Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Incentives, Gortat, Kidd-Gilchrist

September 14th, 2017 at 5:27pm CST by Austin Kent

The Heat found a creative way to pad the contracts of their offseason signees, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel writes, by loading the deals with impressive bonuses and incentives. Dion Waiters, for example, can net over $1M in addition to his traditional $11M deal by simply appearing in 70 or more games this season.

While Waiters only appeared in 46 contests last year, thereby making this an “unlikely” incentive, he played in 70-plus in each of the four seasons prior to 2016/17. Other sorts of bonuses offered include one that would reward Kelly Olynyk should the Heat make the playoffs and another that would sweeten James Johnson‘s deal provided he meets certain body-fat measurement requirements.

Such contractual maneuvers aren’t new for the franchise, Winderman writes, noting that the Heat employed similar tactics, tying routine weigh-ins to retired point guard Tim Hardaway‘s deals.

Incentives are officially classified as “unlikely” if the condition was not met in the previous season. Unlikely incentives do not count toward a team’s salary cap at the time of the signing but they do at the end of the season if the conditions are met. This allowed the Heat flexibility to successfully juggle their returning free agents.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Wizards decided this offseason to stick with their plan of gradually developing their young core, Shaun Powell of NBA.com writes. While they may have been able to skip the line in the East by going out and acquiring an additional star, the Wizards’ patience could pay off in the long run.
A healthy Ian Mahinmi will eat into Marcin Gortat‘s role with the Wizards, Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes. At the end of last season, Gortat expressed doubt about his future in Washington, though he said last month that he’s fully committed to the franchise.
Without being asked, head coach Steve Clifford has reiterated that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will start at small forward for the Hornets, Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer writes. Concern over the 23-year-old’s offense has some wondering if he may be better suited for a reserve role.

And-Ones: Morris Trial, Kyrie, Pelicans, NCAA

September 13th, 2017 at 9:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The trial for Marcus Morris and Markieff Morris, who are accused of aggravated assault, got underway today in Phoenix, writes Terell Wilkins of The Arizona Republic. Jury selection for the trial, which will take place in Maricopa County Superior Court, concluded on Wednesday, and opening statements will be delivered on Monday, per an Associated Press report (link via ESPN.com).

The trial will be worth watching for fans of the Celtics and Wizards, since the Morris brothers would face suspensions from the NBA if they’re convicted — a violent felony results in at least a 10-game ban. Even if the Morris brothers reach plea deals, they could be subject to discipline from the league, with the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement empowering commissioner Adam Silver to decide on an appropriate suspension in that scenario.

Here are a few more odds and ends from across the NBA:

While many NBA observers were dumbfounded by Kyrie Irving‘s trade request, Warriors forward Draymond Green suggests he gained a newfound respect for Irving, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post details. “I don’t think people take into account that he put so much pressure on himself by doing that,” Green said. “He’s basically saying, ‘I’m ready to deliver.’ That’s big. That says a lot.”
The Pelicans have renounced their draft rights to 2011 second-rounder Ater Majok, according to RealGM’s log of official NBA transactions. New Orleans now holds the draft rights to just one non-NBA player — big man Latavious Williams.
The relationship between the NCAA and the NBA wasn’t always strong during David Stern‘s days as commissioner, but Adam Silver has struck a more conciliatory tone, and that’s beginning to show, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN. As Givony explains, the invite list for a recent student-athlete symposium suggests the NCAA’s philosophy on preparing underclassmen for the NBA is evolving.
Using the NBA’s response to its DNP-Rest issue as a jumping-off point, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com makes the case that the league is too focused on marketing a small handful of star players, and ought to make an effort to showcase more stars in nationally televised games.

Poll: Washington Wizards’ 2017/18 Win Total

September 12th, 2017 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2016/17 season was a bounce-back year for the Wizards, who had finished with a 41-41 record and missed the playoffs a year earlier. Not only did the Wizards claim a top-four seed and win a playoff series this past spring, but the team also won 49 games, the most regular season victories by the franchise since the late-1970s, early in the Washington Bullets days.

While the Wizards certainly intend to take another step forward – perhaps breaking the 50-win barrier and making a deeper playoff run – their salary cap situation prevented them from making major upgrades this summer. Matching a maximum salary offer sheet on Otto Porter used up any cap room the club might have had and pushed team salary across the luxury tax line, limiting further acquisitions.

The Wizards did make some changes around the edges of their roster, signing Jodie Meeks to replace departed sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic, and trading for Tim Frazier to replace Trey Burke and Brandon Jennings as the team’s backup point guard. Washington also added a little more size by signing Mike Scott.

