Wizards Rumors

2019 Offseason In Review: Washington Wizards

October 6th, 2019 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2019 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2019/20 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Washington Wizards.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Thomas Bryant: Three years, $25MM. Re-signed using Early Bird rights.
- Ish Smith: Two years, $12MM. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Justin Robinson: Three years, minimum salary. First year partially guaranteed ($250K). Second and third years non-guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Isaiah Thomas: One year, minimum salary.
Two-way contracts:
- Garrison Mathews
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Justin Anderson: One year, minimum salary.
- Phil Booth: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Chris Chiozza: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10).
- Michael Cobbins: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10) (Waived).
- Kellen Dunham: One year, minimum salary (Exhibit 10) (Waived).

Trades:

Acquired Jonathon Simmons and the draft rights to Admiral Schofield (No. 42 pick) from the Sixers in exchange for cash ($2MM).
- Note: Simmons was later waived.
Acquired C.J. Miles from the Grizzlies in exchange for Dwight Howard.
Acquired Davis Bertans in a three-team trade with the Spurs and Nets in exchange for the draft rights to Aaron White (to Nets).
Acquired Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Jemerrio Jones , and the Lakers’ 2022 second-round pick in a three-team trade with the Lakers and Pelicans in exchange for cash ($1.1MM; to Pelicans).
Acquired either the Bulls’ or Grizzlies’ 2020 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), the right to swap the Lakers’ 2022 second-round pick for either the Bulls’ or Pistons’ 2022 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable), and the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick with protections removed from the Bulls in exchange for Tomas Satoransky (sign-and-trade).
- Note: The Wizards had acquired the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick with 31-36 protection in a previous trade.

Draft picks:

1-9: Rui Hachimura — Signed to rookie contract.
2-42: Admiral Schofield — Signed to three-year, $4.3MM contract. Third year partially guaranteed ($300K). Signed using mid-level exception.

Departing players:

Trevor Ariza
Sam Dekker
Jeff Green
Dwight Howard
Jabari Parker (declined team option)
Tarik Phillip (waived)
Bobby Portis
Chasson Randle
Devin Robinson (two-way)
Tomas Satoransky

Other offseason news:

Named Tommy Sheppard permanent general manager.
Hired Sashi Brown as chief planning and operations officer.
Hired Rod Thorn as senior advisor.
Hired Antawn Jamison as director of pro personnel.
Hired Johnny Rogers as VP of pro personnel.
Made changes to Scott Brooks‘ coaching staff.
Offered contract extension to Bradley Beal.
Applied for disabled player exception for John Wall (not yet approved).
Isaiah Thomas to miss start of season due to thumb surgery.
Ian Mahinmi to miss start of season due to Achilles strain.
C.J. Miles underwent foot surgery.
Troy Brown suffered calf strain.
Exercised 2020/21 rookie scale options on Troy Brown, Moritz Wagner.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $126.1MM in guaranteed salary.
Hard-capped.
$1.36MM of mid-level exception still available (used $7.9MM on Ish Smith, Admiral Schofield, and Justin Robinson).
Full bi-annual exception ($3.62MM) still available.
Six traded player exceptions available; largest TPE ($5MM) expires 7/7/20.

Story of the summer:

None of the NBA’s new heads of basketball operations had things easy this summer, but new Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard was arguably thrust into the toughest situation of any of them.

After years of being unable to break through in the postseason behind their Bradley Beal/John Wall backcourt duo, the Wizards would have been justified in blowing things up this offseason and launching an all-out rebuild. Beal was coming off a career year and his trade value would have been at an all-time high if Sheppard had opted to make him available.

However, the Wizards’ other All-Star guard was on the opposite end of the trade-value spectrum — a torn Achilles will likely sideline Wall for most or all of 2019/20, the first season of his monster four-year, $171MM contract extension.

In order to move Wall without surrendering multiple positive assets, Washington likely would’ve had to tie him to Beal, which would’ve taken some potential trade partners off the table due to the sheer amount of money involved (the duo has a combined cap charge of over $65MM). It also would’ve seriously limited the return the Wizards could have realistically sought for their healthy star.

