanta this season where he played in a sixth-man role.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and even his former team, the San Antonio Spurs are coveting him.

The Wizards are also trying to beef up their roster before the playoffs. And I think he’d make a good fit for the second unit like Bojan Bogdanovic was last season as their “sharpshooter” off the bench.

Here are some reasons why Belinelli would make a great fit in Washington:

• Belinelli will have no problem adjusting to an “Everybody Eats” style of play - Belinelli played for the Spurs from the 2013-14 through 2015-16 seasons. The Spurs were in the top 5 (if not better) for passes made per game in each of those three seasons.
• He remained efficient despite playing for a rebuilding team - Belinelli’s usage rate went up to a career 21.3 percent for the Hawks this season, but his turnover rate remained at 9.2 percent and his true shooting percentage only dipped slightly from 56.6 percent last season with the Hornets to 55.5 percent this season. His effective field goal percentage has also remained above 50 percent in four of the last five seasons.
• Teams have remained very efficient on offense with him on the floor - Even after he left the Spurs, Belinelli has remained an efficient option on offense in the 2016-17 season with the Hornets and this season with the Hawks. Belinelli’s individual offensive rating has been at 110 in each of those seasons, which are tied for second best in his career. Individual offensive ratings aren’t a tell-all of course, but something’s right when he’s kept his efficiency up since leaving the Spurs.
• There aren’t any solid options behind Bradley Beal - With Tomas Satoransky now as the starting point guard, the Wizards need to find someone to allow Beal to rest a bit more before the playoffs. And the Wizards can always use more shooters. Belinelli would be a nice fit for the second unit who can score points in bunches while keeping Beal from playing more minutes than he needs to.

As you may be aware, the Wizards may be coveting former Cavaliers point guard Derrick Rose instead, even though Tomas Satoransky has proven to be a solid starter in the wake of John Wall’s absence. If it was up to me, I’d like to see them take a flyer on Belinelli and see what comes of it. If they aren’t fortunate enough to get him, that’s one thing. But I do think that the Wizards should at least try to get Belinelli’s interest, if they are going after Rose.