Are the Wizards Running Out of Free Agency Options?

Now, entering the final week of August and the offseason's lowest gully, that final vacancy stands out as one of the offseason's most intriguing remaining questions. Numerous players with whom the Wizards were reportedly tied to continue flying off of the availability board to beg the question: is the team running low on worthwhile free agents to consider?

Names to Cross Off

Only recently did the dam holding back the second-tier free agent talents burst, starting with Russell Westbrook earlier this month.

He sat and watched as dozens of younger, more desirable pieces went courted and signed to the sort of pivotal on-ball role he'd grown accustomed to, eventually deciding the pull the plug on his MVP-winning, Hall of Fame career himself in the form of a sudden retirement announcement.

He was one of the Wizards' favorite targets amidst their quest to round out their spotty guard room, even if he may not have blended in quite so seamlessly with the deep-cut third-stringers. Still, Westbrook was a fan-favorite during his one-and-done stint with the 2020-21 Wizards, and despite Washington's reportedly-strong push to add his services, he opted to retire before signing up for year 19.

The only other star-caliber name out there left after Westbrook (save for the five minutes Klay Thompson spent between his Dallas Mavericks buyout and his Miami Heat signing) was DeMar DeRozan, and he, too, spurned the Wizards' advances in favor of the Denver Nuggets.

Now, the Wizards may have dodged a bullet here given DeRozan's clumsy fit alongside a half-dozen other ball-needy guards and wings, but his decision still caused Washington to head back to the drawing board.

Mann's introduction to the Wizards as part of the wide-spanning Peyton Watson sign-and-trade seemed to consolidate Washington's desire for one more ball-handler. So when Brandon Williams, one of the class' better unsigned scorers was scooped up by the Golden State Warriors, few fans were too bummed, even if he has more to provide from a box score standpoint than just about anyone left available.

Favored Remaining Outcomes

Anthony Gill's been generating marginal buzz for yet another D.C. return all summer, having long-since made a name for himself as a good-natured locker room staple over the lean rebuilding years. This is the deepest he's gone into an offseason without re-upping on his usual short-term deal, and judging by management's decision to explore other options, they're not married to the idea of automatically bringing the longest-tenured Wizards back for another go-around.

The veteran forward may not be blowing anyone away with his on-court intrigue at this point in his career, but a rebounder is arguably more important to rounding out the lineup than yet another guard, which is where the Wizards were previously focusing pre-Mann.

Aaron Holiday and Gabe Vincent have each garnered sparks of interest as combo-guards capable of keeping the ball moving and hitting on their open 3-point shots, though they're less than necessary anymore now that Washington's located another fourth option to compliment the positional core of Young, Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington.

Defense and hustle are what the offensively-tilted Wizards should be prioritizing, so anyone with a chance to create stops and second-chance opportunities deserves a look entering September. That means capable per-minute rebounders like Nick Richards, Tony Bradley or even the soon-to-be 38-year-old Kevin Love are worth respective glances with September looming.

Again, chances of locating a diamond in the rough aren't high by this point in the NBA calendar. Luckily for the Wizards, though, finding a 15th man rarely makes or breaks a season, providing the mostly-stocked lineup with a wide range of low-leverage potential difference-makers to ponder including over the coming weeks.