The Wizards continue to be the NBA's best championship farm team

A season ago, Kristaps Porzingis and Daniel Gafford were teammates in Washington while the Wizards went 35-47 and missed the playoffs. 

Now, they will play opposite one another on the sport's biggest stage, provided Porzingis returns from a calf strain that has sidelined him since the first round of the playoffs.

It's not unexpected for Porzingis (who ironically is also a former Maverick) to find himself in the NBA Finals, as the Celtics were deemed Eastern Conference favorites by many entering the season following their additions of him and point guard Jrue Holiday. He was the team's third-leading scorer at 20.1 points per game during the regular season.

Gafford's road to the NBA Finals was a bit trickier, as he was traded to Dallas during the 2023-24 season just before the Feb. 8 trade deadline. At the time, the Mavericks were 29-23, eighth place in the Western Conference standings and in position to compete in the play-in tournament. They went 21-8 with Gafford in the lineup the rest of the season, climbing to the No. 5 seed before making their run through the playoffs.

Gafford averaged 11.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game during the regular season following the trade. He has seen his numbers drop to 9.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 1.8 BPG during the playoffs. 

However, his impact has been undeniable. Despite the Mavericks being led by one of the best players in the game in Luka Doncic, they likely do not go on this run without the addition of Gafford (as well as of former Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington).

For Porzingis, he may not be as crucial to the Celtics' success but he gives them an extra gear with his ability to space the floor as a big man. On the Wizards, he was thrust into a co-starring role alongside Bradley Beal when he is better suited to be a supporting player. Gafford, meanwhile, is the type of "glue guy" who any contending team would be lucky to have.

A few weeks from now, one of them will be an NBA champion, joining the long list of players who have gone through Washington before contributing to a title. It goes to show that just because a player is stuck on a bad team, it does not mean they are a bad player.