Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: Batum, Thomas, Mudiay, Ferrell, Briscoe

November 23rd, 2020 at 5:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets plan to waive Nicolas Batum and use the stretch provision on his $27.1MM contract for the upcoming season in order to sign Gordon Hayward, unless they can figure out a sign-and-trade deal that would save them from stretching Batum.

Assuming he’s released, Batum shouldn’t have trouble finding a new home. His agent, Jeremy Medjana, told Basket Session that the Warriors, Jazz, Clippers, Bucks and Raptors are interested in signing him once he clears waivers (hat tip to Frank Urbina of HoopsHype). Batum, who has played for Charlotte the past five seasons, only appeared in 22 games last season.

Here are more free agency notes and rumors:

Former MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas said his latest hip procedure was a success and he’s eager to prove it, the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reports. Thomas says he feels like his former self in workouts. “I was blowing by people,” he said. “I haven’t blown by anybody since I had a Celtics uniform on.” Thomas was waived after the Wizards traded him to the Clippers in February and remains unsigned.
Reserve point guards Emmanuel Mudiay and Yogi Ferrell are generating some interest on the free agent market, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Both players could likely be had for the veteran’s minimum.
Point guard Isaiah Briscoe hopes to return to the NBA, according to Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw (Twitter link). Briscoe went undrafted out of Kentucky in 2017, but made it onto the Magic’s roster for the 2018/19 season. He spent the 2019/20 season in Poland playing for King Szczecin. In 39 games with Orlando, Briscoe averaged 3.5 PPG, 2.2 APG, and 1.9 RPG, across 14.3 MPG.

Alex Kirschenbaum contributed to this post.

Southeast Notes: Hayward, Bryant, Wall, Heat

November 23rd, 2020 at 3:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Hornets made one of the biggest and most controversial splashes in free agency, signing injury-prone forward Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $120MM contract. Due to injuries and the development of his Boston teammates, Hayward was never able to return to his All-Star form while with the Celtics.

Although the Hornets’ $120MM commitment to Hayward is widely viewed as an overpay, it didn’t come out of left field. In today’s edition of The Lowe Post podcast, Zach Lowe of ESPN suggests that the Hornets’ offer to Hayward was not significantly higher than that of some competing clubs hoping for his services in free agency.

“You want to clown the contract?” Lowe said (per RealGM). “That’s fine. Just know it’s not like the Pacers and the Celtics were offering $80MM. They weren’t offering $120MM. But my best intel is something like $105MM, $108MM, $102MM, $110MM.”

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer examines Hayward’s fit with the Hornets, conceding that the deal is probably an overpay. However, he also contends that Hayward can supply veteran leadership to the Hornets’ young core while being by far their best player, if healthy. Hayward will be leaned on to supply multifaceted scoring and is an expert play-maker. He also will be able to convincingly slot into the lineup at small forward, power forward, and even shooting guard.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard said today that the team informed every center it spoke to in free agency that Thomas Bryant would remain the Wizards’ starter, according to Quinton Mayo of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link). “Certainly probably rubbed some guys the wrong way who thought they could come in here and start,” Sheppard said. The club ultimately signed Robin Lopez to back up Bryant.
Beyond the churning NBA rumor mill, Wizards point guard John Wall has remained active during the offseason. Wall will purchase an ownership stake in the Australian NBL club the South East Melbourne Phoenix, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Los Angeles entrepreneur Romie Chaudhari heads the ownership group for the Phoenix, which also includes and Cavaliers reserve guard Dante Exum, plus retired big men Zach Randolph and Al Harrington and retired swingman Josh Childress.
Point guard Goran Dragic and backup center Meyers Leonard are excited to return to the Heat, according to Joe Beguiristain of Heat.com. Miami prioritized re-signing both players to lucrative two-year contracts with team options for the second year. “When free agency hit, we pretty much made our quick deal,” Dragic commented. “First of all, it felt like there was unfinished business for our team and for me because, obviously, going through the ankle injury was not easy, and I feel like I could have helped in many different ways,” Leonard said.

Wizards’ GM: No Plans To Trade John Wall

November 23rd, 2020 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters today on a conference call, Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard said the team has no plans to trade point guard John Wall (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN).

Sheppard, who said he was just watching Wall work out this morning, told the media that – with Wall and Bradley Beal set to play together for the first time since 2018 – it’s a new chapter for the Wizards’ two star guards, rather than a “sequel.”

“I can’t wait to see those two together,” he added (Twitter link via Youngmisuk).