Still, those aren’t significant roster moves, so in order to continue improving, the Wizards will likely have to count on their core players to get even better. John Wall is still just 27 years old and Bradley Beal and Porter are 24, so there could be room for further development, but all three players had career years in 2016/17, with Beal finally avoiding injury problems and Porter posting one of the league’s most efficient shooting lines (.516/.434/.832). Expecting even more out of them next season would be asking a lot.

With the Wizards’ roster remaining fairly stable, it’s no surprise that oddsmakers forecast a similar regular season result for the club in 2017/18. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has placed the over/under for Wizards wins at 47.5, following last season’s 49-33 mark.

What do you think? Can the Wizards hold steady (or continue to improve), despite the lack of roster upgrades? Or will they slip a little this season? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts.

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Previous over/under voting results:

Golden State Warriors: Over 67.5 (53.57%)
Boston Celtics: Over 55.5 (63.5%)
Houston Rockets: Over 55.5 (65.57%)
San Antonio Spurs: Over 54.5 (67.74%)
Cleveland Cavaliers: Over 53.5 (68.82%)
Oklahoma City Thunder: Over 50.5 (71.77%)
Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 48.5 (55.69%)
Toronto Raptors: Over 48.5 (64.21%)

Wizards Sign Carrick Felix

September 11th, 2017 at 1:41pm CST by marksuleymanov

SEPTEMBER 11: Felix’s deal with the Wizards is official, per RealGM’s NBA transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 9: The Wizards are signing swingman Carrick Felix to a training camp deal, according Chris Reichert of 2Ways10Days.com (Twitter link).

A former second round pick of the Cavaliers in 2013 (33rd overall), Felix has considerable experience in the G League. He has made G League appearances for affiliate teams of the Nets, Cavaliers, and Warriors.

Felix, 27, made his lone NBA experience came during the 2013/14 season, appearing in seven games for the Cavaliers. He averaged 2.7 PPG in just over five minutes per game. Felix was traded to the Jazz that offseason and was eventually waived.

The Wizards currently have 18 players under contract, but have also reached reported agreements with Felix and Kris Jenkins, which would take their roster count to 20, the offseason maximum.

Reasons To Believe Brad Beal Could Continue To Improve

September 10th, 2017 at 4:15pm CST by Austin Kent

A number of developments in Bradley Beal‘s game could help the Wizards two-guard earn his first career All-Star berth, Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes. Last year, for instance, the guard managed to stay healthy after missing considerable time the previous two seasons and looked to gain confidence attacking the basket as a result.

In 2017/18, with last year to reflect back on, Beal could ride that confidence to a new level. Another component that contributed to Beal’s success last season was his improved ball handling. If that continues, the swingman will be able to slash more competently and maybe even drive up his free-throw attempts as Wizards teammate John Wall has done.

Beal watched his average jump from 17.4 points per game to 23.1 last year and there’s no reason to believe that he can’t continue to thrive heading forward. Still just 24 years old, Beal represents a major part of the core that Wizards owner Ted Leonsis is so eager to keep together.

Wizards Confident In Wall Throughout Extension

September 2nd, 2017 at 8:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards are confident John Wall will give them fair value for the full life of his contract extension, writes Chase Hughes of CSNMidAtlantic. The four-year, $170MM extension he agreed to in July takes effect in 2019 and includes a player option for the final season. It will keep the 27-year-old in Washington until he turns 31 or 32. “Thirty is still very young in the NBA nowadays,” said team president Ernie Grunfeld. “But we’ve seen John grow every single year. He’s improved every year he’s been in the league. The last four years he’s been an All-Star. This past year he was an elite-level player making the All-NBA team.”
Former NBA head coach Eddie Jordan is close to joining the Hornets‘ staff, relays Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. The team is finalizing a contract for Jordan to replace Bob Weiss, who recently accepted a job as an assistant with the Nuggets. Jordan has a 257-343 record as coach of the Kings, Wizards and Sixers.

High Expectations Key For Scott Brooks' Wizards

August 31st, 2017 at 3:29pm CST by Austin Kent

Head coach Scott Brooks wants his Wizards roster to have high expectations heading into the 2017/18 season, Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes. “We’re trying to establish [a championship mentality] here. We want to have consistent and sustainable success,” Brooks said.

NBA Draft Rights Held: Southeast Division

August 30th, 2017 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

When top college prospects like Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball are drafted, there’s virtually no doubt that their next step will involve signing an NBA contract. However, that’s not the case for every player who is selected in the NBA draft, particularly for international prospects and second-round picks.

