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Wizards Sign Johnathan Williams

December 26th, 2019 at 12:42pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Earlier in the week, it was reported that the Wizards were close to signing Johnathan Williams and according to the team, the deal is official.

Washington will use the hardship provision to bring the big man on without a corresponding roster move. This will be the second player added via the hardship provision, as the team signed Gary Payton II earlier in the week.

As we explained in our story on Payton, the NBA can grant a team a hardship exception when that team has at least four players who have missed three or more games due to injury or illness and are expected to miss at least two more weeks. If a team has five players who fit that bill, a second additional roster spot can be granted.

Williams played with the Lakers last season on a two-way contract. Before that, the center split his college time between Missouri and Gonzaga.

As a free agent this past offseason, Williams signed with Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion, where he had averaged 12.2 PPG and 10.4 RPG in nine Israeli League games.

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Knicks Monitoring Karl-Anthony Towns’ Situation

December 25th, 2019 at 6:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Yes, we’ve heard this before: the Knicks are planning to make a big splash by trading for or signing a star. In the latest edition of this Groundhog-Day-like news cycle (it’s Christmas so perhaps, we should use 12 Dates of Christmas as a reference), New York continues to have hopes of using its cap flexibility and assets to turn itself into a contender.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that the Knicks’ current “dream scenario” is to trade for a disgruntled superstarm and the franchise is expected to monitor Karl-Anthony Towns‘ situation. Towns, who signed a five-year, $190MM extension prior to the 2018/19 season, is from Metuchen, New Jersey, and the team has hopes that he would be open to playing for the Knicks should the Wolves ever consider trading him.

Berman writes that Bradley Beal remains on the Knicks’ radar. However, a source tells Hoops Rumors that the Wizards still aren’t entertaining trade offers for the shooting guard, who is ineligible to be moved until the 2020 offseason anyway.

New York has the assets to put together a pretty compelling package for any star that becomes available. In addition to their own picks, the Knicks have two future firsts from the Mavericks as well as several young prospects. The franchise could have more long-term assets if it makes future-looking trades at the deadline, such as moving Marcus Morris.

Trading for a star appears to be the Knicks’ best chance at landing a one and with the Timberwolves dwelling in the cellar of the Western Conference, it’s fair to wonder whether Towns and Minnesota would each welcome a deal. Still, any deal for Towns appears to be far away, as the Wolves have given every indication that they are not open to trading their franchise center.

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Southeast Notes: Payton, Waiters, Collins

December 24th, 2019 at 6:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

In his season debut with the Wizards Monday, Gary Payton II looked a lot like his Hall of Fame father, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Some of the resemblance was the familiar No. 20 — the first time the younger Payton has worn his dad’s number in his brief NBA career — but a lot was performance. After being signed out the G League, Payton flew to Washington for a physical and arrived at Madison Square Garden shortly before the start of the game with the Knicks. He came off the bench to post 10 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and six steals in 34 minutes.

“I told him at the end of the game; he changed the whole game around. He really did,” teammate Ish Smith said. “He came in that second quarter, him and (Justin Robinson), and at the top of that zone, they were so disruptive.”

Payton hopes to find a lasting NBA home after short stays with the Bucks and Lakers, followed by three games with the Wizards last season. He figures to get plenty of minutes in Washington’s next game while Isaiah Thomas completes his suspension, but his future beyond that is uncertain.

“It’s one game. You can’t get overly excited, but I love players that have stories like this,” coach Scott Brooks said. “You cheer for them. You want them to have success. They fought. They’ve been cut. They almost made it. They’ve been cut. They fought. They’ve been cut. And hopefully, he plays well enough to stick with us.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Payton’s new contract is a non-guaranteed one-year deal that carries a $1,090,781 base salary and a $1,052,909 cap hit, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Payton will earn $9,485 for each day he remains on the Wizards‘ roster.
  • Dion Waiters worked out today with a few teammates and some of the coaching staff after his latest suspension ended Monday, relays Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The Heat won’t practice again until Thursday, but Waiters took advantage of the chance to get some extra work in. It still appears doubtful that he will be used in any games this season.
  • The Hawks are optimistic that they can salvage something after a 6-25 start, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Before John Collins returned from a 25-game suspension last night, their young core of Collins, Trae Young and Kevin Huerter had only played together for 19 minutes this season. “I feel like there’s a little bit of a relief factor that comes along with the guy that you expected to have throughout the season, and now you have him back now getting acclimated to regular basketball activities,” Collins said. “I feel like it’s definitely a relief for everyone.”
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/23/19