Ultimately, Sheppard opted to hang onto both players, which isn’t an unreasonable approach. Beal still has two years left on his contract, so the Wizards still have plenty of time to change course if they decide to move on or if Beal asks to be dealt. Wall, meanwhile, will always be tough to move on his current contract but could rebuild his value to some extent if he returns from his Achilles injury and shows he can still be a reliable on-court performer.

While Sheppard’s approach is understandable, it’s certainly not without risk. If Beal eventually requests a trade and that request goes public, it would negatively impact the Wizards’ leverage. And there’s no guarantee that Wall ever comes close to recapturing his old form.

For now, the franchise remains somewhat in limbo. A playoff berth is hard to envision, but the roster also doesn’t feature a ton of young talent with star upside to develop.

Key offseason losses:

The Wizards’ roster overhaul this summer included the departures of several one-and-done players. Trevor Ariza, Jabari Parker, and Bobby Portis all arrived in midseason trades and initially looked like candidates to be re-signed, but Sheppard didn’t appear to seriously consider bringing any of them back.

Dwight Howard and Jeff Green were free agent signees in 2018 who won’t return this year. Injuries limited Howard to just nine games during his lone season in D.C. before he was traded to Memphis. Green was productive as a Wizard, but opted to sign with a team closer to contention once he reached the open market.

Tomas Satoransky was perhaps the most notable offseason loss for the Wizards. The underrated guard provided stability at the point over the last two years when Wall missed time with injuries, and was a nice fit next to Beal since he didn’t always need the ball in his hands. With Wall on the shelf and Satoransky gone in 2019/20, point guard may be an area of concern in Washington.

Key offseason additions:

Not many mock drafts had Rui Hachimura coming off the board as high as No. 9, but the Wizards were happy to get him at that spot and are in position to provide him with consistent minutes right away. Hachimura, who projects to be a dynamic scorer, still has work to do on his defense and his outside shot, but he may be the closest thing the Wizards have to foundational long-term piece outside of Beal.

Having lost Satoransky, the Wizards addressed the point guard position by signing Ish Smith and Isaiah Thomas in free agency. Smith is reliable enough, though he fits in better as a backup playing primarily against second units. It will be interesting to see how he holds up as a full-time starter in D.C.

Of course, a healthy Thomas could force his way into the starting lineup if he looks anything like his old self, but we’re getting further and further removed from the All-Star version of IT we saw from 2015-17. He has been limited to just 44 games over the last two years and will still be recovering from thumb surgery when the season starts. Anything Washington gets from him this year should be considered a bonus.

Acquiring Davis Bertans in a trade with the Spurs for essentially nothing was a steal for the Wizards, who will rely on the young power forward for some much-needed outside shooting in the frontcourt. Bertans has made over 40% of his career three-point attempts, including 42.9% last season.

Finally, the Wizards sneaked into the Anthony Davis blockbuster between the Lakers and Pelicans by taking on a trio of young players – Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, and Jemerrio Jones – from L.A. While it would probably be foolhardy to count on all of them to become regular contributors, the Wizards only gave up a small amount of cash in the deal, so they’d be coming out ahead even if just one of the three develops into a solid rotation player.

Outlook for 2019/20:

The Wizards didn’t have a bad offseason, but with Wall injured and taking up $38MM+ of the team’s cap room, the new management group just didn’t have the cap flexibility to add the pieces necessary to make Washington a strong postseason contender in 2019/20.

Still, this will be a big year for the organization. If the team exceeds expectations, makes a couple savvy trades, or just generally shows that it’s on the right track, it could go a long way toward convincing Beal he should stick around long-term, which seems to be the Wizards’ preference. If things go south, it probably won’t be long before the club shops Beal and goes all-in on a rebuild, which could be a long, painful process.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jemerrio Jones Impresses With Rebounding Ability

