Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rui Hachimura Already A Star; Sheppard Poised To Replace Grunfeld?

June 23rd, 2019 at 3:59pm CST by clarkcrum

Regardless of how well Wizards newly-drafted rookie forward Rui Hachimura performs in the NBA moving forward, he’s already a superstar in his home country of Japan, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.

Hachimura, the first ever Japanese-born lottery pick in the NBA, has a rabid following that was on display Friday when the 21-year-old Gonzaga product was introduced by the Wizards. Per Hughes, there were over 40 members of the Japanese media in attendance from over 20 outlets, all excited for the opportunity to be a part of Hachimura’s press conference.

“I’m used to it. This is kind of small,” Hachimura joked about the media attention at the Wizards’ press conference. “When I was in Japan, there were couple of press conferences like this and there were more people.”

Because of his unique situation, Hachimura has the chance to be the most marketable player on the Wizards as a rookie, John Wall and Bradley Beal included. He already has endorsement deals with Air Jordan and Nissin Food Products, and one Japanese reporter even went as far as opining that Hachimura could be as big as MLB star Ichiro Suzuki one day. The Wizards certainly hope so.

Columnist Jerry Brewer of The Washington Post opines that the Wizards will likely end up promoting from within and hire interim head of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard as Ernie Grunfeld‘s replacement.

Wizards To Decline $20MM Option On Jabari Parker

June 22nd, 2019 at 4:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards won’t exercise their $20MM team option on Jabari Parker, but they may try to re-sign him, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

The move has been expected, dating back to when Washington traded for Parker in February, Haynes adds. But he cites “mutual interest” between Parker and the team in working out a longer arrangement once he becomes an unrestricted free agent next weekend. The Wizards view him as a player with potential whose development has been slowed by ACL tears in 2014 and 2017.

Parker’s asking price will start at $15MM per year, sources tell Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, and that number could rise or fall depending on the market. He adds that the Wizards will probably need Parker to relax that demand, especially after drafting Rui Hachimura, who has similar talents. Re-signing Thomas Bryant, Tomas Satoransky and possibly Bobby Portis will be higher priorites, according to Hughes.

Parker, 24, had a difficult time in Chicago after signing a two-year, $40MM deal last summer, especially once Jim Boylen replaced Fred Hoiberg as head coach. However, Parker was much better after the trade, averaging 15 points and 7.2 rebounds in 25 games with Washington.

Examining The Sixers’ 2019 Draft

June 21st, 2019 at 4:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers traded up four spots for Matisse Thybulle but outside of the prospect, the team didn’t add much immediate help in this year’s draft.

To move up to No. 20, Philadelphia had to surrender No. 24 and No. 33, the latter of which became Carsen Edwards—a three-point maestro. Edwards will play for the Celtics next season and could have a role right away depending on what happens with Kyrie Irving and Terry Rozier.

The team sent the No. 42 pick to the Wizards in the Jonathon Simmons deal and dished the No. 34 pick to the Hawks for the No. 57 (later traded to the Pistons) and two future second-rounders. In total, the Sixers turned a late first-rounder and four second-rounders into Thybulle, Marial Shayok (No. 54 overall pick from Iowa State), a pair of future second-rounders and cash considerations.

Make no mistake, the draft wasn’t a trainwreck for Elton Brand, despite what Sixers’ Twitter may lead you to believe. Thybulle is a talented prospect. He’s a tremendous defender and he has the potential to be a premier wing in the league. While his ceiling is likely an ideal third-or-fourth best option, he’s the type of player that can elevate a team with established stars in place.

“When we saw him on the board, [and] a few other players in our box that we liked were gone, and he was our target,” Brand said (via Derek Bodner of The Athletic). “We had to move up to get him. Whatever it took. Dealing with whatever team. I had to get it done.”

Thybulle had long been rumored as a target for the Sixers. The wing didn’t work out for any teams leading up to the draft, signaling that he may have received a draft promise from a team.

“Philly showed interest early and we just trusted them, and decided that we were going to put our faith in them and kind of shut things down,” Thybulle said when asked about not having many workouts.

Many draft experts were able to connect the dots between the Washington prospect and the Sixers. The Celtics did the same thing, as Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com notes.

Just as former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie caught on to the Magic’s interest in Elfrid Payton back in 2014—Philly netted a first-round pick by simply implying they were also interested in the point guard and forcing Orlando to move up—the Celtics used wide-spread information against a rival team. Boston said they had interest in Thybulle and was able to bring in a second-rounder as a result.

Admittedly, Philadelphia’s use of second-round picks in this draft is puzzling. The No. 33 pick aside, there were seemingly players available who could have helped the team. Bruno Fernando (drafted at No. 34) stood out as someone whom the team could groom, with the franchise alternating minutes between the Maryland prospect and Jonah Bolden at the five on games where Joel Embiid sat out.

Philadelphia will have multiple second-round picks again next year with Atlanta’s 2020 selection coming in addition to a pick from either Brooklyn or New York (originally acquired from trading the 2015 No. 35 overall pick to the Knicks before the team made additional trades to complicate the projections) and one coming from Dallas (Nerlens Noel trade).

