Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Trade Into Draft, Select Julian Phillips At No. 35

June 28th, 2023 at 7:06pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JUNE 28: The deal is official, according to the Wizards, who announced that they received the Bulls’ 2026 and 2027 second-round picks in the swap.

JUNE 22: The Bulls are trading into the second round of tonight’s draft, Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) reports.

Per Charania, Chicago flipped two future second round draft picks to the Wizards for Washington’s No. 35 pick, which it will use on Tennessee small forward Julian Phillips.

The 6’8″ forward was an SEC All-Freshman selection during his lone college season in 2022/23. Across 32 healthy games, including 25 starts, the 19-year-old averaged 8.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.6 SPG and 0.5 BPG.

As K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (via Twitter) notes, Phillips logged a 43-inch vertical at this year’s draft combine, the best among this rookie class. He also boasts a 6’11 1/2″ wingspan. Like several other recent draft picks by team president Arturas Karnisovas, Phillips is big for his position and fairly athletic, but lacks a consistent jump shot.

Even though the Bulls took the fewest three-point attempts of any team in the league last year and desperately need more volume shooting, it appears the team will need to look elsewhere this offseason to address that clear need.

Fischer’s Latest: Jazz, Cavs, Wolves, DiVincenzo, Gallinari, More

June 27th, 2023 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz‘s trade for John Collins and the Timberwolves‘ extension agreement with Naz Reid are two transactions that could have a ripple effect on other offseason activity, Jake Fischer writes in his latest story for Yahoo Sports.

As Fischer explains, the Jazz were expected to be a player for forwards in free agency, with Celtics RFA Grant Williams among Utah’s rumored targets. The Jazz still project to have cap room available, especially if Jordan Clarkson doesn’t remain with the team, but after adding Collins to a frontcourt that now features Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and lottery pick Taylor Hendricks, it’s hard to see them spending big on another forward or center, Fischer observes.

As for Reid, the Cavaliers were among the teams that hoped to take a run at him in free agency, sources tell Fischer. It’s unclear whether Cleveland – which should have the full mid-level exception available – will pivot to pursuing another significant frontcourt addition to complement Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley or whether the club specifically valued Reid highly, Fischer writes.

Meanwhile, opposing executives are curious about how the Timberwolves’ new deal with Reid might affect the rest of their roster. In particular, Fischer says, rival teams are wondering if Minnesota might waive veteran wing Taurean Prince, whose $7.5MM salary for 2023/24 is non-guaranteed.

With Prince on the books, the Wolves likely won’t have access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, and they’re believe to be in the market for a combo guard with size using that MLE, according to Fischer, who names Bruce Brown and Donte DiVincenzo as two possible targets.

Here’s more of Fischer’s latest reporting:

Minnesota is hardly the only team with interest in DiVincenzo. There has been “growing noise” among league personnel about the possibility of DiVincenzo joining the Knicks and teaming up with fellow Villanova alums Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, says Fischer.
Teams with cap room, including the Pacers, Magic, and Pistons, are believed to be eyeing players like Grant Williams (RFA) and Max Strus, according to Fischer, though he has heard the same rumblings that Marc Stein has about Detroit potentially using its room to make a room at Cameron Johnson. If the Nets bring back Johnson, rival executives are prepared for Brooklyn to make a cost-cutting trade to help accommodate Johnson’s increased salary.
The Wizards are considered likely to reach a buyout agreement with Danilo Gallinari, freeing up the veteran forward to pursue a deal with a team closer to contention, Fischer reports. Gallinari would be ineligible to re-sign with the Celtics in that scenario.
The Rockets are considering high-salary, short-term deals in order to land their preferred targets in free agency, per Fischer, who suggests it might take a maximum-salary offer to lure Fred VanVleet away from the Raptors. VanVleet is rumored to be one of Houston’s top priorities in free agency.
In case you missed it, we passed along more of Fischer’s latest tidbits in a pair of stories earlier today.

Trade Rumors: Lillard, Valanciunas, N. Powell, Wizards, K. Martin

June 27th, 2023 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

Following Monday’s meeting with Damian Lillard and his agent, Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin put out a brief statement indicating that the team remains committed to building around its star point guard. Appearing on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday morning (YouTube link), Brian Windhorst provided some additional information on how that meeting went.

“This was the meeting that a lot of the league was watching to see if Damian Lillard requested a trade, and he absolutely did not,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “From what I understand, the tenor of the meeting was that he doesn’t want to put pressure on the Blazers, that he wants to see what they do in free agency, and he’s going to give them that time do that.

“This is an interesting strategy move. He said at the end of the season ‘Get me veterans.’ The draft came and went, no veterans. He’s still not pressing, from what I have been told. He’s still going to give the Blazers every opportunity to work through this free agency process this week, whether it’s through trades or signing players.”

