Wizards reportedly looking for veteran point guard in free agency, according to report

The Wizards have two open roster spots after Thursday’s trade to send Sheldon Mac to the Atlanta Hawks. It stands to reason Washington will be active looking to add talent as veterans on lottery-bound teams get bought out and look to join with contenders for the stretch run.

However, according to Candace Buckner of the Washington Post, the team’s primary focus isn’t the position you might expect:

Of course, no one’s going to replace John Wall, but the Wizards have been okay at the point guard position. Tomas Satoransky has played well, and Tim Frazier seems to be reinvigorated by the chance to play again after being out of the rotation for most of the past two months.

The bigger need would seem to be at backup shooting guard, where Jodie Meeks has struggled all season long, and there should be several good options with players like Tony Allen, Marco Belinelli, and Vince Carter likely to be available. Plus, the Wizards don’t have another player to fill that void behind Beal, other than sliding Satoransky over to the two, which takes him away from what he does best as a passer and defender at point guard, and only makes sense if you can find a clear upgrade over Satoransky at point guard.

Problem is, it’s hard to find a veteran point guard candidate who would be an upgrade over Tim Frazier, much less Satoransky. The Jazz are expected to unload Derrick Rose, but reports indicate he’ll be reuniting with Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota. The Timberwolves might have to let go of Brooks to make the Rose deal happen, but he wouldn’t be much of an upgrade, if any over Frazier. Beyond that, the only other veterans out there who might meet the criteria are Jarrett Jack and Mario Chalmers, and both are marginal upgrades over Tim Frazier at best. Unless something bizarre happens and Isaiah Thomas or Tyreke Evans get bought out, there isn’t a buyout candidate who makes sense for Washington.

Beyond that, the Wizards would have to look at players who aren’t in the NBA right now. Deron Williams and former Wizard Ramon Sessions are available, but there’s a reason neither of them are in the league at the moment. Ty Lawson could also available, but the Wizards would have to wait until his season is over in China before they can sign him to a deal.

The good news is the Wizards have two spots, so chasing after a point guard doesn’t preclude them from adding depth in another area as well. That said, one can only hope the Wizards don’t get too caught up chasing an upgrade at point guard that they miss an opportunity to make an upgrade elsewhere on the roster.