Wizards Expected To Sign Garrison Mathews, Justin Robinson, Armoni Brooks

June 21st, 2019 at 7:52am CST by Luke Adams

After selecting Rui Hachimura and acquiring Admiral Schofield in Thursday night’s draft, the Wizards are poised to add a few more rookies to their roster, according to various reports.

Lipscomb shooting guard Garrison Mathews will sign a two-way contract with the Wizards, a league source tells ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link).

Washington has also agreed to deals with undrafted Virginia Tech guard Justin Robinson and undrafted Houston guard Armoni Brooks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston, respectively (Twitter links).

Mathews, one of the premier marksmen in the NCAA over the last four years, averaged 20.8 PPG and 5.5 RPG in his final season at Lipscomb, knocking down 3.2 threes per game at a 40.3% rate. The ASUN Player of the Year is set to claim one of the Wizards’ two-way contract slots for the 2019/20 season, per Givony.

Robinson, meanwhile, has agreed to a multiyear deal that will feature a “substantial” guarantee, says Charania. Interim GM Tommy Sheppard suggested that Robinson will likely end up in the G League with the Capital City Go-Go, but has a chance to stick with the Wizards, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Robinson averaged 13.5 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 3.2 RPG with a .418 3PT% in 24 games in his senior season at Virginia Tech.

As for Brooks, he’s coming off a junior season in which he posted 13.4 PPG and 6.3 RPG in 37 games for Houston. Of his 425 field goal attempts, 310 came from beyond the arc. Berman doesn’t provide any additional details on Brooks’ deal with Washington, but says he’ll sign with the team as an undrafted free agent (Twitter link).

Sixers Trade Jonathon Simmons, No. 42 Pick To Wizards

June 21st, 2019 at 1:15am CST by clarkcrum

JUNE 21: The trade is official, according to a press release from the NBA.

JUNE 20: The Sixers are trading Jonathon Simmons and the No. 42 overall pick (Tennessee’s Admiral Schofield) to the Wizards for cash considerations, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, the Wizards are likely to acquire Simmons with the $6MM trade exception they created in the Otto Porter trade. Marks further notes that Simmons has $1MM in guaranteed salary for next season, with the $4.7MM in remaining salary for the 2019/20 season guaranteed if the 29-year-old guard is not waived by July 1.

The trade will enable the Sixers to create $1MM in more cap space in the unlikely event that Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris both leave in free agency.

Eastern Notes: Davis, Knicks, Wizards

June 20th, 2019 at 2:01pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Ed Davis knows what he wants in free agency, as he tells Michael Scotto of The Athletic.

“First is the money,” Davis said. “Then, two is fit. Then, if it’s a playoff team or a non-playoff team or an old team or young team. Whatever fits best for you. The last thing I guess is the city, but for sure a guy like me is definitely the money for sure.

“A lot of guys won’t say it, but trust me, 99.9 percent of the guys it’s about money just like for your job. You’re going where the money is at. People look at us athletes and think that we’re not supposed to take what’s best for us. It’s definitely about the money.”

Davis played for the Nets last season under a one-year deal worth slightly under $4.45MM. Brooklyn signed him via the room exception and Davis received Hoops Rumors’ award for the best player on that type of deal.

“Hopefully I get a pay raise,” Davis said. “Don’t we all want a pay raise? I’ve been talking to my agent, and we’ll see what’s going to happen in July. Hopefully, I’m back in Brooklyn. But if not, I definitely enjoyed my time there, and I appreciate every minute that I had in Brooklyn. I’m still working out there every day right now. We’ll see what happens. It’s a business. You know how it goes.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Davis wants the Nets to pass up on Kyrie Irving and bring back D’Angelo Russell, as Scotto passes along (same piece). “I don’t know if them two [Irving and Russell] can work or however it’s going to go,” Davis said. “I thought D’Angelo did a hell of a job, and I thought he was going to be the starting point guard for the future for Brooklyn, but like I said, you know how things go. That’s why Sean and Kenny [Atkinson) get paid the big bucks to figure out things like that. I wish it was D’Angelo and I hope things work out for him. They will, but I don’t know Kyrie, so I’m all for DLo.”
The Knicks are not expected to pursue second-tier max free agents if they strike out on the top stars, Brian Windhorst said on ESPN (video link). “I don’t expect them to chase a Tobias Harris or Khris Middleton type of player, or Jimmy Butler. I think they’re going to try to get Durant and if they can’t get Durant, they’re going to move on with RJ Barrett as the centerpiece of their team moving forward,” Windhorst said.
Windhorst hears (separate video link) that the Wizards were interested in Toronto executive Masai Ujiri but will not pursue him, echoing what owner Ted Leonsis said recently.
Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post wonders what is going on in the Wizards‘ front office. The team doesn’t currently have a team president and doesn’t plan on adding one before free agency begins.

Wizards To Offer Extension To Bradley Beal?

