When the Washington Wizards made it to the second round of the playoffs, it surprised many. Not to mention they bowed up to No. 1 seed Indiana, unafraid of the tried and true Pacers. But as it is in pro sports, almost isn't ever good enough, and it might not be enough to keep the team together
According to The Washington Post, the playoff surprise hasn't been enough to get coach Randy Wittman an extension yet:
Two of Wittman's peers were able to quickly turn playoff appearances into contract extensions, with Toronto's Dwane Casey and Portland's Terry Stotts both getting multi-year deals the day after their respective seasons ended. The Wizards haven't rushed to any decision with regards to Wittman; one person with knowledge of the situation said there is "no timetable" to get something done.
Wittman feels confident he will be back, though, and it's hard to imagine a scenario that doesn't include the man responsible for bringing a little defense to the Wiz.
The Wizards, behind Wittman and two of his young stars in John Wall and Bradley Beal, went as far into the playoffs as the team has ever been, and should have the talented young team in the playoff for years to come.
Two other young players who made big contributions in the playoffs are center Marcin Gortat and forward Trevor Ariza. According to Marc Stein at ESPN, these two players are the biggest concerns for the Wizards this summer and they have a big decision to make for the future of the team since they are entering free agency. Both players made huge plays for the Wizards as they won their first playoffs series in a long time, with the addition of Gortat at the beginning of the year giving the team more size and strength in the middle. This was a big deal when Nene's was suspended after the headbutt in the series with Chicago, and was a big reason they defeated the Bulls in the playoffs. Ariza also stepped up in the that series, and added to his free agency stock.
According to Sports World Report, Gortat is the likely pick between to the two players, since the Wizards had to give up a draft pick to get him from the Phoenix Suns before the season, but if his demands are too high, the team could bring back Ariza.
Many believe the Atlanta Hawks or the Los Angeles Lakers are after Ariza.
To replace Ariza, it's suspected the Wizards may go for free agent Greg Monroe from the Pistons. He is from the area and went to Georgetown and he has been rumored as a trade target by Washington.
