Wizards: Schizophrenic or just crazy like a fox?

The Wizards did as I expected with SG Jermaine Taylor, whom GM Ernie Grunfeld selected with the 32nd pick in the NBA Draft last night -- they sold him. Taylor's draft rights were sold to the Houston Rockets for cash. This seems lame. Teams sell 2nd round picks all the time [and sometimes first round picks, too], but the Wizards actually needed a body with that 32nd pick. They needed a big, powerful forward who could rebound and muscle up inside. Amazingly, DeJuan Blair, predicted by most to go in the middle of the first round -- balky knees and all -- was still available. He fit what Washington needed and he was there for the taking. Instead, Washington picked a player for another team and then sold him. And then justified it as providing future "flexibility." Utter nonsense. Or is it?Is the team management is schizophrenic? Do they want to compete and win right now [re-signing Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison to big contracts, trading a first round pick for Randy Foye and Mike Miller], but they make moves to get rid of bad contracts and sell draft picks for money when they need the player? Is it as if the Wizards can't decide if they're a serious contender or not?Let's be clear about one thing: You can't be a serious contender without being serious. The moves made by Orlando to acquire Vince Carter, by Cleveland to acquire Shaquille O'Neal and by San Antonio to acquire Richard Jefferson demonstrate clearly that if you want to compete with the Lakers and Celtics for a title, you'll have to spend a lot of money. Teams are either tanking [the Nets, Bucks, and Suns should have plenty of ping-pong balls in the hopper next year] or stacking their lineup for a championship run. If the Wizards are trying to shed salary AND make a run at the Eastern Conference Finals, that's not going to be possible. When you're spending over $160 million on Arenas and Jamison, why get cheap with second round picks?Unless, of course, you weren't being cheap, you were being smart. The Wizards reportedly sold the rights to Jermaine Taylor to the Houston Rockets for $2.5 million -- a lot more than the $700,000 they got for Bill Walker, last year's 2nd round pick. If Abe Pollin pockets that $2.5 million so he can make his children a bit richer when he passes, that's one thing and it will demonstrate that the Wizards are schizophrenic about winning a playoff series or two right now. However, what if Pollin and team management use that money to help pay luxury tax on a big man or two the team acquires with the mid-level exception? Here is a [non-exhaustive] list of big men that could be available this year for the mid-level exception or less:Zaza PachuliaMikki MooreJuwan HowardJoe SmithRasho NesterovicShelden WilliamsChris WilcoxDrew GoodenAny or or two of those players could fill out Washington's front court problems, giving them extra height and heft to help spread the minutes and guard against injuries. Those are not great players, of course, or even particularly good ones, but they don't have to be. They need to be solid rotation players who will work hard, play some defense, rebound and not bitch about shot opportunities, which will be few and far between. Then there is also the possibility of another trade. If we're going to dream for a moment, the Wizards could, theoretically, trade Deshawn Stevenson and Mike James to the LA Clippers for Marcus Camby. The Clippers are looking to get rid of a big body to make room for Blake Griffin and haven't had much luck moving Chris Kaman or Zach Randolph. Camby would give Washington the rebounding and defensive-minded big man they need. If that's unrealistic, and it probably is, considering Stevenson's injury problems, the Wizards could add in Nick Young and take back Mardy Collins with Camby. [Yes, all these trades work under the CBA. Whether or not the Clippers would do it is another matter and may depend on the other offers they get. James' expiring contract would be attractive, though, as would getting back hometown boy Nick Young.] The Wizards would move out 3 guards and get their big man and a shooting guard who would hardly ever play -- or need to. There are other opportunities, as well. My point is that it is dangerous to pass judgement on the Wizards for trading the rights to that 2nd round pick until we find out what they do with the $2.5 million they got back.