2020 Wizards Championship Odds: Another Long Season in DC

Washington Wizards Betting Storylines

This is not where the Washington Wizards thought they would be. They had assembled an all-star backcourt. They had pieces to go with it. They thought that they were ready to contend in the softer Eastern Conference. But now John Wall is likely to miss the entire season with an Achilles injury - after injuries cost him the last half of last year. And Bradley Beal has not signed the big extension he was offered this summer, and now he is hinting that he wants out of town, with Miami hinted at as a possible location. Their talent doesn't run deep, and they are going to lose games. A whole lot of games. Probably most of their games. They have installed a new management team this year, and that likely signals that a rebuild, which is inevitable and likely painful at this point, is going to be accepted. It's not going to be a fun year to be a Wizards fan. Likely for several years.

Washington Wizards Additions and Departures

About that front office. Ernie Grunfeld was sent packing this spring after 16 years with the team. Don't get too excited, though - new GM Tommy Sheppard has spent the last 16 years working under Grunfeld in Washington. This is not a dramatic overhaul for a team that probably needed one.

Sheppard was certainly busy in his first summer on the job. They sent cash to Philadelphia for Jonathon Simmons, who was waived, and the draft rights to second-rounder Admiral Schofield from Tennessee, who will try to make the team. They sent Tomas Satoransky, who started 54 games last year, to Chicago for a 2020 second-round pick. It was a sign and trade for the RFA, so they were lucky to get anything for him. They sent Dwight Howard to Memphis for the well-travelled C.J. Miles. They were able to act as a third party in a deal between Brooklyn and San Antonio , and got big man Davis Bertans from the Spurs for their efforts. And they again benefitted from having room to play, helping the Lakers make the Anthony Davis deal work financially by taking on the deals of Mo Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Jemerrio Jones, and a second-round pick, and all it cost them was a very nominal amount of cash. So, in total, they were able to use the trade market to shake up the roster and take a low risk flyer on a lot of players, and they didn't have to give up much of note to get it. Bertans will be useful if not exciting, Wagner has real upside, and Jones has big defensive upside. Rebuilding is all about bringing through lots of guys to see what works. On that front, this was a success.

The team made three signings that were interesting. Ish Smith signed a two-year deal. He had his moments in Detroit and will be looking to recapture some of that here. Isaiah Thomas signed for a very cheap one-year deal. His last four years have been disastrous, but he is finally healthy and will be looking to prove his relevance. If he can click, he could provide excellent value as a trade deadline asset. And Justin Robinson was a four-year star at Virginia Tech who was somewhat surprisingly passed over in the draft. The Wizards like what they saw from him in summer league and gave him a three-year deal.

To make room for all the new faces, some guys had to go. They let Sam Dekker walk, and he's playing in Russia now. Trevor Ariza signed with the Kings . They pulled their offer to Bobby Portis, and he went to the Knicks. Jeff Green went to the Jazz, and Jabari Parker to the Hawks. Some of those players will obviously be missed, but none are the difference between success and failure this year.

The big addition in the draft was big man Rui Hachimura from Gonzaga with the ninth overall pick. He's a very smart player, he looked good playing against men at the World Cup this summer, and there is upside there. He doesn't scream superstar, though, so he isn't going to take this team on his back.

2019 Washington Wizards Futures Odds and Trends

Washington Wizards Futures Odds

NBA title odds : +25000

Eastern Conference title odds : +10000

Southeast Division title odds: +2000

Bradley Beal MVP Odds : +10000

Season win total: 27.5

Will the Washington Wizards make the playoffs: Yes +500, No -650

It was not a good idea to bet on this team consistently last year -- they were an ugly 38-44 ATS, which was in the bottom quarter of the league. They were brilliant in one area, though - they went over the total 50 times and under just 32, which is the best performance on the total in the whole league.

Washington Wizards Predictions and Futures Odds Picks

This team has a whole lot of youth right now and will likely have more when the seemingly inevitable Beal trade happens at some point this season. They just aren't good enough to do any damage in this league. The season win total here seems wildly optimistic, and the under feels like a comfortable play.

Read more articles by Trevor Whenham