October 4th, 2019 at 7:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward Jemerrio Jones is trying to gain a role with the Wizards via his rebounding and hustle, as Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington details. Jones, who played six games with the Lakers last season as a rookie, has a $1,416,852 salary, but less than $200K is guaranteed. “I go hard in the paint,” he said. “[Fans] are going to like the hustle in me. You gotta pay people to play hard now, but it’s in me.” Jones was acquired in the three-team blockbuster that brought Anthony Davis to Los Angeles.
Thomas Bryant inspires his other young Wizards teammates to exceed expectations, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post writes. Bryant, who was cut loose by the Lakers, earned a three-year, $25MM contract after replacing injured Dwight Howard as the starting center last season. “The opportunity that he got, making the best of getting cut, it’s incredible for me to observe,” second-year center Moritz Wagner said. “I’m very happy to do this with him together.”

Raptors Notes: Ujiri, Camp Battles, T. Davis, Lowry

October 4th, 2019 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri reportedly drew interest from the Wizards this spring when Washington was in the market for a new head of basketball operations, and will likely continue to be targeted by teams making front office changes.

However, speaking to Frank Isola of The Athletic last weekend about his job status, Ujiri made it clear he intends to remain in Toronto at least through the end of his current contract in 2021, if not longer.

“The most important thing is that when you sign a contract you’re obligated to serve it,” Ujiri said. “I signed the contract and I have time left on that contract and I will serve the time. This place has been unbelievable to me. It’s been just a blessing.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

In a pair of articles for The Athletic, Blake Murphy handicaps the races for the open spots on the Raptors’ regular season roster and the two openings in the team’s starting lineup. Murphy views Chris Boucher and Dewan Hernandez as strong candidates to make the 15-man squad, with Isaiah Taylor, Cameron Payne, and Malcolm Miller fighting for the final spot. Murphy also predicts Oshae Brissett and Sagaba Konate will be the team’s two-way players and considers OG Anunoby and Norman Powell good bets to fill out the starting lineup.
Terence Davis‘ guaranteed salary makes him a virtual lock to start the season on the Raptors’ roster, but that doesn’t mean he’ll play regular minutes. Doug Smith of The Toronto Star explores Nick Nurse‘s first impressions on the undrafted rookie out of Ole Miss.
There has been some confusion this week over Kyle Lowry‘s status, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca details. The veteran point guard said he had been medically cleared for contact following his summer thumb surgery, but he has yet to participate in a practice. Nurse and agent Mark Bartelstein have suggested that Lowry still has one more checkup to go through before he’s fully cleared, notes Grange.
Earlier today, we wrote about the Raptors exercising Anunoby’s 2020/21 option and Pascal Siakam reportedly seeking a maximum-salary extension.

Wizards Notes: Anderson, Schofield, Smith

October 3rd, 2019 at 10:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Justin Anderson is hoping to make the Wizards‘ roster and knows the role he has to play to get there, as I wrote on SLAM Newswire.

“I’m not a guy that’s going to iso and score buckets. That’s not my game. My game is to play a role, fill a void, play defense, play hard, play passionately,” Anderson said.

Washington has 13 players under guaranteed deals, but Anderson is not one of them, meaning he’ll likely compete with a handful of players for the last two spots on the roster, as our own Luke Adams detailed earlier today. Anderson, who is from Virginia and played his collegiate ball at the University of Virginia, would love the opportunity to play for the Wizards, with his family close by.

“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” he said. “We see Kawhi and Paul George, they get to go back home. You see it happen on all levels. Everyone is excited to go back home.”

Here’s more from training camp in Washington:

Second-round pick Admiral Schofield was forced out of a scrimmage today with what appeared to be a leg injury. There’s no word yet on the severity of the injury.
Earlier in the week, Ish Smith compared playing alongside Bradley Beal to his time playing alongside Blake Griffin. “Shooting the basketball when I’m open, cutting sometimes, mixing it up and playing it off the catch,” Smith said of the style he expects to play while on the court next to Beal. With Isaiah Thomas and John Wall sidelined, Smith is the favorite to open the season as the team’s starting point guard.
The two starting forward positions are also up for grabs during camp. Rui Hachimura and Davis Bertans could end up with those spots, though that would leave one of the two players playing out of his best position. Thomas Bryant and Beal are the only two starters that are essentially set in stone.
As we passed along earlier today, Ian Mahinmi will miss at least six weeks with a strained Achilles. Of the Wizards’ 13 players with guaranteed deals, five are currently injured.

