Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rivers Fills Vital Void For Wizards

September 11th, 2018 at 7:58pm CST by Austin Kent

When the Wizards exiled big man Marcin Gortat, they did more than simply shed the 34-year-old’s contract, they filled a void that they’ve had for some time, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. The addition of backup combo guard Austin Rivers should alleviate some of the workload on Bradley Beal.

Beal logged the fourth most minutes in the NBA last season but ran out of gas for the Wizards late in the season. Rivers will also slot in behind John Wall at the point, providing capable support at both backcourt positions.

For the addition to work, Rivers will have to change his game slightly. For instance, he’ll have to tone down the volume shooting as part of a larger, competitive Wizards team.

Wizards Sign Jordan McRae To Two-Way Deal

September 11th, 2018 at 8:26am CST by Austin Kent

SEPTEMBER 11: Washington has officially signed McRae, according to the RealGM transactions log.

AUGUST 9: The Wizards plan to sign Jordan McRae to a two-way contract, Marc Stein of The New York Times reports. The 2014 second-round pick last saw NBA action with the Cavaliers during the 2016/17 season.

McRae, now 27 years old, didn’t make much of an impact during his first two NBA stints with the Cavs and Suns after getting drafted by the Spurs, though he did win a title with Cleveland. He’ll return to the Association after an abbreviated stint playing professionally in Spain.

The shooting guard will occupy Washington’s second two-way slot, with the other currently held by small forward Devin Robinson.

Wizards Sign Tiwian Kendley To Camp Deal

September 10th, 2018 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards have signed undrafted guard Tiwian Kendley to a training camp contract, according to RealGM.

Kendley, 23, played two college seasons at Morgan State and averaged 25.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.2 APG in his final year.

Kendley averaged 9.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 2.0 APG in four summer league games with Washington. While it’s unlikely Kendley will make the 15-man roster, the camp deal would allow the Wizards to designate the 6’5” Kendley as an affiliate player in order to retain his G League rights if he’s waived before the regular season.

The Wizards reached an agreement with guard Chris Chiozza on a similar deal earlier on Monday. The Kendley signing gives them 19 players on their camp roster, one shy of the limit.

Wizards Sign Chris Chiozza To Training Camp Deal

September 10th, 2018 at 11:40am CST by Arthur Hill

Guard Chris Chiozza will join the Wizards for training camp, tweets Keith Smith of Real GM. Chiozza, who went undrafted out of Florida, played with Washington’s entry in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 4.8 points and 7.4 assists in five games.

He was a first-team All-SEC selection as a senior with the Gators. He averaged 11.1 points, 6.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game last season and broke the school record for career assists.

The addition of Chiozza gives the Wizards 18 players for camp, two under the league limit. Washington has 14 players with guaranteed contracts, with Chasson Randle expected to sign and both two-way slots filled.

Howard, Rivers Among Underrated Acquisitions

September 10th, 2018 at 10:31am CST by Arthur Hill

A pair of Wizards top the list of the list of the most underrated offseason acquisitions compiled by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Howard occupies the No. 1 spot, signing a two-year deal in Washington after being traded by the Hornets and bought out by the Nets. He provides a huge defensive upgrade from Marcin Gortat, O’Connor notes, and could develop into an effective pick-and-roll partner with John Wall. Austin Rivers, who was acquired from the Clippers in the Gortat deal, ranks second on the list and should provide backcourt depth the Wizards have needed behind Wall and Bradley Beal.
Wizards rookie Troy Brown has signed a multi-year shoe deal with Nike, tweets Nick DePaula of ESPN.

Porter Jr. Needs To Be More Assertive

September 7th, 2018 at 7:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. could get lost in the offensive shuffle with the addition of Dwight Howard and a healthier John Wall, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington speculates. The team has urged Porter the past two years to shoot more often, attack the basket with greater zeal and become a more vocal presence, Hughes continues. That becomes more complicated with Wall, Bradley Beal and Howard carrying more extensive resumes on the starting unit, Hughes adds.

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Winslow, Waiters, Howard

September 6th, 2018 at 10:12pm CST by JD Shaw

Hornets coach James Borrego is seeking to give his team a fresh identity this season, labeling pace and ball movement as two important factors that can help the team, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer relays. Borrego was hired by the Hornets in May after spending the last three years under Gregg Popovich with the Spurs, plus a stint with San Antonio from 2003 to 2010.

