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Southeast Notes: Wizards, Heat Youth, Hawks, Wagner

August 24th, 2021 at 6:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

In a recent piece for The Athletic, Fred Katz and John Hollinger broke down the Wizards’ offseason, and what may still be in store for the new-look Washington team.

In the piece, the writers look at the team’s greatest strengths heading into the 2021/22 season (guard shot-creation and depth), possible defensive concerns stemming from the lack of defense-minded bigs behind 2021 standout Daniel Gafford, and how the team could cobble together mid-size contracts and young players in lieu of picks in order to find trades that help rebalance the roster.

As for where the Wizards end up in the Eastern Conference hierarchy this season, Hollinger says that after the top eight teams in the East, the Wizards are in a group of four where they are as good or better than any of the rest of their peers. Barring a Bradley Beal trade demand, he writes, they’re likely to return to play-in action.

We have more from around the Southeast Division:

In a piece for the Miami Herald, Barry Jackson talks to two veteran scouts to get their takes on Heat youngsters Omer Yurtseven, Max Strus, Marcus Garrett and KZ Okpala. Of Yurtseven, one scout says, “I’m not sure that (he) will be a rotation guy this year. But they have something there.” Both scouts agree that Strus can be a situational, end-of-rotation player, and that Okpala has a lot to prove before he’s considered a lock to remain with the team.
In an offseason review, Chris Kirschner of The Athetic profiles where the Hawks are now and where they could be going. Within the article, Kirschner quotes president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk as saying, “Those who want to get traded, they want to go somewhere they think they can win. And I think now that perception of us is out there, because we do have a young core that did show success in the playoffs. So the hope would be when a star player does ask to be traded, we’ll be one of the destinations he’ll be open to coming to.”
Keith Smith of Spotrac has the official numbers for Moritz Wagner‘s contract with the Magic: two years at the veteran’s minimum, with the second year non-guaranteed. Wagner joins his brother, eighth overall pick Franz Wagner, as part of Orlando’s young rotation.

Unseld Jr.: Dinwiddie, Beal Will Be “Dynamic” Backcourt

August 24th, 2021 at 12:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Wes Unseld Jr. is excited about the talent he’ll have available with the Wizards in his first NBA head coaching job, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Although the former Nuggets associate head coach is leaving the No. 3 seed in the West for a team that had to go through the play-in tournament last season, Unseld believes Washington is ready to compete right away.

He’s particularly thrilled about the addition of guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who agreed to a three-year, $62MM contract in free agency and was acquired in a complex five-team trade. Dinwiddie was a proficient scorer before missing most of last season with a partially torn ACL, and Unseld expects him and Bradley Beal to form a dangerous backcourt.

“On paper, it’s one of the most dynamic 1-2s, 2-1s, however you wanna call it, on the East Coast,” he said. “So, I’m excited to have both those guys. I think they’re about the right thing. I think they’re gonna play together, make us better. Honestly, the way they can score the ball, they’re gonna bail us out of a lot of tough spots.”

Unseld discusses several other topics in the lengthy interview with Katz:

On the versatility of Kyle Kuzma, who was acquired from the Lakers in the deal that included Dinwiddie:

“Whether you wanna call him a two, three or four, he’s gonna be out there. He’s gonna space the floor. He’s gonna make shots. I think the game has moved away from the standard point guard, two-guard, small forward, etc. I think you wanna put your best matchups out there.”

On sorting out playing time at center, where Daniel Gafford is expected to start, but Thomas Bryant will return from an ACL injury and newly-acquired Montrezl Harrell will also expect minutes:

“I made this point to those guys when I spoke to them. All of that is great, but all of our decisions are gonna be based on what’s best for the group. I may at times ask somebody to sacrifice a little bit for the betterment of the group. There’s times when I may ask (them) to do more. And I think that’s a fair way to look at it, and I think it’s just one of our pillars. It’s about us. It’s about ‘we,’ not ‘me.’ ”

On the plans for first-round pick Corey Kispert, who joins a team loaded with young wing players:

“I don’t know. I never wanna paint myself into a corner, commit to something I’m uncertain of, but I think he has a good chance to be impactful. I said at draft night, he’s got a discernible NBA talent. His maturity, the fact that he’s played four years at a high level for a great coach — he’s disciplined. He understands his strengths. He’s gonna play to his strengths. And his ability to stretch the defense is a premium in the league.”

On the significant changes the Wizards have undergone since the draft:

“On a macro level, (changes to the team) don’t change our overall philosophy when it comes to spacing, playing with pace, shots, as far as what we value. That doesn’t change. I think you’ve got to shift your gears as far as some of the nuanced things you run. … I think as coaches, we all steal from each other, so there are gonna be some things that are very similar-looking to what you’re accustomed to.”

Wizards Add Jaime Echenique On Exhibit 10 Deal

August 22nd, 2021 at 3:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Wizards have signed free agent center Jaime Echenique to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Echenique played his college ball at Wichita State from 2018-20. The 24-year-old suited up for the Wizards’ Summer League club in Las Vegas.

The 6’11” big man went undrafted in 2020 and spent his first pro season with the Spanish club Acunsa GBC. In 18 games for the club, he averaged 12.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.2 SPG and 0.9 BPG during just 20.3 MPG.

By signing this deal, Echenique will be able to play with the new-look Wizards during their training camp ahead of the 2021/22 season. Should Echenique end up playing for Washington’s NBA G League affiliate team, the Capital City Go-Go, he would qualify for a bonus worth up to $50K.

