The Washington Wizards are trading guard Troy Brown and center Moritz Wagner to the Chicago Bulls, according Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The Wizards are receiving big Daniel Gafford and wing player Chandler Hutchison.
Both Brown and Wagner struggled to get their footing with Scott Brooks and his coaching staff in Washington. However, both provide promising potential.
Brown, 21, was expected to get the opportunity for backup point guard minutes. However, the Wizards signed Raul Neto to compete with Ish Smith to play behind Russell Westbrook. A first-round draft pick in 2018, was relegated to 21 games and just 13.7 minutes per game this season.
Brown will now get a fresh start in Chicago under head coach Billy Donovan.
Wagner appeared to get his footing this year in his third season with the Wizards. He started 13 games following Thomas Bryant’s torn ACL and struggles with Robin Lopez. However, Wagner didn’t play in the Wizards’ last five games.
Brown and Wagner join Nikola Vucevic, who the Bulls acquired from the Orlando Magic in a trade on Thursday as well.
Meanwhile, the Wizards will get an opportunity to develop a much needed rim protector in the 22-year old Gafford. A second-round pick in 2019, Gafford has length and athleticism at 6-foot-10. However, he was seldom used in Chicago. This season he averaged 12.4 minutes, 4.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 31 games. He’s under contract through the 2022-23 season.
Hutchison, a first-round pick in 2018, has been out indefinitely since Feb. 5 due to personal issues. He’s only appeared in seven games this season, averaging 1.9 points and 2.9 rebounds.