As Windhorst points out, given that no trade request from Lillard seems imminent, teams like the Heat – who were reportedly preparing to make a trade offer for the Blazers star – might have to move forward with their other offseason moves rather than hoping that Lillard’s situation will change.

“This is going to potentially cause some teams that were going to make offers for him to have move on with business,” Windhorst said. “They were waiting to see whether Dame Lillard was going to be on the market before they started to make moves this week. Now, some teams are going to have to make a decision either go forward or wait around. Lillard is going to wait around.”

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Pelicans have made center Jonas Valanciunas available in trade talks as they seek out a big man who is more mobile and more of a rim protector, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says New Orleans inquired with the Cavaliers about Jarrett Allen‘s availability. Cleveland has reportedly rebuffed all inquiries for Allen.
Clippers swingman Norman Powell is another veteran who is considered available on the trade market, Fischer reports, adding that Powell’s name popped up in rumors when L.A. was trying to acquire Chris Paul from Washington.
Speaking of the Wizards, even after flipping Paul to Golden State, they’re still looking to move on from one or two more of their veteran point guards. Sources tell Fischer that Washington is seeking draft assets for Monte Morris and/or Delon Wright.
The Rockets have been engaging in more trade talks involving Kenyon Martin Jr. since last week’s draft, Fischer writes. While it’s not clear exactly which teams Houston has talked to recently, Fischer says the Hawks, Suns, and Nets have been cited as possible suitors for Martin dating back to the trade deadline in February.

Stein’s Latest: Reid, Spurs, Pistons, Johnson, Rose, Porzingis, Jazz

June 26th, 2023 at 8:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs were among the teams who were interested in signing Timberwolves big man Naz Reid before he agreed to a three-year, $42MM extension, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article.

San Antonio was seeking a veteran center to ease the burden on No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama during his rookie season. However, the Spurs may have only planned to offer Reid a one-year deal.

The Mavericks were among the teams with the full $12.4MM mid-level exception available who were known to have interest in Reid, Stein adds.

Here are some more tidbits from Stein:

The Pistons’ interest in Nets restricted free agent Cameron Johnson, which has previously been reported by Stein, is genuine, he reiterates. There’s rising belief around the league that he’s their No. 1 free agent target, even though the Nets have the right to match. Detroit is projected to have over $30MM in cap space.
The Suns, Bucks and Bulls have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Derrick Rose, according to Stein. The Knicks declined to pick up their $15.6MM option on Rose for next season. However, Rose’s time in New York isn’t necessarily over — the Knicks may re-sign him at a lower number if his other options don’t pan out, Stein says.
If Kristaps Porzingis had chosen to decline his player option, the Jazz were prepared to make offer for more money than the Celtics can give him via a two-year, $77MM extension, per Stein. They were also interested in being the third party to facilitate the trade between the Wizards and Celtics. Boston was Porzingis’ preferred destination, however.

Suns To Host Free Agent Workout Wednesday

June 26th, 2023 at 1:49pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns are hosting a free agent workout on Wednesday that will include a couple former lottery picks in Stanley Johnson and Jabari Parker, league sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Guards Chasson Randle and Quinndary Weatherspoon will also participate, Haynes adds (Twitter links).

Phoenix has 10 free agents this offseason, which is tied with the Lakers for the most in the NBA. Checking in on some unrestricted free agents whose rights aren’t held by teams is a logical step for the Suns since they have could have a lot of moving parts. Teams are officially allowed to negotiate with free agents on Friday evening.

Johnson, 27, was the eighth pick of the 2015 draft. The forward has played for the Pistons, Pelicans, Raptors, Lakers and Spurs over his eight-year career. He played 30 games (15.6 MPG) for San Antonio in 2022/23, averaging 5.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.2 APG on .533/.450/.667 shooting.

Parker, 28, is another forward who was the second pick in 2014. He spent his first four seasons with the Bucks, but has bounced around in recent years, suiting up for the Bulls, Wizards, Hawks, Kings and Celtics since 2018. Parker was out of the NBA in ’22/23, last playing for Boston in January 2022.

Randle, 30, is a veteran point guard who went undrafted in 2015 after four years at Stanford. He has played a total of 119 NBA games across parts of four seasons with the Sixers, Knicks, Wizards, Warriors and Magic. His last regular season appearance was with Orlando back in May 2021.

In addition to the Suns, Weatherspoon also has a workout scheduled with the Wizards this week, per Haynes. The 26-year-old former second-round pick played 42 games with the Spurs and Warriors from 2019-22, mostly on two-way deals. He played in China last season.

Wizards Notes: Coulibaly, First Impression, Fans, Future

June 25th, 2023 at 1:42pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

In trading for the draft rights of raw Metropolitans 92 small forward Bilal Coulibaly with the No. 7 pick, the Wizards were gambling on his ceiling, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The 6’8″ swingman has tantalizing length and athleticism, but will probably require significant NBA run to fully marinate at the next level.