When an NBA team uses a draft pick on a player, it gains his NBA rights, but that doesn’t mean the player will sign an NBA contract right away. International prospects will often remain with their professional team overseas for at least one more year to develop their game further, becoming “draft-and-stash” prospects. Nikola Mirotic, Dario Saric, and Bogdan Bogdanovic are among the more notable players to fit this bill in recent years.

However, draft-and-stash players can be former NCAA standouts too. Sometimes a college prospect selected with a late second round pick will end up playing overseas or in the G League for a year or two if there’s no space available on his NBA team’s 15-man roster.

While these players sometimes make their way to their NBA teams, others never do. Many clubs around the NBA currently hold the rights to international players who have remained overseas for their entire professional careers and are no longer viewed as top prospects. Those players may never come stateside, but there’s often no reason for NBA teams to renounce their rights — those rights can sometimes be used as placeholders in trades.

For instance, earlier this summer, the Pacers and Raptors agreed to a trade that sent Cory Joseph to Indiana. Toronto was happy to move Joseph’s salary and didn’t necessarily need anything in return, but the Pacers had to send something in the deal. Rather than including an NBA player or a draft pick, Indiana sent Toronto the draft rights to Emir Preldzic, the 57th overall pick in the 2009 draft.

Preldzic is currently playing for Galatasaray in Turkey, and at this point appears unlikely to ever come to the NBA, but his draft rights have been a useful trade chip over the years — the Pacers/Raptors swap represented the fourth time since 2010 that Preldzic’s NBA rights have been included in a trade.

This week, we’re taking a closer look at the players whose draft rights NBA teams currently hold, sorting them by division. These players may eventually arrive in America and join their respective NBA teams, but many will end up like Preldzic, plying their trade overseas and having their draft rights used as pawns in NBA trades.

Here’s a breakdown of the draft rights held by Southeast teams:

Atlanta Hawks

Augusto Binelli, C (1986; No. 40): Retired.
Alain Digbeu, F (1997; No. 49): Retired.
Marcus Eriksson, G/F (2015; No. 50): Playing in Spain.
Isaia Cordinier, G (2016; No. 44): Playing in France.
Alpha Kaba, C (2017; No. 60): Playing in France.

Charlotte Hornets

None

Miami Heat

George Banks, F (1995; No. 46): Retired.
Robert Duenas, C (1997; No. 57): Retired.

Orlando Magic

Rashard Griffith, C (1995; No. 38): Retired.
Remon van de Hare, C (2003; No. 52): Retired.
Fran Vazquez, C (2005; No. 11): Playing in Spain.
Janis Timma, F (2013; No. 60): Playing in Spain.
Tyler Harvey, G (2015; No. 51): Playing in France.

Washington Wizards

Aaron White, F (2015; No. 49): Playing in Lithuania.

Previously:

Information from Mark Porcaro and Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.

Wizards Sign Donald Sloan To One-Year Deal

August 29th, 2017 at 1:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 29: The Wizards have finalized their deal with Sloan, officially signing him to a one-year contract, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

AUGUST 17: The Wizards have reached agreement on a one-year deal with free agent guard Donald Sloan, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.

The 29-year-old played in China last season for the second time in his career. His last NBA experience was in 2015/16, when he played 61 games for the Nets, starting 33.

Sloan has been a journeyman since signing with the Hawks in 2011 after going undrafted out of Texas A&M. He played just five games for Atlanta and three for New Orleans during his rookie year and finished the season with Cleveland. He later returned to New Orleans, then spent two seasons in Indiana.

A 6’3″ combo guard, Sloan is averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 assists per game through his NBA career.

The Wizards now have 19 players under contract, one short of the maximum, with camp a little more than a month away.

Scott Brooks Understands Importance Of Protecting Core

August 27th, 2017 at 8:01pm CST by Austin Kent

The Wizards have gone all-in on preserving their core and head coach Scott Brooks understands just how important that can be. Brooks has, Chase Hughes of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes, seen what happens when a promising young roster falls apart thanks to his time with the Thunder.

“We have our three players that we drafted all wanting to stay here and stay long-term,” the Wizards’ bench boss said. “That’s good. That’s good because if you don’t have your best players wanting to stay here, then nobody wants to stay here.”

Thanks to Wizards’ owner Ted Leonsis‘ willingness to commit to their young players, Washington was able to match the offer sheet that the Nets signed Otto Porter to this summer and then follow that up with a supermax contract extension for John Wall.

Under their current deals, Wall, Beal and Porter will be under Wizards control for seven total years. Eight, if Porter ultimately exercises his player option for the 2020-21 season.