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Southeast Notes: Wizards, Morris, Bamba, Ball, Thomas

March 13th, 2022 at 5:30pm CST by JD Shaw

Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. blasted his team’s defensive effort after Saturday’s 127-118 loss to the Blazers, Ava Wallace of the Washington Post writes. Washington allowed Portland to shoot 52% from the floor and 37% from three-point range. The Blazers were led by Josh Hart, who scored 44 points.

“It’s not something schematic, it’s some of the same issues,” Unseld explained. “We talked about the one-on-one containment, there’s no scheme for transition defense. “You can say okay, well, let’s take care of the ball, we can do that better. But when the shot goes up, there’s no scheme to say, ‘You have to be here, you have to be here, you have to be here,’ it’s an effort, a level of focus, communication that takes care of that.”

The Wizards also allowed 122 points in a loss to the Lakers on Friday. Los Angeles, led by LeBron James (50 points), shot 53% from the floor. On the season, Washington ranks just 24th in defensive rating and 18th in points allowed per game (111.2).

There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:

Heat veteran Markieff Morris returned on Saturday for the first time since November 8, but the forward has no interest in hearing from Nikola Jokic, as relayed by Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Jokic’s hard shot on Morris caused whiplash for the 32-year-old, forcing him to miss most of the season. The hit came after Morris delivered a hard foul just seconds earlier. “F– nah, I don’t want to hear from him,” Morris snapped, according to Vardon. “He did what he did and it is what it is.”
Magic center Mohamed Bamba has stepped up for the team in recent games, specifically in the paint, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Bamba recently finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks against the Timberwolves on Friday, helping his club win 118-110. He was drafted No. 6 overall in 2018 and is in his fourth season with the organization.
Hornets veteran Isaiah Thomas is impressed with young star LaMelo Ball, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer writes. “I mean, he’s going to be the face of this league,” Thomas said of Ball. “He’s already an All-Star. Give him two or three years and he’s going to be top-five, top-10 in this league easily. He’s a special talent. He’s very young. He has great energy. His pace to the game, you can’t teach his pace. And he’s, what, 6-foot-7? He has the full package.” Thomas is currently on his second 10-day deal with the Hornets and could be part of the rotation moving forward, Boone notes (via Twitter).

Wizards Notes: Porzingis, 5-Team Trade, Westbrook, Schakel

March 12th, 2022 at 8:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kristaps Porzingis has only played three games since being acquired from Dallas last month, but the Wizards are encouraged by what they’ve seen, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Porzingis was sidelined by knee soreness at the time of the trade and didn’t start playing until Sunday. He has averaged 19.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per night and has contributed as a rim protector and play-maker as well.

“It’s tough, it’s been a handful of games, so he’s still trying to work his way through it. He’s going to have some big nights and he’s going to struggle at times, just like everybody else,” coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “But he’ll find that level of consistency, it’ll even out. He’s too good of a player.”

Porzingis has barely practiced since coming to Washington, Wallace notes, so he’s still trying to develop chemistry with his new teammates. He will miss tonight’s game at Portland for precautionary reasons because it’s the second night of a back-to-back, but Unseld doesn’t expect him to have any more restrictions for the rest of the season.

“Of course, I want to play and have longer stretches of playing,” Porzingis said. “Sometimes it kind of creeps in your mind and you want to force some things out there because, ‘Ah, I might be coming out in a couple minutes,’ so I just [need] to have that calmness and knowing that I’m going to get there. I just need to stay focused and play the right way.”

There’s more on the Wizards:

The five-team trade that Washington was part of last summer continues to evolve, observes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Although there’s a perception that the Wizards got the better of the deal because Russell Westbrook has struggled with the Lakers, the pieces they got in return have already changed significantly. Spencer Dinwiddie, Montrezl Harrell and Aaron Holiday were all shipped out at the trade deadline.
Westbrook’s desire to go home and play for the Lakers sparked that five-team deal, but he had a much better situation in Washington, contends Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Westbrook became a team leader after sparking the Wizards to a late-season surge that got them into the play-in tournament last season, Buckner points out. He also had an All-Star backcourt partner in Bradley Beal who was willing to adjust to his style of play.
Jordan Schakel‘s new two-way contract will cover two seasons, tweets JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors.

Porzingis, Gafford Could Be Formidable Duo

March 10th, 2022 at 6:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The combination of Kristaps Porzingis and Daniel Gafford at center could produce big results for the Wizards, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. They combined for 33 points against the Clippers on Wednesday. They also give the team a consistent shot-blocker presence on defense.