“It could take some time, but from where he went in a short amount of time to where we think he can go, that’s the exciting part,” Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said. “And we’ll embrace that. We’ll put resources around him, try to help him maximize himself. At the end of the day, he has the physical tools, but he’s also a very skilled player. So once that comes together, I think you’ll have the player we’re looking for and the reason why we drafted him so high.”

There’s more out of Washington:

During an introductory news conference held by Wizards team officials, Coulibaly seemed impressively relaxed and confident, writes Robbins in a separate story. During a subsequent chat with Robbins, Coulibaly expounded on what he intends to accomplish in his NBA career. “I want to be a good two-way player,” Coulibaly said. “But, yeah, I want to be a franchise player by the next four years. I want to stay in D.C., give it all for the fans, for the city.”
With the Wizards now seemingly fully pivoting to a youth movement after trading their two starriest veterans (Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis), fans will have to embrace the long view rather than expecting big things in the short-term future, writes David Aldridge of The Athletic.
Under its previous management group, the Wizards had been reticent to fully rebuild. In doing so now, the team should at least able to truly move on from a half decade of fringe mediocrity, opines Kevin B. Blackistone of The Washington Post. The Wizards have made the playoffs in just one of the past five seasons, but haven’t truly bottomed out and landed a top-five pick during that time.

Suns, Wizards Officially Complete Bradley Beal Trade

June 24th, 2023 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns and Wizards have issued press releases confirming that the Bradley Beal trade is official. Word of the agreement first broke last Sunday afternoon, with further details trickling out on Monday and Thursday.

The Wizards’ trade with the Pacers that moved Washington up from No. 8 to No. 7 in Thursday’s draft is also being folded into this transaction, making it a three-team deal. The full terms of the blockbuster deal are as follows:

Suns acquire Beal, Jordan Goodwin, and Isaiah Todd.
Wizards acquire Chris Paul; Landry Shamet; the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly (No. 7 pick); the Suns’ second-round picks in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2030; first-round pick swaps in 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030; and cash (approximately $3.5MM; from Suns).
Pacers acquire the draft rights to Jarace Walker (No. 8 pick), the Suns’ 2028 second-round pick, and the Wizards’ 2029 second-round pick.

Because the Suns’ 2028 second-rounder, originally committed to the Wizards as part of the Beal trade, is being rerouted to Indiana, all three teams satisfy the NBA’s “touching” rules for three-team deals.

The Wizards have now traded away their top two leading scorers from the 2022/23 season on consecutive days, having formally finalized their deal sending Kristaps Porzingis to Boston very early on Friday morning.

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis and new president of basketball operations Michael Winger issued statements within today’s trade announcement, wishing Beal well after he spent the first 11 years of his NBA career in D.C.

“Bradley leaves a legacy and impact that will continue to be felt by those he helped during the 11 seasons we watched him develop into a cornerstone of our on-court and off-court efforts,” Leonsis said. “We appreciate and respect the place he holds in our franchise’s history and we’re proud that he established himself as a star player, community leader and family man in Washington, D.C.”

“From afar, I’ve admired Bradley as an All-NBA player and a difference-maker in his communities,” Winger said. “We were pleased to work together to find a deal that moved us closer to our goal of eventually competing for championships while getting Bradley to a place where he’ll be able to do so immediately. We wish Bradley and his entire family the best of luck in Phoenix and thank him on behalf of the organization, the fans and the city of Washington for his immeasurable contributions.”

The Suns issued a statement of their own expressing excitement about the acquisition of Beal.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bradley, Jordan and Isaiah to the Phoenix Suns as we continue to build one of the premier organizations in all of sports,” Suns owner Mat Ishbia said. “Bradley Beal is one of the best players in the NBA and brings so much to our team including incredible work ethic, great character, and the mindset of a champion. Jordan and Isaiah add talent and versatility to our roster that will continue to make this team among the league’s best. We are committed to bringing an NBA championship to Phoenix and I could not be more excited about how this organization is coming together heading into the upcoming season.”

The Wizards have already agreed to a separate trade that will send Paul on to Golden State for a package headed by Jordan Poole, but referred to Shamet within today’s press release as someone who will be a “valuable contributor to our organization,” which suggests they plan to hang onto him.

For more details on the Beal trade, you can read our original story here and our Thursday follow-up here. We also have separate full stories detailing the Wizards’ move up to No. 7 and their trade agreement with the Warriors involving Paul and Poole.

