Wizards Named Trade Spot for Former Top Pick

The Washington Wizards make sense as a trade fit for this former top draft pick of the Detroit Pistons.

Oct 25, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija (9) and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) defend in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards have a long way to go before they can even think about contending. Right now, they are just trying to gather assets.

That's why Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes has identified Detroit Pistons youngster Jaden Ivey as a top trade fit for the Wizards.

"When you're as early in the rebuild process as the Wizards, you can afford to take risks on second-draft prospects. Ivey is one such option," Hughes wrote.

The Pistons selected Ivey with the fifth overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, and while Ivey certainly hasn't been terrible, he hasn't lived up to expectations in Detroit.

"Inconsistent three-point shooting and substandard (to put it kindly) defense make Ivey a difficult fit next to Pistons cornerstone Cade Cunningham, but Washington doesn't have the type of promising young talent that dictates what skills his supporting pieces need," Hughes added. "Maybe Ivey could reset his career and operate without worrying about fitting a specific mold with the Wizards."

Ivey averaged 16.3 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds over 31.1 minutes per game on 41.6/34.3/74.7 shooting splits during his rookie campaign. Then, last year, he registered 15.4 points, 3.8 assists and 3.4 boards across 28.8 minutes a night while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor, 33.6 percent from three-point range and 74.9 percent from the free-throw line.

As you can see, efficiency is an issue with Ivey, although it's still pretty clear that the Purdue product has substantial talent.

Ivey is still just 22 years old, so there is plenty of room for him to grow, and again, Washington just needs to accumulate assets at this point. If there is any team in the NBA that can afford to take a risk on Ivey, it's the Wizards.

Washington won just 15 games last season.

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