Wiz trade 5th pick to Minnesota

[newslowsad]

This is a great move by Ernie. He should light a cigar for finally getting rid of Etan.

I am interested to see how Foye and Miller work in the rotations. I believe they will add a lot of depth that the players we just shipped out didn't offer. The only exception is Songaila, who, for as much crap I have given him, can be very effective when used correctly (i.e. not at center).

I'm not heartbroken over losing the fifth pick and didn't expect us to use it. There are too many question marks at number five. We can't afford to spend time waiting for yet another young player to develop.

As others have said though, there HAS to be another deal to clean up the back court. Nick Young and Blatche are interesting cases. Flip seems to have taken a liking to both, but I wonder how attached Ernie is to them. Nick could flourish under an actual coach like Flip, but he is still so raw and I question if he has the ability to diversify his game. Andray is ridiculously talented, but still hasn't shown the drive to bring it every night. Ernie still has some decisions to make. The surprise came early, but I don't think EG is done.

[younggunsmn]

foye is also 26 years old and has the same size/combo guard issues as curry. foye at 26 is what curry's downside is right now, and I don't even like curry. Evans is the guy I really want with the pick. Sacto tried to get evans to go against terrence williams, I doubt (and hope they don't) see him as a PG.

Miller will get a ton of minutes for flip. He is going to be rip hamilton with more range and better passing skills for you.
From a guy who watched him coach for years, flip is an A- offensive coach and a D- defensive coach.
You guys will win by outscoring the other team next year, not with defense, and that means miller.
The guy really makes his teammates better. This is the guy who really makes the trade work for you.
I can see Young starting and Miller still getting 30+ minutes at the 2 and 3.

[Rafael122]

It's about the same Ben, maybe a few hundred thousand less.

Next year will be very interesting: Miller and James come off the books. Foye is a free agent, so you have to think about whether to re-sign him or trade him during the season. By extension, their decision on Foye also affects Young b/c if we make a long term committment to Foye, what happens with Young, who will be in his 4th year and the last year of his rookie deal.

[younggunsmn]

Nate, would you put up an updated salary cap/luxury tax chart for the Wizards after these moves? In my rough calculations with an estimated 70-71 million luxury tax threshold, the Wizards should be under that (depending upon other moves) or am I missing something?

The '09-10 numbers are almost exactly even on your end of the trade, but you did save the draft pick salary.

[KevinFCheng]

Thoughts on the trade:

1) I love Mike Miller but am hesitant about Randy Foye. The guy is a poor man's Arenas and I don't think he can complement Arenas.

2) How are we gonna resign them next year? Miller is going to be a FA and Foye a RFA. We simply don't have money for Arenas, Miller, Foye, Butler, Jamison, and Haywood (FA next year).

3) This deal sets up another deal in my opinion. There is no way we can play Arenas, Foye, Miller, DeShawn, Mike James, Nick Young, and Crittenton.

4) I would've loved to trade DeShawn instead of Songaila since Songaila is a good backup PF (not C) and DeShawn is well.....DeShawn.

Lineup as of right now assuming Foye starts:
PG) Arenas - James - Critt
SG) Foye - Young - DeShawn
SF) Butler - Miller - DMac
PF) Jamison - Blatche
C) Haywood - McGee

So I'm a bit reluctant about this trade and will wait if EG will make any moves.
I think a deal involving Butler or Jamison, Mike James, and Nick Young is in the works. Hopefully Butler, James, and Young for Amare + possibly Dragic? Then we'd have to worry about resigning 3-4 players next offseason.

PG) Arenas - Critt - Dragic
SG) Foye - DMac
SF) Jamison - Miller
PF) Amare - Blatche
C) Haywood - McGee

[Silvie Lysandra]

This is a laughably bad trade, and I am shocked that anyone is supporting it.

Foye can't defend.
Miller can't defend.

In terms of this team, we either needed a defensive upgrade from Jamison while providing a good portion of the offense, or we needed quality defensive backups who were not horrible offensively.

Instead we bring in Mike Miller who can do a lot of nice things but can't defend, and we bring in Randy Foye who can't defend the pick and roll (on a team that has never been able to defend the pick and roll) and can't guard SGs.

Ernie clearly has no real understanding of what this team actually needs, and is content to stack one-dimensional scorers thinking he can put up 120 a night. That will get us to the second round...and no further.

I'm not saying he had to go out and trade for Amare/Bosh, but I am saying that a trade involving the pick has to fill actual team needs, and not just continue to add redundant pieces. Yes, Foye and Miller are "upgrades" on DMac and Critt. Do they fix the primary weakness of this team?

If another trade is not forthcoming, then this is yet another idiotic shortsighted move by Ernie Grunfeld.

