Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trade/Draft Rumors: Kuzma, Kings, Kispert, Durant, Raptors, More

June 27th, 2024 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

Exploring a potential deal for Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma on Wednesday, the Kings discussed a framework that would have sent their No. 13 overall pick to Washington as part of the package and moved Sacramento down to No. 26, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. If that deal had happened, the Wizards would’ve had a third lottery pick to go along with No. 2 and No. 14, but no agreement was reached and Washington ultimately traded up from No. 26 to No. 24 instead.

Still, after agreeing to trade Deni Avdija to Portland on Wednesday, it seems safe to assume the Wizards will continue to listen to inquiries on their veteran players, including Kuzma, Fischer writes. Fischer has also heard that fourth-year Washington sharpshooter Corey Kispert is generating trade interest from rival teams (Twitter link).

Here are a few more trade and draft rumors as we prepare for day two of the 2024 draft:

Just in case more confirmation was required after various reports – and team owner Mat Ishbia – stated that the Suns have no plans to trade Kevin Durant, general manager James Jones reiterated that message on Wednesday night, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “It’s the stuff that gets clicks and that everyone wants to talk about, but I think I said it specifically back on May 19th when I was asked are we trading Kevin Durant,” Jones said. “I said no then, I’ll say no now. I’ll continue to get asked.”
According to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, the Raptors are expected to receive significant interest in the No. 31 pick ahead of the resumption of the draft on Thursday, with presumed first-round picks like Johnny Furphy, Kyle Filipowski, and Tyler Kolek still on the board (those are also the top three remaining prospects on ESPN’s best-available list). Vecenie has Furphy penciled in at No. 31 in his mock draft of the second round, writing that most league sources expected the Kansas wing to be drafted in the top 23.
Former G League Ignite big man Tyler Smith is viewed as another prospect who could entice a team to trade for an early second-round pick, Fischer reports.
Elsewhere in his second-round mock, Vecenie says Spanish point guard Juan Nunez has been connected to the Timberwolves by league sources throughout the pre-draft process, while San Francisco forward/center Jonathan Mogbo has been frequently linked to the Knicks. Minnesota and New York currently control the 37th and 38th picks, respectively, with New York also picking at No. 51.

Trade Rumors: Kings, Wizards, THJ, Grizzlies, Rockets

June 26th, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Luke Adams

In the minutes and hours leading up to their No. 13 pick in tonight’s draft, the Kings were engaged in trade talks involving that selection, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).

Sacramento ultimately used that pick to select Providence guard Devin Carter and it doesn’t appear that there are any plans to trade him, but it seems safe to assume the Kings will remain on the lookout for help on the wing. Anderson says Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma and Nets sharpshooter Cameron Johnson were among the names he heard linked to the Kings, while Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) notes that Sacramento expressed interest in another Net, Dorian Finney-Smith, prior to February’s trade deadline.

Here are a few more draft-day trade rumors:

The Wizards have emerged as another “viable” trade partner for the Mavericks with Tim Hardaway Jr., according to Marc Stein (Twitter link), who previously identified Detroit as a possible landing spot for Hardaway. Unlike the Pistons, Washington doesn’t project to have cap room this offseason, so Dallas would likely have to take back some salary in a deal with the Wizards. As Stein points out, the two teams have already made one trade this year, with Washington sending Daniel Gafford to the Mavs in February.
Before drafting Ron Holland at No. 5, Detroit talked to the Grizzlies about a trade back to No. 9, but Memphis didn’t present anything “substantial” to convince the Pistons to make a deal, reports James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. The Grizzlies, who were believed to be eyeing Donovan Clingan, also spoke to the Hornets about the No. 6 pick, according to Fischer (Twitter link). Clingan ultimately went to Portland at No. 7, with Memphis opting for another center, Zach Edey, at No. 9.
Despite rumors that the Rockets want to turn around and immediately trade the draft assets they got from Brooklyn for a star – possibly Kevin Durant – Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle believes the team will take a longer-term outlook. As Feigen writes in a subscriber-only story, if Houston were prioritizing making a deal in the short term, the Nets picks they gave up would’ve been valuable assets. By kicking those picks down the road, the Rockets created a longer runway to explore the trade market and pursue possible deals.

Wizards Use No. 2 Pick On Alexandre Sarr

June 26th, 2024 at 7:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Wizards have selected power forward/center Alexandre Sarr with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft.

In a rarity for the draft, top-two picks Sarr and newly-drafted Hawks small forward Zaccharie Risacher are both Frenchmen.