Five NBA Roster Battles To Watch

October 3rd, 2019 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

For certain NBA teams, the path to finalizing their regular season roster is obvious. The Mavericks, for instance, are currently carrying 15 players with guaranteed salaries and two on two-way contracts. Barring a major surprise in the next couple weeks, those 17 players will open the regular season under contract with the team, while the remaining three players on non-guaranteed camp deals may end up in the G League with the Texas Legends.

In other NBA cities though, the regular season roster isn’t quite so clear cut. A number of clubs haven’t filled their two-way contract slots and/or don’t have 15 players with guaranteed salaries, leaving the door open for camp invitees to compete for those final roster spots.

We don’t know exactly what all these teams are thinking — some may have already made their decisions, or at least could have a good idea which way they’re leaning. But here are five teams that appear to have roster spots up for grabs and are worth watching during training camp and the preseason:

Cleveland Cavaliers

Fully guaranteed salaries: 13
Two-way slots open: 1
It looks like at least two roster spots are up for grabs in Cleveland — one on the standard roster and one two-way slot. That number could increase to three if the Cavaliers decide to carry a 15th man to open the season, though their proximity to the tax line may discourage them from doing so. An intriguing mix of rookies and young veterans are in the running for those openings, and none have partial guarantees that would give them a leg up.
Contenders: Marques Bolden, Daniel Hamilton, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, J.P. Macura, Jarell Martin (ineligible for two-way), Sindarius Thornwell

Detroit Pistons

Fully guaranteed salaries: 14
Two-way slots open: 0
There’s only one spot available on the Pistons‘ roster, but the battle for it is an interesting one. In one corner is 17-year veteran Joe Johnson, who has appeared in nearly 1,400 total regular season and playoff games, and has a $220K partial guarantee. He’s going up against young forward Christian Wood, who just turned 24 and is already on his fifth NBA team. Wood flashed promise during his end-of-season stint with the Pelicans in the spring, averaging 16.9 PPG and 7.9 RPG in eight games (23.6 MPG), but beating out Johnson will be a tall order.
Contenders: Johnson, Wood

Orlando Magic

Fully guaranteed salaries: 13
Two-way slots open: 0
The Magic don’t have a ton of flexibility below the tax threshold, so they may not carry a 15th man to start the season, but they have to carry at least 14. The five non-guaranteed camp invitees that appear for now to be in the running for that 14th spot have appeared in a combined total of 12 regular season NBA games, so it will be interesting to see if Orlando looks to bring in a veteran or goes with a rookie.
Contenders: Hassani Gravett, Isaac Humphries, DaQuan Jeffries, B.J. Johnson, Vic Law

Toronto Raptors

Fully guaranteed salaries: 12
Two-way slots open: 2
Unlike last season, the Raptors don’t have any pressing luxury-tax concerns, so they could carry a full roster, which would leave five spots up for grabs in the preseason. Returning players Chris Boucher and Malcolm Miller each have partial guarantees and look like viable candidates for roster spots. But second-round pick Dewan Hernandez and free agent signees Cameron Payne and Isaiah Taylor also have partial guarantees and strong cases for a place on the 15-man squad. It will be interesting to see which way Toronto goes.
Contenders: Boucher (ineligible for two-way), Oshae Brissett, Dewan Hernandez (ineligible for two-way), Sagaba Konate, Miller (ineligible for two-way), Payne (ineligible for two-way), Devin Robinson, Taylor

Washington Wizards

Fully guaranteed salaries: 13
Two-way slots open: 1
The Wizards‘ injury woes may complicate their roster decisions and could make them more likely to carry 15 players on their standard roster instead of just 14. The partial guarantees for Jordan McRae, Justin Robinson, and Jemerrio Jones put them in the best position to claim those open roster spots. Meanwhile, only two of the team’s camp invitees are eligible for two-way deals, so that may be a one-on-one competition.
Contenders: Justin Anderson (ineligible for two-way), Phil Booth, Chris Chiozza, Jones (ineligible for two-way), McRae (ineligible for two-way), Robinson (ineligible for two-way)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Wizards’ Ian Mahinmi Out At Least Six Weeks

October 3rd, 2019 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

The injury bug continues to plague the Wizards, who announced today in a press release that veteran center Ian Mahinmi has been diagnosed with a strained right Achilles tendon and will be re-evaluated in six weeks.

