- Wizards guard Jared Butler was recently promoted from a two-way deal to a three-year standard contract. His new contract pays him $1.25MM for 2023/24, but it doesn’t feature any guaranteed money beyond this season, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Washington, which completed the signing using a portion of its mid-level exception, will hold a team option on Butler for ’25/26, Scotto adds.
4:20pm: Butler has officially been promoted and Livers has been released, the Wizards announced in a press release.
2:33pm: The Wizards intend to waive Livers to make room on the roster for Butler, confirms Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).
2:21pm: The Wizards and third-year guard Jared Butler have reached an agreement on a three-year contract, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal will promote Butler to the 15-man roster and will keep him under team control for two seasons after this one.
While the exact details aren’t yet known, Butler’s new contract will likely feature little to no guaranteed salary beyond 2023/24. The Wizards will use a portion of their mid-level exception to give him a deal that covers more than just two seasons.
The No. 40 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Butler began his NBA career in Utah but was waived ahead of his second season in October 2022. He finished the ’22/23 season on a two-way contract with the Thunder, then signed a two-year deal with Washington last July.
In 35 games as a Wizard, Butler has averaged 5.6 points, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .490/.313/.885. He has been a regular part of the rotation in recent weeks, appearing in each of Washington’s last 13 games and averaging 21.3 minutes in those outings.
The Wizards currently have a full 15-man standard roster, so someone will need to be waived in order to make room for Butler. Isaiah Livers, who is on an expiring contract and is out for the season due to a hip injury, is the likeliest candidate.
Since the deadline to sign a player to a two-way contract passed last month, Washington won’t be able to fill Butler’s two-way slot once he’s promoted.
People around the NBA expect the Nets‘ head coaching search this spring to be “wide-ranging,” with less of a specific archetype for the preferred candidate in Brooklyn than there might be in Charlotte or Washington, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
The Hornets and Wizards will be focused on landing “the right development-minded coaches to enhance a youth movement,” Fischer continues, whereas the Nets are expected to consider a broader mix of experienced coaches and potential first-timers.
Fischer mentions Mike Budenholzer and James Borrego as a couple veterans who may appeal to Brooklyn, given their San Antonio ties to Nets head of basketball operations Sean Marks. As for possible first-time head coaches, sources tell Yahoo Sports that Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the top job in Brooklyn.
Here are more coaching-related notes and rumors from Fischer:
- Wizards interim head coach Brian Keefe is expected to receive serious consideration for the permanent job in Washington despite a 8-26 (.235) record since he replaced Wes Unseld Jr., league sources tell Fischer.
- In addition to the four candidates the Hornets have received permission to interview so far, Heat assistant Chris Quinn and Jazz assistant Lamar Skeeter are two more names expected to factor into Charlotte’s search, Fischer reports. Quinn interviewed for the job in 2022 and made a strong impression on Hornets decision-makers at that time, Fischer writes, though a new front office will be leading the search this time around.
- Charles Lee, one of the candidates Charlotte has been granted permission to interview, was in Atlanta while new Hornets co-owner Rick Schnall and executive VP of basketball operations Jeff Peterson were with the Hawks, Fischer observes, noting that Lee appears to be a strong candidate in Charlotte’s head coaching search.
- There has been “ongoing speculation” among rival front offices about Monty Williams‘ future with the Pistons, but Fischer hears from a source with knowledge of the situation that there’s no indication Williams would be open to a buyout from his six-year, $78MM+ contract following his first season in Detroit.
- There has also been speculation in coaching circles about the possibility that the Trail Blazers will make a coaching change this spring, Fischer says, though Chauncey Billups told Yahoo Sports that he’s eager to try to lead Portland back to the postseason in 2024/25. “I’m light years ahead of where I was when I took the job, obviously being a first-time (head) coach,” Billups said. “And I’m really ready for that challenge and that pressure to go out and compete with these best teams and stuff. I’m really ready for that. So, I just hope that we can be in that position, that’s all.”
