Three Decisions That Impacted The Wizards This Season

And two involve the NBA Western Conference Finals

Candi Waller | May 15, 2023

Three Decisions That Impacted The Wizards This Season /

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Looking back on the Wizards season, here were some critical decisions that the team made.

Re-Signing Three Time All Star Bradley Beal.

This decision by both the Wizards and Beal answered two questions many had been asking for some time.

1. Did the Wizards view Beal as their leader of the current and future? Yes, obviously given the contract.

2. Did Bradley Beal want to stay in Washington? Yes. Beal has said publicly on many occasions he wanted to stay in the District.

Trading Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (KCP) and Ish Smith to the Denver Nuggets for Monte Morris and Will Barton.

The Wizards Waived Will Barton in February. Barton went on to finish his season with the Toronto Raptors. KCP and Ish Smith will be playing in the Western Conference Finals with their new team. It’s safe to say this trade did not work out as Washington would have hoped. Not that anyone did not want KCP and Ish to find success in their new homes, but to not even make the playoffs while two traded players in this season are in the Western Conference finals has to sting just a bit.

Well, make that three traded players in this season.

Trading Rui Hachimura to the Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and draft picks

Hachimura (along with Troy Brown Jr) will be facing a few of his former teammates in this year’s Western Conference finals. After the Hachimura trade occurred, the Wizards President/General Manager Tommy Sheppard told NBC Sports Washington sideline reporter Meghan McPeak during an interview that a big reason for the Hachimura trade involved the need for Deni Avdija to see the court more and get more minutes.

The overall question is: Did any of the above decisions make the Wizards better?

The new GM will have their hands full with trying to course correct on a year where critical decisions did not reflect immediate success for the Wizards.

Also read:

There are 15+ Former Wizards That Made The 2023 Playoffs

Tommy Sheppard Released As Wizards President and General Manager

Wizards Search For General Manager Unusually Quiet

Published May 15, 2023

CANDI WALLER

Candi Waller also known as "CWall" is the Founder and CEO of CWall® Sports & Entertainment, President of the CWall Foundation, Inc, the Managing Publisher of the Fan Nation Inside the Wizards site, and President of Bowie Television. A native of Gorgeous Prince George's County, Maryland, Candi has been an authentic lover of all sports since her childhood. She was such a sports fan at an early age that she notes one of her favorite childhood shows as the legendary "George Michael Sports Machine". Candi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Hampton University, Master of Arts in Human Resource Development from The George Washington University and a certificate in Sports Industry Essentials from Columbia University. Prior to and during her work in the sports industry, Candi has established her identity as a results-driven, relationship building advocate and professional with extensive years of experience leading and implementing successful strategic change, communications, and stakeholder engagement programs across geographically dispersed organizations. She’s worked across Big Four and Government Trusted Advisor consulting firms such as IBM, Deloitte, and the MITRE Corporation. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Women in Sports & Events (WISE), the National Press Club (NPC), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce and is an ambassador for the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In terms of what she likes to do for fun, that’s just it…anything that is considered fun, she’s all for it! She’s very close to her parents, brother, and sister, and has a host of nieces, nephews, and godchildren.