The Wizards now owe it Jamison to trade him and give him a chance with another team. They have been grasping on to this group for years hoping for health, luck and the right playoff seed. But for various reasons, much of it plain bad luck and a rising superstar in Cleveland, they haven’t gotten there. Now with the Arenas suspension and the Pollin death and the impending doom, there are no more illusions. The dam has broken, it is over in Washington. There’s going to be a new owner and new faces.

Obviously, the Cavs want Jamison in the worst way. He fits everything they want and need at the moment. A great shooter with size, a smart player with playoff experience, a strong character in the locker room, a willingness to fit into the team concept. He’s not a great defender, he’s had some injuries and he’s owed $28 million over the next two years. With next summer’s free agent haul, there aren’t many teams willing to take on that sort of commitment. Especially for a 33-year-old, even if it does look like he’s got a lot of gas in his tank. There aren’t a lot of trade partners for the Wizards to just dump the salary, if they indeed want to go that route.

Three months ago, it seemed impossible. The Wizards were a vogue pick to challenge for the East and there was so much hatred between these franchises. Now, the Wizards have so much more to worry about than the future of the Cavs. Could it happen? Could Jamison end up in Cleveland in the type of power-shifting midseason All-Star trade like the one that sent Rasheed Wallace to Detroit in 2004 and Pau Gasol to the Lakers two years ago? It looks like a stronger possibility now than ever. But even if it doesn’t happen, Jamison deserves a chance to play for a title and the Wizards owe it to him because he’s a champion.