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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.
The Lakers are trading Mo Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones to Wizards as part of the Anthony Davis deal with New Orleans, league sources tell @ZachLowe_NBA and me. Deal clears contracts and creates more cap space for free agency.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2019
Confirming @wojespn’s report: #Wizards send cash to New Orleans and get three players in trade with LAL
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) June 27, 2019
#Wizards sending $1.1 M to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of this team, The Post has learned.
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) June 27, 2019
Story coming. https://t.co/pj4YODJFxj
It gets better though. The Wizards also get a 2022 second-round draft pick according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Sources: Lakers are sending their 2022 second-round pick to Washington in trade to move Moe Wagner, Jemerrio Jones and Isaac Bonga to the Wizards.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2019
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.
The Lakers will start free agency with $32M in salary cap space. The Lakers have the ability to sign a max player now.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2019
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.
The Wizards had previous draft interest in Mo Wagner, who was a Lakers first-round pick out of Michigan in 2018. Wagner will get an opportunity with Washington.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2019
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.