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Spencer Dinwiddie Says He Tried To Make Things Work In Washington

March 5th, 2022 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Spencer Dinwiddie, who was traded to the Mavericks at last month’s deadline, wants to erase any impression that he wasn’t a good teammate with the Wizards, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Dinwiddie signed a three-year, $54MM contract with Washington during the offseason, but never quite meshed with Bradley Beal in the Wizards’ backcourt. There were reports that he wasn’t popular in the locker room, and he said in January that his attempts to be a team leader weren’t well received.

“I think that’s what hurt the most,” Dinwiddie said after tonight’s game. “I’ve never bashed Washington. I’ve never said an ill thing about the team. In fact, I thank the owner or chairman Ted [Leonsis], I thank Tommy Sheppard the GM and I thank [Beal] for those three kind of collectively deciding to give me my contract. They didn’t have to pay somebody coming off an ACL.

“I’m appreciative of that, appreciative of my time there. … So to be bashed out on the way out the door hurt my feelings for sure. I think I’m human, of course.”

Dinwiddie has become a valuable sixth man in Dallas, averaging 22.2 points and 6.0 assists since the All-Star break while shooting 57.1% from the field. The Mavericks are 6-1 in the games Dinwiddie has played, and he says he’s glad that coach Jason Kidd has given him the freedom to aggressively attack the basket.

He also pointed out that things also started well for him in Washington, where he averaged 17.0 points and 6.0 assists per game and served as a dangerous clutch-time shooter as the team started the season 10-3 . However, he slumped badly as his time with the Wizards wore down, shooting 27% and scoring just 8.4 points per night as the team lost eight of the final nine games he played.

“I was fighting through for those guys,” Dinwiddie said. “When the role changed and they wanted me to pass more — they felt like I was scoring a lot — I did that. I took my foot off the gas scoring-wise because that’s what they felt — the team needed to get [Kyle Kuzma] and [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope] and those guys shots. I said, ‘Look, I already got paid. This is about y’all trying to get the shots that y’all need, whatever.’

“So to get kind of kicked out the door was a wild feeling. I hadn’t really experienced that before. But I still have nothing ill to say other than, yes, it hurt my feelings. But just like anything else, you become cautiously optimistic about your new situation. So far, it’s a great fit. I love what they ask me to do here, which is get in the paint, and I’m going to continue to do that and continue to try to be of service.”

Southeast Notes: Satoransky, I. Thomas, Okongwu, Hawks

March 3rd, 2022 at 4:07pm CST by Rory Maher

Tomas Satoransky is excited to rejoin the Wizards and have the opportunity to play with Kristaps Porzingis again, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “It feels like home and it’s always easier to go somewhere you like,” Satoransky said of D.C. and the Wizards.

As Hughes details, Satoransky has had a tough season to this point. The 30-year-old suffered a flexor muscle injury while playing with his native Czech Republic in the Olympics last summer, which limited his ability to train. He was traded to the Pelicans from the Bulls in the offseason, then was dealt to the Spurs ahead of the trade deadline last month. He reached a buyout agreement with the Spurs and then signed with the Wizards after clearing waivers.

Satoransky has appeared in 34 games (14.8 minutes) so far this season, averaging just 2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on .306/.161/.774 shooting. He admits it’s been a challenging year. “It was the first time I really struggled like that in the NBA, but it happens sometimes. It’s a tough league and you have to be mentally resilient,” he said, per Hughes. Satoransky holds career averages of 7.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on .468/.356/.819 shooting in 367 games (22.4 minutes), so 2021/22 is an outlier statistically.

Satoransky was Porzingis’ teammate with Spanish club Casajol from 2012-14 and he’s looking forward to being on the court with him again, Hughes relays. “I was also excited that Kristaps is on the team because Kristaps is my good friend from the past. I played with him for three years, 10-11 years ago. Imagine that, it’s really crazy. I always wished that I could play with him again. This chance is pretty awesome to have,” Satoransky said.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

Isaiah Thomas, who inked a 10-day deal with the Hornets Wednesday, says he’ll bring a positive attitude to his new team, regardless of how much he actually plays, according to Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “I have no expectations,” Thomas said. “My expectation is just to make a positive impact on the organization whether I play or I don’t. I’ve been able to make positive impacts on organizations if I’m in the game or if I’m not. So it really doesn’t matter if I play or not. I’m here to be a positive influence on those guys and hopefully turn this ship around a little bit. But if my name is called, I’ve been prepared for these moments. So I’m more than prepared and more than ready to take advantage.” Thomas put up 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 14 minutes in Charlotte’s 119-98 victory over Cleveland Wednesday.
Hawks big man Onyeka Okongwu has entered the league’s concussion protocol and is out for Thursday’s game against Chicago, Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. John Collins is also out as he continues to be bothered by a right foot straight, while Trae Young is questionable with a sprained ankle, Spencer relays (Twitter link). It’ll be Collins’ seventh straight missed game.
Time is running out to save the Hawks’ frustratingly inconsistent season, says Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “I don’t know why it’s going up and down,” Bogdan Bogdanovic said after Atlanta blew a 15-point lead to the Celtics and lost 107-98. “Like why is it going from the greatest game we just had against Toronto (Saturday night) to the worst game maybe in the season? I don’t know. I’m experiencing this for the first time of my career. I don’t know.” After finishing last season 41-31 and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks are just 29-32 to this point, 10th in the East. They hold a one-game lead over Washington for the final spot in the play-in tournament.