“When the ball is just being pounded and one guy has it in his hands for five or six seconds – when we’re just seeing him dance with the ball – the rest of the defense just gets to relax and load up,” Borrego said. “You’re not going to be perfect all the time, but let’s put pressure on the defense constantly. … We demanded it in San Antonio. My job is to sell that to the players to do what’s best for the team.”

The Spurs are known for picking apart defenses with crisp passing, spacing and off-ball movement, and that’s exactly what Borrego hopes to bring to the Hornets this season. Charlotte helped alleviate this issue by allowing Dwight Howard, a paint-oriented player, to depart for the Wizards this summer.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Although Heat forward Justise Winslow is eligible for a contract extension, it remains unclear how the team plans to use the 22-year-old, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel notes in an “Ask Ira” mailbag. The Heat signed Winslow’s teammate and starting forward Josh Richardson to an extension last summer.
Heat guard Dion Waiters continues to work his way back from an ankle injury that sidelined him for most of the 2017/18 season, but the Syracuse product has yet to be cleared by a doctor for full-contact play. “Once I’m cleared from the doc it’s on,” he posted on social media, according to the Sun Sentinel.
Dwight Howard could be the missing piece the Wizards have been seeking for quite some time, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington contests. Should he buy in, Howard’s ability to defend the rim, set effective screens and play in the pick-and-roll could pay dividends for Washington.

Satoransky Hopes To Make Impact In Czech Republic

September 4th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As the only Czech-born player currently in the NBA, Tomas Satoransky has become a household name in his home country, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, who writes that Satoransky wants to find ways to give back to those in the Czech Republic. A key part of the Wizards‘ backcourt, Satoransky is entering a contract year in 2018/19 and will be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.

Wall Has Much To Prove This Season

September 3rd, 2018 at 7:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

This is a pivotal season for Wizards point guard John Wall, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington points out. Following the upcoming season, Wall’s four-year, $170MM-plus extension kicks in and it’s time for him to show he can lead a major contender, Hughes continues. He must improve his field-goal efficiency and mesh well with incoming center Dwight Howard, Hughes adds.

Kyle Singler Among This Week’s Stretch Candidates

August 27th, 2018 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed on Friday, NBA teams have until August 31 to waive players and stretch their 2018/19 cap hits over multiple years. If a player is released after August 31, his current cap hit will remain unchanged, and only the subsequent years of his contract can be stretched.

With just a few more days for teams to stretch 2018/19 salaries, Thunder swingman Kyle Singler looks like the top candidate to be waived this week, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter).

Three factors are working against Singler and making him a prime release candidate. For one, he fell out of Oklahoma City’s rotation entirely in 2017/18, appearing in just 12 games and playing only 59 total minutes for the season. Secondly, he’s essentially on an expiring contract, since his $5.3MM+ salary for 2019/20 is non-guaranteed. And finally, the Thunder currently have the largest projected tax bill in the NBA, meaning waiving Singler could create substantial immediate savings for the franchise.

Currently, the Thunder have a total team salary of $149.58MM, with a projected tax bill of $93.19MM. If they were to waive Singler, who has a $4,996,000 salary, they could stretch his cap hit across five seasons due to his non-guaranteed second year, reducing this season’s cap charge to just $999,200. That would bring the Thunder’s team salary down to $145.58MM and their projected tax bill to about $73.79MM, creating $23MM+ in total savings.

Outside of Singler, there aren’t many obvious stretch candidates around the NBA. Other projected taxpayers could consider similar moves to save some money, but many of those clubs don’t have players on expiring contracts that they’d want to release. The Wizards, with Jason Smith and his expiring $5.45MM salary, may be one team to watch.

Another motive for a team to stretch a player’s 2018/19 salary would be to open up more cap room. However, there aren’t many clubs that can create meaningful cap space at this point in the offseason, and there’s little incentive to do so anyway, given the lack of players worth spending it on. The Kings (Iman Shumpert or others) and Suns (Darrell Arthur or Tyson Chandler) could open up a chunk of cap room by stretching well-paid veterans, but I’d be surprised if they cut into their projected space for 2019 and/or 2020 by doing so.