Part 2: Who could be some of the Wizards’ trade targets?

Continuing our series, we will look at four additional names for the Wizards to consider in the trade market. For Part 1, click here.

Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby

Overall Acquirability: Low

Cost of Return: High

Fit with Beal & Porzingis: Great

Contract: 2 years, $73.3M for Siakam and 2 years, $36M then player option for Anunoby

Raptors Want: Increased odds at winning now

I’m pairing Siakam and Anunoby together because they are both excellent defenders that are ideal fits for the Wizards. When considering potential trade partners, the Raptors have to be near the top of the list. D.C. has too many young/flawed forwards and wants to consolidate, and these two are ideal upgrade targets. They also both only have two years left under contract and inflection points seem to be coming soon. Does Toronto want to pay Siakam a large sum for his years after age 30?

Anunoby’s extension talks are non-existent because he’s underpaid, and he’ll likely need to hit free agency after declining his player option in the summer of 2024 - because Toronto is limited in how much they can offer in an extension. There are reasons for the Raptors to consider moving either he or Siakam, especially with Scottie Barnes debuting in a stellar way last season.

Barnes, who likely plays best at power forward, joins a crowd with the Raptors also employing Thaddeus Young and Porter Jr. as veterans, with a number of undersized bigs in Precious Achiuwa, Chris Boucher and Khem Birch who can fill in next to a true center at times. Masai Ujiri and the Raptors leadership doesn’t seem likely to want to get younger so what would they value from the Wizards?

I’m having a hard time seeing who they would prefer, if anyone. Supposedly, they spoke with Dallas regarding Kristaps Porzingis a few times last season but if the Wizards then acquired him for the low cost exchange that they did, then it doesn’t seem like Toronto places much value on him. A trade for Anunoby is easier from a salary-matching perspective but finding an appropriate combination from the Wizards is difficult.

Potential Cost for Siakam: Kyle Kuzma, Will Barton, Johnny Davis, Corey Kispert, one future unprotected first, one lightly protected first

Potential Cost for Anunoby: Kuzma, Deni Avdija, Kispert, one future unprotected first, one lightly protected first. Wizards take back Khem Birch too.

Donovan Mitchell

Overall Acquirability: Questionable

Cost of Return: Very High

Fit with Beal & Porzingis: Poor

Contract: 3 years, $97.8M. Then player option

Jazz Want: Premium rebuilding assets

Mitchell seems headed to New York so we won’t spend too much time discussing the prospects of adding him. He, much like Bradley Beal, proved early in his career that he could be a very good defender but has since either lost interest or lost a few steps on that end, potentially because of his heavy offensive burden. Nonetheless, he is young, under contract, and a proven All-Star level player. The Wizards have to sniff around this circumstance but I doubt there’s a deal to be made.

Potential Cost: Barton, Rui Hachimura, Avdija, Davis, Kispert and unprotected firsts in 2025 & 2027, top 5 protected in 2029 and unprotected swap rights in 2026 and 2028. Wizards take back Rudy Gay.

Ben Simmons

Overall Acquirability: Questionable

Cost of Return: Medium

Fit with Beal & Porzingis: Great

Contract: 3 years, $113.68M

Nets Want: Unknown - likely a more trustworthy but talented/high ceiling return

Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Atlanta Hawks at the end of June, 2021. Since, much has changed in respect to Simmons’ standing in the NBA. He has admitted mental health issues, underwent major back surgery, and displayed quite a bit of immaturity in his exit from Philadelphia. His tenure in Brooklyn is off to a rocky start after a “will he or won’t he” scenario in the playoffs ended in him seemingly skipping out on suiting up as the Nets were swept in an embarrassing fashion.

Pushing all of that aside, Simmons just turned 26, has three All-Star appearances to his name, is a fantastic passer and rebounder, and should be an annual contender for Defensive Player of the Year with an ability to guard every position on the court combined with great athleticism and transition ability.

When that player stands 6 foot 10, it makes a lot of sense to consider him as a Wizard. Combining those attributes with Beals’ play on the perimeter and Porzingis’ stretch 5 productivity, Simmons fits on the court very well.

The Nets are wary of selling low on Simmons but with the ongoing discussions of trading fellow star player Kevin Durant, it has to be something Brooklyn ponders due to the limit of acquiring only one Designated Rookie player via trade - because they did so with Simmons, they can’t add another player with that designation. If returning good but not great value on Simmons allows the Nets to return Donovan Mitchell or Bam Adebayo as a headliner in a Durant deal, the Nets have to think about it.

Potential Cost: Kuzma, Barton, Avdija an unprotected first round pick and a protected first

Up next in part three, we will include some targets that are brought up less often than those we’ve looked at thus far.