The Washington Wizards have rebuilt their organization and created a culture of professionalism.
After acquiring a number of established veterans – like Nene, Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza, Al Harrington, Drew Gooden and others – the Wizards reshaped their locker room and got rid of the players that were once considered “trouble.”
The Wizards weren’t in a position where they could take chances on players in the past.
Other teams, like the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks, for instance, were able to gamble on players with troubled histories because their reputations as no nonsense organizations allowed them to do so.