“I think it’s a different feel,” Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “K.P.’s able to stretch the defense and Gaff obviously puts a lot of pressure on the rim as a roller. Both have good length and size up front. But just the ability to mix and match, kind of give offenses and our offense a different feel, the defense a different look.”

Rui Hachimura has shown expanded range offensively, Ava Wallace of the Washington Post writes. Known for his midrange game, Hachimura has made half of his 3-point attempts this season. “For me, it’s more confidence,” the Wizards forward said. “I’m more confident shooting threes.” Hachimura, who has appeared in 24 games after sitting out for personal reasons, is extension-eligible this summer and the improved perimeter shooting should pump up his value.

Jordan Schakel Signs Two-Way Deal With Wizards

March 9th, 2022 at 3:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

MARCH 9: The Wizards have officially signed Schakel to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release. As we relayed earlier today, the team waived Ayayi to make room for Schakel.

MARCH 8: Shooting guard Jordan Schakel will sign a two-way contract with the Wizards, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Schakel most recently played for Washington’s NBA G League club, the Capital City Go-Go.

The Wizards currently have both their two-way slots occupied, by guards Joel Ayayi and Cassius Winston. One of those two players will need to be waived for the Wizards to complete the signing of Schakel.

Schakel, 23, is an undrafted rookie out of San Diego State. The 6’6″ wing had previously signed a 10-day hardship contract with Washington in December, appearing in two games. He averaged just 7.0 MPG in those contests with the Wizards.

In 21 games for the Go-Go this season, Schakel is averaging 14.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.0 APG and 0.9 SPG. Across 32.0 MPG, he boasts shooting splits of .431/.352/.941.

Schakel will join a Wizards team at a bit of a crossroads this season. Washington, which has won five of its last 10 games, remains very much in the Eastern Conference play-in picture, despite the shelving of star guard Bradley Beal for the rest of the season following a left wrist surgery. At 29-34, the No. 11 Wizards are just 1.5 games behind the tenth-seeded Hawks and two games behind the No. 8 Hornets and No. 9 Nets.

Community Shootaround: John Wall’s Future

March 9th, 2022 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Rockets and John Wall agreed prior to the 2021/22 season that the point guard would sit out while the team worked to find a new home, both sides likely hoped the situation would be resolved by this point.

However, the February 10 trade deadline came and went without the Rockets finding a deal they liked. And now that March 1 (the deadline for a player to be waived while maintaining his playoff eligibility) has passed, it appears virtually certain that Wall will remain on Houston’s inactive list for the remainder of this season.

While that outcome may not be what the Rockets or Wall wanted, it doesn’t come as a major surprise. The point guard’s $44.3MM cap hit this season and $47.3MM player option for next season made it virtually impossible to move him for anything of value. There were rumors that Houston would’ve taken on Russell Westbrook‘s nearly identical contract in exchange for Wall if the Lakers were willing to throw in a future first-round pick or a swap, but L.A. had little interest in that trade structure.

This winter was also probably still too early for the Rockets and Wall to seriously explore a buyout. In recent years, we’ve seen Kemba Walker and Blake Griffin reach buyout agreements with two years left on their respective contracts, but they gave up significant chunks of money in those deals ($20MM for Walker and $13MM+ for Griffin). Wall likely isn’t eager to surrender that much of his remaining salary, and the Rockets may continue to hold out hope they can find a suitable trade partner.

It seems safe to assume this situation won’t be resolved before this season ends, but the Rockets and Wall will probably do all they can to avoid extending the standoff into the 2022/23 regular season. That means this offseason will be crucial.

In theory, once Wall’s contract is an expiring deal, it’ll be a little easier to move. But there still won’t be many teams willing to take on $47MM in salary for a 32-year-old guard who seemed to have lost a step due to injuries even before he sat out for an entire season.

The Rockets’ best hope is that the Lakers become more open to the idea of a Westbrook/Wall swap, but if that doesn’t happen, it’s hard to find a good trade fit. A package made up of Evan Fournier, Nerlens Noel, Walker, and Taj Gibson would work financially, but even if the Knicks are motivated to get off a couple of those contracts, I’m unconvinced they’d be satisfied with a return consisting only of Wall. Frankly, that sort of package might make more sense for Westbrook.

