JaVale McGee was becoming pretty much the butt of jokes in the NBA while with the Washington Wizards. 
Of course he didn’t help himself with his mental lapses on the court but nonetheless, something had to happen to shake up not only the Wizards’ underachieving atmosphere.
So McGee gets traded to the Denver Nuggets and Nick Young gets sent to the Los Angeles Clippers.
But for McGee, he was shocked to see himself get traded to Denver.
“I was sleeping, taking my pregame nap,” McGee told HOOPSWORLD. “When I woke up, I found out that I had been traded. I had a bunch of text messages from different people and I talked to the team. I was shocked. I just asked, ‘When do I leave?’”
Come on McGee, how did you not see that trade coming?
The Wizards were becoming a joke and the team had to do something to set the team on the right path. A team that is loaded with talent the way Washington was with McGee and Young along with John Wall, their record had to be much better than what it is.
Yes, McGee did put up solid numbers with Washington but his mental-lapses (running to the opposite end of the court when the team was still on offense) didn’t help his cause.
Perhaps it was also the fact he is a restricted free agent after this season, and the Wizards didn’t want to have to match a team if they were to toss a lot of money McGee’s way. Well, maybe the Wizards would if JaVale was a tad smarter on the court.
But now McGee has a chance to prove he is an all-around player by becoming a reason the Denver does well in the playoffs with smart plays and offensive and defensive production. With Denver he is averaging 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 58% field-goal shooting in 22.6 minutes.
History shows that NBA teams will spend tons of on big man. Sometimes to their detriment. But now in Denver, McGee has a clean-slate to prove the label of being a player with a not-so-high basketball IQ he gained in Washington was not appropriate and is worthy of a nice contract after this season.
