From the moment Rui Hachimura and the Washington Wizards failed to agree on a contract extension last October, Monday’s trade with the Los Angeles Lakers was practically a formality.
The lack of a new deal signaled Hachimura wasn’t likely to be part of Washington’s future plans. Finding the Japanese native a new home became a priority.
But that context hasn’t stopped Monday’s trade from being (rightfully) viewed as another trainwreck for a franchise that constantly misvalues, fails to develop and then abandons former first-round draft picks. The Wizards giving up on Hachimura and settling for a minimal return — reserve guard Kendrick Nunn and three second-rounders — marked the latest in a sad, long line of whiffs for a team consistently stuck in mediocrity.