5 Swaps to Vault the Washington Wizards into Contention

How does a team go from 23-59 to playoff contention?

Easy—play in the Eastern Conference.

Seven of the past eight years, at least one team in the conference has made the playoffs following a year where they won 30 games or less. One key addition can take a team from the cellar to the playoffs. Two key additions and you might even see the second round.

So could the Wizards, owners of that underwhelming 23-59 mark in 2010-11, be next year’s turnaround team? Maybe. Probably not, but maybe.

With instant gratification in mind, I probed the Internet and my own addled mind for trade scenarios that could vault the Wizards into contention next year (lockout permitting). To get there we’re going to need to do some heavy lifting. According to John Hollinger’s metrics, the Wizards were 28th in offensive efficiency last year and 23rd in defensive efficiency. We needn’t worry about damaging the D to get some O, or vice versa, because neither can get much worse.

To be clear, I’m not suggesting the Wiz make any of these trades. I’m only proposing deals that could get the franchise back into the playoff picture for the first time since ‘07-’08.

Besides, trades are fun, and thinking about trades is even fun-er. So why spoil a perfectly good bit of fantasy with silly bouts of logic?

With that rhetorical question we’re off and running...

Andray Blatche and Kevin Seraphin to Philadelphia for Andre Iguodala

I first saw this potential trade discussed on the True Hoop affiliate Truth About It.Net and immediately liked it.

When looking for a potential trading partner, always seek the desperate, and the Sixers are begging for someone—anyone—to take the malcontent Iguodala off their hands. Philadelphia needs to develop depth at power forward behind an aging Elton Brand and may see Blatche as his eventual successor. Blatche needs a change of scenery to develop his potential, and Sixers coach Doug Collins established a stable, team-first approach in Philadelphia last year that could benefit the young big man.

In return, the Wizards get much needed help on both sides of the ball. Iguodala may be the league’s best wing defender not named LeBron James, and his open floor offensive game meshes perfectly with John Wall’s exceptional foot speed. With Iguodala and Wall as running mates, Washington could have one of the better transition games in the league. Add in dunktastic rookie Jan “Kisses” Vesely, and it could be a highlight-reel year in D.C.

Iguodala has led the Sixers to the playoffs in three of the past four years with a supporting cast no more talented than the one he would have in Washington. He’s not a superstar player, but he’s capable of getting a team to .500.

Nick Young* and JaVale McGee to Houston for Kevin Martin and Hasheem Thabeet

The retirement of Yao Ming did more than just leave the Rockets without a center, it traumatized a franchise that had invested so much cultural and commercial capital into his development. Without Yao, Houston seems like a rudderless spurned lover, and I think they’ll jump at a chance to fill the 7’5” hole he left behind.

The term “rebound” comes to mind, in more ways than one. And while McGee is no Ming, he’s young and loaded with potential. Or at least enough of each to tempt the downtrodden Rockets.

For Washington, Martin represents the true night-in-night-out scoring presence they’ve lacked since Gilbert’s knee betrayed him. Since Martin is a true two, he could complement John Wall in the backcourt without stifling his development.

Meanwhile D.C. can hope Thabeet finally becomes the type of interior defensive presence capable of masking Martin’s deficiencies on that end of the court. It’s a long shot, and Thabeet’s contract isn’t friendly, but Martin is the type of scorer that might make the risk worthwhile.

*Indicates sign and trade

JaVale McGee to the Trailblazers for Gerald Wallace

The Trailblazers already have an established big in LaMarcus Aldridge, but he’s all alone in the painted area. Something tells me Portland is looking to get younger amid Brandon Roy’s declining health, and McGee could be the perfect defensive complement to Aldridge moving forward. With the two working in tandem, Portland could bang with the Lakers in a playoff series or smother an aging San Antonio in the post.

Consider McGee an insurance policy on Greg Oden, and if the former number-one pick ever gets healthy, the Trailblazers’ front-court could be downright scary.

The appeal to Washington is simple: Wallace is one of the NBA’s better two-way players. He adds athleticism and like Iguodala, would play nicely with John Wall in the open court. Wallace proved in Charlotte that he’s capable of lugging an average team into the Eastern Conference playoffs, and he could do the same in D.C.

Andray Blatche & Kevin Seraphin to the Kings for DeMarcus Cousins & F. Garcia

Another gem from Truth About It.net, this trade makes a lot of sense if you don’t think about it too hard. It’s a tit-for-tat deal involving two petulant youngsters in need of scenery changes. After one year the Kings may have already had their fill of Cousins, and the Wiz have sent signals that their patience with Blatche is waning.

We already know that Cousins, under the right conditions, can be dominant. And what better way to bring out the good DeMarcus than to pair him with his old college buddy John Wall? Not only would the two generate tons of fan interest, they could push Washington past a lot of middling teams in the East. And wouldn’t John Calipari just love the chance to join his former charges and avenge his own NBA coaching disaster?

No? Too much? Did I turn your fantasy into a hair-greased nightmare?

Ok, we’ll stick with the players.

5. JaVale McGee and Nick Young* to Boston for Ray Allen

I can feel it; the Celtics are ready to deal. They can see the window closing, they can feel the Heat pulling away, and they’re out of supplementary moves. Time to shake things up.

No contender in the East has a more glaring weakness than the Celtics. With Kendrick Perkins in OKC and Shaquille O’Neal in absentia, Boston has no reliable bigs outside  of Kevin Garnett. Enter JaVale McGee. McGee is the kind of player Boston can dream on, someone potentially worthy of Rajon Rondo in the near future. Pairing McGee with Garnett would solidify the team’s interior; adding Young would replace at least some of Ray Allen’s instant offense.

With Allen, the Wizards get a perfect half-court complement to Wall. For the last few years Allen has thrived alongside Rajon Rondo, another true point guard (and UK product). Allen can teach Wall the game’s offensive nuances while improving the team’s fortunes in the short term.

*Indicates sign and trade