While the Washington Wizards have several questions to still answer, one of them is the status of point guard D'Angelo Russell
The Washington Wizards have a handful of questions to answer this offseason. Some of the questions will be answered by the "power of choice," as general manager Will Dawkins noted in the days since the draft lottery was finalized. Others will be answered through negotiations, like ongoing talks with Trae Young to finalize his expected contract extension ahead of his player option. One, however, is a bit out of Washington's hands, at least in the short-term.
While the Wizards enter Memorial Day weekend with the 15-man roster currently filled, that includes point guard D'Angelo Russell, who was included in the Anthony Davis trade ahead of the trade deadline.
Yet Russell never arrived in DC as Dawkins noted the veteran point guard would not report to the team "as we try to figure out what's best for him and us in our future." One report noted that the journeyman could end up returning to the Wizards after all after the deadline to sign with a potential playoff team passed with Russell still on the roster despite never on the bench, much less in the city.
The kicker? Russell enters the summer with a player option just shy of $6 million with a deadline to opt in set for June 24. Which begs the question - what does he do?
Russell's trade market is near nonexistent, incentivizing Russell to opt into his deal. That would put the pressure on Washington to find a resolution to the divorce.
Maybe the lack of a path to any real role in the backcourt incentivizes Russell to head to free agency where he could draw maybe a handful of suitors. After all, the arrival of Trae Young also pushes Trae Young into the starting role while Bub Carrington, capable of playing the two, could serve as a big upgrade in the backcourt rotation and boost to the second round as the primary backup point guard. Russell could also play the two, but with already multiple options and Jaden Hardy flashing during his stint with the organization, is Russell deserving of bumping a returning player out of the rotation?
The upside is Washington has had nearly four months to resolve the situation after making Russell's status immediately clear publicly, but how it plays out could determine how some of the final roster moves play out. Time will tell if the Wizards avoid the dead weight the near $6 million could add to the payroll.
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