Wizards' trade for Trae Young looks even more genius after draft lottery

"The Wizards traded for two former All-NBA players still somewhat in their primes and didn't give up anything of note. For Trae Young, they got off of the contract of Corey Kispert and moved on from CJ McCollum, who had some brilliant playoff moments for the Atlanta Hawks but at 34 years old wasn't a part of Washington's future."

"The danger in trading for veterans in the midst of a rebuild is that it accelerates the timeline. The Wizards needed to lose games to secure ping pong balls to draft elite talent, and with neither Young nor Davis capable of being the long-term centerpiece star for a good team, the Wizards needed to find such a player elsewhere."

"The Wizards needed to lose games to secure ping pong balls to draft elite talent, and with neither Young nor Davis capable of being the long-term centerpiece star for a good team, the Wizards needed to find such a player elsewhere. No more tanking needed That problem appears to be going away with the NBA's Board of Governors poised to vote on draft lottery reform that will punish teams for being in the bottom three of the standings."

"It will be perfectly acceptable for the Wizards to compete to win games next season, as there will be no difference in their draft luck from winning 25 games or 40. Adding a floor-raising player like Trae Young is therefore not an impediment to building a long-term team."

The Wizards traded for Trae Young and Anthony Davis, moving off Corey Kispert’s contract and ending the CJ McCollum era. The risk of adding veterans during a rebuild is accelerating the timeline when the team still needs losses to secure elite draft talent. Draft lottery reform is poised to reduce the penalty for winning more games by punishing only teams in the bottom three. With no difference in draft luck between winning 25 and 40 games, the Wizards can compete next season while still building toward a long-term core. Winning the NBA Draft Lottery further validates the approach and improves their draft outlook.

Read at Wiz of Awes