Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Magic, Howard, Hayward

March 18th, 2019 at 7:06pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Nikola Vucevic is in his seventh season with the Magic and he has yet to see the postseason with the club.

“In past years, this time of year we’d already be planning our vacations, unfortunately,’’ said Vucevic, who will be a free agent at the end of the year (via John Denton of NBA.com). “It’s much different now and much more fun. As a basketball player and a competitor, you want to be in this situation, fight for something, play for something and be in the big moments. So, it’s up to us to respond.’’

Orlando entered the day just one game behind the Heat for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. Vucevic, who made his first All-Star game this season has been a major reason why the playoffs are in reach. The big man prides himself on his consistency.

“Being able to sustain a certain level of play is important for individuals and teams,” Vucevic said. “For us, that’s been the biggest issue. When play well, we’re very good and when we don’t, we struggle. But for me personally, [consistency] is something I take a lot of pride in, and throughout my career I feel like I’ve been able to show that when I’m out on the court, you know what you’re going to get from me.’’

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Magic coach Steve Clifford believes Vucevic’s stability and smarts are two things that set him apart from other centers, as Denton adds in the same piece. “It’s invaluable to have anybody else on the floor who can do that other than your point guard, particularly a center who can play like that,” Clifford said. “In many ways, when he’s out there, it’s like playing with two point guards.’’
The Wizards have yet to rule out Dwight Howard out for the season, though head coach Scott Brooks says the big man isn’t over his injury woes yet, as Candace Buckner of the Washington Post passes along on Twitter. “He’s still getting his work in — the hamstring problem has not turned the corner,” Brooks said.
Gordon Hayward remains in the early stages of the league’s concussion protocol, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated tweets. Coach Brad Stevens called Hayward doubtful for the Celtics‘ game on Wednesday but left the door open for him to play on Saturday against Charlotte.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/16/19

March 16th, 2019 at 8:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

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

The Rockets assigned Gary Clark to the Rio Grande Vipers, tweets Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. It’s the second G League trip this month for the rookie forward, who is averaging 2.9 PPG in 42 games with Houston.
The Wizards recalled high-scoring guard Jordan McRae from Capital City Go-Go, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. McRae tops the G League scoring race at 30.4 PPG in 30 games.

Wizards Fans Could See A Lot More Of Jordan McRae

March 16th, 2019 at 6:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards coach Scott Brooks told reporters before tonight’s game that Jordan McRae could be spending a lot of time with the team through the end of the season, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. McRae is on a two-way contract, but his 45-day NBA limit won’t matter once the G League season ends on March 23.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/13/19

March 13th, 2019 at 7:44pm CST by Luke Adams

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

The Sixers have re-assigned Zhaire Smith and Justin Patton to their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, the club announced (via Twitter). Smith was available to play for Philadelphia on Tuesday night, but didn’t get a chance to make his NBA debut.
After scoring a game-high 28 points to help lead the Capital City Go-Go to a Tuesday win, Chasson Randle was recalled from the G League today by the Wizards, per the team (via Twitter). Randle is part of Washington’s rotation tonight vs. Orlando.
The Suns recalled rookie guard Elie Okobo from the G League in advance of their game tonight vs. Utah, the team announced in a press release. Okobo had 19 points, five assists, and five rebounds for the Northern Arizona Suns on Tuesday.
Rookie forward Chimezie Metu was assigned to the G League today by the Spurs, according to a team release. Metu is active for Austin’s game tonight vs. Iowa.
The Thunder recalled dunk contest champion Hamidou Diallo from the G Leauge today, tweets Brett Dawson of The Athletic. Diallo, who is active tonight for the Thunder, recorded 18 points and nine rebounds for the Oklahoma City Blue on Tuesday.

Wizards Notes: Parker, Portis, McRae

March 13th, 2019 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Since acquiring Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker in exchange for Otto Porter in a deadline deal with the Bulls, the Wizards have a 6-7 record, the exact same record they had in their 13 games before the trade. However, as Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington details, the club has looked quite different with Portis and Parker in its rotation.