Bradley Beal Leaning Towards Re-Signing With Wizards

March 3rd, 2022 at 12:00pm CST by Rory Maher

In his first media session since undergoing season-ending wrist surgery, star Bradley Beal was asked Thursday if it’s fair to say he’s leaning towards re-signing with the Wizards, to which he replied, “That’s fair, that’s fair,” according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).

Beal can become an unrestricted free agent this offseason by declining his $36.4MM player option for 2022/23, making him eligible for a five-year, maximum-salary deal worth $245MM+. Beal will have 10 years of service once the new league year begins, which will allow him to sign for 35% ($42.35MM) of the projected $121MM salary cap for 2022/23, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.

Beal said winning and the team’s role in the community are the most important factors in deciding his future. “It’s a big summer and I’m excited for it. Ted (Leonsis), Tommy (Sheppard), we all are,” he said. Beal considers his 2021/22 season “up-and-down” and “incomplete,” and is frustrated by the fact that he could only play 40 games due to the injury (Twitter links courtesy of Chase Hughes).

Beal said being out for the remainder of the season will allow him more time to consider his future while observing the roster and development of the team’s young players. He said that aspect of being sidelined was a blessing in disguise, Hughes tweets.

Beal was also complimentary of new addition Kristaps Porzingis. “Just imagine him and Gaff (Daniel Gafford) out there. That’s going to be sick. Then, you’ve got Kuz (Kyle Kuzma) at 6’9″, 6’10”. We’ve got great size. We’ve never had that,” Beal said. Porzingis has yet to play a game for the Wizards, but he was able to play five-on-five with the team for the first time Thursday (Twitter links via Hughes).

The Wizards are currently 28-33, 11th in the East. They trail Atlanta by one game for the final spot in the play-in tournament. Beal averaged 23.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists on .451/.300/.833 shooting in his 40 games (36.0 minutes) this season.

Wizards Not Ready To Shut Down Porzingis

February 28th, 2022 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Daniel Gafford has long-term security after signing an extension that runs through the 2025/26 season. However, the Wizards big man had to be patient to regain a starting role, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes. Following a bout with COVID, he replaced Thomas Bryant in the starting five on Friday and produced 17 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes. “There was a lot of frustration, but at the end of the day, I wanted to be a good teammate. I didn’t want to wear my feelings on my sleeves,” Gafford said. “There was times where I did, but at the end of the day, I can’t bring that negative energy around the team. So I apologized to the team for that, the times that I did do it.”
Though Kristaps Porzingis doesn’t appear to be close to making his Wizards debut, coach Wes Unseld Jr. said they’re not thinking about shutting him down for the season, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington reports. “You hope that at some point you don’t see the effects they are concerned with and we can kind of expedite the return. But until that point, we’re going to treat it day-to-day and hope that he responds well,” Unseld said. Porzingis has already been ruled out of Tuesday’s game against Detroit due to knee soreness.

Tomas Satoransky Signs With Wizards

February 28th, 2022 at 5:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Veteran guard Tomas Satoransky has officially signed with the Wizards, according to a team press release.

Satoransky was bought out by the Spurs and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported over the weekend he intended to return to Washington once he cleared waivers. That occurred on Monday.

Satoransky, who was in the final season of a three-year, $30MM contract, appeared in 32 games with New Orleans and one game with San Antonio this season. He was involved in two deadline deals — he was traded from the Pelicans to the Trail Blazers in the CJ McCollum blockbuster, then was shipped to the Spurs in a three-team swap.

Satoransky played his first three seasons in the league (2016-19) with the Wizards. During that span, he appeared in 210 games (87 starts), averaging 6.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 3.7 APG.

With Bradley Beal out for the season and Spencer Dinwiddie having been traded to Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis deal, Satoransky could jump right into the Wizards’ rotation. Washington hosts the Pistons on Tuesday.

Eastern Notes: Kuzma, Oladipo, Morris, Bridges, Irving

February 27th, 2022 at 7:15pm CST by JD Shaw

The Wizards may have found something special in Kyle Kuzma, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. Kuzma is having a career-best season with Washington so far, averaging 17.0 points and 8.8 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game.

“He’s shown a steady progression where it seems like every month he’s getting better. He’s playing with more confidence,” head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said.

According to Hughes, Kuzma has averaged 21.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game since December 22, raising his play on both ends. Washington acquired the 26-year-old in a trade involving star guard Russell Westbrook back in July.

Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference:

The potential returns of Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris offer intrigue for the Heat, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Oladipo hasn’t played this season, while Morris hasn’t played in over three months. Miami owns the best record in the East (40-21) despite their absences. “I just love to see everybody try to get healthy and do what they love to do, what they’ve been doing their entire life,” Jimmy Butler said of the duo. “The fact that they’ve been out for a little bit, but still are coming in smiling and working, I think that’s the most important thing. Yeah, they want to get back. Yeah, we want them back. But in due time, they will be back and we’ll be even better.”
Hornets forward Miles Bridges likely would’ve accepted the team’s $60MM extension offer last fall if it wasn’t for his agents, as relayed by Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated. Bridges, who is averaging 19.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game this season, will likely be in line for a far more lucrative contract as a restricted free agent. “If it wasn’t for them I probably would’ve taken the deal,” Bridges said of his agents. “They got more confidence in me than I have sometimes.”
New York City will lift its “Key2NYC” vaccine mandate on March 7, but the private sector mandate still restricts Nets star Kyrie Irving from playing in home games, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The private sector mandate could be dropped eventually, but for now, Irving still can’t play in New York.

Posing Five Questions For Wizards Following All-Star Break

February 26th, 2022 at 3:31pm CST by JD Shaw

Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington poses five questions for the Wizards now that the All-Star break has passed. Among the topics Hughes addresses is Kristaps Porzingis‘ potential role, specifically how much he’ll play. The 26-year-old has only appeared in 34 games this season due to injuries.

Tomas Satoransky Bought Out By Spurs, Looks To Join Wizards

February 26th, 2022 at 12:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

12:37pm: The Spurs have officially waived Satoransky, the team announced in a press release. He’ll clear waivers on Monday, at which point he’ll be free to sign with Washington.

11:19am: Veteran guard Tomas Satoransky is preparing to sign with the Wizards after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Spurs, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Satoransky is in the final year of a three-year, $30MM contract and it’s safe to say he’ll clear waivers.

Satoransky appeared in 32 games with New Orleans and one game with San Antonio this season. He was involved in two deadline deals — he was traded from the Pelicans to the Trail Blazers in the CJ McCollum blockbuster, then was shipped to the Spurs in a three-team swap.

Satoransky played his first three seasons in the league (2016-19) with Washington. With Bradley Beal out for the season and Spencer Dinwiddie having been traded to Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis deal, Satoransky should jump right into the Wizards’ rotation.

The Spurs previously bought out another player they acquired at the trade deadline, Goran Dragic. As a result, they’ll have two open spots on their 15-man roster once they officially waive Satoransky — they’ll have two weeks to go back to the NBA-mandated minimum of 14 players.

No Timetable For Porzingis' Debut

February 24th, 2022 at 1:50pm CST by Rory Maher

The Wizards traded for Kristaps Porzingis on February 10, but it sounds like they’ll continue to have to wait for his debut. He wasn’t a full participant in practice Wednesday or Thursday and coach Wes Unseld Jr. says Porzingis will be ramped up over a period of time, going from one-on-one to three-on-three then five-on-five. He has no definitive timetable for a return and is considered day-to-day going forward (All Twitter links from Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington).

Southeast Notes: LaMelo, Young, Heat, Kuzma

February 22nd, 2022 at 7:43pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Hornets find themselves armed with a freshly-minted All-Star in point guard LaMelo Ball and a 2022 Most Improved Player candidate in forward Miles Bridges. Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer wonders if the club will be able to maximize Ball while he remains in his prime.

Fowler is skeptical of that happening this season at least. The 29-31 club has lost nine of its last ten contests, due in part to the absence of small forward Gordon Hayward and a few other key players. Fowler notes that the shorthanded Hornets are struggling to close out games.

“The way we are right now, we’re in a place of confusion a little bit at times during the game,” forward Kelly Oubre reflected following the team’s seventh straight home loss. “More veteran teams come in and capitalize on that.”

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

In an interview with Dotun Akintoye of ESPN, Hawks All-Star point guard Trae Young discussed his rise through his college run at Oklahoma to the ranks of the NBA’s best. Head coach Nate McMillan praised Young. “I think he has a special talent that we haven’t really seen at that position, his ability to score, as well as facilitate,” McMillan said.
The Heat could benefit from the addition of another stretch four to help space the floor and draw opposing big men away from the basket, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman cautions that the buyout market is currently somewhat barren. 36-year-old starting power forward P.J. Tucker fulfills that role at present, though given his advanced NBA age, is only playing 28.6 MPG. The 6’5″ veteran is connecting on 45% of his 3.1 three-point attempts per game.
The Wizards‘ front office may want to make power forward Kyle Kuzma, who is thriving in the first year of a reasonable three-season, $39MM contract, part of the team’s long-term future, opines Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Kuzma has a player option for the 2023/24 season, but if he keeps up this output, Robbins anticipates that the forward will opt out to test the free agent market in 2023. The 26-year-old is averaging 16.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG and 3.1 APG on .452/.334/.703 shooting splits this season.