When the start of the NBA free agency strikes at 6 p.m. Sunday, the Washington Wizards will be waiting their turn.

They are not chasing one of the free agents at the top of the food chain — Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Al Horford. Instead, they prioritize a 21-year-old center who to other teams may only be viewed as a backup.

Also, they do not have the financial freedom to add even a second-tier player who could command something close to top dollar; they have roughly $9 million at their disposal.

While several other franchises with money to spend and championship hopes will undoubtedly be active, Washington will probably sit out the frenzied first moments of free agency. The Wizards’ situation dictates a more deliberate pace and more creative solution.

“We’re going to build this roster thoughtfully, patiently, efficiently,” said Tommy Sheppard, who has worked within the Wizards’ front office through 16 offseasons, with this one his first as the chief decision-maker.

Sheppard’s big moment comes at a time when the Wizards, who finished 32-50 and missed the playoffs last season, are in a predicament created over the past few summers. In 2016, Washington gave a hefty contract to backup center Ian Mahinmi that takes up valuable salary cap space. In 2017, the acquisition of several players on one-year deals, combined with the expiring contracts already on roster, left the Wizards with just five players on guaranteed deals at the end of the season.

Now, Washington has approximately $90 million in guaranteed contracts (the projected luxury tax threshold is $132?million) with several non-guaranteed deals that can be waived at different points over the next several weeks. Because the team is not in the tax now, it can use the full mid-level exception of $9.2 million — which can be broken up however the Wizards see fit — and the bi-annual exception of $3.6 million for a deal up to two years long.

These tools can be small but make a large impact as the Wizards will spend the bulk of the bank on keeping their own free agents.

The Wizards view restricted free agent Thomas Bryant as “the No. 1 priority,” according to a person with an understanding of the team’s plans. After Washington claimed Bryant from the waiver wire, he enjoyed a breakout season as the team’s fill-in starter for the injured Dwight Howard. An efficient and energetic young center, Bryant shot a league-best 68.5% from two-point range and 61.6% overall to become the franchise leader in field goal percentage (with a minimum 500 attempts).

“Some teams in the NBA may have [Bryant] listed as a third center and we think he can be a very mobile, high-effort, high-energy guy. We think he’s a starter in the NBA for the Washington Wizards, hopefully,” Sheppard said. “So we’ve got to evaluate it that way. Give him an opportunity to shine.”

Still, Washington has maintained interest in Bobby Portis, the four-year forward/center who has added 3-point touch to his rugged game. When Washington traded Otto Porter Jr. to Chicago Bulls and got out of the tax in February, Portis came over in the deal and helped fortify the Wizards’ shaky rebounding by pulling down nearly nine per game. But Portis has garnered attention from a slew of teams, and his salary could be in the neighborhood of $14?million, a price that may not fit into the Wizards’ bottom line.

Moreover, the team has to plug the hole at point guard with John Wall likely to miss the majority of the 2019-20 season. Restricted free agent Tomas Satoransky has played well in the role for the Wizards over the past two seasons and started 54 games in 2018-2019.

Although Washington values each player, keeping all three could prove costly. Add in trying to keep Jeff Green — who is not expected to accept another veteran minimum contract, according to a person familiar with his thinking — and the Wizards could be flirting with the luxury tax threshold again.