[Pollinator]

Wow- I can't believe Ernie Grunfeld didn't look at Blatche, Jamison, and McGee and say, gee- maybe I oughtta think about using that lottery pick to make our frontcourt not quite so damn soft.

I just don't see how you get anywhere in the playoffs with as little toughness as we have at the 4 and 5 positions.

I would have at least waited until draft night to make the deal- there had to be someone that could've topped the deal we got.

[Benjammin]

It's about the same Ben, maybe a few hundred thousand less.

Next year will be very interesting: Miller and James come off the books. Foye is a free agent, so you have to think about whether to re-sign him or trade him during the season. By extension, their decision on Foye also affects Young b/c if we make a long term committment to Foye, what happens with Young, who will be in his 4th year and the last year of his rookie deal.

That's what it looked like when I plugged it into my existing numbers; I just wanted to be sure I did not miss anything. Foye will be a restricted FA, but his qualifying offer in 2010 will be 4.75 million and that would be a lot to tender for a guy coming off the bench. As for Miller, I would have to expect that even if he plays well he's due for a serious pay cut from 9.88 million to no more than the MLE and probably lower than that. So to re-sign them and Haywood for like 8 million (may take a little more) plus Dom (2.2, could be less since his minutes will likely be pretty low) the Wiz payroll will be around 77-78 million. That would put them over the luxury tax by around 6-8 million. Obviously, if they make other moves those numbers would change.

[Ruzious]

Definitely unexpected. I've always liked Miller but I didn't think they'd go after Foye and I also didn't think they'd move Songaila. I'm with you MJG - why not send Stevenson instead? The Wiz now have a backcourt heavy roster and Minny has Songaila fighting for minutes with Jefferson, Love, and Craig Smith. IMO it would have made more sense for both teams for Stevenson to be involved.

I think this sends two clear signals. First, that they believe that McGee is ready for major minutes next year. Second, I think it sends a clear signal that they are done with both Young and Crittenton. I would hope/expect that they would package them with Mike James for a frontcourt player. The question is who?

Haywood/McGee
Jamison/Blatche
Butler/McGuire
Miller/Stevenson
Arenas/Foye

Not the blockbuster I was hoping for but still better than last year IMO. Could be even better depending on who they trade Young+Critt+James for.

Yeah, if this is the trade, there's gotta be something else in the works in addition to it, because it'd leave the team with not enough depth up front and too many perimeter players. Or maybe there's more to the trade. Either way, I think it's safe to say that more news is coming.

I love getting Miller, because he's an underrated multi-talented high IQ team player. Foye - I've never gotten the fascination. He's not a legit point guard, and he's too short to be a shooting guard. While he does have some talent, I don't see where he would fit here, and frankly - I don't really want him.

It bears repeating that it doesn't make much sense to give up 3 front court players and get 2 perimeter players. Why not include Stevenson and/or James - as well as Craig Smith in the deal?

Again, I'd say don't rush to judgment completely, because there's probably something more attached to this.

[LyricalRico]

Lineup as of right now assuming Foye starts:
PG) Arenas - James - Critt
SG) Foye - Young - DMac
SF) Butler - Miller - DMac
PF) Jamison - Blatche
C) Haywood - McGee

Why would Foye start? Miller is the perfect "glue" guy on offense. He rebounds, distributes, and can make the open shot. He's exactly what this team needs alongside the Big Three on offense. I'm guessing Foye backs up Arenas and Stevenson is used because of his defense and chemistry with the existing roster. I actually think Young will be the odd man out.

Haywood/McGee
Jamison/Blatche
Butler/McGuire
Miller/Stevenson
Arenas/Foye

That's what I see the rotation as. Great size almost everywhere and Flip should be able to use that length defensively with his zone schemes.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Hmm....

How the heck will the rotation work?

PG- Arenas (35), Foye (13)
SG- Young (26), Foye (13), Miller (9)
SF- Butler (32), Miller (16)
PF- Jamison (34), Blatche (14)
C- Haywood (30) McGee (10) Blatche (8)

With McGuire as a defensive specialist when needed?


I was wishing for Amare but grateful we got a good return so no complaining here. Foye is really nice, and I have a feeling he'll do really well for us this coming season.

This could also mean Butler IS available now and Amare could be a potential suitor for us. I just really hope we have a premier PF or at least a hard-nose backup by seasons start.

Butler is definitely available, however I'm not so sure Phoenix would consider actually proposing another deal to Washington without the 5th pick out of Washington's hands now. But a deal somewhere along the lines of Amare for Butler, Young and Blatch is very realistic I think.

Now Im thinking the Wizards could offer Butler and Jamison with Young for Amare and filler (Dudley and Tucker).

[yungal07]

Honestly fellas, did you expect the #5 pick to magically a) give the Wizards a shutdown defensive guard b) a super-strong tough big man and c) get rid of salary?