And-Ones: Offseason Roundup, 2022 Free Agency, Evans, Nogueira

August 21st, 2021 at 1:04pm CST by Eli Cohen

Despite the recent surge in COVID-19 breakthrough cases, the expectation around the NBA is that things will return roughly to normal for the 2021/22 season, writes ESPN’s Tim Bontemps in his offseason roundup.

Bontemps polled 10 executives and scouts on some of the most pressing questions of the offseason, such as who the best player will be this season (Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant tied for first), the best moves of the offseason (the Heat signing Kyle Lowry won out over the Magic drafting Jalen Suggs and the Wizards getting off Russell Westbrook‘s contract), the worst moves (DeMar DeRozan‘s signing with the Bulls), and others.

The executives also gave their thoughts on why fewer teams seem to be tanking this season and who should be considered the favorites to win the title.

We have more news from around the world of hoops:

2022 was at one point considered a loaded free agency class, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link), but after the most recent round of extensions, the big names have been whittled down to Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine. Marks predicts some, if not all of Josh Richardson, Aaron Gordon, Jalen Brunson, Tyus Jones and Mitchell Robinson will sign extensions before the season starts and quotes a Western Conference executive who says that due to scarcity of stars on the market, he expects the regular season trade scene to be extremely active. Marks also breaks down the teams who have or could have cap space next summer.
2012 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion Jeremy Evans, who spent five seasons with the Jazz and two more with the Mavs and Hawks, has signed with the Greek team Panathinaikos, according to Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw (Twitter link).
JD Shaw also tweets that former Raptor Lucas “Bebé” Nogueira, who was picked just one spot after Antetokounmpo in the 2013 draft, has come out of retirement to play for Sao Paolo in his home country of Brazil. As Shaw notes, Nogueira had announced his retirement in February.

Western Notes: Popovich, Landale, Can, Beckett

August 21st, 2021 at 9:26am CST by Dana Gauruder

Gregg Popovich may not seem the type of coach who is interested in records, but he wants to become the NBA’s all-time winningest coach more than many people would suspect, according to Marc Stein of Substack (subscription required). The Spurs’ longtime coach is 26 wins shy of passing Don Nelson for the most regular-season coaching victories. The fact that they are close friends adds to the appeal. Prior to becoming a head coach, Popovich spent two seasons in Golden State as Nelson’s top assistant.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Jock Landale’s two-year contract with the Spurs is a minimum-salary deal, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets. The first year is fully guaranteed, while the second year is non-guaranteed. The Australian big man was the NBL Grand Final MVP last season.
The Jazz have added Erdem Can to their coaching staff, according to a team press release. Can joins Quin Snyder‘s staff after serving as an assistant coach for Fenerbahce in the Turkish first division from 2012-21. He has also assisted the Jazz’s summer league coaching staff five times in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
Assistant coach John Beckett is signing a new contract with the Nuggets, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. Beckett was under consideration to join Wes Unseld Jr.‘s staff with the Wizards. Beckett and Unseld worked together under Michael Malone last season.

Wizards Re-Sign Cassius Winston To Two-Way Deal

August 20th, 2021 at 8:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards have re-signed point guard Cassius Winston to a two-way contract, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets.

Winston, who also played on a two-way deal last season, was a restricted free agent this month after the team extended him a qualifying offer. That qualifying offer was the equivalent of another two-way contract with a $50K partial guarantee, so it’s possible Winston simply accepted it.

The No. 53 overall pick in the 2020 draft, Winston appeared in 22 games off the bench as a rookie. The former Michigan State star averaged 1.9 PPG in 4.5 MPG. He also played in one postseason game.

Washington’s other two-way slot is also available.

Wizards Sign Jordan Goodwin To Exhibit 10 Deal

August 20th, 2021 at 8:35am CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan Goodwin has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Wizards, according to the transactions log at RealGM.

Goodwin, a 6’3″ guard of out St. Louis, was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive team in 2020 and 2021. The 22-year-old spent four seasons with the Billikens and averaged 14.5 points and 10.1 rebounds as a senior. An undrafted free agent, he played for the Wizards in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The contract means Goodwin will join Washington for training camp and is eligible for a $50K bonus if he winds up playing for the team’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. The signing brings the Wizards to 18 players, two short of the limit heading into camp. Kyree Walker is also expected to receive a training camp deal.

How Will Rotation Shake Out?

August 19th, 2021 at 8:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards’ rotation is filled with questions in the aftermath of the Russell Westbrook trade. The Athletic’s Fred Katz and John Hollinger take a closer look at how things may shake out.

Davis Bertans Needs Quick Start

August 18th, 2021 at 8:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards have plenty of options at the forward spots and that makes it difficult to project what will happen with Davis Bertans, Fred Katz of The Athletic notes. Bertans had a disappointing season after being re-signed on a five-year, $80MM contract. If Bertans drains 3-pointers at a prolific rate, he’ll play regularly. But if he gets off to a slow start, Washington will have a difficult decision to make regarding the highly-paid stretch four.

Wizards Will Add Kyree Walker For Training Camp

August 15th, 2021 at 3:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Undrafted rookie small forward Kyree Walker is set to join the Wizards for the club’s training camp this season, reports Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link).

Specifics on the agreement are not yet available. However, it will most likely be an Exhibit 10 contract, generally the standard deal provided to camp invitees.

The 6’6″ swingman had committed to Arizona State before ultimately opting out of his college eligibility to train with Chameleon BX, a yearlong draft preparation program.

Walker joined Washington’s roster for this season’s Las Vegas Summer League. He has been placed in the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols and is set to miss the rest of the Summer League session this year, though he continues to test negative for the novel coronavirus, per Schultz.