Pairing Wall with a more desirable trade candidates such as Christian Wood or Eric Gordon could be an option the Rockets explore, but the more salary they add to Wall’s $47MM+ cap hit, the trickier it’ll be to find a match — it’s not easy for most teams to package $50MM+ in player salaries for matching purposes.

If Houston is unable to make a trade, the two sides could get more serious about buyout discussions. A handful of teams would reportedly be interested in Wall if he were to become a free agent, so the Rockets could allow his agent to talk to those clubs to get a sense of how much they’d be willing to offer him — Walker and the Thunder took this route last year, so Kemba knew he’d have an $18MM deal on the table from the Knicks after giving back $20MM to Oklahoma City.

The Heat and Clippers are among the clubs that have been identified in recent months as possible suitors for Wall if he reaches free agency. David Aldridge of The Athletic added another intriguing team to that list today, reporting that Wall would be open to the idea of returning to the Wizards and has recently discussed that possibility with people close to him.

As Aldridge acknowledges, Wizards owner Ted Leonsis and star guard Bradley Beal would both have to sign off on a Wall reunion. Leonsis was “legit angry” in 2020 after a video surfaced of Wall flashing gang signs at his birthday party and was “ready for a divorce,” according to Aldridge. Additionally, there was a sense in D.C. that the Wall/Beal partnership had run its course by the time Wall was traded to Houston.

Still, while Beal isn’t necessarily advocating for the Wizards to reacquire Wall, he wouldn’t dismiss the idea out of hand, Aldridge says. Washington will be in the market for a point guard this summer, and the possibility of bringing back Wall for part of the mid-level exception would presumably be far more appealing than having him on a maximum-salary contract.

We want to know what you think. What does Wall’s future hold? Will the Rockets be able to make a trade this offseason? If so, which trade partner steps up to acquire the five-time All-Star? If not, how much should he be willing to give up in a buyout, and where would he sign as a free agent? Do you expect resolution this summer, or will Wall still be on Houston’s roster in the fall?

Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Wizards Waive Joel Ayayi

March 9th, 2022 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards waived rookie shooting guard Joel Ayayi on Tuesday, according to NBA.com’s official transactions log. Ayayi had been on a two-way contract.

After going undrafted out of Gonzaga last July, Ayayi signed a two-way deal with the Lakers, but was cut just before the season began. The Frenchman was claimed off waivers by Washington and had spent the last few months with the franchise.

Ayayi appeared in seven NBA games for the Wizards this season, but logged just 20 total minutes in those games and has spent most of his time with the Capital City Go-Go in the G League. In 31 NBAGL contests (32.0 MPG), he has averaged 9.5 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 5.6 RPG on .455/.264/.548 shooting.

Washington is reportedly signing Jordan Schakel to a two-way contract, meaning either Ayayi or Cassius Winston had to be cut in order to create room on the team’s 17-man roster. It appears the Wizards have opted to hang onto Winston.

Southeast Notes: Kuzma, Oladipo, Spoelstra, Hampton

March 8th, 2022 at 9:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Versatile Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma is enjoying his new opportunity as Washington’s highest-usage player following a trade from the only NBA team he had ever known, the Lakers, during the 2021 offseason, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Kuzma won a title as a key rotation player for Los Angeles in 2020.

“I’ve referred to him on a number of occasions as our Swiss Army knife,” Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said. “Whatever we need in that moment, he’s capable of doing.”

The 6’9″ Kuzma is averaging 17.2 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 3.4 APG in 60 games for Washington, with shooting splits of .456/.342/.725.

“It’s been a great change of pace for me, a change of scenery,” the 26-year-old said of his new club. “I did as much as I (could) to maximize (myself) when I was with my former team, with changing my role every single year for the betterment of the team and trying to fit in with great players.

“But here, it’s been a lot different, because I don’t necessarily have to do that. My role has changed here. If you think about the first 25 games, I was in a different type of role than I am now: more scoring and just doing more things with the ball. It’s just great to be in a situation where I can just be myself and do what I do, and not dummy myself down.”