The amount of whining is ridiculous. There was only so much the guy could do with a #5 pick in a weak draft combined with a bunch of unwanted junk.

[P'Oed]

Hmm....

How the heck will the rotation work?

PG- Arenas (35), Foye (13)
SG- Young (26), Foye (13), Miller (9)
SF- Butler (32), Miller (16)
PF- Jamison (34), Blatche (14)
C- Haywood (30) McGee (10) Blatche (8)

With McGuire as a defensive specialist when needed?


I was wishing for Amare but grateful we got a good return so no complaining here. Foye is really nice, and I have a feeling he'll do really well for us this coming season.

This could also mean Butler IS available now and Amare could be a potential suitor for us. I just really hope we have a premier PF or at least a hard-nose backup by seasons start.

Butler is definitely available, however I'm not so sure Phoenix would consider actually proposing another deal to Washington without the 5th pick out of Washington's hands now. But a deal somewhere along the lines of Amare for Butler, Young and Blatch is very realistic I think.

Now Im thinking the Wizards could offer Butler and Jamison with Young for Amare and filler (Dudley and Tucker).

I predict a collective "Ohhhhhhh! Now I get it!" if (and that's a big IF) we somehow get Amare now. This trade would make a lot of sense if we could manage to make it happen.

[mhd]

I think Stevenson is gone IMO. He and James will be traded. FLip was gushing about N1 and I see him as the backup 2g.

ESPN said the deal could expand to include a 3rd team.

[Wizards2Lottery]

I think Stevenson is gone IMO. He and James will be traded. FLip was gushing about N1 and I see him as the backup 2g.

ESPN said the deal could expand to include a 3rd team.

Probably to raise his trade value.

[fishercob]

So Foye hurt his knee his second year, and last season (his third) he was working back from that on a terrible team.

His rookie numbers weren't terrible: PER of 14.0 and TS% of .536

For the heck of it, I went to B-R to check for players between 6'3" and 6'5" who had rookie PER's between 13.5 and 14.5 and TS%'s between .525 and .545. Here's the list: http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/ ... i?id=1utnr

There's are some uninspiring names on that list. There's also Spreewell, Hersey Hawkins and Mayo. JR Rider woudl have been a heckuva player if he had his life together too. And at 6'4" 210, whoever said that FOye has the same size issues as Curry is wrong. Foye's a MAN. He's hardly a finished product, but there's reason to hope and believe that he could develop into an ideal third guard.

[Scabs304]

I realy like this trade. I like Foye and Miller better than anyone that will be around at 5 and we get rid of Eta. DSong was another big that could not play defense and not as skilled as Jamison so we couldn't have him around. We definitly made ourselves better for next year and fi Foye really develops like I think we can we made a trade that will really help us in the future.

[WizarDynasty]

I think you are forgetting that we had hughes guarding pg's while arenas guarded sg's. So no matter what, Arenas is always going to prefer guarding sg's because of his poor lateral speed. Foye with healthy knee has unbelievable lateral agility when guarding point guards. Yes many shooting guards are gong to easily be able to shoot over Arenas but we have young locked in for three more years at a good rate and young step in if arenas is getting roasted. But logically, Arenas is here for the next 4 years and he is always going to prefer guarding the shooting guard versus the point guard and he is our franchise player. Foye excel at guarding point guards with his blazing 10.54 agility score prior to being injured. I would much rather see Foye guarding point guards rather than Harden.
Mike miller is 6'7.5 w/o shoes while Caron is 6'5.25 without shoes. I highly doubt Miller is worst man to man defender than Butler and Miller is actually the same exact height and length as Jamison. I would rather see Miller standing at the three point line shooting threes at close .40 or 60% translated 2pt range. Almost like our big in terms of field goal percentage. CAron shoots .29 percent from three point range and is absolutely horrible.
So again, EG addressed serious needs of the team. He still hasn't addressed the number on need of dominant offensive post player that can also defensive rebound above average and shot block...but he's taken care of the 2 of the 3 serious problems. Can he tranform Caron Butler into a dominant post player with defensive rebounding ability and shot blocking w/o giving up Young and Blatche. If he can, we are definitely contenders.

[MJG]

4) This would seem to signal an organizational belief in Blatche and McGee. This has to please a lot of people here who were clamoring for more Dray. We absolutely need him now.

This is the one part of the deal that I do indeed really love. We've pretty much cleared out all the non-essential bigs from our roster, and both of them are left standing. Two thumbs up.

[Ruzious]

And this trade does not stop the Wiz from being able to make a run at Amare. A combo of Miller and Dom at the 3 is not bad. They can still draft Green on the 2nd round and have him share the 2 with Young. With Dom and Green, we would have 2 really good perimeter defenders to mix and match.