The Wizards resisted trade overtures on sharpshooter Davis Bertans, and once it was established that they would take a real run at re-signing him this summer, a quiet trade deadline was expected.

Washington did get into a pair of minor deals, though the one with the most future intrigue is the three-team deal that included the Clippers and Knicks.

The Wizards traded Isaiah Thomas to the Clippers (he’s going to be waived) and received Jerome Robinson from LA.

Robinson no longer fit the Clippers’ timeline. He was a roll of the dice when the team selected him 13^th overall in 2018 and LA couldn’t afford to bring him along slowly when their championship window is open right now. Robinson needs a lower-pressure environment to develop and the Clippers just can’t be patient through the mistakes a young player makes at this point in time.

He’s struggled mightily through the first two years of his NBA career and hasn’t lived up to his reputation as a scorer coming out of college. This year, Robinson is shooting 33.8% from the field, 28.4% from deep and 57.9% from the free throw line. Last season, Robinson put up 18.9 points per game and shot 41.2% from deep at the G League level, but he has never found a rhythm with the big club.

The Wizards were interested in Robinson leading up to the 2018 draft but he was picked before they got the chance. Now, they’ve got him, and Washington’s high-octane offense should be a nice place for him to establish some confidence. It seems likely that he’ll help make up for the departure of Jordan McRae, who was moved out in a separate deal.

Thomas inked a minimum deal in the offseason with hopes of reasserting his place as a starting NBA point guard after his hip injury has left him on the outside looking in these last few years. He did start in 37 of his 41 games with Washington but his numbers and play left lots of room for improvement. His stats were far better as a reserve, as his score-first mentality didn’t work playing alongside Bradley Beal. Thomas is an even worse defender now than he was at his peak, and while there’s microwave potential as a scorer, he’s also been robbed of most of his old explosiveness by his balky hip.

The Wizards found more success with Ish Smith, a more natural facilitator, taking the lion’s share of minutes, and Thomas will be replaced by Shabazz Napier, who was added in the McRae trade.

The most notable part of this transaction is probably that this is the third time that the Wizards, under the direction of GM Tommy Sheppard, have stepped in to help another team ease its financial burden. The Clippers dealt Robinson to get back under the luxury tax threshold. Washington poked its head around the corner this last summer, first to add Moe Wagner, Isaac Bonga and a second-rounder in 2022, and then to scoop Davis Bertans up when San Antonio thought it had a deal with Marcus Morris.

These trades have given the Wizards two legitimate rotation pieces, and while expectations are lower for Robinson, there’s nothing wrong with a team in this position picking a lottery ticket off the ground.

There’s little risk here for the Wizards. They get to try and develop a player they liked while losing only a player who would not be around long term. Washington needs more help than this, but improving at the fringes is never a bad thing.