It’s been a season of change for Marvin Bagley III, and it didn’t stop with the January 14 trade that sent him from Detroit to the Wizards, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. Bagley was brought in to be the primary backup to Daniel Gafford, but he moved into a starting role when Gafford got injured. Washington sent Gafford to Dallas at the trade deadline for Richaun Holmes, who took over as the starter, but his recent absence due to a left toe contusion put Bagley back in the starting lineup.
“I’m comfortable now. I think the first few weeks it took me to kind of figure out what guys like to do out there on the court, how guys play a little bit. But now I have a pretty good idea of that, just watching film and playing how many games I’ve played here,” Bagley said. “But just every game figuring it out and I think now I’m at the point where I know what guys like to do, where they like to be out there. I’m just trying to make it easier for them and they make it a lot easier for me. It’s just getting that chemistry together.”
Bagley hasn’t enjoyed much stability in his career, but with one year left on his contract he appears to be a fixture in Washington for at least for another season. The Wizards are happy with the Bagley-Holmes combination, according to Hughes, because they’re similar players who can rebound and be effective in the pick-and-roll. Bagley enjoys being in Washington and believes the experiences he’s had in his career can help him guide younger players.
“I try to be a leader and lead by example,” he said. “I think it’s good to have vets like that in the locker room.”
There’s more on the Wizards:
- Bagley won’t need surgery after leaving Tuesday’s game with an injury to his right knee, a team official tells Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Bagley has been diagnosed with a sprain, and interim coach Brian Keefe said he’ll be reevaluated “week to week,” which virtually assures that his season is over.
- With Bagley and Holmes both sidelined, rookie Tristan Vukcevic is making his first NBA start tonight against the Lakers, Robbins tweets. This is just the seventh NBA game for Vukcevic, who signed with the Wizards last month after spending most of the season with KK Partizan in Serbia.
- It’s been a difficult season for the Wizards, but Tuesday’s win over Milwaukee provides a reason for optimism, Robbins notes in a full story. Washington was able to hold on for a victory against one of the league’s best teams even though it was down to eight healthy players after Bagley left in the second quarter. “It’s a step forward, maybe two steps forward,” Corey Kispert said. “This is the attitude we need to have and the aggression we need to have when we play these kind of games, especially against a championship team like this. Super proud of everybody who played tonight.”
- David Aldridge of The Athletic examines the future for the Wizards and the NHL’s Capitals in Washington after owner Ted Leonsis‘ plan to move both franchises to Virginia fell apart.
Second-round pick Tristan Vukcevic spent much of the 2023/24 season in Europe, but he signed a two-year contract with the Wizards a couple weeks ago. He has been active for three games so far, averaging just 5.3 minutes in those outings. He says he’s still adjusting to the speed of the NBA, according to Bijan Todd of Monumental Sports Network.
“It’s a different game, I think,” Vukcevic said. “It’s more fast-paced, less plays. I think Europe is just more, like, textbook basketball, and that’s just something I have to learn. It’s a learning process, the speed, the pace and everything.”
The 21-year-old was thrilled to make his debut last weekend after having a limited role overseas, Todd adds.
“It felt amazing. It was kind of unexpected, in a way, but I was very happy to be thrown into the fire and be out there,” Vukcevic said. “I haven’t played since like January, a lot of games in Europe, so I was just happy to play the sport I love.”
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- Jared Butler and Justin Champagnie are among the young players who have made key contributions in recent games with several rotation regulars injured, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. Both Butler and Champagnie are on two-way contracts with the Wizards, who have won three of their past four games to move ahead of the last-place Pistons.
- Rookie lottery pick Bilal Coulibaly will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his right wrist. Once the injury heals, the 19-year-old hopes to play for Team France at the 2024 Olympics in Paris this summer, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter links). “I will, for sure, try to be on the team,” Coulibaly said. “But, yeah, we’ll see. I mean, coaches make their choices, and I totally respect it. So, yeah, we’ll see.”
- During Wednesday’s press conference announcing that the Wizards reached an agreement to stay in the District of Columbia long-term, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the team intends to build a new practice facility in the area, as Ava Wallace of The Washington Post relays (via Twitter).