Mahinmi, who is entering the final year of the lucrative four-year contract he signed in 2016, is coming off a season in which he averaged 4.1 PPG and 3.8 RPG in just 34 games (14.6 MPG). It remains to be seen how much action the big man will get this year even once he’s healthy, as Thomas Bryant will start at center for Washington. Rui Hachimura, Davis Bertans, and Moritz Wagner also figure to play regular minutes in the frontcourt.

A six-week timetable would sideline Mahinmi through at least November 14, keeping him on the shelf for the first nine games of the Wizards’ season. Although he’ll be re-evaluated at that point, there’s no guarantee he’ll be immediately ready to return.

Mahinmi is the latest Wizard projected to miss the start of the season, joining Isaiah Thomas (thumb) and John Wall (Achilles). It’s not clear whether Troy Brown (calf) and C.J. Miles (foot) will be ready to go by opening night.

Southeast Notes: Beal, J. Johnson, Hornets, Magic

October 2nd, 2019 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

With John Wall expected to miss most or all of the 2019/20 season due to his torn Achilles and Isaiah Thomas sidelined with a thumb injury to start the year, the Wizards find themselves thin at point guard — Ish Smith is the only NBA veteran on the depth chart. However, star shooting guard Bradley Beal sounds prepared to slide down to the one and assume some of the ball-handling responsibilities if he’s asked to, as Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington relays.

“I’m always comfortable with that,” Beal told Hughes. “[Wizards head coach Scott] Brooks knows that and I’ve done it the last couple of years. If that time comes, I’m more than prepared and willing to do it.

“I’m confident that no one can take my ball,” he added. “I’m not a point guard, but I can play the position. If needed to, I can run the team for sure.”

Beal, who took on a greater offensive role last season when Wall went down, averaged a career-high 5.5 assists per game in 2018/19. It was the third consecutive year in which he established a new career-best in APG, and Brooks wouldn’t be surprised if it happens again this season. According to Hughes, the head coach said he could envision Beal averaging seven dimes per game.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

James Johnson, who is away from the Heat for a second day after failing to meet his conditioning requirements, has been in touch with the team’s trainers but is working out on his own, a source tells Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).
Hornets big man Cody Zeller said on the first day of camp that it felt like “something is missing” in Charlotte without Kemba Walker in the locker room, writes Steve Reed of The Associated Press. Zeller added that it was especially tough to lose Walker because he felt like the Hornets were “close” to breaking through and becoming a playoff team.
Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman spoke to Josh Robbins of The Athletic about the club’s offseason moves and decisions, and the plans for the 14th and 15th spots on the regular season roster. Weltman was evasive when he discussed those final roster spots, but hinted that the team may not carry a 15th man to start the season.
In a separate story for The Athletic, Robbins notes that things feel a little different this year in training camp for the Magic. After a six-year playoff drought, the club made it back to the postseason last spring, and expectations have increased as a result.

Wizards Notes: Beal, Thomas, Thorn, Tanking

October 1st, 2019 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bradley Beal has an important financial decision to make, but the Wizards star insists that money won’t be the deciding factor, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. The front office gave Beal a $111MM extension offer more than two months ago. He hasn’t signed it and hasn’t made a decision on whether he wants to remain in Washington long term. At Media Day, he told reporters that the chance to be on a contender will matter more than the size of the deal.

“I can really retire today and be OK. … So, I want everybody to understand, it’s not the money,” Beal said. “It’s not the money factor here. It’s me. It’s, OK, what’s the direction the team’s going in? Are we gonna win? Is this what we want? We know that this is probably gonna be a development year. It’s gonna be one of those types of years. So, does Bradley Beal wanna be a part of that ultimately? And that’s something I have to ask myself and something I’m probably still not done asking myself. So, I’m gonna use all my time until I can.”

