no thanks, not even at the minimum
I know that Blatche is a knucklehead, but is he a cancer? It seems like virtually everyone who played in Washington during the last several seasons was some type of "problem" player, but I really wonder if that's more because of the terrible environment with the Wizards and less because of the players. In other words, if placed in a stable, disciplined environment (such as Boston), could a guy such as Blatche become a productive, nonharmful member of basketball society? In particular, when you consider the dearth of skilled big men, or even of guys who are just plain big, it seems almost foolish to pass on a skilled 6-11 player who could really shore up your team's front line and may come at the vet min. Is he really that bad?
Precisely. For example, let's look at Nick Young and JaVale McGee, both from the dreaded Washington environment. Young and McGee both meshed well with their new teams and only contributed to the collective team performance. They didn't cause any locker room problems or disrupt team chemistry. I think it has more to do with the notorious Wizards' environment more than the players themselves.
I think Young is a bit of a false positive. The Clippers elected not to bring him back after picking him up midway through last season. Perhaps it was Young's production with the Clippers (22 games, 23.5 mpg, 9.7 ppg on sub 40% shooting) that discouraged them from bringing him back.
As for McGee, the jury is still out on him. George Karl may be the right coach for him, but time will tell.
Blatche has been in the league for seven seasons. He's had Eddie Jordan, Flip Saunders, and Randy Wittman as head coaches. Do we really blame those three for not motivating him to play up to par?
Not every player in the NBA cares about winning, or even being the best he can be. Some are just in it for a paycheck. Nothing wrong with that, but sometimes you shouldn't bother making a silk purse out of a sow's ear.