Wizards lock up Marcin Gortat for 5 years

This is mildly disconcerting. It is not the $12 million per year that is really the problem. That is an acceptable amount in Gortat’s market range. It is slightly on the high side but not egregiously so. It is the five years that could be the problem.

But that is not going to be the case now. Gortat has peaked as a player and now represents questionable value. When Washington traded for Gortat last October, the Wizards did so as a semi-rental. They knew they would need to, and would surely want to, keep him long term. But the importance of doing that was never separate from his cost, which always needed to limit the price. If Gortat wants $12 million a year, you can go that far, but could you absolutely not stick it at three years?

Unrestricted free agent Marcin Gortat agreed upon a five-year, $60 million deal to re-sign with the Washington Wizards, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski. Wizards guard John Wall technically broke the news first.

The Wizards had to fend off a strong challenge from the Miami Heat, who were looking to sign Gortat using the space they will be gaining from Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade pay cuts. Nevertheless, Gortat will stay in D.C., where he helped provide much-needed stability up front for a Wizards team that made the second round of the playoffs last season.