5:40pm: Monumental Sports confirmed in a press release that it has reached an agreement with the District of Columbia to keep the Wizards and Capitals in their current home downtown.
“I look at outcomes, not process, and we got to the right outcome,” said Leonsis. “I know this was a difficult process and I want people to understand how much I love Washington D.C. and how much I’ve always loved Washington D.C.”
5:34pm: In December, Monumental Sports, the Ted Leonsis-led company that owns the Wizards, announced a plan to move from the District of Columbia to Alexandria, Virginia.
However, the plan never seemed to gain any traction in the Virginia legislature, and it faced opposition from powerful labor unions in the area. A couple weeks ago, the deal was said to be on life support after the proposal to build a new arena and “entertainment district” was removed from the state’s 2024 budget.
On Wednesday, the city of Alexandria announced in a press release that it has ended negotiations on the deal that would have moved the Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals to the Potomac Yard area.
According to Jonathan O’Connell, Teo Armus, Gregory S. Schneider and Michael Brice-Saddler of The Washington Post, Leonsis and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday they were finalizing a deal that would keep the Wizards and Capitals in Capital One Arena until 2050, pending approval of the D.C. Council.
The proposal includes $515MM from D.C. to assist with Leonsis’ efforts to modernize the arena. The plan also addresses some of Leonsis’ concerns about his ability to grow his businesses, as well as crime in the downtown area near the arena.
As the Post’s authors write, the tentative agreement seems quite similar to one that Leonsis rejected in December, as the 13-member D.C. Council approved $500MM in upgrades for the arena just a few months ago.
Leonsis and Bowser had remained in regular contact despite the proposed plan to move to Virginia, per the Post’s report.
“We appreciated our discussions about how we could grow together,” Bowser said, adding that, “it became very clear about how our community feels about our teams” following Leonsis’ December announcement.
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott confirmed to Sarah Rankin, Matthew Barakat and Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press that he has been told Leonsis is no longer considering moving the teams out of D.C.
- In a feature story, The Washington Post’s Ava Wallace takes a closer look on how Corey Kispert has become a fixture for the Wizards during their rebuild. Kispert is averaging 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game but the numbers don’t tell the whole story, Wallace notes. His pick-and-roll usage is up, along with his field goal attempts, and he’s far more active in the paint. Kispert is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.
- Wizards big man Marvin Bagley III returned Saturday after missing nearly three weeks with lower back spasms, according to Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press. Tristan Vukcevic, who signed with Washington 11 days ago, played three minutes in his NBA debut. “It was amazing, a dream come true,” Vukcevic told Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (video link).
Wizards guard Jordan Poole has been a frequent target of criticism on social media for errors he makes, sometimes edited to make him look worse and sometimes not, but he understands that the platforms amplify outrage, and he doesn’t pay attention to it, writes Yaron Weitzman of Fox Sports.
“I get what it’s for, but you can be overwhelmed with that stuff,” he said. “I can’t do anything about it, right? Just live with it. That’s our generation’s challenge.”
That doesn’t mean Poole is ignorant of what some people think about him. It has been a rough adjustment in his first season with Washington, which hasn’t gone as he or anyone else had hoped on the court. Yet Poole’s confidence remains unshaken, Weitzman notes.
“Everything that I’ve done [in my career] has essentially worked,” Poole said of the outside criticism. “So there’s no need to change anything. Just find ways to get a little bit better, wherever I can.”
Martenzie Johnson of Andscape recently published an interesting profile of Poole as well, writing that the 24-year-old’s brash, flashy game stands in stark contrast to what he’s like off the court — an introspective, process-oriented person who’s a diligent worker and very private. Based on how he plays, you’d think Poole enjoys attention, but the opposite is true, according to Johnson.
Poole has been playing better since becoming the primary play-maker off the bench, both authors note, averaging 19.8 PPG, 4.2 APG, 2.9 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .434/.374/.884 shooting over his past 16 games (29.0 MPG), though he’s recently been starting at point guard in place of the injured Tyus Jones, who will miss his fifth straight game on Saturday with a back injury. Poole is questionable for Saturday’s contest vs. Toronto with a right hip contusion, the team announced (via Twitter).
