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Wizards to acquire Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones, second-round pick from Lakers in three-team trade

The Wizards are facilitating a three players from the Lakers and will send cash considerations to the Pelicans in the upcoming Anthony Davis deal.

NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers
Moritz Wagner gives the Wizards more depth at the center position in 2019-20.
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Wizards acquired Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones from the Los Angeles Lakers. Candace Buckner of The Washington Post later reported that the Wizards will send $1.1 million in cash considerations to the New Orleans Pelicans who are part of a bigger deal that’s in the works.

It gets better though. The Wizards also get a 2022 second-round draft pick according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Washington is acting as an arbiter to the upcoming Pelicans and Lakers blockbuster trade that sends Anthony Davis to the Lakers. The Lakers just don’t want Davis, though.

They also want to create enough cap space so they could go after an unrestricted free agent with a maximum salary. This explains why the three younger players are going to Washington. All three make a combined salary of less than $3 million and that will be just enough to help the Lakers do what they want to do.

Of the three players coming to the Wizards in the deal, Wagner appears to be the most coveted one since Bonga and Jones either played sparingly or didn’t spend much time with the Lakers. LAst season, Wagner averaged 4.8 points and 2.0 rebounds a game. He was the 25th pick of the NBA Draft after a three-year career with the Michigan Wolverines.

Wojnarowski also reported that the Wizards were interested in drafting him last year, but opted to get Brown instead.

I don’t anticipate any of the Wizards’ new acquisitions changing the Wizards’ rotation, but Wagner may get more playing time in the longer run, once Dwight Howard’s and Ian Mahinmi’s contracts run out after next season.