NBA Rumors: Wizards Won't Find Suitors for Rashard Lewis or Andray Blatche Trade

The Washington Wizards are currently slated to have almost $30 million in payroll banked on forwards Rashard Lewis and Andray Blatche next season. According to reports, Washington is attempting to move both players before next month's draft to avoid that financial mess next season.

However, the team is very unlikely to find a trading partner for either player, partly because of the money owed to each but also due to the simple fact that both were ineffective for a poor Wizards team in 2011-12. 

The Washington Post's Michael Lee reported Wednesday that the team is looking to deal both Lewis and Blatche before the draft to acquire some much-needed cap room.

"But according to multiple league sources, the team will look to move Lewis and Blatche prior to the draft before paying them not to play for the organization. [GM Ernie] Grunfeld intimated last month that Blatche could return," Lee wrote.

As it stands currently, Lewis is owed $22.7 million in 2012-13 before becoming a free agent next summer. That number will make him the second-highest-paid player in the NBA next season.

Blatche is scheduled to make more than $23 million over the next three seasons, including $7.1 million in 2012-13. 

Neither player has performed up to the money thus far.

Despite making more than $21 million this past season, Lewis played in just 28 games and scored under eight points a contest. After coming to Washington in 2010-11 in a trade from Orlando, Lewis averaged just 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 32 games. 

Blatche wasn't much better after making $6.4 million in 2011-12. 

Over 26 games and 13 starts, Blatche averaged just 8.5 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting a career-low 38 percent. His career marks stand at 9.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. 

The Washington Post reported back in April that Blatche had ballooned to nearly 280 pounds (his playing weight is listed at 267), which was one of many factors in the Wizards essentially sending the 6'11" forward home for the season. 

Simply put, neither Lewis or Blatche gave the Wizards any where close to the kind of return on investment expected for players making as much as they did last season. 

Their complete ineffectiveness was partly to blame for the Wizards' 20-46 record, which was good for second worst both in the Eastern Conference and NBA. Only the historically bad Charlotte Bobcats (7-59) were worse overall. 

Blatche may be the easiest to deal of the two, but even he is unlikely to get moved via trade. The Wizards will likely have to use their amnesty clause to get out of the money due to him next season. 

In the end, a new start is needed for both player and team. The writing has been on the wall for month now. 

Lewis is an entirely different story, although he may also be untradeable. 

If no trade partner is found, the Wizards will likely have to swallow the $13.7 million buyout clause to clear almost $10 million from their books next season. It's a heavy price to pay, but there aren't many teams in the market for an old, ineffective small forward making almost $23 million a season. 

The only way Lewis is dealt is for a team to take on his soon-to-be expiring deal in hopes of clearing money for the free agent period of 2013—but that is no guarantee.

The Wizards have until June 30 to buy out his contract, assuming no deal is made prior. 

In the end, it's is blatantly obvious why the Wizards would want to move both Blatche and Lewis this offseason. The money trail and stat lines show all you really need to know about each player. However, the idea of trading a player in the NBA is much different than actually pulling it off. Clearing cap room makes all the sense in the world in theory, but accomplishing it will be a very difficult task for GM Ernie Grunfeld.