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- Magic forward Paolo Banchero had his second career triple-double in Thursday’s victory over New Orleans, and head coach Jamahl Mosley praised the former No. 1 overall pick after the performance, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter video link). “He reads what the defense is doing, he adjusts as the game is going on and then he finds his time to pick, time to attack,” Mosley said as part of larger quote. “That’s growth of a young man but it’s also what an All-Star does, it’s what great players do.”
- Magic guard Gary Harris exited Thursday’s contest with right foot soreness and did not return, per the team (Twitter link). Harris had been questionable for Saturday’s game against Sacramento with a right plantar fascia strain, Beede tweets, but he was ruled out this afternoon, the Magic announced (via Twitter). Harris, who is on expiring $13MM contract, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The 29-year-old veteran has been limited to 94 games over the past two seasons due to various injuries.
- Forward Miles Bridges missed all of last season after pleading no contest to a felony domestic violence charge. He remains close with his college head coach, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, who believes Bridges has found a good home with the Hornets, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “I think it would be good for him,” Izzo said of Bridges potentially re-signing with the Hornets. “That’s what he is — he’s a pretty loyal guy and I don’t think he’s just chasing the money. He’s had a chance to leave already probably, you know? And I talk to him about it. It’s almost refreshing. He’s kind of an old school throwback, young school guy. And if he just gets everything else straightened out, which he will, I think it’s going to be special.” Bridges will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason after signing a one-year qualifying offer in 2023.
Wizards rookie wing Bilal Coulibaly is out for the rest of the season with a wrist injury, but he left a strong impression on his teammates and coaching staff in his first year in the league, Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network writes, cementing his place as one of the franchise’s cornerstones moving forward.
“Fantastic [season]. He made the Rising Stars Challenge. Going to All-Star weekend in your first year is huge,” Jordan Poole told MSN. “He got a lot of playing time, a lot of experience, which is huge, especially for a rookie… he had a really good season and I’m excited for his future.”
Coulibaly, 19, averaged 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while often guarding opposing star players like Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the season wore on, Hughes writes.
Interim head coach Brian Keefe raved about Coulibaly’s work ethic as he heads into his first full NBA offseason. According to Hughes, Keefe described the rookie’s maturity as “beyond his years.”
“There’s still going to be growth, there’s still going to be an opportunity to learn,” teammate Anthony Gill said. “But this offseason is going to be very important for him getting stronger and understanding his body more, understanding the game and getting more confident in what he can do at a high level. It’s going to be a very important offseason for him, but I know he’s ready to attack it. We’ve already talked about it.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Terry Rozier‘s transition to the Heat hasn’t gone smoothly at times, with the ex-Hornet having endured an injury, a three-point shooting slump and the Heat’s longest losing streak since 2008. However, as The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang writes, games like the one Rozier had on Wednesday against the Cavaliers make it all worth it. He scored nine points in the final 1:24 of the game to lead Miami to a much-needed victory. Heat players and coaches are continuing to tell Rozier to be aggressive, Chiang writes, since his usage rate and shot volume have decreased.
- The Hawks provided injury updates for several players on Thursday. Kobe Bufkin (toe) was reevaluated Tuesday and is making progress from his toe sprain. He’ll be reevaluated again in seven-to-10 days. AJ Griffin (ankle) underwent an MRI on Wednesday, confirming a right high ankle sprain. He’ll also be reevaluated in seven-to-10 days. Jalen Johnson (ankle) left Monday’s game against the Lakers due to a right ankle sprain, and he’ll be looked at again in one week.
- Magic guard Markelle Fultz continues to face obstacles in his seven-year NBA career, having gone from being touted as the final piece of Philadelphia’s “The Process” to enduring numerous injuries to being traded to Orlando, where he has become a rotation player. As The Ringer’s Nick Friedell observes, Fultz is still just 25 years old despite his long road to where he is today. “I think a lot of people forget that,” Fultz said. “And I forget it as well. And at the same time, I feel like I’m older because I’ve been through so much.” Friedell examines how Fultz is building himself into a different kind of cornerstone for the Magic.