Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wizards Decline Team Option On Tristan Vukcevic

June 29th, 2024 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards have turned down a $2.42MM team option on Tristan Vukcevic, sources told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The Serbian center, a rookie in 2023/24, was eligible for a qualifying offer, but there’s no indication he received one ahead of Saturday afternoon’s deadline. Unless word of that QO trickles in late, he will be unrestricted when free agency starts on Sunday.

Washington drafted Vukcevic with the 42nd pick in 2023, but he spent most of the season with KK Partizan in Serbia before joining the Wizards in March. He started four of the 10 games he played during his brief time in the NBA, averaging 8.5 points and 3.6 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per night.

Washington is optimizing its financial flexibility going into free agency, Scotto adds. The Wizards are also expected to be active on the trade market, with several teams expressing interest in Kyle Kuzma, Corey Kispert and others.

Richaun Holmes Declines Option, Signs Extension With Wizards

June 29th, 2024 at 5:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Richaun Holmes has reached a two-year contract extension with the Wizards after turning down his $12.88MM player option. The move, which was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), is official, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

The new deal for the 30-year-old center is valued at $25.9MM over two years, according to Charania, but it only carries a $250K guarantee on Holmes’ $13.3MM salary for the 2025/26 season. It looks like Holmes will receive roughly (or maybe exactly) the same amount of guaranteed money as if he had exercised his option.

Holmes was acquired at the February trade deadline in the deal that sent Daniel Gafford to Dallas. He appeared in 17 games for Washington, making eight starts and averaging 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per night.

The veteran big man is in contention to be the Wizards’ starting center next season and may fill the role until first-round pick Alexandre Sarr is ready to take over. Holmes, a second-round selection by Philadelphia in 2015, he has been with five teams in nine-year NBA career.

Wizards, Landry Shamet Pushing Back Salary Guarantee Date

June 28th, 2024 at 4:36pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Wizards and guard Landry Shamet have agreed to push back Shamet’s $11MM guarantee date to July 13, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Shamet’s salary for 2024/25 would’ve become fully guaranteed on Saturday, June 29 if not for the new agreement.

Pushing back Shamet’s salary guarantee deadline allows for the Wizards to explore their options for the sharpshooting guard for next season. According to Wojnarowski, the team is expected to explore trade scenarios for Shamet, though he could end up staying in D.C.

A previous report indicated that Shamet has received exploratory trade interest from some teams around the league, with the the Clippers, Lakers, Mavericks, Jazz, Raptors, and Magic named a possible suitors. That report stated that Washington is leaning toward guaranteeing Shamet’s salary if no deal materializes. He also has a team option worth $11.75MM in 2025/26.

Washington originally acquired Shamet alongside Chris Paul in the 2023 trade that sent Bradley Beal to Phoenix and allowed the Wizards to trade up to select Bilal Coulibaly. The Wizards then flipped Paul to Golden State for Jordan Poole.

In his first season in Washington, Shamet averaged 7.1 points per game while shooting 43.1% from the field and 33.8% from beyond the arc in 46 games (five starts). He’s a career 38.4% shooter from deep and has averaged 8.7 PPG through 348 career games.

Focused On Next Two Draft Lotteries

June 27th, 2024 at 2:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards’ moves in recent days signal that they’re attempting to build for four or five years down the road, while focusing on the crucial 2025 and 2026 draft lotteries, Josh Robbins of The Athletic opines. They made three selections in Wednesday’s first round. If that trio plays significant minutes as rookies, it’s almost a given the Wizards will be on the fast track to the bottom of the standings the next two seasons as they develop.

Knicks Trade No. 24 Pick Kyshawn George To Wizards

June 27th, 2024 at 8:02am CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 27: The Knicks have officially confirmed (via Twitter) that their deal with the Wizards has been finalized.

JUNE 26: The Wizards have agreed to acquire the No. 24 overall pick from the Knicks and are using it to draft Miami guard Kyshawn George, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter links).

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), Washington is giving up the 26th and 51th overall selections in exchange for George’s rights.

The Knicks had controlled both the No. 24 and No. 25 picks, so the Wizards presumably felt as if New York would use one of those selections to nab George, or that another team would move up ahead of them for the former Hurricane.

In his freshman season at Miami, George averaged 7.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 23.0 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .426/.408/.778. The Wizards will make the freshman wing their third draft pick of the night — he joins No. 2 pick Alexandre Sarr and No. 14 pick Carlton Carrington on the retooling squad, which is going all-in on player development and building through the draft.