December 23rd, 2019 at 10:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:

  • The Warriors recalled forward Alen Smailagić from Santa Cruz, according to a team press release. In 11 games with Santa Cruz, Smailagić has posted averages of 16.8 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 25.3 MPG. The rookie has yet to appear in a game for Golden State.
  • The Wizards recalled guard Justin Robinson from the Capital City Go-Go, the team’s PR department tweets. He had three points and an assist in 16 minutes against New York on Monday.
  • The Nuggets recalled Jarred Vanderbilt from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the team’s PR department tweets. The second-year forward has appeared in three games with Denver this season.
  • The Sixers recalled forward Jonah Bolden and guard Shake Milton from the Delaware Blue Coats, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Milton made a cameo appearance in the Sixers’ win at Detroit on Monday.
  • The Timberwolves recalled rookie center Naz Reid from the Iowa Wolves, according to a team press release. Reid is averaging 19.1 PPG and a team-high 10.2 RPG in 14 games for the Iowa Wolves.
  • The Clippers recalled rookie guard Terance Mann from the Agua Caliente Clippers. Mann has appeared in 22 games, including five starts, for the NBA Clippers.
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Hollinger Believes Wizards Serious About Retaining Bertans

December 23rd, 2019 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

While Tommy Sheppard‘s claim that the Wizards intend to retain Davis Bertans through the trade deadline and beyond this season could be viewed as a leverage play, John Hollinger of The Athletic sounds inclined to believe the first-year general manager. As Hollinger writes in his round-up of chatter from the G League Showcase in Las Vegas, all signals indicate the Wizards are serious about keeping Bertans.

Hollinger points to the Wizards’ recent promotion of center Anzejs Pasecniks as one more sign that the Wizards are committed to Bertans. Pasecniks, who signed a two-way contract with Washington, is a Latvian like Bertans, and the two big men share an agent, per Hollinger.

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Wizards, Johnathan Williams Close To Deal

December 23rd, 2019 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards are close to a deal with former Lakers two-way player Johnathan Williams, sources tell Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, Katz cautions that the signing won’t get done immediately.

The injury-plagued Wizards have already qualified for one extra roster spot via the hardship provision and used it today to sign Gary Payton II. Now, per Katz, they’ll apply for a second extra roster spot to accommodate Williams.

As we explained in our story on Payton, the NBA can grant a team a hardship exception when that team has at least four players who have missed three or more games due to injury or illness and are expected to miss at least two more weeks. If a team has five players who fit that bill, a second additional roster spot can be granted.

Assuming the Wizards get approval for that second extra roster spot, they’ll use it on Williams, who was a two-way player for the Lakers in 2018/19, spending most of his time with the South Bay Lakers in the G League. The young forward/center averaged 15.3 PPG and 8.4 RPG in 36 NBAGL contests (27.3 MPG), and appeared in 24 games for the NBA club, posting averages of 6.5 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 15.5 minutes per contest.

As a free agent this past offseason, Williams signed with Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion, where he had averaged 12.2 PPG and 10.4 RPG in nine Israeli League games.

The Wizards have had some success in recent years with big men who were former Lakers prospects, as Thomas Bryant and Moritz Wagner have both blossomed in Washington. Williams is unlikely to replicate their success, but could help bridge the gap for the Wizards until they start to get healthier.

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Wizards Sign Gary Payton II

December 23rd, 2019 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards have signed veteran guard Gary Payton II to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. The move had been expected, with a Saturday report indicating that the two sides were closing in on an agreement.

Payton has spent the 2019/20 season so far playing for the South Bay Lakers, the Lakers’ G League affiliate. In 16 games (32.4 MPG) for the club, he averaged 21.4 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 6.8 APG, and a league-leading 3.2 SPG, making his case for a call-up.