Sarr’s athleticism and dominant defensive presence make him one of the top prospects in this year’s class. The seven-footer played this season with the Perth Wildcats of Australia’s National Basketball League. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

Sarr has drawn comparisons with Memphis center Jaren Jackson Jr. for his defensive instincts and rim protection. He may be a bit small to thrive as an NBA center right away, so it’s possible he’ll see more time at power forward early in his career. If Sarr can improve his outside shooting, he has the physical skills to develop into an All-Star big man.

In 2023/24, the Wizards posted a 15-67 record, their worst in history. The team has enjoyed an active offseason already, having agreed to acquire the No. 14 pick in this draft’s lottery, a 2029 first, two second rounders and the contract of Malcolm Brogdon, from the Trail Blazers in exchange for swingman Deni Avdija.

Sarr is the younger brother of Thunder reserve center Olivier Sarr.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Draft Rumors: Hawks, Wizards, Sarr, Knicks, Kolek, Bulls, More

June 25th, 2024 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

In their latest mock drafts ahead of Wednesday’s first round, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic each say there’s no clarity yet on what the Hawks will do with the No. 1 overall pick. Both mocks still have Zaccharie Risacher going to Atlanta first overall for the time being, but haven’t ruled out the idea of a trade down (possibly for Donovan Clingan) or a different choice at No. 1.

While there has been some chatter linking French big man Alexandre Sarr to Atlanta, both Givony and Vecenie suggest those rumblings may be a smokescreen designed to get the Wizards to consider a possible move up to No. 1 so that they can land the player widely viewed as their top target. A year ago, the Wizards moved up one spot in the lottery from No. 8 to No. 7 in order to nab Bilal Coulibaly.

According to Givony, there’s a belief that Sarr would be comfortable ending up with the Wizards, whose rebuild may offer him a more immediate path to a significant role. Meanwhile, during a Tuesday radio appearance on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, Hawks general manager Landry Fields confirmed that Sarr hasn’t visited his team, as Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks relays (via Twitter).

“He was scheduled to come work out,” Fields said of Sarr. “We had it on the books and then he declined to come work out.”

Here’s more on the 2024 NBA draft, which is just one day away:

Both Vecenie and Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 (Twitter link) have received similar feedback on the quality of this year’s draft class. According to Vecenie, while this year’s top 10 is considered weak, the depth in the 10-25 range is viewed as strong, with the rest of the class at about the usual level. A veteran general manager offered a similar assessment to Goodman. “The depth of this draft, especially in the back half of the first round, isn’t much different than in most years,” that GM said. “But the top five – and even top 10 – collectively is as underwhelming as I’ve ever seen it.”
Among the many sourced notes in Vecenie’s mock draft: The Knicks have had interest in Marquette guard Tyler Kolek throughout the season, while the Bulls are believed to be fans of Illinois wing Terrence Shannon. Kolek may be off the board by the time New York picks at No. 24; conversely, Chicago’s No. 11 pick would be higher than expected for Shannon, who has been viewed as a late first-rounder in most mocks.
Confirming prior reporting, Josh Robbins of The Athletic cites a team source who says the Wizards are “amenable” to acquiring another first-round pick. Washington currently controls the second and 26th overall selections. However, one scenario suggested by Robbins would involve the Wizards sending out a veteran player, the No. 26 pick, and the No. 51 pick for matching salary and a higher first-round pick, which would mean upgrading their second first-rounder rather than adding a third one.
ESPN’s latest mock draft has Yves Missi going to the Pelicans at No. 21, and a recent HoopsHype report also linked New Orleans to the former Baylor center. According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, the Pelicans met with Missi at the draft combine in Chicago and also brought him to New Orleans for a workout. While Clark expects Missi to get serious consideration from the Pels if he’s available at No. 21, he says it’s unclear whether the team will prefer a player who is more NBA-ready.

Outlaw, Caporn Could Join Keefe's Staff

June 24th, 2024 at 10:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In more coaching news, J.J. Outlaw, who spent the last three seasons as a Cavaliers assistant coach, and Adam Caporn, who spent the last two seasons as a Nets assistant, are strong candidates to join Brian Keefe‘s Wizards staff, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets.

Kings Rumors: No. 13 Pick, Caruso, Fox, Siakam, Kuzma, LaVine

June 24th, 2024 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings‘ No. 13 overall pick is “very available” in trade talks, according to Anthony Slater and Sam Amick of The Athletic, who report that Sacramento included that lottery selection in an offer for Alex Caruso before the Bulls decided to send the veteran guard to Oklahoma City instead.

As Slater and Amick detail, the Kings have brought in several late-lottery prospects for pre-draft workouts, including Purdue center Zach Edey. Former Duke standout Jared McCain also recently visited Sacramento for a workout, reports Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. However, there’s “more of an appetite” within the organization to add a veteran who could help the team win right away instead of a rookie, according to The Athletic’s report.