The Wizards had struggled all season as a team with their rebounding, but they’ve seen those numbers improve over the last month, Hughes observes. Portis is averaging 9.4 RPG as a Wizard, while Parker is putting up 6.8 RPG — both figures would be career highs.

Meanwhile, Washington’s offense has been “supercharged” since the trade, according to Hughes, who writes that the team has ranked first in effective field goal percentage and assists per game while playing at the league’s third-fastest pace over the last 13 contests. Conversely, the Wizards’ defense has taken a hit — they’re forcing fewer turnovers and have allowed the most points in the paint in the NBA since the deal, which doesn’t come as a huge surprise, as neither Portis nor Parker is an elite defender.

Here’s more from out of D.C.:

While there’s no chance the Wizards will pick up Parker’s $20MM team option for 2019/20, that doesn’t rule out the possibility of the former No. 2 overall pick returning to the club next season, writes Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington.
Two-way player Jordan McRae, who is battling a sore Achilles, will be re-evaluated during the next few days, Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said on Tuesday. As Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets, McRae might not spend any more time in the G League this season, since he still has some NBA days left on his two-way deal, and after the NBAGL regular season ends on March 23, all two-way players are permitted to rejoin their NBA clubs through the end of the NBA regular season.
A “top”-six team in our 2018/19 Reverse Standings for much of the season, Washington now ranks eighth in the lottery order after winning four of its last seven games. With a half-game separating them from the No. 6 Mavericks and No. 7 Grizzlies, it’ll be interesting to see where the Wizards finish. The No. 6 team in the lottery has a 37.2% chance at a top-four pick, whereas the odds for the No. 8 team slip to 26.2%.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/12/19

March 12th, 2019 at 8:14pm CST by marksuleymanov

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

The Grizzlies recalled Tyler Dorsey from the G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, the team announced (Twitter link).
The Celtics assigned Robert Williams to their G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, the team announced (Twitter link).
The Wizards assigned Chasson Randle to their G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, per a press release. Randle has averaged 5.7 PPG and 2.0 APG in 15.2 minutes per game with Washington.
The Jazz assigned Grayson Allen to the Salt Lake City Stars, the team announced today in a press release. Allen, on his 11th assignment of the season, will suit up for Utah’s G League affiliate tonight.
The Sixers recalled rookie Zhaire Smith, who was available for Philadelphia’s game tonight, according to the team (via Twitter). Smith, who has yet to make his NBA debut, didn’t see any action vs. Cleveland.

Wizards Facing Potential Center Logjam In 2019/20

March 8th, 2019 at 5:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Fred Katz of The Athletic explores what could be a logjam at center for the Wizards in 2019/20. While the club would like to retain restricted free agents Bobby Portis and Thomas Bryant, Ian Mahinmi remains under contract and Dwight Howard appears increasingly likely to exercise his player option.

Southeast Notes: Portis, Walker, Briscoe, Vucevic

March 6th, 2019 at 7:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards and Bobby Portis will decide this summer if they want their relationship to be long-term, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Acquired from the Bulls at the trade deadline, the 24-year-old power forward will be a restricted free agent in July. Portis is posting career highs with 15.3 PPG and 8.9 RPG in his nine games with Washington and is enjoying his new surroundings.

“Everything is pretty good, man. I like being a Wizard. I love being here,” he said. “I think this is a good fit for me through and through.”

