Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thomas Bryant To Have MRI On Left Knee

January 9th, 2021 at 8:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards center Thomas Bryant will undergo an MRI on his left knee Sunday morning, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Sources tell Woj that he suffered an “initially painful” injury in tonight’s game.

Bryant hurt his knee during the first quarter against the Heat and had to be helped to the locker room by trainers, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports. The Wizards later announced that he wouldn’t return (Twitter link).

Bryant is off to a strong start to the 2020/21 season, averaging a career-high 15.9 points per game, along with 6.8 rebounds. The 2-8 Wizards are already short handed, as they are avoiding playing Russell Westbrook in back-to-back games and will likely be without Bradley Beal for at least a week due to contact tracing.

Bradley Beal Out Due To Health And Safety Protocols

January 9th, 2021 at 5:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards guard Bradley Beal will miss tonight’s game against the Heat because of NBA health and safety protocols, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Beal is subject to contact tracing because of exposure to the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, who tested positive for COVID-19.

While several Washington players came in close contact with Tatum during Friday’s game, the league is investigating Beal for potential exposure because he and Tatum spoke afterwards while standing close to each other, Charania adds (Twitter link).

The Wizards’ past two games have been against the Celtics and Sixers, who have both been hit hard by the virus. Due to contact tracing and injuries, Philadelphia had just eight eligible players for today’s game.

The NBA’s protocol states that players under contact tracing can return after seven days as long as they continue to test negative. Including tonight’s game, the Wizards play four times in that span. Beal is the NBA’s leading scorer, averaging 35.0 PPG through his first nine games.

Westbrook's Fluid "Load Management" Schedule

January 9th, 2021 at 3:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Fred Katz of The Athletic details the Wizards‘ “load management” plan for new starting point guard Russell Westbrook. Washington GM Tommy Sheppard tells Katz that the club’s process for resting Westbrook will be fluid going forward. “We’ve adhered to a schedule thus far and a lot of it just kinda evolves on how he’s feeling, how he’s responding to the rigors of the season,” Sheppard said. “It’s way too early right now to say, ‘OK, well this is how it’s going to be the entire year.’”

G Leaguers Will Join Pelicans' Affliliate

January 8th, 2021 at 7:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Now that plans have been revealed for the G League season, the Wizards will assign players to the Pelicans’ G League club, the Erie Bayhawks, for the games in Orlando, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. Both franchises will chip in the costs associated with participating in the “bubble” season, Katz adds.

Westbrook Day-To-Day With Dislocated Finger

January 7th, 2021 at 7:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Wizards star point guard Russell Westbrook dislocated an unspecified finger on his right hand during a 141-136 loss to the Sixers, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Hughes later added (Twitter link) that Westbrook is currently day-to-day, and his status for tomorrow’s game against the Celtics is thus up in the air.

Knicks, Others Keeping Eye On Taj Gibson

January 7th, 2021 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

10:06am: Gibson has worked out for seven teams, including the Wizards, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Berman adds that Tyson Chandler is among the free agent big men on the Knicks’ radar and that the team has had some internal discussions about bringing him back.

8:04am: The Knicks waived Taj Gibson back in November before his salary for the 2020/21 season could become fully guaranteed, but the two sides had mutual interest at that time in a possible reunion, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Although the Knicks didn’t re-sign Gibson during the offseason, they’ve continued to keep an eye on the veteran big man and have recently touched base with him, sources tell SNY. According to Begley, New York is one of a handful of clubs keeping Gibson on its radar, as he’s being monitored by “a few contenders.”

Gibson, 35, started 56 of the 62 games he played for the Knicks in 2019/20, averaging 6.1 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 16.5 minutes per contest.

According to Begley, some people within the organization like the idea of bringing Gibson back in part because he was viewed as a good mentor for young center Mitchell Robinson — if he returns this season, he could also be a positive influence on rookie Obi Toppin. Of course, Gibson also has a history with Tom Thibodeau, having played for the Knicks’ new head coach in Chicago and Minnesota.

Although the Knicks are off to a surprisingly strong start this season, their frontcourt depth chart is somewhat thin, particularly with Toppin, Nerlens Noel, and Omari Spellman all battling injuries. According to Jonathan Macri of Knicks Film School (Twitter link), the club is eyeing a few other big men in addition to Gibson and may meet with some.

New York currently has a full 15-man roster and would have to waive a player to make room for Gibson or another free agent. Spellman, whose rookie scale option for 2021/22 was turned down last month, would probably be the most obvious release candidate in that scenario.

Bryant Controls Emotions, Plays More Effectively

January 5th, 2021 at 8:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Wizards center Thomas Bryant has learned to play more under control and that has him poised for a career year, according to Ava Wallace of the Washington Post.

“It’s fun to coach him, because he’s emotional. Last year it was not to our advantage. This year, he’s controlling it,” Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said. “… His growth in that area, it’s going to help us win a lot of games this year.”

Bryant is averaging 17.9 PPG and 6.7 RPG, enhancing his future value. He’s under contract with the Wizards through the 2021/22 season, then becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Wizards Were Among Teams With Offseason Interest In Hartenstein

January 4th, 2021 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

Before he signed with the Nuggets as a free agent in November, Isaiah Hartenstein drew interest from the Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Pelicans, and Wizards, league sources tell Singer in a separate Denver Post story.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Hornets, Borrego, Avdija

January 3rd, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Now that Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is no longer going to be a 2021 free agent candidate for the Heat, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders if Miami might pivot to eventually adding Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal, who holds a $37.26MM player option for the 2022/23 season. After swapping out point guard John Wall for All-Star Russell Westbrook in the offseason, the Wizards are off to a 1-5 start.

The 6’3″ Beal, 27, is a two-time All-Star and could be a great fit on the Heat as both a secondary ball-handler and an off-ball cutter. He is currently averaging a career-best 31.2 PPG on 47.8% shooting from the field and 87.7% shooting from the charity stripe. Though his three-point shooting through the first six games of the season is a low 27.3%, he is a career 37.9% three-point shooter, averaging 6.0 triples per contest over the course of his career.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

The Hornets have had to adjust their rotation given the absence of starting center Cody Zeller, and their transition to a faster small-ball lineup has proven effective thus far, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
In a separate piece, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer wonders how long Hornets head coach James Borrego will ride his current starting lineup. Starting point guard Devonte’ Graham is struggling mighty with his offense, shooting 25% from the floor, while rookie draft selection LaMelo Ball could be a candidate for a promotion.
Wizards rookie wing Deni Avdija showcased his offensive skill set in his best game of the young season, a 130-109 Washington victory over the Timberwolves on Friday, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Avdija, the No. 9 pick in the 2020 draft, scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor, and recorded seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Hughes contends that it Avdija appears to have made progress in his ability to read the floor. “I love playmaking,” Avidja said. “I like making my teammates involved. I’m looking for them at every opportunity.”

Bonga Goes From Starter To Zero

January 1st, 2021 at 6:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Wizards forward Isaac Bonga got benched on Thursday after starting the first four games and coach Scott Brooks said it was simply a numbers game, Kevin Brown of NBC Sports Washington writes. With Rui Hachimura returning from an eye injury and reclaiming his usual spot in the lineup, Brooks had to choose between Bonga and Troy Brown as the backup. He chose Brown. “We’re trying to find minutes for Troy (Brown Jr.) and Bonga, and (Thursday) it was Troy, but who knows who it will be (Friday) night,” Brooks said.