Marcin Gortat is not a happy camper. In an interview with Candace Buckner of the Washington Post, the Polish big man vented his frustration of being the most "under appreciated" player on the Wiz’s roster. He also revealed that he’s planning to meet with Wizards executives to determine his role on the team moving forward.
“I know there’s a lot of freaking idiots looking down the columns for the points telling me that, ‘You only score four or six points, team lost because of you.’ That’s how it is, that’s how people picture that. But people that know basketball, they know what I bring to the table.
At the end of the day, it is what it is,” Gortat told the Washington Post following the Wiz’s Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics last week.
Gortat’s sacrifice
Gortat, who is still under contract for two more seasons, still averaged a double-double this season with 10.8 ppg and 10.4 rpg. Although that was Gortat’s lowest scoring output since the 2010/11 season, he did play all 82 regular-season games and 13 playoff matches for the Wizards this season.
Another reason why Gortat’s offensive production dropped this year was his role as primary screener for the Wizards. Unlike last season where there were actual plays set for him, Gortat spent most of the time on offense offering picks for John Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter.
Next destination for the Polish Hammer?
Although centers are largely under appreciated in today’s game, Gortat can still find a team where he can make a big impact on both ends of the floor. Obviously, his $12M per year contract makes him a lot harder to move, yet teams can still find value in the 33-year-old veteran.
The Los Angeles Lakers appear to be a really nice fit for Gortat.
This is a nice young team with so many promising players in every position. They have a chance to further upgrade their roster this year with the no. 2 overall pick in the draft. Many NBA scribes even consider the Lakers the team of the future because of the immense talent on their roster.
Unfortunately, not all is good in Los Angeles.
Last summer, they signed Timofey Mozgov to a four-year, $64 million deal -- a contract many considered one of the worst in franchise history. There’s no denying that Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka are eager to unload Mozgov’s deal, the only question is how?
Although it’s almost impossible to convert Mozgov’s bad contract to young assets or draft picks, the Lakers could instead use him to land a reliable veteran big man in Gortat. Career-wise, Gortat has had a much better NBA tenure than Mozgov, whose only achievement is being part of the Cleveland Cavaliers championship team. To make the Wizards bite, the Lakers could attach a second-round pick or a Larry Nance Jr. to their package.
The Lakers would benefit immensely from Gortat, not only because he’s a better rebounder, scorer and locker room presence, but his deal expires much earlier than Mozgov’s. At the end of the 2018/19 season, there will be $12 million off the books due to Gortat’s expiring contract.
