Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wizards Notes: Roster, Beal, Draft, Sheppard

October 28th, 2020 at 6:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With John Wall set to return and Bradley Beal still under contract for at least two more years, the Wizards have an intriguing roster heading into the 2020/21 season. Fred Katz and Danny Leroux of The Athletic examine the rest of Washington’s squad.

Given their desire to re-sign unrestricted free agent power forward Davis Bertans, the Wizards may only have the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions – along with their current draft picks – available to them to build out their roster. Upgrading the defense, particularly through the center position, is touted as a key arena for improvement.

There’s more out of DC:

In a conversation with J.J. Redick and Tommy Alter for their podcast Old Man And The Three, as captured in an NBA Central tweet, Bradley Beal elaborated on why he opted for a two-year, nearly $72MM contract extension with the Wizards last season. “You still want to be able to protect yourself and kinda be selfish,” Beal said. “How can I create some type of flexibility for myself if we aren’t winning, if I do choose to get out?”
Chase Hughes, Chris Miller, and Tyler Byrum of NBC Sports Washington discussed big men Onyeka Okongwu and James Wiseman as potential Wizards draft targets in the event that the team trades up from the No. 9 pick.
As we previously relayed, team GM Tommy Sheppard stressed an interest in applying load management principles to team play more going forward.

Exploring Potential Beal Trade, Hachimura's Defense, More

October 25th, 2020 at 5:55pm CST by JD Shaw

Fred Katz explores a potential Bradley Beal trade, Rui Hachimura‘s defense and more in his latest mailbag for The Athletic. The Wizards are set to run it back with a healthy John Wall next season, but the team must address the free agency of Davis Bertans and who to draft at No. 9 before the campaign rolls around.

Offseason Priorities For The Wizards

October 22nd, 2020 at 9:05pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Adding a rim protector and wing defender – perhaps through a trade or a free agency acquisition – are the top offseason priorities for the Wizards, as well as re-signing forward Davis Bertans, Fred Katz of The Athletic contends.

Evaluating Potential Trade Proposals For Wizards

October 18th, 2020 at 5:54pm CST by JD Shaw

Fred Katz of The Athletic evaluates multiple trade proposals for the Wizards. Washington is set to have a healthy John Wall, Bradley Beal, Thomas Bryant and others next season, sporting a diverse mix of veterans and young players.

Beal Thinks Retiring As Wizard Would Be Cool

October 16th, 2020 at 8:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bradley Beal is coveted by many teams but he wouldn’t mind finishing his career with the Wizards, Frank Urbina of HoopsHype relays. Beal made that statement on the “On the Road with Buck & Phil” podcast. “That would mean the world, man. I’m a loyal guy. I want to be here,” he said. “I’m here. I’ve signed my extension. And that will mean the world to me. That honestly would you know, being able to finish your career in one place? You know, you don’t see that in today’s game.”

Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Odds For 2020/21

October 13th, 2020 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat lost just three games during the first three rounds against their playoff opponents in the East en route to an NBA Finals appearance this year, eliminating three of the top four seeds in the conference in the process. However, Miami’s impressive postseason run hasn’t made the team the favorite to come out of the East in 2021, according to oddsmakers.

At BetOnline.ag, the Heat are listed at +450 to win the Eastern Conference in ’21, meaning you’d win $450 on a $100 wager should Miami repeat as conference champs. The Bucks (+375), Celtics (+425), and Nets (+425) are currently considered more likely to represent the East in next year’s NBA Finals.

The rest of the odds to win the East next year are as follows, per BetOnline.ag:

Raptors: +750
Sixers: +1200
Bulls: +3300
Hawks: +3300
Pacers: +3300
Wizards: +3300
Magic: +10000
Cavaliers: +12500
Knicks: +12500
Pistons: +12500
Hornets: +17500

It’s obviously way too early to forecast the outcome of the 2020/21 season with any confidence. The draft and free agency are still to come, and we don’t know yet which teams will make major splashes on the trade market. If Victor Oladipo is dealt from Indiana to another Eastern team, for example, it could significantly change the conference’s outlook for next season.

Still, anticipated roster moves are at least somewhat baked into BetOnline’s current odds — if the Pacers had a ton of cap room to use this offseason and Oladipo and Myles Turner weren’t viewed as potential trade candidates, it’s a safe bet that they wouldn’t be listed alongside lottery teams Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington on the list above.

So, with the caveat that plenty could change in the coming months to alter the outlook of the East for the 2020/21 season, we want to get your thoughts on the early projections from oddsmakers.

Should the Bucks be considered the favorites to win the East? Should the Heat be listed higher than fourth among Eastern teams? Are the Nets or other teams being overvalued? Are the Pacers or other teams being undervalued? Which team do you like to come out of the East next season? And which club do you view as the best value pick based on the odds listed above?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your early forecast for the Eastern Conference in 2020/21!

Appraising International Draft Prospects For Wiz

October 10th, 2020 at 7:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington examines several of the best international prospects that could be available to the Wizards with the ninth pick in the 2020 draft. Guards Killian Hayes and Theo Maledon and swingman Deni Avdija comprise Hughes’s top international options.

Profiling Killian Hayes Fit With Wizards

October 7th, 2020 at 8:36pm CST by Jovan Alford

The Wizards‘ team website explores Killian Hayes‘s potential fit with Washington. The Wizards own the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, which leaves them in the position to take the best player available. This season in Germany, Hayes averaged 12.8 PPG, 6.2 APG, and 1.5 SPG in 26.8 MPG. The 19-year-old guard is projected to be drafted in the lottery.

Wizards May Trade Up Or Down From No. 9 Pick

October 5th, 2020 at 9:03pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington dives into the possible ripple effects of the Wizards either trading up or down from the ninth pick in this year’s draft.

Draft Notes: Achiuwa, Jones, Hampton, Terry

September 29th, 2020 at 7:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Potential top-10 selection Precious Achiuwa has interviewed with a number of lottery teams, Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype tweets. Achiuwa, a power forward who averaged 15.8 PPG and 10.8 MPG as a Memphis freshman last season, has talked to the Kings, Wizards, Knicks, Nets, Cavaliers, Suns, Spurs, Pistons and Thunder, among others. He’s currently listed at No. 10 overall on ESPN’s list of this year’s top 100 prospects.

We have more on the draft:

Duke point guard Tre Jones has spoken with the Bucks, Suns, Thunder and Timberwolves, among others, according to Kennedy (Twitter link). Jones had an interview lined up with the Bulls, but it was postponed due to their coaching change. Jones anticipates he’ll be a mid- to late-first round pick. He’s currently listed at No. 34 overall by ESPN.
Combo guard RJ Hampton, who played last season in Australia’s NBL, has talked to the Wizards, Kings, Thunder, Pistons, Suns, Trail Blazers, Knicks and Bulls, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. He posted modest stats in 15 NBL games before suffering a hip flexor injury and returning the U.S. Hampton is currently ranked No. 13 by ESPN and Hughes speculates he could be a late lottery steal like Michael Porter Jr., who sat out for a year after getting drafted by the Nuggets.
Stanford point guard Tyrell Terry has interviewed with the Suns, Thunder, 76ers, Raptors, Knicks, Nets, Warriors, Timberwolves and Bulls, Kennedy tweets. He’s pegged at No. 42 in ESPN’s rankings. He averaged 14.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 3.2 APG as a freshman.