The ideal outcome for Sacramento, Slater and Amick write, would be acquiring a “mid-prime” player who can grow with the core of De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk. The Kings believe they have a three-to-six year window to contend with those players and would be willing to attach extra draft assets to this year’s No. 13 pick for the right trade target.

Here’s more on the Kings from The Athletic:

Fox will be extension-eligible starting in July, but he has decided he won’t sign a new contract this offseason, sources tell Slater and Amick. The star guard has two guaranteed years left on his current deal, so there’s no urgency to get anything done yet. Fox wants to see how the roster takes shape and could also still qualify for a super-max extension if he makes an All-NBA team in 2024/25.
The Kings came close to acquiring Pascal Siakam from Toronto before he was sent to Indiana, having backed off in large part because they weren’t confident about their chances of re-signing him. League sources tell The Athletic that there’s some level of regret within the organization about not pulling the trigger and trying to convince the star forward to sign long-term.
Ever since nearly trading for Kyle Kuzma in 2021, Kings general manager Monte McNair has maintained some level of interest in the Wizards forward, who is expected to be on Sacramento’s radar again this summer. League sources also confirm to Slater and Amick that Bulls guard Zach LaVine is a possible target for the Kings, though they’d likely have to be incentivized to take on his maximum-salary contract, which still has three years remaining.
After coming off the bench for the past two seasons, Monk has expressed a desire to start, but he agreed to re-sign with the Kings without having received any assurances about his role going forward, per Slater and Amick.

Southeast Rumors: Shamet, T. Jones, Adebayo, Martin, Hawks, Buzelis

June 24th, 2024 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Wizards wing Landry Shamet has been the subject of exploratory trade interest from a number of teams around the NBA, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who identifies the Clippers, Lakers, Mavericks, Jazz, Raptors, and Magic as possible suitors.

Shamet has historically been a reliable three-point threat, having entered last season with a career 38.8% rate from beyond the arc. However, he made just 33.8% of his tries last season while averaging a career-low 15.8 minutes per game. Still, Scotto says that if Shamet remains in D.C., the club is leaning toward guaranteeing his $11MM salary for 2024/25. That figure is fully non-guaranteed for now, as is his $11.75MM salary for ’25/26.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

While the Wizards‘ decision to hang onto point guard Tyus Jones through the 2024 trade deadline suggested they’d like to re-sign him as a free agent this summer, rival executives are monitoring the situation to see if he’ll be a sign-and-trade candidate, sources tell Scotto.
Confirming a pair of items that don’t come as any surprise, Scotto says the Heat are expected to have contract extension discussions with star big man Bam Adebayo this offseason and that forward Caleb Martin is expected to decline his $7.1MM player option in search of a more lucrative payday as a free agent, either in Miami or elsewhere.
The Hawks brought in projected top-10 pick Matas Buzelis on Sunday for a pre-draft workout, a source tells Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who confirms the news of Buzelis’ workout, says it signals that Atlanta continues to evaluate all its options in the lottery, including trading down from No. 1. Buzelis has been most frequently linked to Detroit at No. 5.
After he spent the 2023/24 season coaching the College Park Skyhawks – Atlanta’s G League affiliate – Ryan Schmidt is expected to move to the Hawks‘ bench for the 2024/25 season, Scotto reports, adding that Hawks assistant Steven Klei is a candidate to become the Skyhawks’ head coach.

Troy Weaver To Join Wizards As Senior Advisor

June 24th, 2024 at 7:48am CST by Arthur Hill

Former Pistons general manager Troy Weaver will become a senior advisor with the Wizards, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

As rumored last week, Weaver will reunite with Monumental Sports/Wizards president Michael Winger and GM Will Dawkins, who took over the team last summer. The three executives spent more than a decade together in Oklahoma City’s front office.

Wojnarowski hears that Weaver’s agent, Andy Miller of Klutch Sports, is finalizing a contract to have Weaver in place in time for Wednesday’s draft and the start of free agency this weekend. A team executive tells Woj that Winger and Dawkins consider Weaver to be a “truth teller” who is willing to challenge them regarding difficult decisions.

Weaver is also viewed as an expert on prospect evaluation and player development, according to Wojnarowski, who cites his role in creating the powerful Thunder team built around Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

Weaver is a Washington, D.C., native, and Wojnarowski notes that he launched his career as head coach of DC Assault, a successful AAU program. That led to assistant coaching jobs in the college ranks with Pittsburgh, New Mexico and Syracuse and eventually an NBA opportunity as the head scout in Utah.

