Now that the Wizards have locked up the third overall pick from the 2012 draft to a big contract, they have to think ahead to locking up the third overall from the 2013 draft, Otto Porter, to a deal as well.
From the looks of things, it appears both sides will take the same route they took with Beal and let the market dictate his value, according to J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic:
Otto Porter appears likely to become a restricted free agent next summer, with no movement towards an extension to his rookie scale contract with the Wizards before starting the 2016-17 season, league sources tell CSNmidatlantic.com.
This is probably the right move on Porter’s end. If this summer showed us anything, it’s that young wing players with a proven track record of success get paid. Harrison Barnes, Kent Bazemore, Allen Crabbe, and Solomon Hill all pulled in big offers in free agency from teams looking to add talent on the wing.
As we broke down back in May, Porter’s numbers compare very favorable with other young wing players who have received big contracts or extensions in recent years, and he hasn’t even had a chance to play under Scott Brooks yet, who is reportedly very high on him:
David Aldridge ✔ @daldridgetnt
Also: Brooks is a big believer in potential of Otto Porter.
6:23 AM - 22 Apr 2016
It would have been nice if the Wizards could have gotten him to sign an early extension and possibly avoid overpaying him this summer, but if Porter opts to wait things out, there isn’t much they can do.
The good news is whatever happens, it won’t affect the Wizards’ cap outlook in the short-term. As things stand, Porter’s cap hold would put the team over the salary cap next summer, so they’ll be limited to using cap exceptions to acquire players unless they renounce his rights next summer and let him become an unrestricted free agent, which would likely be a disaster for both sides.
