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Jason Reid: Trade For Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza Doesn't Address Wizards' Long-Term Issues

On Friday, the Washington Wizards swapped Rashard Lewis, along with the No. 46 overall pick in the NBA Draft, to New Orleans for Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor. According to Washington Post columnist Jason Reid, that doesn't do much to help out in the long run.

I doubt this is an emerging prime-time group, but the Wizards continually promoted their supposedly promising youngsters. Then management potentially stunts their growth by bringing in mediocre veterans to play ahead of them?

Not to mention: Ariza and Okafor will command $43 over the next two years. As Reid notes:

That's grossly overpaying for guys who haven't been difference-makers in their careers, especially on what figures to be a middling team with no more than 30-something-victory potential.

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