The Washington Wizards are apparently feeling lucky.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe reports on Friday that the Wizards would “likely” deal forward Otto Porter plus one protected pick to rent Paul George for a year.
The 24-year-old Porter, an up-and-coming 3-and-D combo forward, is a restricted free agent this offseason, so for now, any deal involving him would have to be of the sign-and-trade variety. Meanwhile, the longer the Indiana Pacers wait to trade George, the lower his trade value will presumably get (as we are beginning to see).
The Wizards came within one win of an Eastern Conference Finals berth last season, and swinging such a trade for George, rental or not, would prevent them from having to commit major long-term money to Porter, keeping the books clear for future free agent pursuits. Does the team want to go all-in now as franchise player John Wall enters his prime or are they looking to plan for the next several years with Porter as a core member instead? That’s the question that may ultimately determine their course of action here.
