The Washington Wizards are doing all they can to build a top core group of players for the future. With John Wall already inked for the long-term, getting talent and depth around him is a priority for the team before the upcoming Feb. 20 trade deadline. Right now, the team appears to be targeting a backup point guard with plenty of options to choose from.
ESPN's Marc Stein reports that the Washington Wizards are highly considering point guard Beno Udrih from the New York Knicks in a trade. The Wizards think they could have a solid shot at landing Udrih if they present draft picks to New York.
Udrih has not be thrilled about his position on the Knicks. The point guard has already reportedly requested a trade back in January after being upset over his lack of playing time. There was also the incident when head coach Mike Woodson blamed Udrih's struggles for the downfall of the Knicks earlier this season.
Statistically speaking, Udrih has actually been an ok option for the Knicks. He is a much better player than Raymond Felton despite playing fewer minutes. Now, the point guard is simply buried on the depth chart. In the last 18 games, he has played a combined 40 minutes and has 13 DNP's to his name. The Knicks have clearly moved on from Udrih and the right trade package could get him moved in the coming week.
If Udrih is unavailable, Andre Miller might be the best option for the Wizards. Miller has yet to play a game since his falling out with head coach Brian Shaw. The veteran point guard could bring some quality minutes to a team if the Nuggets decide to finally move on from him. The Wizards could likely get Miller for cheap. Denver is set on trading him, but the lack of playing time and reported character issues have hurt his return value. If Denver lowers their expectations of what they can get in exchange for Miller, that might be the better deal for Washington.
The Wizards are hoping to get at least one impact player before the deadline is up. The team is currently 25-25 on the season and sitting as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. They have a great shot of making it into the postseason considering how week the entire conference is. One strong trade could be what they need.
