The National Basketball Association begins tonight, and in our final team preview we are featuring the Washington Wizards.
Key Acquisitions
When you are among the worst teams in the NBA, change is on its way. That is what we saw with the Washington Wizards in the offseason. In addition to selecting power forward Alex Sarr of Bordeaux, France with the second overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Washington brought three more players on their roster with valuable NBA experience. They were guard Malcolm Brogdon of Atlanta, Georgia, center Jonas Valanciunas of Utena, Lithuania, and small forward Saddiq Bey of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Brogdon was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Washington Wizards on July 6. He is joining his fifth NBA franchise. Brogdon previously spent three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2016 to 2019, three seasons with the Indiana Pacers from 2019 to 2022, and one season each with the Boston Celtics (2022-23), and Trail Blazers (2023-24). This past season with the Trail Blazers, he averaged 15.7 points per game, 5.5 assists per game, and 3.8 rebounds per game. Brogdon had a field goal percentage of .440, three-point percentage of .412, and free throw percentage of .819. However, one must realize he is out for the start of the season with a thumb injury.
Also on July 6, the Wizards acquired Valanciunas from the New Orleans Pelicans for draft picks. The Wizards are the fourth team in the National Basketball Association Valanciunas has played for. He was previously with the Toronto Raptors for eight seasons from 2012 to 2019, three seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies from 2019 to 2021, and three seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans from 2021 to 2024. This past season with the Pelicans, Valanciunas averaged 12.2 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, and 2.1 assists per game. He had a field goal percentage of .559, three point percentage of .308, and free throw percentage of .785.
Meanwhile, the Wizards signed Bey to a three-year deal worth $19 million on July 11. He is joining his third NBA team after three seasons with the Detroit Pistons from 2020 to 2023, and two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks from 2023 to 2024. This past season, Bey averaged 13.7 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game, and 1.5 assists per game. He had a field goal percentage of .416, three point percentage of .316, and a free throw percentage of .837.
Fantasy Star
The Wizards do not have anyone ranked in the top 10 at any fantasy position.
Projected Finish
The Wizards only won 15 games last season. Due to the fact the Wizards made some intriguing acquisitions, do not be surprised if they double their win total from a year ago. That could not be enough for Washington to climb up the standings. Expect the Wizards to return to the basement in the Southeast Division.
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