Inside The Wizards

Wizards Have Decision to Make With Patrick Baldwin Jr.

The young forward is entering his second season with the Washington Wizards.

Jeremy Brener

Apr 3, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. (7) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Apr 3, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. (7) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards made a trade with the Golden State Warriors a little over a year ago that allowed them to acquire Patrick Baldwin Jr., the No. 28 overall pick from the 2022 NBA Draft.

Baldwin, who turns 22 next month, is still a very raw prospect, and he was considered a five-star recruit when he came out of high school in 2021. Baldwin went to Milwaukee-Wisconsin for college, where his father was the head coach.

Baldwin failed to live up to his high school hype, which had him fall in the draft and end up in a poor position for him to start his career. After one year with the Warriors, he moved to a more favorable situation with the Wizards, but he still was unable to see much playing time.

Baldwin averaged just 4.4 points per game in 38 appearances for the Wizards in his first season in Washington.

Given the outlook of the roster, it's going to be hard for Baldwin to find playing time once again unless he makes some significant strides during training camp. The Wizards have a lot of mouths to feed, and Baldwin may not be one of the first people in line to be fed.

It will say a lot about Washington's future with Baldwin once the team figures out whether or not it will exercise his fourth-year team option. If the Wizards decline the option, then his future in Washington may not be for long. However, if they choose to accept his option, the Wizards may be looking to find some playing time for Baldwin in hopes that he will eventually begin to fill out the potential that he showcased back in high school.

Baldwin and the Wizards face their first preseason game tomorrow against the Toronto Raptors.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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