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Heat reserve guard Victor Oladipo returned to the court with Miami for the first time this season on Monday. He logged 11 points while shooting 4-for-7 from the floor in a 123-106 win over Oladipo’s former team, the Rockets. Oladipo called his return from a right knee quadriceps tendon surgery “everything I wanted and more,” per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. A former two-time All-Star and 2o18 All-Defensive First Team honoree for the Pacers, Oladipo returned with a 15-minute cap. He has appeared in just 53 contests since the beginning of the 2019/20 NBA season due to a variety of injuries. When asked about when the guard would exceed his current strict on-court time limit, head coach Erik Spoelstra was quick to establish that the club is taking a longer-term approach. “I’m going to temper those expectations,” Spoelstra said. “He’s been out a year. Three years of injuries. Fifteen minutes, that feel amazing to him and to everybody in the locker room. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves on anything else.”
Now that Oladipo is back as a contributor on the hardwood for the Heat, Spoelstra looks forward to having to make some roster adjustments with his perimeter players, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Miami guards Max Strus and Gabe Vincent rode the bench, until the game was well out of reach in the fourth, to accommodate Oladipo’s return. “Big shout out to Max and Gabe, who have been playing really well,” Oladipo said after the contest. “For them to sacrifice their minutes tonight, I know that’s not easy.” Spoelstra acknowledged the roster crunch but appeared to dismiss it as being an issue for team chemistry. “That’s for amateurs,” Spoelstra said. “Guys understand the opportunity with this group. It’s not all going to be perfect. Everybody is not always going to be happy, but we have a really mature group in this locker room… We have a bunch of guys who can fit in and impact the game. Max and Gabe didn’t play much, but they can come in and do the same thing.”
With rookie Magic guard Jalen Suggs missing Orlando’s last two games due to a right ankle sprain, second-year guard R.J. Hampton has been tasked with bigger-ticket defensive assignments, writes Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel. The 6’4″ guard may still be struggling on offense, as he is averaging 7.3 PPG on 38.4% field goal shooting this season, but he has exhibited plenty of promise on the other side of the floor.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Southeast Division

March 7th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents this offseason. We consider whether their stock is rising or falling due to their performance and other factors. Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Southeast players.

P.J. Tucker, F, Heat

2021/22: $7MM
2022/23: $7.35MM player option
Stock: Up ⬆️

Tucker will turn 37 years old in May, and there aren’t many non-stars in the NBA who could realistically turn down a $7.35MM guarantee at that age. Tucker might be in position to do so though. He has been everything the Heat hoped for this season, starting 56 games, playing stellar defense, and knocking down a career-high 44.9% of his three-point attempts. If that performance carries over to the postseason and he plays a key role in a deep playoff run, Tucker could realistically command one more multiyear contract this summer.

Mohamed Bamba, C, Magic

2021/22: $7.57MM
2022/23: RFA
Stock: Up ⬆️

Entering 2021/22, Bamba was facing a make-or-break year. He had battled injuries and failed to take major steps forward in his first three seasons after being drafted sixth overall in 2018. If this season had resembled his first three, he would’ve been hard-pressed to find more than a minimum-salary deal during his upcoming free agency.

Bamba has responded to the challenge, starting 52 games so far for a rebuilding Magic team and establishing new career highs in PPG (10.2), RPG (7.9), BPG (1.8), and MPG (26.1), among other categories. While he hasn’t yet reached the level that some envisioned when he was drafted, his ability to protect the rim and hit the occasional three-pointer (34.5% on 3.6 attempts per game) should make him a popular target for teams in need of a center this offseason.

Bamba will be a restricted free agent if Orlando extends him a $10.1MM qualifying offer. I expect the Magic will do so unless they don’t see Bamba as part of their future.

Thomas Bryant, C, Wizards

2021/22: $8.67MM
2022/23: UFA
Stock: Down ⬇️

Bryant hasn’t been bad since returning to action following his recovery from a torn ACL, but he hasn’t been the same player he was prior to the injury in 2019-21, when he averaged 13.4 PPG and 7.0 RPG with a .411 3PT%.

The Wizards have a -11.7 net rating when Bryant plays this season, compared to a -1.2 mark when he doesn’t. And there’s no guarantee he’ll see consistent minutes the rest of the way if Kristaps Porzingis stays healthy — Bryant was a DNP-CD in Porzingis’ Wizards debut on Sunday.

Gorgui Dieng, F/C, Hawks

2021/22: $4MM
2022/23: UFA
Stock: Down ⬇️

The Hawks presumably envisioned Dieng being a regular part of the frontcourt rotation when they used part of their mid-level exception to sign him last summer. And for a while, he was.

