After an impressive playoff run that fell short of their ultimate goal, the Washington Wizards are preparing themselves for a potentially franchise-altering offseason. The Wizards have a plethora of players slated to be free agents this summer, most notably starting small forward Otto Porter.
While Porter is going to hit the market as a restricted free agent, there is certainly still a chance that the Wizards let him walk. One of the teams that has already been rumored to be linked to the 23-year-old forward is the Brooklyn Nets and now, according to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, you can add the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers to that list:
The Nets have long been rumored to be willing to pay up for Porter. The Wizards caught a break when the Mavericks traded for Nerlens Noel, another restricted free agent, because Dallas intends to make him an offer in the max range — the Mavs had intended to pursue Porter. League sources suggest the Magic and Sixers will also consider making offers for Porter.
If Washington were to ink Otto Porter to a long-term extension, it would tie them up financially. With the Wizards looking to reward superstar point guard John Wall with a lucrative extension and Bradley Beal’s max deal already on the table, letting Porter explore other options will certainly be considered.
After putting up averages of 13.4 points per game to go along with 6.4 rebounds on an elite 43.4% shooting from beyond the arc, the Georgetown product could be in line for upwards of $20M annually.
A fit with an up and coming team building around youth could be beneficial for Porter, something both Philly and Orlando would be able to provide if he were to leave the nation’s capital.
