5 Tough Decisions the Washington Wizards Must Make This Offseason
5 Things To Ponder This Offseason...
As the NBA season has officially wrapped up with the Miami Heat defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, the NBA offseason now kicks into high gear and that means that some teams are going to have some decisions to make.
For the Washington Wizards, last season showed a lot of promise in the team at the end when John Wall was back in the lineup. Rookie Bradley Beal was just as good as advertised and made a difference from the opening tipoff for the Wizards.
With the good things also came the bad. For the Wizards, there were a number of bad things that surfaced last season. They were inconsistent offensively and defensively, and could never seem to get on a roll and win multiple games in a row. They showed lots of flash, but they could never quite get over the hump and compete night-in and night-out.
This offseason, the Washington Wizards have five tough decisions they will need to at least think about, among others. Whatever they decide to do this offseason will surely have a substantial impact on the season.
Brian Skinnell is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
What Should They Do With Jan Vesely?
Arguably the biggest draft bust in Wizards history, Jan Vesely needs to be dealt with swiftly and quietly this offseason.
In two seasons with the Wizards, the forward has averaged 3.6 points per game and just 3.4 rebounds per game. He’s hardly worth the $3.4 million the Wizards are spending to keep him.
On top of poor play, Vesely has reportedly told reporters in the Czech Republic that he has often thought about quitting basketball and that’s okay with averaging nine points and nine rebounds per game.
Vesely is not good for the locker room and the Wizards need to let go of him any way that they can.
What To Do In Free Agency?
Along with most other teams this offseason, the Wizards will have to decide what they should in free agency. Should they buy? Should the sell? Should they simply stay put?
If they decide they’re looking to buy, Indiana Pacers forward David West is certainly a viable option. For his career, he averages 16.1 points per game. Just for grins, there’s also a guy named Dwight Howard available in L.A.
Should They Resign Martell Webster?
A first round draft pick of the Portland Trailblazers in 2005, Martell Webster was the Wizards starting small forward for much of last season and was solid in that role. In 76 games, 62 were starts, Webster averaged 11.4 points per game and 3.3 rebounds per game.
While those aren’t exactly numbers you want out of starting small forward, Webster was certainly a bargain. The Wizards paid him just $1.6 million last season. Both the Wizards and Webster have said they want to get a deal done.
Should They Extend John Wall's Contract?
John Wall is now entering the final year of his contract and is open about wanting a new one as he told the media earlier this year that he feels he deserves a max deal.
This decision isn’t so much about whether they should or not, but more so how much should they pay him. After missing about the first two-and-a-half months this past season, Wall returned to average just over 18 points per game with seven assists and four rebounds.
The Wizards would be bonkers not to resign Wall as he is the spark that they need to direct, lead and run their offense.
What Should They Do With The Third Overall Pick?
For the second straight year, the Wizards will be drafting third overall in the NBA Draft. Last season, they selected Bradley Beal out of the University of Florida and that moved proved to be correct as he was named to the 2013 NBA All-Rookie Team.
This year, they’ll be looking to repeat that success. They’ll have a number of options if they decide not trade that pick away. A few names that have been thrown out by a number of different people are Georgetown’s Otto Porter Jr, Duke’s Mason Plumlee, and Indiana’s Victor Oladipo.
