The Washington Wizards are currently establishing an impressive performance in the 2021-22 NBA season. As of now, the Wizards are on a three-game winning streak, sitting in the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference with an 8-3 record. The Wizards may have parted ways with Russell Westbrook in the 2021 NBA offseason, but the blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Lakers allowed them to acquire players that complement Bradley Beal on the court.
However, despite their early success, the Wizards are still expected to be active on the market before the 2022 NBA trade deadline.
Wizards Could Trade Davis Bertans
Though Beal isn’t expected to go anywhere, there are some players on their roster that the Wizards could be looking to unload before the 2022 NBA trade deadline. Among the potential trade candidates in Washington is veteran small forward Davis Bertans. In the past months, rumors have been swirling around Bertans and his future with the Wizards.
As of now, Bertans is yet to live up to expectations from the massive contract he signed in the summer of 2020. This season, he’s only averaging 6.1 points while shooting 34.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Way To Get Rid Of Davis Bertans
Finding a team that is willing to absorb Bertans’ massive salary is undeniably a tough task for the Wizards. However, it isn’t entirely impossible. In a recent article, Kenneth Teape of NBA Analysis Network suggested a way on how the Wizards would be able to unload Bertans to the Phoenix Suns before the 2022 NBA trade deadline.
In the proposed trade scenario, the Wizards would be sending Bertans, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick to the Suns in exchange for Dario Saric and Jalen Smith.
Wizards Create Financial Flexibility
Swapping Bertans for Saric won’t make the Wizards a better team in the 2021-22 NBA season. Saric isn’t an upgrade over Bertans and as of now, he’s still recovering the ACL injury that he acquired in Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals. However, compared to Bertans, Saric has a shorter and much cheaper deal.
Per Spotrac, Saric is only owed $ 8.5 million this season and $ 9.2 million the following year. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023.
Does The Trade Make Sense For The Suns?
The proposed trade deal would be worth exploring for the Suns if they want to boost their second unit. Bertans may have been a disappointment in Washington, but a change of scenery could help him return to his old self.
"Bertans is a bit of a one-trick pony as a 3-point specialist, but he does that skill very well," Teape wrote. "He is a 40.6 percent 3-point shooter in his career and in the last two seasons with the Washington Wizards he has done it on very high volume. Adding someone like that to the roster will give Monty Williams a different look in his frontcourt as none of the Suns’ current big men shoot the ball too well from the perimeter."
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