A report last week indicated that Wall had made it clear he wants to be traded out of Washington. However, Sheppard, who said that he and Wall speak every other day, said the five-time All-Star has never asked him per a trade, per Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link).

“There’s no issue with John and I, with John and the Wizards,” Sheppard said (Twitter link via Youngmisuk).

Even if Wall does want to be dealt, he has little leverage to force the issue. With three years and $133MM left on his deal, the 30-year-old has one of the NBA’s least team-friendly contracts. He’s also spent nearly two full years rehabbing various injuries.

While Wall has apparently looked great in workouts, per Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link), teams would be extremely wary about taking on that contract without having seen him play since 2018. In other words, it wouldn’t make sense for the Wizards to make a deal when Wall’s stock is so low.

The team plans to manage Wall’s workload this season, reducing his minutes and likely sitting him during one half of back-to-back sets.

With Wall and Beal reunited in the backcourt and Davis Bertans back in the fold, the Wizards hope to make it back to the postseason in 2021. The team also drafted Deni Avdija last week and signed veterans Robin Lopez and Raul Neto in free agency. Those newcomers will join a roster that also features Rui Hachimura, Troy Brown, and Thomas Bryant.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eastern Notes: Giannis, Hayward, Raptors, Bulls, Wizards

November 23rd, 2020 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

It has been a frenzied week of NBA roster moves since the league lifted its months-long moratorium last Monday, but there have been no updates on perhaps the biggest storyline of the offseason, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. As Windhorst points out, the league is still waiting to see whether or not reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will agree to a five-year, super-max extension with the Bucks.

League sources tell Windhorst that the Bucks – in recent weeks – have moved from “cautiously optimistic to cautiously confident” that Antetokounmpo will make a long-term commitment to the club when he returns from Greece. However, moves made by other teams across the league this week suggest that not everyone on the outside views it as a lock.

Clubs that have long been cited as likely free agent suitors for Giannis if he reaches the open market in 2021 went to great lengths this week to preserve their cap room for next summer. The Heat, Mavericks, and Raptors were among the teams that made an effort to keep money off their books for next season — in some cases, it may have even cost them key free agents.

Here’s more from around the East:

While a panel of analysts at The Athletic agree that the Hornets‘ four-year, $120MM deal for Gordon Hayward is an overpay, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that the forward did have another four-year offer in the $100MM range. It’s not clear whether it was the Pacers or another team that made that offer.
In negotiations with Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, it was clear the Raptors prioritized their future cap flexibility over keeping the free agent centers in Toronto for 2020/21, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says the team knew it might have to take a step backward in the short term in order to achieve their ambitions in the long term.
While losing two more key pieces from their 2019 championship roster will be a tough pill to swallow for the Raptors, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca warns not to assume the club will take a big step backward in 2020/21.
The Bulls entered the offseason needing to fortify their wing rotation, which is why they agreed to sign Garrett Temple and bring back Denzel Valentine, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Temple is a good teammate and a versatile veteran who can play multiple positions, while the Bulls like Valentine’s ability to shoot, pass, and rebound, Mayberry writes.
Jerry Brewer of The Washington Post makes a case that the Wizards need to reboot their roster by trading both John Wall and Bradley Beal.

Wizards Re-Sign Davis Bertans To Five-Year Deal

November 22nd, 2020 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NOVEMBER 22, 9:45pm: Bertans’ fifth year will only be partially guaranteed for $5MM for now, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who tweets that it will become fully guaranteed if Bertans plays 75% of his team’s games in year four of the deal.

NOVEMBER 22, 1:06pm: It’s official, according to Bertans, who tweeted a photo that shows him signing his lucrative new deal with the Wizards.

NOVEMBER 20, 8:55pm: The Wizards and Davis Bertans have agreed to a five-year, $80MM deal, agent Arturs Kalnitis tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Bertans’ new contract will include an early termination option for year five, per Wojnarowski.

Re-signing the talented stretch four was Washington’s top priority this offseason and the team accomplished that goal at a premium price.

Bertans, who turns 28 this Thursday, opted out of the NBA’s restart due to his history of ACL injuries and a desire to preserve his value as an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Bertans was the subject of numerous trade rumors prior to February’s deadline but the Wizards chose to keep him with the intent of locking him up long-term. By retaining him, they held his Bird rights, giving Washington the ability to exceed the cap to re-sign him.

He had a career year in 2019/20 during his first season as a Wizard, averaging 15.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 1.7 APG in 54 games (29.3 MPG).

His calling card is his ability to stretch defenses. Bertans made 42.4% of 8.7 three-point attempts per game.