The Knicks, meanwhile, essentially agreed to push their consecutive first-round picks by one spot – they now control the 25th and 26th picks instead of Nos. 24 and 25 – and acquired an extra second-round selection for their trouble.

They’ll reportedly flip that No. 26 pick to the Thunder in exchange for five future second-round picks.

Trade/Draft Rumors: Kuzma, Kings, Kispert, Durant, Raptors, More

June 27th, 2024 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

Exploring a potential deal for Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma on Wednesday, the Kings discussed a framework that would have sent their No. 13 overall pick to Washington as part of the package and moved Sacramento down to No. 26, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. If that deal had happened, the Wizards would’ve had a third lottery pick to go along with No. 2 and No. 14, but no agreement was reached and Washington ultimately traded up from No. 26 to No. 24 instead.

Still, after agreeing to trade Deni Avdija to Portland on Wednesday, it seems safe to assume the Wizards will continue to listen to inquiries on their veteran players, including Kuzma, Fischer writes. Fischer has also heard that fourth-year Washington sharpshooter Corey Kispert is generating trade interest from rival teams (Twitter link).

Here are a few more trade and draft rumors as we prepare for day two of the 2024 draft:

Just in case more confirmation was required after various reports – and team owner Mat Ishbia – stated that the Suns have no plans to trade Kevin Durant, general manager James Jones reiterated that message on Wednesday night, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “It’s the stuff that gets clicks and that everyone wants to talk about, but I think I said it specifically back on May 19th when I was asked are we trading Kevin Durant,” Jones said. “I said no then, I’ll say no now. I’ll continue to get asked.”
According to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, the Raptors are expected to receive significant interest in the No. 31 pick ahead of the resumption of the draft on Thursday, with presumed first-round picks like Johnny Furphy, Kyle Filipowski, and Tyler Kolek still on the board (those are also the top three remaining prospects on ESPN’s best-available list). Vecenie has Furphy penciled in at No. 31 in his mock draft of the second round, writing that most league sources expected the Kansas wing to be drafted in the top 23.
Former G League Ignite big man Tyler Smith is viewed as another prospect who could entice a team to trade for an early second-round pick, Fischer reports.
Elsewhere in his second-round mock, Vecenie says Spanish point guard Juan Nunez has been connected to the Timberwolves by league sources throughout the pre-draft process, while San Francisco forward/center Jonathan Mogbo has been frequently linked to the Knicks. Minnesota and New York currently control the 37th and 38th picks, respectively, with New York also picking at No. 51.

Trade Rumors: Kings, Wizards, THJ, Grizzlies, Rockets

June 26th, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Luke Adams

In the minutes and hours leading up to their No. 13 pick in tonight’s draft, the Kings were engaged in trade talks involving that selection, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).

Sacramento ultimately used that pick to select Providence guard Devin Carter and it doesn’t appear that there are any plans to trade him, but it seems safe to assume the Kings will remain on the lookout for help on the wing. Anderson says Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma and Nets sharpshooter Cameron Johnson were among the names he heard linked to the Kings, while Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) notes that Sacramento expressed interest in another Net, Dorian Finney-Smith, prior to February’s trade deadline.

Here are a few more draft-day trade rumors:

The Wizards have emerged as another “viable” trade partner for the Mavericks with Tim Hardaway Jr., according to Marc Stein (Twitter link), who previously identified Detroit as a possible landing spot for Hardaway. Unlike the Pistons, Washington doesn’t project to have cap room this offseason, so Dallas would likely have to take back some salary in a deal with the Wizards. As Stein points out, the two teams have already made one trade this year, with Washington sending Daniel Gafford to the Mavs in February.
Before drafting Ron Holland at No. 5, Detroit talked to the Grizzlies about a trade back to No. 9, but Memphis didn’t present anything “substantial” to convince the Pistons to make a deal, reports James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. The Grizzlies, who were believed to be eyeing Donovan Clingan, also spoke to the Hornets about the No. 6 pick, according to Fischer (Twitter link). Clingan ultimately went to Portland at No. 7, with Memphis opting for another center, Zach Edey, at No. 9.
Despite rumors that the Rockets want to turn around and immediately trade the draft assets they got from Brooklyn for a star – possibly Kevin Durant – Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle believes the team will take a longer-term outlook. As Feigen writes in a subscriber-only story, if Houston were prioritizing making a deal in the short term, the Nets picks they gave up would’ve been valuable assets. By kicking those picks down the road, the Rockets created a longer runway to explore the trade market and pursue possible deals.

