Sources on @TheAthleticNBA @WatchStadium: The Washington Wizards had a volatile practice within recent days, with verbal altercations among players and an exasperated Bradley Beal saying toward team officials: "I've been dealing with this for seven years."

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 19, 2018

“I’ve been dealing with this for seven years.”

That’s what Wizards G Bradley Beal said to team officials after a practice, according to Stadium NBA Insider Shams Charania. Washington is reportedly opening trade conversations on Beal, John Wall and Otto Porter Jr.

After six seasons of underachievement, the Wizards finally reached their breaking point. Will any core players survive the damage, or will the organization go for a complete reset?

It appears long-term discontent and pent-up frustration has finally bled onto the court in Washington this season. The Wizards, who have publicly talked about being contenders in the East for years, are 5-11 to start the season with no solution in sight. Washington’s front office saw the chemistry issues and realized it might be time to break up the team and rebuild. The issue now is getting assets in return for players who are underperforming on massive contracts.

At 25, Beal is ideally the player Washington would rebuild around. He’s a deadly shooter and a capable distributor. Beal had a career-high 21.0 assist percentage last season, leading to an All-Star appearance. He’s also a solid defender despite a subpar effort to start this year. The Wizards should avoiding trading Beal in a rebuilding effort if possible. The problem is he’s also Washington’s most attractive trade piece and will net the most assets in a trade.

Wall is still playing at a high level, but his assist percentage has dipped from a season ago and his assist-to-turnover ratio is worse. His free-throw shooting is in the high 60s, easily the worst of his career. The Wizards are 4.3 points better per 100 possessions defensively with Wall off the court, the biggest skew in that direction since his second season in the NBA. And Wall’s current performance isn’t even the worst aspect of his potential trade value.

No, that would be his contract:

2018-19	$19.2M
2019-20	$38.1M
2020-21	$41.2M
2021-22	$44.25M
2022-23	$47.3M

 

Wall’s mega-extension kicks in next summer, ballooning his salary. The Wizards were willing to commit that kind of money to Wall, but it’s hard to see another team wanting to hinder its financial flexibility for the next four seasons. Don’t think for one second Wall is opting out of his player option. The Wizards have their draft picks intact to dish out and sweeten the pot in any Wall trade, but it’s hard to see a potential fit around the league.

Otto Porter Jr. carries a much friendlier contract, but he’s had a rough start to the season. Porter Jr.’s overall field goal percentage and 3-point percentage have dropped, and he’s not going to provide creating and rebounding at a level to mitigate that dropoff. Porter Jr.’s value was his outside shooting; if he can’t provide that, his trade value is hard to calculate. Advanced analytics favor Porter Jr. (the Wizards are better on both ends of the floor with him on the court), but a contending team might not have the cap space necessary to fit him into the roster.

There aren’t many signs for a turnaround. The Wizards are giving up 116.9 points per game, good for 29th in the league. They’re also ranked second-last in defensive rating. The advanced data is even worse. Wall, Beal and Porter Jr. aren’t playing well together and Washington’s starting unit is getting torched.

Lineup (per 100 possessions)	Net PTS	Net AST	Net REB %
Wall-Beal-Porter Jr.-Morris-Howard	-9.5	-1.3	-4.5
Wall-Beal-Porter Jr.	-6.5	-3.1	-7.7

One thing appears certain; the Wall-Beal era will be ending this season. In light of the Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler sagas, the Wizards likely don’t want to drag out an uncomfortable situation any longer than they have to. Even if the front office believes the players are talented enough to turn things around, Charania’s report suggest the environment has become toxic to the point of no return.

The most likely scenario involves the Wizards dealing Beal and Porter Jr. while holding onto Wall. Even with his massive contract, Washington will have enough cap space and lottery picks to surround him with capable players. Wall is still one of the most athletic point guards in the league who can create at will. The only question is whether he’ll be able to play at level to justify his contract.