Going into this offseason, if you had asked Wizards fans who was untouchable on this team, you'd likely only hear Bilal and Deni. However, once you get past the initial shock of trading away a versatile 23-year-old coming off a career year, the deal makes a ton of sense. The rebuild will likely last through the last year of Deni's contract, and by then, they'll need as much cap as possible to lock in the young core of Sarr, Bilal and whoever their top pick in 2025 is. Will Dawkins is playing the long game, as evidenced by now two straight drafts of taking some of the youngest prospects available. As hard as it might be to accept, even a young Deni Avdija was not on the long-term timeline, so he's being traded at the height of his stock. It's a move DC should've done with Beal in 2019 or 2020. I imagine trades for Kuzma and Kispert will follow this offseason.

In return, DC gets a well-rounded prospect in Carrington, who very well could end up being the best PG of the 2024 draft. They add to their stash of picks, which will facilitate future moves. And they get an expiring contract in Brogdon, who DC should be able to dangle in front of a contender for at least three SRPs.

For Portland, there's reason to question Deni's fit. But after taking Clingan, all of a sudden Portland now has the basis for a solid defensive frontcourt that could be even stronger if Timelord can get healthy. Overall, they're a team that always seemed more fit for a retool than a full rebuild, and Deni is far better equipped to contribute to winning on both sides of the court than anyone they could've drafted at 14. Assuming Scoot can grow into the franchise PG they need him to be, the picks they gave up matter less.

Overall, it's a bit of a gamble from Washington, but a justifiable one if you believe in the long-term vision. And for Portland, it's a solid win-now move.

Grades:

Washington: B+

Portland: A