Your November Wizards and Mystics mailbag answers, Part 1

Thank you for your question in this month’s mailbag. Our next one will be in mid-December!

If the Clippers made a trade for Myles Turner and John Wall is included going to the Indiana Pacers, should the Wizards bring Wall back? (GreatWallofWizards)

According to the ESPN Trade Machine, Wall can’t be traded until at least Dec. 14. Let’s assume he is traded as part of a package to the Pacers. For those of you who aren’t following the Clippers much, there is a recent Bleacher Report piece (via Clipperholics and other sites) stating that Turner is someone whom LA covets.

Assuming Wall and let’s say … Ivica Zubac get traded as part of a salary dump to the Pacers, it’s not a bad idea for the Wizards to pursue a trade for Wall, who is making the under $7 million this season. That said, I’m not sure why Wall would want to be traded to a borderline playoff team in Indiana after signing with the Clippers. Yes, Wall would be the starting point guard in D.C., but he’d be Tyrese Haliburton’s clear backup in Indiana, so it’s not like this is advantageous for him.

Do the Wizards have any plan to try to rest Kristaps Porzingis some to keep him as healthy as possible? (little stevie colter)

I’m sure the Wizards do. But when Beal had to miss last week due to health and safety protocols AND when the Wizards are barely hanging in there as a Top-6 Eastern Conference team as of now … there won’t be too many opportunities for the Wizards to rest KP.

I like Shakira Austin but do you think the Mystics ultimately made a mistake by passing on Rhyne Howard in the 2022 draft when they traded down? (Skinsdiehard2T)

I don’t.

If the Mystics drafted Howard first overall, she would have begun the season off the bench behind Ariel Atkins and Alysha Clark. I think Howard would have received ample playing time and could have even been a Sixth Woman of the Year Candidate given hindsight. It’s possible that she may have been able to get into the starting lineup ahead of perhaps Clark. But I don’t think Howard would have had the playing time early on in the season to be an All-Star.

Finally, the Mystics get to pick a little earlier in next year’s draft too. If they kept the No. 1 pick and selected Howard instead (or perhaps selected Austin anyway), they would be picking seventh next season instead of fourth.

I will have more mailbag answers tomorrow!