Washington Wizards: Why They Should Trade Javale McGee and Andray Blatche

Other than the Charlotte Bobcats and the New Orleans Hornets, two teams in the midst of rebuilding, is there a team playing worse basketball right now than the Washington Wizards?

What is most frustrating to Washington fans, however, is the amount of talent on this team and how they're not playing anywhere near their full potential, especially with the front-court duo of JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche.

Hence, it's time for Washington to let go of the two players they have developed for four and five years respectively. 

It's no secret that the Wizards are shopping Blatche. In fact, ESPN reported that Washington had been discussing a Blatche-Tyrus Thomas swap with the Bobcats. While that potential trade would not help either team as it would merely be a swap of two disappointing forwards, it shows the value the Wizards are looking for their troublesome power forward.  

With the emergence of a more reliable power forward in Trevor Booker, Wizards General Manager Ernie Grunfeld should highly consider trading Blatche, as keeping him would do neither the player nor the team any favours.  

McGee, on the other hand, remains an intriguing prospect. While Washington have lost hope in Blatche, the center from Nevada is still one of the most promising young centers in the league and is leading the NBA in blocks with 2.92 per game.

What prevents him from being a great player though, is that he lacks basketball IQ and would do curious things like taking a contested hook shot and then running back down the court despite the Wizards having possession. 

McGee is already in his fourth season, and the lack of improvement mentally suggests he needs to be in a new environment around proven veterans, which is nowhere to be found in Washington. 

If the Wizards insist on developing prospects, then they still have the likes of Kevin Seraphin and Jan Vesely waiting on the bench. Moving McGee and Blatche may imply that they concede defeat in developing the duo, but it allows them to restart and develop other promising prospects. 

With John Wall increasingly frustrated with the team's lack of progress, it's time for moves to be made. Blatche and McGee may only represent the start of big changes in Washington, but at least there's a start.