Wizzzzards (when said team already has a ‘z’ in its name, adding additional ‘z’s reflects the dysfunction being discussed): No team has been accused of falling short of expectations for longer than Washington, and a 5-11 start was enough to spark a no-punches-pulled practice session on Nov. 20 in which players’ frustrations flew all over the floor. Yet while the Wizards’ front office has been open to discussing any and all members of their core, their Dec. 16 trade with Phoenix for Trevor Ariza signaled (once again) a pivot toward prioritizing playoff contention rather than rebuilding (and no, we’re not going into even bother getting into the tale of two Brookses). For all the focus on the idea of John Wall (too expensive) or Bradley Beal (too good) being traded, it’s small forward Otto Porter who appears most likely to be dealt before the Feb. 7 deadline.
