The NBA regular season is nearing its crescendo, with everything on the line this Sunday. All 30 teams are stepping onto the court, and some carry more than just a game's result on their shoulders. As reported by CBS Sports, triple-threat heavyweights Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets, all knotted up at 56-25, will be duking it out for the Western Conference's number one seed — a not-so-small matter of historical proportion, as it's the first time the NBA has seen such a deadlock after 81 games.

While the titans of the West are locked in their celestial dance, the Washington Wizards are humming a much different tune. After a season that's redefined rock-bottom for the capital's squad, changes are inevitable. The Wizards wrung out the season at a paltry 15-67, and the only place they're heading after their loss to the Celtics is home. The Washington Post paints a rather grim portrait of a team without illusions about its dismal position.

With an off-season of overhaul staring them in the face, the Wizards have already earmarked a few players on their way out. Among the casualties is Tyus Jones, largely due to a back injury that sidelined him for the final 16 games of the season. Stepping into the spotlight in his absence, Jordan Poole has made quite the case for himself. "Jordan Poole outperformed him in his place, averaging 21.2 points and 7.1 assists per game in 14 starts with Jones out of the lineup," according to a post from Wiz of Awes, suggesting Poole's ascendancy to the starting role is all but formalized.

And then there's Jared Butler, who's risen like a phoenix from the ashes of a two-way contract to ink a three-year deal with the team. The young gun capitalized on Jones' injury-induced absence, logging close to 29 minutes and securing a double-double in the final home game of the season. His stock is rising, and Jones'? Not so much. "Teams increased their offensive rating by 7.7 points when Jones was on the floor, the largest discrepancy for any player on the Wizards," notes Wiz of Awes, signaling a clear-cut direction towards a Jones-less roster for the upcoming defensive revamp in D.C.