October 21 is the deadline for Beal to accept the current deal, but turning it down won’t signal the end of his time with the Wizards. He will be eligible for a longer, more lucrative deal as a free agent in 2021, and an All-NBA nod would qualify him for a super-max contract that could reach up to $250MM over five years.

There’s more from D.C. on the first day of camp:

A lot of contenders would like to find a way to add Beal this season, notes John Hollinger of The Athletic. The former Grizzlies executive writes that swapping newly signed D’Angelo Russell for Beal is a “dream scenario” for the Warriors. He mentions the Lakers, Raptors, Nuggets and Celtics as teams that would also be interested if Beal becomes available.
Isaiah Thomas is trying to laugh off his latest injury, a torn ligament in his left thumb that will force him to miss the entire preseason, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. It’s the latest in a series of physical mishaps for Thomas since his last All-Star appearance in 2016/17. “I was in there laughing because I’m like: ‘Damn. It’s always something,’” Thomas said. “But at the end of the day, this won’t break me. I’ve been through way worse.”
Rod Thorn, who has more than 40 years of experience as an NBA executive, will serve as a senior advisor to GM Tommy Sheppard, Buckner tweets.
With John Wall possibly out for the entire season and a roster filled with young players, the Wizards are in a perfect position to tank, observes Sean Deveney of Heavy. “Keeping (Wall) out, trying to see if you can find a diamond in the rough by playing a bunch of non-guaranteed (contract) guys, that’s the way they have to go,” a rival executive said. “It’s tanking, but you can’t blame them.”

Beal Interested In Olympic Invite

September 30th, 2019 at 9:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Center Anzejs Pasecniks will play for the Wizards’ G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. Pasecniks, a 2017 first-round pick by the Sixers, played for the Wizards during the Las Vegas Summer League. Philadelphia renounced its rights to Pasecniks during the offseason.
Count Wizards guard Bradley Beal among the stars interested in playing for Team USA in the Olympics next summer, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post tweets. “I don’t plan on having a son this next summer. Or daughter! I don’t plan on having no kids, let’s say that,” he said.

Popovich: Spurs “Blindsided” By Morris’ Change Of Heart

September 30th, 2019 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

While it was overshadowed by bigger-name transactions, one of the most fascinating sequences of the first week of 2019’s free agent period came after the Spurs agreed to sign Marcus Morris to a two-year deal worth their mid-level exception.

San Antonio, having already reached a deal to sign DeMarre Carroll using a portion of the mid-level, renegotiated Carroll’s contract and agreed to send Davis Bertans to the Wizards in a three-team trade that would ultimately open up the MLE for Morris. However, Morris then reneged on his agreement with the Spurs, opting to sign with the Knicks instead. San Antonio subsequently used part of its MLE to sign Trey Lyles, but likely would have preferred to simply keep Bertans.

Addressing that situation for the first time today, Spurs head coach and head of basketball operations Gregg Popovich expressed frustration with how things played out, as Jabari Young of The Athletic (video link) relays.

“It was more than difficult to lose Davis,” Popovich said. “Let’s just say that that was an unfortunate situation that was handled unprofessionally on a couple of different levels. We made that move (trading Bertans) to make the signing that we did, and we got blindsided. Davis was a special player, as we all know. He was young and getting better and better, so we hated losing him.”

Morris’ change of heart in free agency played a part in his split with agent Rich Paul, who reportedly urged him to stick to his deal with the Spurs. The situation also allegedly fueled some animosity between the Knicks and Spurs.

Morris told Shams Charania of The Athletic in late July that as soon as he changed his mind and decided to sign with the Knicks, he called the Spurs to make sure they knew. According to Morris, he had “great conversations afterward” with the Spurs and felt good about moving forward.

Based on his Media Day comments, it doesn’t sound as if Popovich shared the same feelings about how the saga played out. Asked today if Morris reached out to the team and explained what happened, Popovich replied, “Not really.”

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