Paul George, Tyrese Maxey Free Agency; Trade Talk

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(Perth Wildcats: Center, International, 7-1)

Previous rank: 2 (-) / Best rank: 1 / Worst rank: 2

With free agency nearing, rival NBA executives are monitoring Wizards free-agent point guard Tyus Jones as a possible sign-and-trade candidate, league sources told HoopsHype. 

Jones is one of the top free-agent point guards on the market this summer, as noted in our HoopsHype point guard rankings. 

Wizards reserve guard Landry Shamet has also drawn exploratory trade interest from several teams, including the Clippers, Lakers, Mavericks, Jazz, Raptors, and Magic, league sources told HoopsHype. 

Shamet, who averaged 7.1 points in only 15.8 minutes per game last season, has $22.75 million in non-guaranteed salary for the upcoming two seasons, as noted in our HoopsHype Wizards salaries page. Should Shamet remain with the Wizards beyond the draft, Washington is leaning towards guaranteeing his $11 million salary for the 2024-25 season, sources said. 

Lastly, on the intel side, Wizards center Richaun Holmes is expected to exercise his $12.9 million player option for the 2024-25 season, league sources told HoopsHype. 

While all these potential moves will be a part of Washington’s offseason checklist, none would be more important than adding Alex Sarr, considered by many the top overall prospect in the draft. 

In our last mock draft edition, HoopsHype spoke with Sarr’s general manager for the Perth Wildcats, Danny Mills, who joined Perth three years ago after spending seven years with the Philadelphia 76ers. Mills believes Sarr has an All-Star ceiling and compares him to Evan Mobley and Jaren Jackson Jr. 

HoopsHype also got Mills’ thoughts on what Sarr needs to improve and a glimpse into him behind the scenes.

“Offensively, Sarr is still a blank canvas,” Mills told HoopsHype. “I think you can really develop his game on that end however a team sees fit and sees him fitting into their offense. He’s versatile, not just defensively. Offensively, he can step out and make 3-pointers. I think that’s only going to continue to improve. I think he’s got a really good feel for the game and a high basketball IQ. As you play him out of the short roll and with catches off the elbow, his ability to make plays for himself and teammates in the flow of an offensive is high level for his age and will only continue to get better. He has the potential to develop into a stretch big offensively and be a rim protector on defense, which is what every NBA team is looking for in their frontcourt.”

Off the court, any team is getting an All-Star person as well. 

“Sarr has got an unbelievable character and comes from a fantastic family,” Mills told HoopsHype. “His older brother, Olivier, has been in the NBA. He’s had great guidance from his parents and Olivier giving him advice on his process through his experiences. He’s had a unique path to the NBA. He’s gone from France to Real Madrid to Overtime Elite to the Perth Wildcats to become, hopefully, the No. 1 pick in the draft. It’s a very unique path, and he hasn’t shied away from adversity or challenges, and he’s put himself in the best position to get drafted into the NBA. That’s a credit to him and his growth mindset and how he’s constantly challenged himself in different situations. Some players wouldn’t have done all those moves to get to where he’s at. He got out of his comfort zone and thought these steps were the best opportunities for him to take that next step. We were super fortunate that his most recent step was with the Perth Wildcats and will get him to the NBA.” 

More: Alex Sarr: NBA draft scouting report and intel