After last season’s turmoil inside of the locker room of the Washington Wizards, Marcin Gortat knew that it was likely only a matter of time before he was traded elsewhere. It appears that time has come according to Adrian Wojnorowski of ESPN.
The Los Angeles Clippers are trading guard Austin Rivers to the Washington Wizards for center Marcin Gortat, league sources tell ESPN.
This deal comes just days before the deadline for the contract decision of DeAndre Jordan, the Clippers’ All-Star center. Jordan, who is biding his time before deciding on his option for the $24 million in the last year of his contract, has been involved in multiple trade and free agency rumors already this summer. If Jordan does indeed leave the Clippers, Gortat would be a serviceable replacement for the 2017 All-Star.
The Wizards would be acquiring combo-guard Austin Rivers from the Clippers who would most likely come off the bench behind All-Stars John Wall and Bradley Beal. Rivers is most notable for playing for his father, Doc Rivers, as he coached the Clippers these past four seasons, however he’s carved out a name for himself in the NBA with or without his father due to his strong defensive presence and his ability to shoot the ball from deep. Rivers averaged a career high in points and assists per game this season with 15.1 and 4.0 respectively.
Marcin Gortat is on the decline as he turned 33 this season, but he remains a serviceable center in the NBA. His high rebound totals, averaging 8.1 per game for his career, makes him a valuable asset for teams looking for extra possessions on offense and to limit them on the other end. Last season, Gortat was vocal in his distaste with the current state of the team, which resulted in a public beef with teammate John Wall which may have been a factor in him being traded.
As the league enters the free agency period, this appears to be the first action of what will likely be an active period for front offices around the league. Wojnorowski has opened up the floodgates, and the NBA off-season is off to the races.
