WASHINGTON – As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the goal for the rebuilding Washington Wizards has been to bring in young players with potential and acquire as many future draft picks as possible.
Much work almost certainly remains to be done before the Feb. 8 deadline, but team officials got a head start on Sunday.
The Wizards received center Marvin Bagley III, wing/forward Isaiah Livers, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick from the Detroit Pistons for veteran bigs Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala.
For Washington, it's a risk-free move that could bring modest reward if the team's coaches, development specialists and front office staff can help Bagley and Livers improve in the coming months and possibly years.
Wizards officials consider Bagley and Livers more important than upcoming second-round draft picks.
Bagley has not lived up to expectations since the Sacramento Kings drafted him second overall in 2018. Underperformance remains a difficult narrative for Bagley to shake off, especially since the same draft took Luka Dončić third overall, Jaren Jackson Jr. fourth, Trae Young fifth and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 11th.
But Bagley will only be 25 in March, can score in high numbers (usually in the paint) and collected above-average defensive rebounds early in his career.
Can the Wizards' player development system — which has undergone significant change and received more resources under new Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger and new Wizards general manager Will Dawkins — help Bagley win? Of course, responsibility for this also lies with Bagley.
With physical testing pending, Bagley and Livers are not expected to be available to play Monday afternoon when the Wizards host the Pistons.
Bagley is expected to serve as Washington's backup center, joining a second unit that typically includes guard Delon Wright, swingman Corey Kispert and forward Bilal Coulibaly, as well as starter Deni Avdija in the late first and early second quarters.
Although Bagley is not known as a strong defensive rebounder, he should be a significant improvement over Muscala and Gallinari, who played out of position at center. According to the advanced analytics database Cleaning the Glass, Bagley was, at his best, a slightly above-average shot blocker compared to other NBA greats.
In 18.4 minutes per game this season with the Pistons, Marvin Bagley III (right) averaged 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds and made 59 percent of his shots from the field. (Kamil Krzaczynski / USA Today)
Bagley is under contract through the 2024-25 season, during which he is expected to earn $12.5 million.
Livers, 25, is a 6-foot-2 wing/forward who can defend opposing shooting guards, small forwards and some power forwards.
His contract, worth $1.8 million this season, is expiring. But if the Wizards make Livers a qualifying offer this offseason, he would become a restricted free agent, giving them the opportunity to match any contract offer he might receive from another team this summer.
Receiving Bagley, Livers and two future second-round picks may seem like a disappointing trade package, but the reality is that Gallinari, 35, and Muscala, 32, have not played well this season and have limited trade value. Additionally, both players are expected to become unrestricted free agents this summer and are unlikely to want to re-sign with the Wizards, who are currently in the midst of a rebuild.
Gallinari and Muscala came to Washington last summer along with Tyus Jones as part of the three-team deal that sent Kristaps Porziņģis to Boston. Now, this deal appears to be more productive from Washington's perspective, with Gallinari and Muscala repackaged for Bagley, Livers and two second-round picks.
Gallinari and Muscala were the two oldest players on Washington's roster, and now the Wizards are getting younger with the additions of Bagley and Livers.
The 27-year-old Jones and 31-year-old Wright remain valuable on the field – Jones for his fielding and shooting, Wright for his disruptive perimeter defense – but even more valuable as a veteran presence in a relatively young locker room.
But Jones and Wright are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents this summer. Jones and Wright are on two-year deals, and because the collective bargaining agreement prohibits the extension of one- or two-year contracts, the Wizards cannot offer them extensions.
With unrestricted free agency looming, Jones and Wright are potential trade candidates.
The truth is, Sunday's deal will almost certainly be the start of a busy trade season for the Wizards. When a team is in the early stages of a rebuild, wants more draft picks and has a 7-31 record, it's hard to imagine anyone on the current roster – with the likely exception of Coulibaly – being off-limits.
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(Top photo of Monty Williams, Isaiah Livers and Marvin Bagley III: David Reginek / USA Today)