June 19th, 2019 at 5:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards seem ready to put an end to Bradley Beal trade rumors by offering a contract extension to their All-Star guard. In a video tweeted by Wizards Film Room, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says Washington will make the three-year, $111MM offer when Beal becomes eligible next month.

If he were to accept the Wizards’ offer, a three-year extension would put Beal under contract for the next five seasons, which should be prime years for the 25-year-old. He posted career highs in points (25.6 per game), rebounds (5.0) and assists (5.5) while playing all 82 games this year.

Beal has been the subject of trade speculation in recent weeks, with the Pelicans and Lakers among the teams showing interest. There were thoughts that the Wizards might want to trim salary and start rebuilding in the wake of an Achilles injury to John Wall that might keep out all of next season. With Wall’s super-max contract running through 2022/23, he and Beal appear to be the foundation of the team for the foreseeable future.

The Wizards will be better equipped to handle Beal’s higher salary once Ian Mahinmi‘s $15.6MM contract and Dwight Howard‘s $5.4MM deal expire after next season, notes Mike Stearman of NBC Sports Washington. The team is expected to ease its cap crunch for next year by turning down Jabari Parker‘s $20MM option and may not re-sign free agent Bobby Portis.

Draft Rumors: Knicks, Barrett, Herro, Porter, More

June 19th, 2019 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Although they brought in Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland for a last-minute workout today, the Knicks remain locked in on selecting Duke forward R.J. Barrett with the No. 3 overall pick, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

With just over 24 hours to go until the 2019 NBA draft, rumors continue to trickle in about which prospects other teams might be targeting with their first-round picks. Jeremy Woo and Jake Fischer of SI.com suggest that league sources believe the Celtics – who hold Nos. 14, 20, and 22 – have serious interest in Kentucky sharpshooter Tyler Herro. The SI duo also reports that the Spurs – who pick at 19 and 29 – are among the teams with real interest in Croatian forward Luka Samanic.

Woo and Fischer share a few more tidbits in their latest mock draft, writing that the Hornets, Heat, and Celtics are all showing “a degree of interest” in USC’s Kevin Porter Jr., who could be in play to come off the board near the end of the lottery.

League sources also tell SI.com that the Magic have put the No. 46 pick on the trade block and could sell it, with the Lakers, Wizards, and Trail Blazers among the teams believed to have interest in purchasing a second-rounder.

Here’s more on the draft:

Kevin Porter Jr. (USC), Nicolas Claxton (Georgia), and Mfiondu Kabengele (Florida State) have received last-minute invites to the Green Room for Thursday’s NBA draft, reports ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter links). That increases the number of prospects expected to be in attendance in the Green Room to 23, Givony notes.
Speaking today to reporters, including Jake Fischer of SI.com (Twitter link), Texas center Jaxson Hayes said he only worked out for two teams, the Bulls and Hawks, during the pre-draft process. Those clubs hold three top-10 picks between them.
UNC guard Coby White also confirmed his pre-draft workouts today, as Gina Mizell of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). White worked out for four lottery teams, including the Suns and Bulls, who are both believed to be in the market for a point guard.
Terry Harris, the younger brother of pending free agent Tobias Harris, is seeing his stock rise, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays (Twitter link). The younger Harris has worked out for the Suns and Thunder, among many other teams.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

Beal Would Be Top Option On Trade Market If Made Available

June 19th, 2019 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors would need “significant compensation” to allow president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri to leave the franchise, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (podcast link). The Wizards were rumored to have interest in Toronto’s top executive, but owner Ted Leonsis shot down those reports on Tuesday.
With Anthony Davis – and Mike Conley – now off the trade market, it will be interesting to see whether the Wizards eventually reconsider their stance on keeping Bradley Beal, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. As Hughes points out, Beal might be the most sought-after prize on the trade block if Washington makes him available.

Multiple Teams Interested In Bobby Portis

June 18th, 2019 at 8:35pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The man that bet on himself this season is in position to cash in. The Lakers, Clippers, Jazz, Bucks, Magic and Knicks are among the teams expected to have interest in Bobby Portis, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports reports.

Portis turned down an extension with the Bulls earlier this season and was rumored to be seeking a deal worth $16MM annually. While it’s not clear what kind of deal Portis receive in restricted free agency, it will certainly be a raise on his 2018/19 salary of approximately $2.5MM.

The Wizards are likely to extend a qualifying offer to Portis, which will be worth about $3.6MM.

The Bulls—the franchise that drafted Portis with the No.22 overall pick in the 2015 draft—traded him to the Wizards along with Jabari Parker for Otto Porter Jr. prior to the trade deadline. Washington is expected to decline Parker’s $20MM team option for next season, though even if both players signed elsewhere, the Wizards will have trouble carving out cap room.

The franchise is looking at approximately $89MM in guaranteed salary on the books for next season. The team will have a version of the mid-level at its disposal (the taxpayer’s MLE if over the projected $132MM) and the bi-annual exception will be available if it can stay below that tax line.