The Washington Wizards are rumored to be turning their attention on New Orleans Pelicans power forward Ryan Anderson during the coming free-agency period after reports went out that Kevin Durant is not interested in holding a meeting with them this offseason.
Durant had lined up the teams that he will accommodate this summer, namely his current squad Oklahoma City Thunder as well as the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, and Golden State Warriors.
Noticeably, his hometown squad Wizards is not included in the list and so Washington is said to have moved on from their Durant chase and is planning to focus on acquiring the Pelicans' stretch four.
The 28-year-old Anderson had just finished the final season of his four-year, $34 million deal with New Orleans and is set to become an unrestricted free agent on Friday, July 1. Other teams who are speculated to be also interested in the seven-year pro are the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and the Heat.
CSN Mid-Atlantic reported that the Wizards are planning on an "aggressive move" to snag Anderson this summer as the team sees him fit better in the starting lineup than Jared Dudley or Kris Humphries during their "disastrous 41-41 season" in 2015-2016.
The report also noted that Anderson may come at a high price as he "may command in the range of $17 million (per year) in the open market", according to one anonymous NBA executive, but the Wizards have around $30 million in salary cap space to sign him.
The 2012 NBA Most Improved Player is allegedly waiting for Durant's move before he signs with any squad as the teams that are interested in the Oklahoma City superstar are considering him as a plan B, which means his price could still go up once the 2014 NBA MVP finally decides where he will play next season.
Meanwhile, SB Nation indicated that Anderson may not be the best free agent this summer but he is a "realistic option" for Washington than Durant.
Anderson could be a key player in the Wizards lineup next season if they could get him and will bring reliable offensive support to main man John Wall.
The report mentioned that "there's no question he improves the overall talent level of the team, and he addresses a specific need (stretch big man) the Wizards have been trying to fill for years".