Wizards Use No. 2 Pick On Alexandre Sarr

June 26th, 2024 at 7:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Wizards have selected power forward/center Alexandre Sarr with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft.

In a rarity for the draft, top-two picks Sarr and newly-drafted Hawks small forward Zaccharie Risacher are both Frenchmen.

Sarr’s athleticism and dominant defensive presence make him one of the top prospects in this year’s class. The seven-footer played this season with the Perth Wildcats of Australia’s National Basketball League. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

Sarr has drawn comparisons with Memphis center Jaren Jackson Jr. for his defensive instincts and rim protection. He may be a bit small to thrive as an NBA center right away, so it’s possible he’ll see more time at power forward early in his career. If Sarr can improve his outside shooting, he has the physical skills to develop into an All-Star big man.

In 2023/24, the Wizards posted a 15-67 record, their worst in history. The team has enjoyed an active offseason already, having agreed to acquire the No. 14 pick in this draft’s lottery, a 2029 first, two second rounders and the contract of Malcolm Brogdon, from the Trail Blazers in exchange for swingman Deni Avdija.

Sarr is the younger brother of Thunder reserve center Olivier Sarr.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Draft Rumors: Hawks, Wizards, Sarr, Knicks, Kolek, Bulls, More

June 25th, 2024 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

In their latest mock drafts ahead of Wednesday’s first round, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic each say there’s no clarity yet on what the Hawks will do with the No. 1 overall pick. Both mocks still have Zaccharie Risacher going to Atlanta first overall for the time being, but haven’t ruled out the idea of a trade down (possibly for Donovan Clingan) or a different choice at No. 1.

While there has been some chatter linking French big man Alexandre Sarr to Atlanta, both Givony and Vecenie suggest those rumblings may be a smokescreen designed to get the Wizards to consider a possible move up to No. 1 so that they can land the player widely viewed as their top target. A year ago, the Wizards moved up one spot in the lottery from No. 8 to No. 7 in order to nab Bilal Coulibaly.

According to Givony, there’s a belief that Sarr would be comfortable ending up with the Wizards, whose rebuild may offer him a more immediate path to a significant role. Meanwhile, during a Tuesday radio appearance on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, Hawks general manager Landry Fields confirmed that Sarr hasn’t visited his team, as Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks relays (via Twitter).

“He was scheduled to come work out,” Fields said of Sarr. “We had it on the books and then he declined to come work out.”

Here’s more on the 2024 NBA draft, which is just one day away:

Both Vecenie and Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 (Twitter link) have received similar feedback on the quality of this year’s draft class. According to Vecenie, while this year’s top 10 is considered weak, the depth in the 10-25 range is viewed as strong, with the rest of the class at about the usual level. A veteran general manager offered a similar assessment to Goodman. “The depth of this draft, especially in the back half of the first round, isn’t much different than in most years,” that GM said. “But the top five – and even top 10 – collectively is as underwhelming as I’ve ever seen it.”
Among the many sourced notes in Vecenie’s mock draft: The Knicks have had interest in Marquette guard Tyler Kolek throughout the season, while the Bulls are believed to be fans of Illinois wing Terrence Shannon. Kolek may be off the board by the time New York picks at No. 24; conversely, Chicago’s No. 11 pick would be higher than expected for Shannon, who has been viewed as a late first-rounder in most mocks.
Confirming prior reporting, Josh Robbins of The Athletic cites a team source who says the Wizards are “amenable” to acquiring another first-round pick. Washington currently controls the second and 26th overall selections. However, one scenario suggested by Robbins would involve the Wizards sending out a veteran player, the No. 26 pick, and the No. 51 pick for matching salary and a higher first-round pick, which would mean upgrading their second first-rounder rather than adding a third one.
ESPN’s latest mock draft has Yves Missi going to the Pelicans at No. 21, and a recent HoopsHype report also linked New Orleans to the former Baylor center. According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, the Pelicans met with Missi at the draft combine in Chicago and also brought him to New Orleans for a workout. While Clark expects Missi to get serious consideration from the Pels if he’s available at No. 21, he says it’s unclear whether the team will prefer a player who is more NBA-ready.

Outlaw, Caporn Could Join Keefe's Staff

June 24th, 2024 at 10:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In more coaching news, J.J. Outlaw, who spent the last three seasons as a Cavaliers assistant coach, and Adam Caporn, who spent the last two seasons as a Nets assistant, are strong candidates to join Brian Keefe‘s Wizards staff, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets.