Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Howard, Bazemore, Vucevic, Lamb

November 29th, 2018 at 6:46pm CST by JD Shaw

Wizards center Dwight Howard is visiting a nerve specialist in Los Angeles to get a second opinion on his strained lower piriformis, according to Chris Miller of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link). Howard has missed the team’s past five games with the injury.

It’s unclear how much longer Howard will be sidelined, but the Wizards’ need for a strong frontcourt piece is clear. The team signed Howard to a two-year deal in free agency with hopes that he could replace Marcin Gortat, doing the dirty work such as setting screens and controlling the glass on both ends of the floor.

Howard, 32, has averaged 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds in nine games this season, seeing a career-low 25.6 minutes per contest. The Wizards have primarily started Thomas Bryant in his absence, struggling to start the season with a consistent effort at 8-13.

Washington holds a 4-5 record with Howard active and a 4-8 record with him inactive this season. The team could look to flip contracts for younger pieces and future assets if it continues to struggle, especially if Howard is set to miss extended time.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Kent Bazemore‘s move to the bench has paid dividends for the Hawks, writes K.L. Chouinard of Hawks.com. Bazemore is the longest-tenured player on the Hawks, entering his fifth season with the club this fall.
Nikola Vucevic‘s All-Star caliber play could force the Magic to be in a tough position next summer, Matt John of Basketball Insiders writes. Despite most of the preseason excitement being placed on Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and Mo Bamba, Vucevic has averaged an impressive 20.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He’s set to become a free agent on July 1.
Jeremy Lamb may also put his team in a tough spot next summer, with the Hornets guard putting up solid numbers in his first season as a starter with the club, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. Lamb has averaged a career-high 15 points per game on the season.

Kendrick Perkins Seeking One More NBA Shot, Talked To Celtics

November 29th, 2018 at 9:43am CST by Luke Adams

After making a brief comeback last season, veteran big man Kendrick Perkins is looking for another shot with an NBA club this season. As A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston details, Perkins said on Wednesday that he reached out to the Celtics to inquire about a potential reunion with his old team.

“I did reach out to (Celtics president of basketball operations) Danny (Ainge),” Perkins said. “I told him, ‘I’m here if you need me.’ He said, ‘You know what, Perk? I would love for you to end your career here.’ And I was like, ‘OK, keep me in mind.'”

During an appearance on Toucher & Rich on Thursday morning, Ainge acknowledged that he had spoken to Perkins, as Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston tweets. However, while the former Celtics center may be on Boston’s radar, it doesn’t sound like a deal will happen anytime soon.

“I don’t think it’s a good fit for our team right now,” Ainge said. “You never know what happens during the course of a season.”

According to Blakely, Perkins said that if he returns to the NBA, it likely won’t happen until at least January, when teams become eligible to sign players to 10-day contracts. And no matter where he ends up playing, the 34-year-old expects 2018/19 to be his final NBA season, Blakely adds.

Perkins didn’t specify any other potential destinations besides Boston, but indicated that he has drawn interest from a couple other clubs and will probably work out for one of them in early December, per Blakely. Citing a source close to Perkins’ camp, Ben Stinar of AmicoHoops.net (Twitter link) identified the Wizards and Timberwolves as ideal fits, so those may be the two other teams the 14-year veteran was referencing.

Perkins signed with the Cavaliers at the end of the 2017/18 season, appearing in his first NBA game since April 2016. However, his 15 minutes of action in Cleveland’s regular season finale represented his lone appearance for the team — he didn’t see the floor at all during the playoffs.

Okaro White Assigned To Capital City

November 28th, 2018 at 9:11pm CST by clarkcrum

The Wizards have assigned forward Okaro White to the Capital City Go-Go, per an update from the team’s official Twitter account. This will be his first assignment this season, but he averaged 18.4 PPG and 8.7 RPG in 23 G League contests last season.

Wizards At Their Best During Turmoil?

November 28th, 2018 at 5:19pm CST by clarkcrum

The Wizards seem to play best when turmoil strikes, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. In the past couple of weeks, negative stories and/or rumors have emerged regarding John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Dwight Howard. Yet, the Wizards are now winners of three of their last four games and playing their best basketball of the season.

Rockets Looking For Wing Help

November 27th, 2018 at 7:30pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Rockets‘ primary focus is acquiring wing talent, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Iko’s source described Houston’s intensity in searching for a trade as “not in emergency mode, but not sitting back either.”

The Rockets have spoken to the Wizards about potential, trades but no player has been involved in “deep discussions” yet. Iko speculates that Markieff Morris, Jeff Green, and Kelly Oubre would fit what Houston is looking for.

Houston is also keeping an eye on the Cavaliers‘ situation. Cleveland guard J.R. Smith is currently on the trade block and the Cavs could look to move other veterans before the trade deadline.

Bradley Beal, Agent Deny That Beal Wants Trade

November 27th, 2018 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

After a report surfaced on Monday suggesting that Bradley Beal wants out of Washington, the shooting guard and his agent both came out and strongly denied that rumor.

“That is absolutely not true,” agent Mark Bartelstein said of the report that Beal wants to be traded, per Candace Buckner of The Washington Post (Twitter links). “The only sources that would know Brad thinking’s are Brad and myself. And Brad’s focus is 100% on helping the Wizards play consistent, winning basketball.”

Meanwhile, Beal himself addressed the subject after the Wizards’ win over the Rockets on Monday night, speaking to Dennis Scott of NBA TV (video link) in an on-court interview.

“That’s nonsense,” Beal said. “I heard it earlier before the game and I was like, ‘If it didn’t come from the horse’s mouth, it wasn’t me.’ I got this Washington jersey on, I come in and work every day, until otherwise. This is where I want to be. I’m going to continue to show up and continue to work and continue, continue to get wins for us.”

While it may be true that Beal hasn’t asked to be traded and isn’t looking to leave D.C. as soon as possible, there have been plenty of indications that he’s not entirely happy with the Wizards. According to reports on the contentious team practice that took place earlier this month, Beal went on a tirade that day about the team’s culture, telling team officials that he’d been dealing with it “for seven years.” He also reportedly criticized GM Ernie Grunfeld during that practice.

Former Wizards beat writer J. Michael, who now covers the Pacers for The Indianapolis Star, tweeted earlier this month that front offices around the league believe Beal isn’t interested in staying with the Wizards beyond his current contract. Michael didn’t go so far as to say that Beal wants to be traded, but after Monday’s report surfaced, he noted (via Twitter) that the 25-year-old has long been frustrated by the situation in Washington.

Regardless of how he feels about the Wizards, Beal remains under contract through 2021 and seems unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon. While Washington’s front office is reportedly willing to listen to inquiries on any of its players, the price tag for Beal would be astronomical, as he’s the club’s most valuable asset.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/26/18

November 26th, 2018 at 9:19pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

The Wizards recalled rookie swingman Troy Brown Jr. from the Capital City Go Go, the team’s PR department tweets. Brown Jr. recorded 19 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in a victory over Canton on Sunday. Brown was the 15th overall pick in the draft.
The Clippers assigned second-year shooting guard Sindarius Thornwell to the Agua Caliente Clippers, the team’s PR department tweets. Thornwell averaged 17.5 PPG in two G League games this season and has also made six brief appearances with the NBA club. He started against the Santa Cruz Warriors on Monday.
The Pelicans recalled rookie forward Kenrich Williams from the Westchester Knicks, according to a team press release. Williams appeared in two games for the Knicks under the G League’s flex system, averaging 14.5 PPG, 14.5 RPG and 4.5 APG in 29.4 MPG. He’s also appeared in five games for New Orleans.

Wizards Notes: Porter, Wall, Morris, Rivers

November 26th, 2018 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

As the underachieving Wizards mull the possibility of making a trade or two to try to turn their season around, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News argues that the man entrusted with making those deals has worn out his welcome in D.C. The firing of GM Ernie Grunfeld is “past due” for the Wizards, according to Deveney, who suggests that the franchise has already kept Grunfeld for about a half-decade too long.

In addition to some questionable roster moves and contract decisions from Grunfeld, player development has also been an issue in Washington, Deveney opines. One rival front office executive suggested to Deveney that Bradley Beal has improved more because of the work he does on his own than his work with the team.

“Otto Porter does some nice things, good role player, but he has been the same player for the last three years, really. He could be better if he were somewhere else,” the executive said. “And [John] Wall, the game passed him by. He has had nine years to learn to shoot, and he still can’t shoot. I can’t go to my coach and tell him we are getting a starting point guard who can’t shoot. Not for $40MM a year.”

Here’s more on the Wizards from Deveney and others:

The Wizards have had a tough time finding value for their players on the trade market, according to Deveney. One executive told Deveney that – outside of Beal – Markieff Morris might be the club’s most interesting trade chip, since many contenders could use a tough, versatile big man. However, that exec was skeptical that any team would be willing to part with a first-round pick for Morris, who is on an expiring deal.
Speaking of Morris, his move to the bench has helped diversify the scoring ability of the Wizards’ second unit, says Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. It’s also an opportunity to get Morris a few more shot attempts, since he’s more of a focal point on offense for the second team than he would be when Wall and Beal are on the court.
Offseason acquisition Austin Rivers believes he’s getting the hang of playing alongside Wall and Beal, as Hughes details in a separate story for NBC Sports Washington. “I have to be more aggressive,” Rivers said. “They actually like that, too, because it makes it easier for them because I will attack and then they get easy shots instead of having to work for every shot.”

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/25/18

November 25th, 2018 at 8:10pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:

The Wizards assigned rookie forward Troy Brown Jr. to their G League affiliate, according to a tweet from the team.
As Lonnie Walker continues his recovery from a right meniscus tear, the Spurs have assigned him to their G League affiliate in Austin, according to a press release from the team.
The Timberwolves have recalled rookie forward Keita Bates-Diop from the Iowa Wolves, according to a tweet from the team’s PR department.
The Jazz PR team announced (via Twitter) that the team recalled Tony Bradley from their Salt Lake City affiliate.
According to a tweet from the Grizzlies PR department, the team recalled rookie guard Jevon Carter from the Memphis Hustle.
The Pistons announced in an email that they have recalled rookie Khyri Thomas from the Grand Rapids Drive, the team’s G League affiliate.

Wizards Recall Troy Brown From G League

November 24th, 2018 at 5:24pm CST by Luke Adams

First-round pick Troy Brown has been recalled from the G League by the Wizards, according to the club (Twitter link). Brown was with the Capital City Go-Go for their loss to Canton on Friday night, posting 13 points and four assists.