The Washington Wizards’ biggest free agent signing was Ian Mahinmi. The former Indiana Pacer figures to be a key piece in the team’s efforts to get back to the playoffs.
Mahinimi, however, may not even be starting, despite his huge payday. According to J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic, the Wizards plan on starting incumbent center Marcin Gortat:
Marcin Gortat is the starting center. Multiple league sources, as late as Friday night, told CSNmidatlantic.om that it’s not in the cards to make a move with the 6-11 center because of Ian Mahinmi’s signing (four years, $64 million). Of course, it’s never safe to say never but as for now that appears to be the case.
So it appears Marcin Gortat’s job is safe. Not only will he not be traded, he will also get to keep the starting position on the team.
Meanwhile, the Wizards have paid a ton of money to a player who will be playing off the bench. Additionally, playing Mahinmi and Gortat together seems to be a very difficult proposition.
The Wizards threw themselves into the mix in free agency and came away with a talented player at a large cost. But unless a trade does happen sometime soon, the strategy itself seems strange. Nevertheless, the Wizards now have two talented centers who can provide insurance if or when one does get injured.