The 27-year-old, the son of former SuperSonics star Gary Payton, has appeared in 32 total NBA regular season games, spending time with the Bucks, Lakers, and Wizards since the 2016/17 season.

The Wizards had a full 15-man roster before signing Payton, but didn’t need to make a corresponding move to open up a roster spot, since they qualified for a hardship exception.

The NBA can grant a team a hardship exception when that team has at least four players who have missed three or more games due to injury or illness and are expected to miss at least two more weeks. A hardship exception allows the club to add an extra player to its 15-man roster, increasing its roster limit.

John Wall, C.J. Miles, Thomas Bryant, and Jordan McRae are out with long-term injuries for Washington, with Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura, and Moritz Wagner all banged up as well.

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Isaiah Thomas Suspended Two Games

December 22nd, 2019 at 6:28pm CST by JD Shaw

Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas has received a two-game suspension for entering the spectator stands in Philadelphia on Saturday, the NBA announced.

Thomas entered the stands and approached two unruly fans, both of whom used explicit language and gestures toward him during the Wizards-Sixers game. Thomas was ejected upon entering the stands, finishing with 20 points and three assists in 25 minutes of work.

When asked by reporters what he told the fans, Thomas responded with a clear explanation: “I said: ‘Don’t be disrespectful. I’m a man before anything. Be a fan.’ His response was, ‘I’m sorry, I just wanted a Frosty,'” Thomas said, as relayed by ESPN. The Sixers held a promotion where fans would be awarded a free Frosty if an opposing player missed two straight free throws.

While Thomas approached the duo in a rather calm manner, NBA rules state that any player who deliberately enters the spectator stands be subject to a fine and/or suspension. On the flip side, both fans involved in the altercation have received a one-year ban from Wells Fargo Center, a Sixers official said on Sunday.

Thomas’ two-game suspension will cost him roughly $32K, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). He’ll miss Washington’s upcoming road games against New York on Monday and Detroit on Thursday.

Thomas, a two-time NBA All-Star, signed a deal to join the Wizards this past summer in free agency. Through 21 games this season (18 starts), he’s averaged 13.6 points, 4.8 assists and 25.3 minutes per contest on 45% shooting from the floor and 43% shooting from deep.

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Beyond Beal, Wizards' Leading Scorers Depleted

December 22nd, 2019 at 2:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
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Injury Updates: Anthony, Wagner, MCW, Hayward

December 22nd, 2019 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Carmelo Anthony doesn’t believe a left knee contusion he suffered Friday night will be a long-term concern, writes Jamie Goldberg of The Oregonian. Anthony, who was held out of Saturday’s game, asked to be removed from Friday’s contest against Orlando in the second quarter after banging knees with another player. He remained in the locker room to get treatment on the injury.

“I didn’t want to take the chance of going out there,” the Trail Blazers‘ forward explained afterward. “We had it rolling. The guys had it rolling. We set the tone early in the game.”

Anthony, 35, has been productive since returning to the NBA last month after a year away from the game. He has averaged 16.0 points and 6.2 rebounds through 15 games and has given Portland another reliable scorer to go along with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

There’s more injury news from around the league:

  • The Wizards will be without Moritz Wagner for at least a week because of an ankle injury, relays Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Coach Scott Brooks provided an update last night, telling reporters that Wagner can’t do anything basketball-related right now.
  • Michael Carter-Williams has been diagnosed with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, the Magic announced on Twitter. He has been ruled out of tomorrow’s game, and his return date will depend on how the injury responds to treatment. The veteran guard had his arm in a sling after being hit with a hard pick Friday night (Twitter link from Josh Robbins of The Athletic).
  • Gordon Hayward will miss his third straight game today with soreness in his left foot, according to a tweet from the Celtics. An MRI taken this week revealed no structural damage. Hayward was sidelined for about a month with a fractured bone in his left hand and has been limited to 11 games this season.
  • The Heat have already ruled Justise Winslow out for tomorrow’s game, tweets Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Winslow hasn’t played since December 4 because of a lower back strain.
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