He was in the Spurs organization for three seasons and played regularly off the bench. He wound up in Washington last offseason as part of a three-way deal that also involved the Nets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Wizards Sign Robin Lopez

November 22nd, 2020 at 8:07pm CST by JD Shaw

NOVEMBER 22: Lopez’s deal is now official, per a press release from the Wizards. It’s worth $7.3MM for one year, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic.

NOVEMBER 20: The Wizards have agreed to a deal with free agent center Robin Lopez, marking their second transaction in free agency thus far, according to Yahoo Sports’ Keith Smith (Twitter link).

The agreement is a one-year deal, Smith adds (via Twitter). The exact value isn’t clear, but it’ll be worth less than the full mid-level exception of $9.258MM, fitting into that MLE.

Lopez, 32, joins the Wizards after spending one season with the Bucks. He averaged 5.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 14.5 minutes per game, seeing the least amount of playing time since the first few seasons of his career.

Lopez has played over 800 NBA games, making past stops with Phoenix, New Orleans, Portland, New York and Chicago. He’s expected to provide depth at center behind Thomas Bryant as the Wizards look to make a playoff push this season.

Washington had been searching for a defensive-minded back-up center, with Lopez holding 12 years of past NBA experience. The team also agreed to a five-year, $80MM deal with forward Davis Bertans on Friday.

Wizards To Sign Caleb Homesley To Exhibit 10 Deal

November 22nd, 2020 at 12:49am CST by Luke Adams

After going undrafted on Wednesday, Liberty shooting guard Caleb Homesley has lined up an Exhibit 10 contract with the Wizards, the school’s basketball program announced (via Twitter).

Homesley averaged 15.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 2.4 APG in 30 games (30.8 MPG), increasing his 3PT% to .369, the best mark of his college career.

In a typical year, players who receive invites to NBA training camps on Exhibit 10 deals would often end up with that team’s G League affiliate and would earn a $50K bonus for spending at least 60 days in the NBAGL. However, with the fate of the G League season up in the air, for now all that’s assured is that camp invite.

Garrison Mathews Accepts Two-Way QO From Wizards

November 21st, 2020 at 9:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 22: The Wizards have officially announced that Mathews is back under contract on a two-way deal.

NOVEMBER 21: Garrison Mathews will accept his qualifying offer and remain with the Wizards, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The decision was confirmed by Mathews’ agent, Chris Patrick Jr.

The 24-year-old shooting guard signed a two-way contract with Washington in July of 2019. His QO is another two-way deal that carries a $50K guarantee.

Matthews appeared in 18 games as a rookie and established himself as a dangerous shooter from the perimeter. He hit 41.3% from three-point range while averaging 5.4 points per game in about 12 minutes per night.

Wizards To Sign Yoeli Childs

November 21st, 2020 at 5:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

BYU power forward Yoeli Childs will sign with the Wizards, tweets Jake Hatch of Zone Sports Net. Tony Jones of The Athletic confirms the report (Twitter link).

Childs had offers from more than five NBA teams, according to Hatch.

Childs turned in a stellar season for the Cougars as a senior, averaging 22.2 points and 9.0 rebounds and being nominated for the Karl Malone Award, which honors the top power forward in college basketball.

Eastern Rumors: Millsap, Celtics, Hayward, Crowder

November 21st, 2020 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics are showing “strong interest” in signing veteran big man Paul Millsap, league sources tell Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link). Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) hears from his own source that Boston is currently at the top of Millsap’s list as he weighs his options. A decision is expected later today, Himmelsbach adds.

While the Celtics aren’t expected to create any cap room as a result of Gordon Hayward‘s departure, the team now has some added cap flexibility to make sign-and-trade and/or use its full mid-level exception, opening up a few options in free agency.

Here are a few more notes from around the East:

Speaking of Hayward, Hornets owner Michael Jordan called the veteran forward late last night in an effort to close the deal for Charlotte, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). Jordan’s pitch must have been effective, though the $120MM the Hornets will apparently pay Hayward over the next four years probably didn’t hurt either.
The Heat offered Jae Crowder a two-year deal that would have paid him $14MM in 2020/21, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). However, Miami wasn’t willing to guarantee any money beyond the first year, so Crowder opted for the Suns’ three-year, $30MM offer, which will pay him less in year one but is worth significantly more overall.
In a column for The Athletic, David Aldridge contends that Wizards owner Ted Leonsis must decide if the franchise wants to build around John Wall and Bradley Beal and then trade the odd man out. While Aldridge’s argument makes some sense, it seems obvious that Beal would be the team’s choice and that trading Wall won’t exactly be easy.