Feb 20, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) puts on his face mask during the first half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Wizards Mailbag Monday: March 7, 2016

It’s hard to believe that it’s already March. In less than 30 games, the Washington Wizards‘ regular season will be over and we’ll either be left with the NBA Playoffs or…nothing.

The Wizards had the opportunity to get above .500 last week, but squandered the chance against the Cleveland Cavaliers on national television and dropped another game at home in disappointing fashion to the Indiana Pacers.

But it’s a new week and we must start it with some positive pixels, right?

Washington still has the opportunity to sneak into the playoffs. It might be a tough hill to climb, but it’s not impossible. It could be a lot worse.

As always, we’ll start the week by answering some of your questions. Thank you for participating.

@WizOfAwes Which teams (besides the Wiz) might offer Beal a max deal? Will Wiz offer him max even if no other team does? — Darius Singpurwalla (@DSingpurwalla) March 7, 2016

It’s hard to imagine a situation where Bradley Beal won’t get a max deal, despite all of his injury troubles and inconsistencies.

There are a lot of teams around the league that will have cap space and only one of them will sign Kevin Durant. The rest will be left with holes to fill. Some of those teams are more talent deprived than others. The teams that desperately need talent will certainly consider giving Beal the max.

Here’s a quick list of teams that will likely consider giving Beal his big pay day:

Brooklyn Nets: they’re really bad. They need help and Beal would immediately become their most interesting player. Plus, their owner loves paying dudes.

they’re really bad. They need help and Beal would immediately become their most interesting player. Plus, their owner loves paying dudes. Philadelphia 76ers: everyone on their roster is either on a rookie deal or they get paid in chips. They will eventually have to sign a guard because Kendall Marshall and Ish Smith could only do so much…

everyone on their roster is either on a rookie deal or they get paid in chips. They will eventually have to sign a guard because Kendall Marshall and Ish Smith could only do so much… Los Angeles Lakers: they already have a great young back court with D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson, but why not add another premier young guard to the roster? It would be a great way to let Kobe Bryant ride off into the sunset.

To answer your second question; I don’t think the Washington Wizards necessarily want to give Beal the max contract. Obviously, paying your top talent as little as possible should be the goal. If they can sign him for less than the max, they will. But I don’t think that will be an option.

@WizOfAwes Where will the points come from with Anderson and Beal out/resting/injury-plagued during this west coast trip? — DC Stones (@DCStones) March 7, 2016

I literally sat at my computer desk for five minutes trying to come up with an actual answer. I…I don’t know. John Wall? That’s all the Washington Wizards have at this point.

This is exactly what happens when the team surrounds Wall with dependent players. Gary Neal and Ramon Sessions are the only two players on the roster that could create for themselves. Neal is out and Sessions is incapable of carrying the offensive load.

Wall will have to increase his point production, unfortunately. Marcin Gortat and Otto Porter will also have to step up, but with Beal and Anderson out, the Wizards will have a tough time putting the ball through the hole. Man, this is going to be rough, isn’t it?

@WizOfAwes Gilbert Arenas was recently tauting his ball IQ, any chance he could come back to coach the players on some nasty little tricks? — BEZDC (@BEZDC) March 7, 2016

In a perfect world, Gilbert Arenas would get his stuff together and coach the Washington Wizards, but the world we live in is pretty cruel. Gilbert hasn’t stepped foot inside the Verizon Center since he was traded. Ted Leonsis would not consider bringing him back. That wound is still open and will probably never close.

Besides, do we really want Gilbert hanging out with the players? I love Gilbert more than anyone, but he’s not exactly the person you want around John Wall and Co.

@WizOfAwes Will the Wizards able to keep Bradley Beal? — Fim Oshin (@TheRealOshin97_) March 7, 2016

They can keep Bradley Beal, and at this point, I think it’s become quite inevitable.

He’s going to sign a long-term deal with the team and we can all start hoping it works out. They have a ton of cap space and Beal is going to be a restricted free agent — meaning, they could match any offer sheet. He’s going to be in the district for a long, long time.

@WizOfAwes Will the Wiz make the Playoffs and if so what seed? — Rocky (@The_Rocky99) March 7, 2016

They will!

I have no idea and I’ve become increasingly less optimistic about their chances.

What’s the point of being negative, right? Let’s pump out these positive pixels! The Washington Wizards will make the playoffs. And here’s a bold prediction: they’ll finish higher than the seventh seed. Heck, I’ll say they’ll finish sixth. Are the numbers against them? Sure. But let’s remain positive…

@BenMehicNBA Will we look back at this season and be more upset about wasting an exceptional year of Gortat than an awesome year from Wall? — Jake Peters (@3peteforthewin) March 7, 2016

Nah, Jake.

As good as Marcin Gortat has been this season, John Wall is 25-years-old and in the prime of his career. He’s averaging close to 20 points and 10 assists per game on career-high shooting numbers. Gortat is in the latter half of his career. His best days are behind him. This could potentially be the best Wall we’ll ever see. I hope it isn’t, but this really could be the best Wall we’ll get in Washington.

To see Wall’s effort get wasted is heart breaking, really.

When Gortat’s career is over, only the die-hard Washington Wizards fans will remember him. Wall is a perennial All-Star and doesn’t deserve to get his best season go to waste. I have a ton of love for Gortat, but Wall is the franchise player.

@WizOfAwes Is Chandler Parsons a option @ SF next season — Fim Oshin (@TheRealOshin97_) March 7, 2016

If the #KD2DC dream never comes true, then sure, Chandler Parsons could be an option for the Washington Wizards. Is he someone I’d pay $20+ million for annually? I don’t think so.

Instead of paying another non-needle mover, the Wizards should take a risk. Either look to trade for another star or gamble in free agency. Hassan Whiteside‘s upside is worth more than Parsons’ production. The Wizards need a star and Parsons isn’t that.

@WizOfAwes Otto plays well for the first 5 minutes of games then disappears. Why do you think that is? Confidence? No play calls for him? — Alan Jenkins (@AJenks24) March 7, 2016

Otto Porter just isn’t good enough to consistently produce. I think that’s his problem and it’s one the Washington Wizards should deal with. His jump shot isn’t consistent enough for him to always be a threat. When he’s on, though, Porter is really good. It’s not a matter of confidence anymore because he seems to be firing away without hesitancy.

With that said, the Washington Wizards have to do a better job at recognizing when he’s on.

Instead of going away from him, they need to feed him the ball. Still, Porter isn’t the type of player you want to force feed. He’s not Carmelo Anthony. Porter is going to score most of his points on transition baskets, cuts and tip-ins. You don’t want to iso Porter.

So, to answer your question, I just don’t think Porter is good enough to play well for 48 minutes. He’s on and off. For those five minutes, he looks great. For the rest of the time, he’s rather meh. That’s just who Porter is right now. Until he develops a more consistent jumper, that’s who he’ll continue to be.

@BenMehicNBA What would the sign-and-trade market for Beal look like this offseason? — JB (@jbisdaman) March 7, 2016

We’ve been trying to determine where Bradley Beal could land other than D.C., but it really just won’t happen. We know how the front office operates. They’re all-in on Brad Beal. Hypothetically, though, the sign-and-trade market for Beal would be dependent on what other teams would give up.

Would the Oklahoma City Thunder part ways with Serge Ibaka? If so, they could trade Beal for the Thunder big man. But I don’t anticipate it. It would be filler and picks, just like most sign-and-trades are.

The time to trade Beal has passed. The Washington Wizards are now stuck with him.

Thanks for all of the great questions. For the past mailbags, click here.