The Washington Wizards were looking to trade Otto Porter and have found a taker in the Chicago Bulls.
The Wizards dealt Porter to the Bulls for Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker on Wednesday, as first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Porter is in the second season of a four-year, $106 million deal that the Wizards matched after he signed an offer sheet with Brooklyn in the summer of 2017. He is making $26 million this season, $27.2 million next season, and has a player option for $28.4 million the season after that, which he would likely pick up.
Porter will instantly become Chicago’s highest-paid player. Parker is making $20 million this season and has a team option at $20 million for next season that Washington would likely decline. He has been in and out of the Bulls’ rotation this season. Portis is set to become a restricted free agent, so either Washington has desires about signing him long term or they wouldn’t mind losing both players after the season.
Washington recently learned that John Wall suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon, which not only has thrown off their plans for this season but also next season. It makes sense for them to start tearing things down somewhat while Wall is out.
David Aldridge added some other motivations for Washington making this deal:
Wizards now out of luxury tax jail/potential repeater taxes. Which none of you care about, and shouldn’t. But dealing Porter for Parker’s $20M (team option for next year) gives Washington opportunity to re-sign Satoransky and/or Bryant. The only reason this would make sense.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) February 7, 2019
