Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis seems to be happy with the status quo in the nation’s capital.
Following reports that pretty much everyone on the roster is available in trades, Leonsis attempted to push back against said reports in talking to the media on Thursday.
“We’re not trading any of those players,” Leonsis said when broached about the possibility of trading John Wall, Bradley Beal or Otto Porter Jr., via Noah Frank of WTOP in D.C.
It’s an interesting stand for the Wizards to take. They head into Thursday’s action with a 22-29 record and as the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference. The current core group just isn’t working out. Even then, Leonsis does not want to tank.
“I was asked point blank, are you going to tank? That’s an offensive question,” Leonsis continued. “You can’t go to your players, your coach and say, ‘We’re going to lose.’”
Isn’t it more offense to exist in mediocrity without any real hope of contention? Now that John Wall is out for the season with a heel injury, any hope of contention can be thrown out the window.
Longer term, the question is whether Beal and Wall can coexist together in the backcourt. There was some drama between the two earlier this season. That’s the backstory in what has been another lost season in D.C.