Dieng played in 28 of Atlanta’s first 33 games, but following a stint in the health and safety protocols and the emergence of Onyeka Okongwu, his role has all but disappeared. Dieng has only appeared in 12 of the team’s last 30 games, logging more than eight minutes just three times during that stretch. At this point, it’s hard to imagine the 32-year-old getting another offer above the minimum this summer.

Cody Martin, G/F, Hornets

2021/22: $1.78MM
2022/23: RFA
Stock: Up ⬆️

Cody’s twin brother Caleb Martin has gotten more press for his breakout year in Miami, but Cody has also taken his game to another level this season. He has averaged career highs virtually across the board, putting up 8.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG and a .465/.406/.692 shooting line while playing an important role in Charlotte’s rotation.

While he’s probably not in line for a massive payday, Cody has assured himself of a qualifying offer (it’ll likely be worth $2.23MM) and should have some leverage to negotiate a multiyear deal with the Hornets, who won’t want to lose him in unrestricted free agency in 2023.

Wizards Notes: Porzingis, Bryant, Neto, Dinwiddie

March 7th, 2022 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

Playing on Sunday for the first time since January 29, Kristaps Porzingis was on a minutes restriction in his Wizards debut upon returning from a right knee injury. However, he still managed to rack up 25 points in just over 21 minutes of action, playing a key role in the club’s victory over Indiana.

After the game, Porzingis was wearing a “perma-grin” when he spoke to reporters, according to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. The big man said his move from Dallas to Washington has been “a smooth transition all the way around,” and drew praise from his new teammates who were playing alongside him for the first time.

“It was phenomenal,” forward Kyle Kuzma said. “Teams can’t just load up on me, having that extra guy out there that causes a lot of threat to defenses. With him, he’s so versatile. … There’s a reason why they call him ‘The Unicorn.'”

With Bradley Beal out for the rest of the season due to a wrist injury, Porzingis won’t have an opportunity to develop chemistry with the Wizards’ franchise player in the coming weeks. But he said on Sunday that he looks forward to getting that chance next season, assuming Beal – who can become a free agent this summer – remains in D.C.

“I feel good here, honestly,” Porzingis said, per Wallace. “… Hopefully we’ll have Brad next season. I don’t know what the situation is, but I would love to play with him and Kuz and the rest of the guys. I think there are some exciting things to look forward to.”

Here’s more on the Wizards:

There may not be enough frontcourt minutes to go around with Porzingis in the rotation, Wallace writes for The Washington Post, noting that Thomas Bryant was a DNP-CD on Sunday. Bryant had previously played in 11 straight games, averaging 19.4 MPG during that stretch.
Wizards point guard Raul Neto missed the second half of Sunday’s win due to a left ankle sprain, per Wallace. Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said after the game that Neto was moving well and will be considered day-to-day going forward. Typically a backup, Neto has been Washington’s starting point guard since the trade deadline and was playing well, averaging 11.5 PPG and 5.1 APG on .500/.429/.773 shooting in his last 10 games.
Responding to Spencer Dinwiddie‘s comments about his time in Washington and his claim that he was “kicked out the door,” Unseld and Kuzma both expressed a desire to move forward, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “I’m not going to get into the accuracy of (Dinwiddie’s comments). It’s one of those things where, organizationally, it worked and he was aggressive early. We won a lot of games,” Unseld said. “Bottom-line, we had to make a change [at the trade deadline] and to get something we had to give up something. He’s a really talented guy, he’s playing well and he’s healthy. We look forward to seeing the benefit of that trade. It is what it is. I think it’s one of those things where we just have to move on and get past it.”

Porzingis Ready For Debut; Executives, Agents Expect Beal To Re-Sign

March 6th, 2022 at 10:40am CST by Arthur Hill

Kristaps Porzingis could make his debut with the Wizards today, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Porzingis, who has been sidelined with knee soreness, was a full participant in practice Saturday for the first time since last month’s trade and will be evaluated before the game to make sure he’s ready to play, Hughes adds.
Executives and agents that Hughes has talked to believe Bradley Beal would definitely accept a maximum-salary offer from the Wizards this summer (video link). Hughes notes that Beal can make about $60MM more in a new five-year deal with Washington than he could by accepting a four-year contract with another team. Beal indicated this week that he’s leaning toward re-signing with the Wizards.
Appearing on the QC Hornets’ Nest podcast, Montrezl Harrell said he understands that being traded is part of the business of the NBA. The Hornets center was acquired from the Wizards at the deadline, marking the third trade of his career and the second in six months.