- League sources tell O’Connor that Davis Bertans (Wizards), Marvin Williams (Hornets), J.J. Redick (Pelicans), and Marcus Morris (Knicks) are among the veterans who are candidates to be dealt before the deadline. Redick likely won’t be moved, but multiple execs believe New Orleans could strongly consider the idea if the right offer comes along.
[SOURCE LINK]
- Wizards coach Scott Brooks called out second-year big man Moritz Wagner after the team’s loss to the Clippers on Sunday, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington relays. Wagner started the game but only played three minutes in the second half, mainly due to defensive lapses. “His head wasn’t in the game,” Brooks said. “When you’re a young player, you’ve gotta lock in. You have to do what we need to be done. We talked about it. We talked about it at halftime and he didn’t want to do it.”
- The Wizards’ G League coach, Ryan Richman, is just 30 years old and they’re grooming him to be a head coach at the NBA level, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. He was moved from Brooks’ staff to the Capital City Go-Go this season. “I don’t look at him as a good, young coach. He’s a good coach,” Brooks said. “He’s gonna lead that team and be a big part of our organization and change things up. And we’re all one.”
Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- The Hornets assigned forwards Jalen McDaniels and Caleb Martin and guard Cody Martin to the Greensboro Swarm, according to a team press release. That same trio had been recalled from the Swarm on Sunday. McDaniels, a rookie from San Diego State, has appeared in 12 games with the Swarm, averaging 17.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 2.4 SPG in 31.6 MPG. Caleb Martin, an undrafted rookie, has seen action in 10 games for the Swarm, averaging 17.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 3.9 APG in 34.6 MPG. Cody Martin, like McDaniels a second-round pick in the June draft, has averaged 18.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 4.6 APG in 35.5 MPG through five outings with the Swarm.
- The Wizards assigned and then recalled forwards Isaac Bonga and Admiral Schofield and guard Justin Robinson from the Capital City Go-Go, the team’s PR department tweets. The trio joined the Go-Go for a practice.
The Wizards intend to fully guarantee Jordan McRae‘s contract this season even though he’s currently sidelined by a finger injury, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post reports.
McRae underwent surgery on his right ring finger last week to remove a pin from a previous surgery. The procedure was a precautionary measure to prevent infection. He’s expected to miss at least two weeks.
McRae suffered a fracture to that finger during the season opener against Dallas on October 23. He returned to action on November 6. The pin became dislodged on a dunk attempt against Charlotte on November 22.
McRae’s $1.6MM contract, which was already partially guaranteed at $600K, becomes fully guaranteed on December 20, per Basketball Insiders.
He is averaging 8.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 2.8 APG in 18.1 MPG in 13 games this season while backing up the team’s star, Bradley Beal.
- Wizards point guard Isaiah Thomas is expected to miss at least another week due to his calf injury, sources tell Charania.
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The Wizards have applied for a disabled player exception in response to C.J. Miles‘ left wrist injury, reports Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team announced last week that Miles had undergone surgery to repair ligament damage in his wrist, and there’s a belief that procedure will sideline him for the rest of the season.
As we outline in our glossary entry on the disabled player exception, a team can apply for a DPE to replace a seriously injured player. In order for the exception to be granted, an NBA-designated physician must determine that the player is “substantially more likely than not” to be sidelined through at least June 15 of that league year.
If granted, the disabled player exception allows a club to sign a replacement player for 50% of the injured player’s salary, or for the amount of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. In the case of Miles, the exception would be worth $4,365,079, half of his 2019/20 salary ($8,730,158).
The DPE, which doesn’t give a team an extra roster spot, can also be used to acquire a player on an expiring contract via trade or waivers if his salary fits into the exception.
[RELATED: 2019/20 Disabled Player Exceptions]
The Wizards have already applied for one disabled player exception this season, hoping to gain extra flexibility as a result of John Wall‘s Achilles injury. However, that request was denied by the NBA, presumably because Wall wasn’t considered likely to be out through June 15, 2020. We’ll see if the ruling is any different on Miles, who doesn’t have a definitive recovery timeline after undergoing wrist surgery.
If the DPE for Miles is granted, the Wizards seem unlikely to make use of it on the free agent market, as the rebuilding squad already has $128MM in salary on its books for this season. However, it could come in handy in a smaller trade. Last season, the Wizards used a DPE to acquire Wesley Johnson from New Orleans, allowing the team to generate a trade exception that was eventually used to land Davis Bertans.
- Wizards forward Davis Bertans is on track for a historic season shooting the ball from 3-point range, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. Bertans has connected on 78 threes through 21 games, making a remarkable 45% of his attempts. Katz also examines the possibility of Bertans being traded before the February deadline, with the team looking to prep for the future and the UFA-to-be looking like a potentially valuable trade chip.
Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the league:
- The Thunder assigned Deonte Burton to the Oklahoma City Blue after he served a one-game suspension for a locker room altercation with a teammate, tweets Royce Young of ESPN. “I think it’s pretty clear, one-game suspension and we’ll all move on,” said coach Billy Donovan, who attributed the incident to healthy frustration over the team’s slow start. The second-year shooting guard is averaging 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12 NBA games this season.
- The Wizards assigned Admiral Schofield and Justin Robinson to their Capital City affiliate so they could play in tonight’s game, the team announced on Twitter.
- The Timberwolves assigned Jaylen Nowell to Iowa, according to a tweet from the team. The rookie shooting guard has gotten into just two games for Minnesota.
- In a leftover move from yesterday, the Clippers recalled center Mfiondu Kabengele from their Agua Caliente affiliate.
Wizards swingman Jordan McRae underwent surgery on Wednesday to remove the pin in his right ring finger and will miss at least two weeks, according to a team press release.
The procedure was a precautionary measure to prevent infection, the release adds.
McRae suffered a fracture to that finger during the season opener against Dallas on October 23. He returned to action on November 6. The pin became dislodged on a dunk attempt against Charlotte on November 22.
McRae has been a part of the team’s rotation but this could impact his presence on the roster. His $1.6MM contract, which is partially guaranteed at $600K, becomes fully guaranteed on December 20, per Basketball Insiders.
McRae is averaging 8.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 2.8 APG in 18.1 MPG in 13 games this season.
Big man Jason Smith said he’s interested in returning to the Wizards if they want him, Mike DePrisco of NBC Sports Washington relays. Smith made the comment on a Wizards Postgame Live broadcast. Washington’s frontcourt has been depleted by injuries, including a foot ailment to starting center Thomas Bryant that will sideline him for at least three weeks. The 33-year-old seven-footer played 20 games last season, including 12 with the Wizards.