However, Portis’ return next season isn’t a sure thing. Thomas Bryant will also be a restricted free agent, and Hughes doesn’t expect the front office to invest heavily in both. Washington will also have decisions to make on free agents Trevor Ariza, Wesley Johnson and Jeff Green, who will all be unrestricted.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Even if the Hornets can re-sign star guard Kemba Walker, there’s no guarantee they can ever surround him with enough talent to become a contender, observes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. GM Mitch Kupchak made inquiries about Bradley Beal, Marc Gasol and Harrison Barnes prior to the trade deadline, but wasn’t able to acquire any of them. Bonnell notes that if Charlotte commits about $200MM to Walker over the next five years, it will become tougher than ever for the team to add a second star.
Isaiah Briscoe‘s journey to the NBA took a detour through Estonia, but that experience has given him a toughness that benefits the Magic, writes John Denton of NBA.com. Briscoe was passed over in the 2017 draft and had to spend a year in Europe before receiving an NBA opportunity. “Isaiah is a tough-minded kid, undrafted and went overseas to get to the league, so he has a chip on his shoulder, and he has that mindset,’’ said teammate D.J. Augustin. “He’s a big, physical body for a point guard and he uses it out there well.’’
Magic center Nikola Vucevic hasn’t decided if World Cup basketball will be part of his summer plans, he said in an interview with TrendBasket (translated by Sportando). Vucevic indicated that Orlando’s postseason fate could determine whether he suits up for Montenegro. “I have not decided yet,” he said. “First we have to finish the season where we are trying to make the playoffs. We are focused on making the playoffs now. I will be free agent when the season ends. I am going to be busy for a while. I hope my situation will be clearer in July.”

Playoff Teams With Open Roster Spots

March 6th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors became the latest NBA team to fill their final open roster spot today, signing Andrew Bogut to a rest-of-season deal. The move made Golden State the ninth club currently holding a postseason spot to fill its 15-man roster.

Between now and April 10, more teams figure to join that list. During the regular season, there are benefits to carrying 14 – or even 13 – players for long stretches, particularly for healthy teams with luxury-tax concerns. But when the postseason rolls around, there’s little downside to filling the entire roster, even if it just means adding a 15th man during the final week (or day) of the season.

With that in mind, here are the teams in the top eight in each conference that still have at least one open spot on their 15-man rosters and could make a move or two in the coming weeks:

Playoff teams with multiple open roster spots:

Toronto Raptors (2)
Houston Rockets (2)
Oklahoma City Thunder (2)

The Raptors, Rockets, and Thunder will all be required to sign at least one more player in the coming weeks to ensure that they get back up to the NBA-mandated minimum of 14 players. Houston may actually need to make multiple moves, since a third open spot would open on the Rockets’ roster once Terrence Jones‘ latest 10-day contract expires.

Playoff teams with one open roster spot:

Boston Celtics
Los Angeles Clippers
San Antonio Spurs
Brooklyn Nets *

While the Celtics, Clippers, and Spurs each have one open roster spot, the Nets actually have a full 15-man squad for now. That could change as soon as Friday though, as Tahjere McCall‘s 10-day deal with Brooklyn is set to expire overnight on Thursday.

Playoff contenders with at least one open roster spot:

Miami Heat (2)
Sacramento Kings (1)
Washington Wizards (1)

Of the teams within three games of a playoff spot, these are the ones with roster openings. While the Kings and Wizards may opt not to add reinforcements as they push for a postseason berth, the Heat – like the other teams with two openings – will be required to add a 14th man soon.

For a full breakdown of the current NBA roster counts, be sure to check out our tracker.

Dwight Howard Experiences Setback During Rehab

March 5th, 2019 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Dwight Howard suffered a “minor setback” while rehabilitating his back injury, Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said today (Twitter link via Fred Katz of The Athletic). According to Brooks, the veteran center – who has been doing non-contact drills in Washington – tweaked his hamstring.

With the Wizards technically still in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, three games behind the eighth-seeded Magic, there’s some incentive to get Howard back in the lineup before the end of the season. However, a Washington playoff berth and a Howard return both appear increasingly unlikely. The 33-year-old hasn’t played since November 18 and wasn’t taking contact even before his setback.

Assuming Howard is unable to make it back this season, he’ll finish his first year in D.C. having appeared in just nine games, with averages of 12.8 PPG and 9.2 RPG.

The former first overall pick has a 2019/20 player option worth approximately $5.6MM, which looks like a good bet to be exercised. After his lost ’18/19 season, Howard likely wouldn’t be able to match that salary on the open market if he were to opt out.

With Howard still on the shelf, the Wizards will continue to rely on Bobby Portis as their starting center, with Thomas Bryant earning minutes off the bench.