Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Davis, Lively, Mavs, Durant, Billups, More

March 10th, 2025 at 3:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Perhaps the most interesting development in Sunday’s matchup between Phoenix and Dallas was something that took place off the court, as Mavericks big man Anthony Davis was on the bench and was “clearly itching to play,” according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Substack link).

Stein hears that Davis played some 2-on-2 over the weekend for the first time since he strained his left adductor on February 8 in his Dallas debut.

League sources tell Stein that both Davis and Dereck Lively, who is on the mend from a stress fracture in his right ankle, are on track to get healthy before the end of the season. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll actually suit up again for the Mavericks in 2024/25.

Amid a brutal wave of injuries, including losing Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL, the Mavs have dropped five straight games and are only 1.5 games ahead of Phoenix for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. And even if they hold onto the No. 10 seed, they’d have to win two straight road games in the play-in tournament to advance as the No. 8 seed, only to face the top-seeded Thunder in the first round.

As Stein observes, any hope the Mavericks had of another deep playoff run have been extinguished. Prioritizing the team’s odds of securing a lottery pick — and avoiding the possibility of Davis and Lively re-injuring themselves — is the most logical path for Dallas to take for the remainder of ’24/25.

Here’s more from Stein:

Although the Mavericks have been “repeatedly described” as a possible suitor for Suns forward Kevin Durant, both before and after last month’s trade deadline, Stein hears Dallas’ interest in Durant has been “overstated.” The Mavs’ depth would take a major blow if they try to trade for Durant, Stein notes, and they also lack future draft capital, which is why focusing on landing a lottery pick in June’s draft makes sense. Retaining Irving, who holds a $44MM player option for ’25/26, is a “priority” for Dallas, per Stein.
When asked by Stein how strange it was to play in Dallas knowing that the Mavericks traded away Luka Doncic, Suns guard Devin Booker replied, “You can feel it. You can feel it when you land.”
Scouts and executives from around the NBA are very curious what the future holds for Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, according to Stein. Before — and even during — the season, many around the league believed the two sides were destined to part ways, but Portland’s improved play has observers wondering if the team will exercise its option on Billups or perhaps give him a new contract. If the Blazers decide not to retain Billups, he would become an “in-demand coaching free agent,” Stein writes.
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, Wizards assistant Adam Caporn, former Germany head coach Gordon Herbert, and veteran NBA assistant Will Weaver are among the the candidates to be named the next head coach of Australia’s national team, according to Stein. The Boomers finished in sixth place at the 2024 Olympics in Paris after claiming their first medal in men’s basketball — a bronze — in Tokyo.

And-Ones: Ellis, Butler Jr., Stretch-Run Goals, Harper, Bailey

March 9th, 2025 at 5:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Indiana Mad Ants, the Pacers’ NBA G League affiliate, acquired the rights to Boogie Ellis from the Stockton Kings in a three-team trade, Sacramento radio reporter Sean Cunningham tweets.

The rookie guard out of USC has made 19 G League appearances this season, including three starts. Ellis averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 21.7 minutes per game for Stockton. He participated in Sacramento’s training camp after going undrafted but was waived before the start of the season.

The Mad Ants traded Kyle Mangas to the Austin Spurs, who dealt the returning player rights of Matt Lewis and their 2026 first-round pick to the Stockton Kings.

We have more from around the basketball world:

In more G League news, the Wisconsin Herd (Bucks) acquired the rights to John Butler Jr. from the Capital City Go-Go (Wizards), Milwaukee’s affiliate tweets. The Go-Go received a 2026 first round and 2026 second round pick and the rights to Darryl Morsell. Butler, who started his NBA career with Portland, had a two-way contract with Washington for part of last season. He also participated in Washington’s camp this season but was waived prior to the opener. Butler made 34 appearances, including 10 starts, with the Go-Go this season. He scored 12 points in his first outing with Washington’s affiliate.
What are the stretch-run goals for each NBA team the remainder of this season? The Athletic received input from its various beat writers on that topic. For Cleveland, it’s going for 70 wins. For the Knicks, it’s integrating Mitchell Robinson into the lineup. For Milwaukee, it’s getting home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
While Rutgers had a mediocre season, the Scarlet Knights have two of the premier lottery picks in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo polled NBA executives on the duo. Harper drew comparisons to All-Star Cade Cunningham, while Bailey was likened to Brandon Miller. Bailey might be the top offensive prospect in the draft and have the highest ceiling of any prospect, according to one executive.

Contract Details: Two-Ways, Springer, Champagnie, Miller, Spencer, More

March 7th, 2025 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

A flurry of two-way signings occurred prior to Tuesday’s deadline and many of those players who received two-way contracts in the week leading up to March 4 agreed to two-year deals.

