4:02pm: The Wizards have officially waived Wright, the team confirmed today in a press release.
2:08pm: Veteran guard Delon Wright has reached an agreement on a contract buyout with the Wizards, agent Greg Lawrence tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, Wright intends to sign with the Heat after he clears waivers.
Wright, 31, has been with the Wizards since signing a two-year, $16MM contract with the club as a free agent in 2022. He appeared in 83 total games for Washington across those two seasons, averaging 6.1 points, 3.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 20.2 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .450/.350/.854.
Viewed as an obvious trade candidate this season due to his expiring $8.2MM deal and the Wizards’ place near the bottom of the NBA standings, Wright was mentioned in several rumors leading up to last Thursday’s deadline.
However, he stayed put, with Josh Robbins of The Athletic subsequently reporting that the offers Washington received for the 31-year-old were “underwhelming” and would’ve required the Wizards to take on salary beyond this season.
After averaging 15.1 minutes per contest in his first 29 games this season, Wright logged just 18 total minutes in the Wizards’ first four games after the trade deadline, signaling that he was no longer part of their plans, so his buyout agreement doesn’t come as a huge surprise.
Wright has a somewhat limited offensive game, but is a solid passer who takes care of the ball and can make an open three-point shot. Much of his value stems from his play on the other end of the court, where he’s an active, versatile perimeter defender.
He’ll join a Heat team that lacks depth at the point guard position following Dru Smith‘s season-ending injury and the January trade sending Kyle Lowry to Charlotte. Players like Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, and Josh Richardson have played the position for Miami this season, but none are prototypical point guards, and Rozier and Richardson are both currently injured. Wright will give the club another ball-handling option in that role.
The Heat have an open spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Wright. Miami is permitted to sign Wright despite being over the first tax apron because his pre-waiver salary was less than this season’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12.4MM).
Filling their 15th roster spot will allow the Heat to use their two-way players in up to 50 games apiece, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald notes (via Twitter). As long as Miami had an open roster spot, those three players will limited to a combined total of 90 games played.
The Wizards will have just 13 players on standard contracts once they officially waive Wright. They’ll have up to two weeks to re-add a 14th man.
Let’s gooo; exactly what the Heat needed, before the terrible trade they made, to replace Dru Smith, but now especially, and even more so after the injuries
Really cool to also see this, woth him having been around the team when he was a little kid, and certain people literally having seen him grow up
What were your thoughts on the Rozier trade ?
What would you have tryed to do instead ; or would you have just stood pat –
I felt they were in an odd situation where they had to try to improve but the market was totally working against them ; surprised they played the hand so early but idk what ida done tbh
I mentioned it a few times around the time of the trade, and literally everything I said would happen happened, I cludong who it negatively impacted; nothing against Rozier, by the way. I just didn’t think it made sense, unless they were moving Herro too.
The 2 main guys i was somewhat interested in had already been moved, and at that point I just thought they were better off holding pat, unless there were surprising others available, or unless yo were able to make some kind of deal to add specific pieces that I dodnt see put there
I’m still sad about losing Kyle overall. At the time, I would have said there was a need for someone that could play1-3, defend, playmaker, and shoot, and didnt need the ball, to replace Smith. I also could have seen adding a defensive smallball 5/4 if it was interesting, though that issue isn’t as prevalent as previous years.
Still just want them to sign Justin Champagnie or someone similar, and use Cain more
The 3 weeks ahead of deadline still throws me for a loop
2 players being Og and Pascal ?
Ya…anyone else that might have realistically been available weren’t going to be those 2 guys, and moving pieces otherwise didn’t make sense, and at that point, I’d rather have kept Kyle
His older brother, Delon Wright, used to play for the Heat.
Dorell won a ring with the Heat in 2006.. Delon used to practice at the Heat facility when he was in middle and high school
Delon’s older brother Delon? Lol this isn’t George Foreman’s kids here.
Perfect landing spot. Heat fans will love him. Fits the culture to a tee.
His big bro is Dorrell Wright who won a chip with Miami in 06 with he was a rookie. Good move.