Stein’s Latest: Porzingis, Jazz, Hawks, Mavs, Pistons, Johnson

June 24th, 2023 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Rival teams were “convinced” the Jazz were going to make a run at Kristaps Porzingis in free agency if he had declined his $36MM player option, Marc Stein writes at Substack. As Stein details, the threat of losing Porzingis for nothing may have motivated the Wizards to find compensation for him before his opt-out deadline. They found a way to send him to his preferred destination — the Celtics — despite an initial roadblock after the Clippers had concerns over Malcolm Brogdon‘s health.

The Celtics are “strongly expected” to sign Porzingis to a contract extension this offseason, Stein adds.

Here’s more from Stein:

The Hawks and Mavericks, who held frequent talks about deals involving the 10th and 15th overall picks leading up to the draft, couldn’t find common ground because Atlanta wanted to include John Collins in a proposed deal, while Dallas preferred Clint Capela. According to Stein, the Hawks told the Mavs they’d move No. 15 and Capela for No. 10 and Davis Bertans if Josh Green was also included in the package, but Dallas didn’t go for it.
The Hawks remain active in trade talks and appear most motivated to move Collins, but Capela and De’Andre Hunter are drawing more interest, per Stein. The Hawks, who have been trying and failing – so far – to convince the Raptors to part with Pascal Siakam, had talks with the Pistons and Pacers prior to the draft about deals involving Hunter and the Nos. 5 and 7 picks.
With the additional flexibility they created by dumping Bertans’ salary, the Mavericks are in a better position to use their mid-level exception to pursue a wing, according to Stein, who names Bruce Brown as a possible Dallas free agent target.
Having previously reported that the Pistons are expected to be as suitor for Cameron Johnson in free agency, Stein says the Nets RFA forward continues to be cited by league sources as an “increasingly likely” target for Detroit. The Pistons will have the cap space necessary to put pressure on Brooklyn with a substantial offer sheet if they so choose.

Rory Maher contributed to this story.

Fischer’s Latest: Hunter, Pistons, Collins, Jazz, Poole, Herro

June 23rd, 2023 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks didn’t end up making any major moves on draft day, but they continue to explore potential trade options around the league, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

According to Fischer, in addition to having talked to Indiana about a possible deal involving forward De’Andre Hunter, the Hawks also had “significant” discussions with the Pistons about a trade that would have sent the 25-year-old to Detroit.

Hunter isn’t the only Hawks forward whose name is popping up in trade talks this week. Fischer says Atlanta has also been active on the John Collins front, re-engaging the Jazz in conversations about the big man who has been consistently mentioned in trade rumors for multiple years. However, it doesn’t sound like the two sides gained serious traction in those negotiations.

Here’s more from Fischer’s post-draft report for Yahoo Sports:

Before agreeing to trade Jordan Poole to Washington, the Warriors also talked to the Celtics and Spurs about him, writes Fischer. Boston moved forward with its Kristaps Porzingis deal instead, while San Antonio “never made a significant offer” for Poole, according to Fischer, who adds that Golden State also had “serious” talks with the Pacers about a deal involving the No. 7 overall pick and Jonathan Kuminga.
Given that the Wizards were making it in a point in most of their trade discussions not to take back any long-term money, some opposing executives have wondered if they intend to flip Poole to another team, says Fischer. However, sources tell Yahoo Sports that the Warriors are under the impression that Washington plans to keep the high-scoring guard.
Golden State’s trade of Poole has increased speculation among rival executives that the Heat may take a similar path and look to deal Tyler Herro sooner rather than later, per Fischer. Herro didn’t play a role in Miami’s run to the NBA Finals this spring due to a hand injury, and his four-year $120MM+ contract is very similar to Poole’s.
People around the NBA think there may be some “atypical” trade activity before the start of free agency, according to Fischer. The new CBA will take effect in July, so teams may want to take advantage of certain old rules – like the ability of tax-apron teams to take back up to 125% of the salaries they send out in trades – before they expire.

Wizards Trade No. 57 Pick Trayce Jackson-Davis To Warriors

June 23rd, 2023 at 1:20am CST by Dana Gauruder

JUNE 23: The Warriors and Wizards have completed the Jackson-Davis trade separately from their larger Paul/Poole deal. According to a press release, Golden State acquired Jackson-Davis’ rights in exchange for cash considerations.

As noted below, Baldwin will be included in the Paul/Poole trade rather than this one.

JUNE 22: The Warriors are acquiring the No. 57 pick from the Wizards and drafting Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

The same two teams agreed to a much bigger trade on Thursday, with the Warriors trading Jordan Poole and future draft picks to the Wizards for Chris Paul. The Wizards are also acquiring Patrick Baldwin as part of that deal, according to Charania (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether Golden State’s acquisition of the No. 57 pick will be folded into the larger trade as well.

Jackson-Davis, a 6’9” forward, was one of the most productive college players in the nation last season, averaging 20.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists for the Hoosiers.

Baldwin Jr. was Golden State’s first-round pick last season and appeared in 31 regular-season games.