Hoops Rumors has confirmed that Patrick Baldwin and Seth Lundy of the Clippers, Pete Nance and Jamaree Bouyea of the Bucks, Lester Quinones of the Pelicans, David Roddy of the Rockets, Miles Norris of the Celtics, and Jared Rhoden of the Raptors all signed two-year, two-way contracts.

As our tracker shows, that means that 25 of the 90 players signed to two-way contracts have deals that will carry over to the 2025/26 league year. It’s common for many of the players on two-year, two-way pacts to be waived during the offseason if teams decide there’s an undrafted rookie or Summer League standout they’d rather add, but those two-year terms give clubs the option of retaining their two-way players for another year.

Here are a few more details on recently signed contracts around the league:

The Jazz used $634,437 of their room exception to sign guard Jaden Springer, who got a three-year contract that includes a non-guaranteed salary for 2025/26 and a team option for ’26/27. Springer will receive a $400K partial guarantee on next season’s salary if he remains under contract through July 25. That partial guarantee will increase to $600K if he makes the opening night roster in the fall.
Teams that used a portion of their mid-level exceptions to promote two-way players to multiyear standard deals include the Wizards with Justin Champagnie ($1,800,000), the Clippers with Jordan Miller ($1,005,000), and the Rockets with Jeenathan Williams ($515,881). All three players got four-year contracts that don’t include guaranteed money beyond this season, though Miller’s deal includes some trigger dates — he’ll get a partial guarantee of $350K for 2025/26 if he’s still under contract beyond July 15 and half of his $2,191,897 salary will become guaranteed if he isn’t waived before the start of the ’25/26 regular season.
Pat Spencer of the Warriors, Orlando Robinson of the Raptors, and Ryan Rollins of the Bucks all received straight conversions of their two-way contracts to standard deals, so they’ll each still be eligible for restricted free agency this offseason.
Dominick Barlow‘s new two-year contract with the Hawks is a minimum-salary deal that includes a team option for 2025/26.

Wizards Notes: Smart, Sarr, Poole, Holmes, Middleton

March 6th, 2025 at 10:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Marcus Smart finds himself on one of the league’s worst teams. The veteran guard was dealt by Memphis to the Wizards last month and is attempting to make the best of it, he told Candace Buckner of the Washington Post.

“Controlling what I can control is my motto now as I’ve gotten older and I think that helps a lot because we are put to the test,” he said. “When you’re such a competitor and you’re so passionate, [then] to come to a team that’s young, rebuilding in a sense, you know, trying to figure it out. You know, it is frustrating, but the older you get, that experience, I went through it. So now I can see, sit down and understand by looking from 2017 till now, what can I do differently? And that is the way I respond.”

Smart, who is signed through next season, is trying to give his new teammates some tough love.

“They know I’m not here to hold your hand. I’m here to help you get better,” he said. “This group is very young but they have some talented guys who can be defensive players of the year, or all-star candidates, all-NBA candidates with some work. A little bit of experience, a little bit of guidance, and that’s what I’m here for.”

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Alex Sarr has struggled to score at the rim in his rookie season but he was an inside force against Utah on Wednesday, racking up 21 points and making all but one of his seven attempts in the lane. “Definitely just trying to be aggressive. Get some easy ones around the rim before spacing out,” he said, per Varun Shankar of the Washington Post.
Jordan Poole missed his third straight game with a right elbow hyperextension, Shankar notes. Coach Brian Keefe indicated that Poole did some on-court work, including shooting, on Wednesday. Big man Richaun Holmes missed his first game since late January with a left knee contusion, Shankar adds.
While Smart and Khris Middleton, another trade-deadline acquisition, are playing key roles as mentors for the younger players, it’s quite possible – or perhaps likely – the Wizards will attempt to trade them after this season or before the 2026 trade deadline, Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes in his latest mailbag. Robbins also fields questions on the draft and the organization’s player development program.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Champagnie, Heat Injuries, Nurkic

March 4th, 2025 at 7:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With point guard Jalen Suggs out for the season after undergoing knee surgery, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley will rely more on his frontcourt players to create offensive opportunities, he told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.

“It’s going to be different handlers at different times of the game,” he said. “If we realize a team is fully aggressive picking our point guard up, we might have to play through our bigs. Wendell (Carter Jr.), Goga (Bitadze), JI (Jonathan Isaac), those guys being able to handle the basketball and get us into easier sets. If they’re not pressuring Paolo (Banchero) and Franz (Wagner), those guys become our point-forward play-makers. That’s going to be a big key but that’s also going to vary game-to-game as well.”

Longtime veteran Cory Joseph made his first start of the season in place of Suggs on Tuesday.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Justin Champagnie had his two-way contract converted into a standard four-year, $10MM deal by the Wizards on Monday. He’s been angling for a standard contract since going undrafted in 2021. “It means a lot,” he told Varun Shankar of the Washington Post. “I’ve been working hard these past four years of my career, trying to get to this point, and I’m super happy. I’m super thankful. I’m grateful that I got the opportunity here to be myself.” He will earn $1.8MM for the remainder of 2024/25, well above this prorated minimum. The final three seasons of the contract will be non-guaranteed.
Jaime Jaquez (right ankle sprain), Nikola Jovic (broken right hand), Kel’el Ware (left knee sprain) and Andrew Wiggins (right ankle sprain) will miss the Heat‘s game against the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers on Wednesday, according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. Undrafted rookies Keshad Johnson and Isaiah Stevens, who have been playing the G League, are expected to suit up for the NBA team to add depth.
After losing his starting spot with Phoenix and getting traded to the Hornets, Jusuf Nurkic is eager to reestablish himself, he told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “I’ve been in this league long enough. I know what the situation can be and how it’s good for the player to change the situation and have a fresh start,” he said. “I have an eagerness and excitement for the game again. I can’t wait to play again on the court.” He’s averaging 7.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in six games with Charlotte.

Wizards Claim JT Thor Off Waivers

March 3rd, 2025 at 5:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards have claimed forward JT Thor off waivers, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

Thor, who was on a two-way contract, was waived by the Cavaliers over the weekend. Washington opened up a two-way slot on Monday by promoting Justin Champagnie and giving him a standard four-year deal.

Thor, 22, was the 37th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Auburn and spent three seasons with the Hornets before signing a two-way contract with Cleveland in September.

The 6’9″ forward was a regular in Charlotte, appearing in 165 total games as a Hornet, but played a limited role for the Cavaliers this season, appearing in just nine games and averaging 4.7 minutes per night. He was effective in his rare appearances, compiling 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting in 42 total minutes.

Thor also saw action in 24 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games for the Cavs’ G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, averaging 14.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 31.8 minutes per contest, with an underwhelming shooting line of .434/.276/.762.

Scotto: Trae Young, LaMelo Ball Among Players To Monitor In Offseason

March 3rd, 2025 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Hawks guard Trae Young has just one guaranteed year left on his contract after this season, with a player option for 2026/27. As he nears potential free agency, executives around the NBA are wondering whether Atlanta will be looking to extend Young this offseason or whether he might emerge as a trade candidate, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

As Scotto notes, Young has spoken about wanting to win a championship in Atlanta with head coach Quin Snyder, and the Hawks have an intriguing collection of young talent around him, including forward Jalen Johnson, defensive ace Dyson Daniels, and 2024’s No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.

However, the Hawks have been a middle-of-the-pack team since making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, compiling between 36 and 43 wins and failing to get out of the first round of the playoffs in each of the three years since then — this season, they’re on pace for 37 wins and another play-in spot. They also don’t control their own first-round picks in any of the next three drafts.

Additionally, Scotto writes, Hawks ownership will be looking to avoid surpassing the luxury tax threshold in 2025/26, which could affect their ability to re-sign free agents such as Clint Capela, Caris LeVert, and/or Larry Nance Jr. — or to bring in additional talent.

Atlanta did have talks with the Pelicans prior to this year’s trade deadline about forward Brandon Ingram, with Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, De’Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic among the names that came up in those multi-team discussions, Scotto reports. Ingram was ultimately sent to Toronto, with the Hawks sending Hunter to Cleveland and Bogdanovic to the Clippers.

Shortly after the trade deadline passed last month, NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link) referred to Young’s future in Atlanta as “murky,” while Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) wondered if the 26-year-old might request a trade this summer. Scotto doesn’t quite go that far, but says Young’s situation in Atlanta is one that executives around the league will be monitoring in the coming months.

Here’s more from Scotto on players to watch entering the 2025 offseason:

Rival executives are curious about whether point guard LaMelo Ball is still at the forefront of the Hornets‘ long-term plans and will be keeping an eye on him this offseason, Scotto reports. Veteran forward Miles Bridges is another name to watch in Charlotte, since his contract has a declining salary structure that was meant to make it more trade-friendly, Scotto adds. It also remains to be seen whether the Hornets will put center Mark Williams back on the trade block after a deadline deal with the Lakers fell through due to medical concerns.
RJ Barrett‘s name came up in the Ingram trade talks between the Raptors and Pelicans, but New Orleans didn’t view the forward as an ideal fit on their roster, according to Scotto, who suggests that Barrett could emerge as a trade candidate this summer with Toronto prioritizing Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and Gradey Dick. The former No. 3 overall pick is under contract for $57MM+ across two more years after this season.
NBA executives widely expect Wizards forward Khris Middleton to pick up his $33.35MM player option for 2025/26, Scotto reports. If he does, he and guard Marcus Smart – who will have an expiring $21.59MM deal, will be trade candidates to monitor in Washington. The same goes for Richaun Holmes, though his expiring $13.28MM contract only features a small partial guarantee ($250K), so he’s probably more likely to be waived than traded.

