OT: Wizards shopping 5th pick in draft

[DaRizzle]

The Wizards were shutout of the top overall pick and even out of the top-four, moving down to the fifth slot.

"There are a lot of great players in this draft. We're in a good spot to get a good player or to possibly use that player in a trade," Ernie Grunfeld said in a telephone interview. "We feel comfortable with the fifth pick, but we are going to explore our options to see what can make us the best possible team next year. But we feel, if we have all of our pieces out there, it would be hard for any young player to come in and break into the lineup -- even if it was the first pick."

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/59283/20090520/wizards_will_shop_no_5_pick/

 

[Sedatedfork]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/59283/20090520/wizards_will_shop_no_5_pick/

I think I recall Antawn Jamison saying that he didn't think they need another young player and that they needed a veteran. This might just be lip service, or they could be legitimately shopping the pick. I have heard a lot of folks say this is a weak draft, so it is not a bad draft to trade out of.

 

[hasoos]

You know considering how old their team is, and how injury prone they are, they need to look in the mirror, and start to rebuild. They aren't going to do anything with their big 3. If they were going to, they would have done it by now. Nobody is scared of Gilbert, Carone and Antoine. Get over it, realize your mistakes, and start to turn your franchise around.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I think they might want to shop Jamison with the pick. He's getting pretty long in the tooth, whereas Butler is younger and Arenas is unmovable with his giant deal, erratic play and injury history. If they could get a very decent player for Jamison and the pick, they do it. If I was the Lakers, I'd offer them Bynum...

 

[MAS RipCity]

Man, there is just no value at 5..outside of #1, you can get just as good a player at 20 than you can in the lotto
Outside of Blake, Harden is the only one who I think has the best chance at being a special player.

Rubio-I am kind of scared off by the young Euro players
Jennings-Bassy 2.0
Derozan-Just as Gerald Green written all over him
Evans-Maybe he'll be as good as Jamal Crawford
Thabeet-Maybe he'll be as good as Dalembert

This draft is deep with role players, not stars

 

[MrJayremmie]

If we can give them our 1st, and then either a future 1st (which they probably want) or use our TE and get another 1st rounder in the 20s and give them that, on top of taking some contracts off their hands and get them a player they want, I wonder if we could get the 5 pick. From there, it should be easy to get Rubio because it already seems he doesn't want Memphis or OKC and they both already have PGs.

This could actually be big for us as we are one of the few teams with cap space, ability to take on contracts, and some good players that we are willing to let go.

Just a dream I suppose. I'd only really want Rubio in this draft. Other than that i'd go for Maynor with cash, our 1st and a TE. (or blair)

 

[oldmangrouch]

They may trade the pick, but I have trouble believing it will be a fire-sale.

One argument in favor - somebody will draft Thabeet too high, effectively making this the 4th pick.

 

[WillG]

Give Bayless the starer/back-up point role, ship out Trout/Serge, grab pick number 5 and draft DeRozan to back up Batum.

Blake/Bayless
Roy/Rudy
Batum/DeRozan
LA/??
Oden/Pryz

Then we have a defensive stopper in Batum, and possibly an offensive scorer in DeRozan.
Quite possibly need someone who can stroke the three better, but, outside of my dream of acquiring Granger, this is interesting to ponder.

 

[azsun67]

So we are going to draft a SFto backup our 20 yr old starting SF? Giving up Trout and serge for a backup sf seems a bit steep. It also doesnt help the PG or bu PF spot at all.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Just noticed this item in a Hollinger article from about a week ago:

For instance, the Wizards could trade down with Memphis (No. 27), Oklahoma City (No. 25) or Sacramento (No. 23), throw in $3 million (the maximum allowed) and dump Etan Thomas' $7.3 million on their lap, simultaneously getting Washington back to the tax line while still adding another young player. Alternatively, the Wizards could ask for a role-playing wing with a modest contract, or just structure it as a straight salary dump for a future conditional pick.

I see Thomas as potentially being a fit at our backup 4 spot, and I wouldn't be surprised if Washington had interest in Outlaw. We might end up being a natural trading partner for the Wiz and that #5 pick.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Just noticed this item in a Hollinger article from about a week ago:

I see Thomas as potentially being a fit at our backup 4 spot, and I wouldn't be surprised if Washington had interest in Outlaw. We might end up being a natural trading partner for the Wiz and that #5 pick.

Yeah there might be some value there, but isn't Thomas more of a center than a power forward? Also, I don't recall him having much scoring ability outside of garbage points off of putbacks and the like. The only reason I bring it up, is that I suspect KP would like to add a backup power forward who has at least a little bit of an offensive game so you can have him paired up with Pryzbilla in the second unit.

In any case what kind of player do you see being available at #5 that knocks your socks off? I'm hard pressed to get all that excited about anybody outside of Blake Griffin and Rubio.

EDIT: Yikes! I didn't realize Thomas had missed so many games in his career
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/thomaet01.html
I'd have to say pass.