This is your Morning Commute. Additional links after the jump.
The big news this morning in the world of sports, and really every other morning for the last six-odd weeks, is the trade bringing Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks. It's the latest case of an NBA team starting to build around a handful of "franchise" players as opposed to the traditional notion of building around just one.
We have yet to see one of these teams win an NBA Championship, so we don't know for sure that it is going to work in the Playoffs, but it does seem to be the way that teams are going now. The Wizards have one player on their roster that can be considered "franchise" (hopefully), but there isn't another guy who could eventually grow into that. So what should the Wizards do from here.
The easiest answer is to wait. They will get another high first round pick this season, and the player they get in that draft could eventually turn into the elite running mate that John Wall needs to be successful. Or, at the very least, an attractive trade piece down the road.
As it stands now, the wizards have a lot of young players that should represent some value around the league. JaVale McGee is seen as a high ceiling project. Nick Young has boosted his stock considerably this year. And maybe someone will take Dray off our hands.
The Wizards don't have the multiple star ensemble that is needed to be relevant, if not successful, in this league. Let's not forget, that Kirk Hinrich and Rashard Lewis' contracts will expire soon and the Wizards will have some money to play with.
The Wizards will need to find John Wall a legitimate "Robin" if they want to have a successful team. That is just the way the league is going. But they don't need to be in a hurry to get there.
Must read links from around the SB Nation network:
- Bryce Harper isn't the only person impressing at Spring Training, from Federal Baseball.
- Bullets Forever asks who you would trade John Wall for?
- Japers' Rink with their weekly full-roster playing rankings.