Weaver and the Pistons parted ways in what was termed a “mutual decision” earlier this month as part of an organizational housecleaning after Trajan Langdon was hired as head of basketball operations. Detroit also dismissed head coach Monty Williams and is still searching for his replacement.

Although he didn’t produce much on-court success during his four years with the Pistons, Weaver assembled a promising collection of young talent. Draft picks during his tenure produced Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson.

Wizards Interested In Mitchell Robinson?

June 23rd, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Rory Maher

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has recently popped up in trade rumors. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, the Wizards are among the teams who have talked to New York about Robinson.

Known as a strong defensive player, Robinson was limited to 31 games in 2023/24 due to injuries, including two different surgeries on his left ankle. The second surgery, which took place in May, ended the 26-year-old’s season.

Despite his lengthy injury history, Robinson could appeal to rival teams as a starting-caliber big man with a declining contract. He’ll earn $14.3MM in ’24/25 and just under $13MM in ’25/26.

Begley previously cited the Lakers, Grizzlies and Pelicans as teams “closely monitoring” the market for centers this offseason.

According to Begley, the Knicks have been evaluating their options at the five in case they lose Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency or trade Robinson. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that New York appears to be in the driver’s seat to re-sign Hartenstein.

Begley hears Magic center Goga Bitadze is a player the Knicks would have interest in if they end up needing depth in the middle. Bitadze is an unrestricted free agent.

Draft Notes: Rockets, Wizards, Suns, France, Big Boards

June 22nd, 2024 at 8:15am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Rockets may be more interested in moving their pick than keeping it, Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reports. Offers for the selection are expected to be entertained until Houston is on the clock at No. 3 in Wednesday’s draft. If Houston does stand pat at No. 3, Reed Sheppard appears to be the heavy favorite for that spot. The Trail Blazers are among the teams that have called the Rockets about moving up to No. 3 in the draft.

According to Fischer, the Wizards have the league convinced they’re honing in on Perth’s Alexandre Sarr. As reported, Sarr hasn’t conducted a private workout for the Hawks, holders of the No. 1 selection, and Fischer reports Sarr’s preferred destination is, in fact, Washington. Beyond their plans at No. 2, the Wizards are a “prime candidate” to move up from No. 26 and have also been seeking a third first-round pick, Says Fischer.

Further down the draft, the Suns are a strong candidate to trade down from No. 22. The goal for the Suns, Fischer writes, would be to accumulate future second-round picks to restock their draft capital for trade flexibility. Additionally, the idea of adding inexpensive rookie contracts onto an expensive roster appeals to Phoenix.

We have more from around the draft:

A flood of talent is following 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama from France, Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek writes. His former teammate Bilal Coulibaly was selected No. 7 overall in last year’s draft and another ex-teammate, Armel Traore, could be in play in the second round of this year’s draft. Additionally, Zaccharie Risacher and Sarr are seen as the favorites for the top two draft selections in this class, while Tidjane Salaun, Melvin Ajinca and Pacome Dadiet are all likely to be selected this year too. Down the line, Nolan Traore and Nathan Soliman are picking up steam in future draft classes.
Risacher, Sarr and UConn’s Donovan Clingan, in that order, round out ESPN’s top three players on Jonathan Givony’s final big board update before the draft. Givony and Jeremy Woo provide their picks for the top 100 players in the class, with Sheppard, G League Ignite’s Matas Buzelis, UConn’s Stephon Castle, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham, Salaun, and Serbia’s Nikola Topic filling in the rest of their top 10 (in that order).
Risacher is lower on Sam Vecenie’s draft board at The Athletic, with the French wing coming in at No. 5. Salaun, Buzelis, Dillingham and Topic all sit outside the top 10 of Vecenie’s annual draft guide, while he ranks Colorado’s Cody Williams (No. 6), Providence’s Devin Carter (No. 7), Pitt’s Carlton Carrington (No. 8) and Ron Holland of the G League Ignite (No. 10) among the top 10. I highly recommend both Givony’s and Vecenie’s draft guides if you have a subscription to either platform, as this is some of the top draft content to come out annually.
Clingan is the name most linked to the Hawks over the past week, Vecenie writes in a recent mock draft. While Atlanta has openly stated it is content with standing pat at No. 1, Vecenie hears there’s an impression the club is open to making a move if the right deal presents itself. However, Atlanta hasn’t finalized its decision yet and even if it wanted to trade down to select him later, Chicago and Memphis have expressed interest in taking Clingan themselves if they can trade up. Vecenie indeed has Washington landing Sarr and Houston getting Sheppard, but has Risacher falling to San Antonio at No. 4, Buzelis going No. 5 to Detroit and Castle landing in Charlotte at No. 6.