Assessing the Wizards' options in Bradley Beal's absence

One way or another, the Washington Wizards will have to tread water for the next two months.

On Saturday, Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture in his left wrist. The Wizards have yet to publicly announce their treatment plan going forward, but reports suggest Beal will likely miss six to eight weeks recovering from surgery.

Beal's injury puts a huge strain on Washington's backcourt. As a sophomore, Beal averaged 34.7 minutes per game while chipping in 17.1 points per contest. 

But Beal's importance extends past his boxscore averages. Beal provides a much needed second ball-handling presence. His ability to generate shots off the dribble and his prowess in the pick-and-roll helps balance Washington's attack. Opposing defenses have a difficult choice to make between concentrating their attention on Beal, or All-Star point guard John Wall. It's a big reason why they're in the conversation for best backcourt in the league.

Injury aside, the Wizards' problem is further exacerbated by their lack of replacement options. Shooting guard Martell Webster would be a logical choice to fill in for Beal, but Webster himself is recovering from injury and recently opined about contemplating retirement.

Past Webster, the Wizards' in-house replacements are menial at best. 

Small forward Rasual Butler is a veteran presence who can spot up occasionally, but his touch from long range is inconsistent, and he doesn't come close to Beal's ball-handling abilities.

The Wizards could also potentially turn to a pair of unproven young talents in Otto Porter or Glen Rice, but the two have a combined 434 career minutes in the NBA. Both players are undoubtedly talented, but they're currently closer to fringe rotation pieces than they are to starters for a likely playoff-bound team.

Without an obvious in-house replacement, the Wizards may need to turn to free agency to fill the gap. The Wizards only have 13 guaranteed contracts for the upcoming season, meaning they can take on a stopgap if needed.

But free agency presents a problem too. First off, the Wizards are over the cap, meaning they can only offer the minimum. The Wizards are also only $1.4 million under the luxury tax, which further restricts their flexibility. Lastly, the majority of quality talents have already been snatched up.

There is one obvious, available veteran who could potentially solve Washington's problems: Ray Allen. 

However, there are problems with that idea too. Not only is Allen likely to hold off on signing a deal immediately, Allen might also be at odds with former Boston Celtics teammate Paul Pierce, who is now on the Wizards.

Finally, finding a replacement through trade could also work, but what price would the Wizards be willing to pay for a temporary rental? Keep in mind that leverage would work against the Wizards in this case.

Ultimately, without the flexibility to sign or the right return for a trade, the Wizards might have to bite the bullet for two months and embrace an imperfect solution from inside their organization. Giving one of Butler, Rice or Porter significant minutes might be unpalatable, but it's likely the Wizards' only move in the meantime.