Wizards Sign Justin Champagnie To Four-Year Deal

March 3rd, 2025 at 12:57pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

March 3: Champagnie has officially signed his new deal and been promoted to the Wizards’ standard roster, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. Washington confirmed in a press release that McDaniels’ 10-day contract has been terminated a day early to open a roster spot for Champagnie.

March 2: Two-way Wizards forward Justin Champagnie is getting promoted.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Champagnie’s agent Daniel Hazan revealed that the 6’6″ wing is set to ink a four-year, $10MM standard contract with Washington. He will earn $1.8MM for the remainder of 2024/25, well above this prorated minimum.

Sources confirm to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter) that the deal has been agreed upon and say that the final three seasons will be non-guaranteed.

Across 40 games for the Wizards this season, the 23-year-old is notching averages of 7.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.9 dimes per game. He also has a respectable shooting line of .504/.376/.674.

In eight Tip-Off Tournament games this season for Washington’s NBAGL affiliate the Capital City Go-Go, Champagnie posted impressive averages of 20.0 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.1 steals per game, on .483/.350/.750 shooting.

After initially going undrafted out of Pitt in 2021, Champagnie suited up for Toronto and Boston during his first two pro seasons. He first joined the Wizards on a 10-day deal late in the 2023/24 campaign, and was subsequently brought back on a two-way agreement when those initial 10 days were up.

Jalen McDaniels currently occupies the 15th slot on Washington’s standard roster, having signed a 10-day contract on February 22. If the team plans to hang onto McDaniels beyond his current deal, another standard roster player would need to be cut to accommodate Champagnie’s promotion.

Elevating Champagnie to the standard roster will create a two-way opening for the Wizards, leaving only Tristan Vukcevic and Jaylen Martin inked to two-way deals.

The Wizards possess the single-worst record in the league at 11-48, and can afford to take an extended look at developmental players like Champagnie. This seems like a savvy move for all parties.

Wizards Mulled Reacquiring Bradley Beal Last Month

March 2nd, 2025 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards contemplated reacquiring Bradley Beal prior to the trade deadline, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post.

In their failed quest to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Heat, the Suns desperately tried to find a third team that would take Beal’s maximum-salary contract, since Miami was unwilling to do so. With Phoenix operating over the second apron, the only way it could pull off that trade and retain Kevin Durant and Devin Booker was to trade Beal. Butler, of course, wound up getting dealt to the Warriors.

Washington sent Beal to the Suns in the summer of 2023. The previous year, Washington signed Beal to five-year extension with a no-trade clause, which he waived in that deal.

However, Beal balked at waiving the clause before this year’s deadline, so even if the Wizards, Suns, and Heat had figured out a trade construction that sent him to Washington and Butler to Phoenix while appeasing all three teams, Beal may not have signed off.

It’s unknown exactly what type of enticements the Wizards were seeking to take on Beal’s contract. They felt one potential incentive for Beal to return to Washington was that he could have become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. He racked up 15,391 points with the Wizards, 160 points behind Elvin Hayes.

Previous reporting from ESPN stated that the Wizards and Hawks were the only two teams to consider the idea of acquiring Beal at the trade deadline.

Beal, who has two years left on his contract, averaged 23.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in seven February games but the Suns went 1-6 in those contests. He returned to action on Sunday after missing two games with tightness in his left calf.

Alex Sarr Returns From Ankle Sprain; Wizards Expect Malcolm Brogdon To Play Again

March 2nd, 2025 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards center Alex Sarr is looking to finish his rookie season after returning Saturday from a sprained left ankle that sidelined him for 11 games, relays Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. In a season without a clear favorite for Rookie of the Year, Sarr may have a chance to make a late run at the award. “I liked (Sarr’s) activity. He’s a presence out there for us, and we obviously can see the stuff he does defensively, but just his ability to stretch the floor, drag their bigs out, it makes them do different coverages,” coach Brian Keefe said. “It was good to have him back.”
Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon hasn’t played since February 12 due to a sprained left ankle, but Keefe expects him to return before the end of the season, Shakar tweets.