Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Wizards Rumors

Eastern Notes: LaVine, Bulls, Heat, Wizards

September 13th, 2024 at 7:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Two-time All-Star Zach LaVine was one of the first players to return to the Bulls for workouts this month at their practice facility, the Advocate Center, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network. According to Johnson, the majority of the team’s roster has been present for workouts ahead of training camp.

LaVine, who has been the subject of trade rumors for well over a year, was limited to just 25 games last season due to a foot injury, which required surgery. The 29-year-old is owed $138MM over the next three seasons, including a $49MM player option in 2026/27.

Here are a few more notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune poses five questions facing the Bulls prior to training camp, which begins Oct. 1. In addition to pondering what it will take to move LaVine, Poe also wonders if head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas is on the hot seat after the team failed to make the playoffs the past two seasons and then lost DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade for a minimal return.
  • On Wednesday, the Heat signed Bryson Warren and Malik Williams to Exhibit 10 contracts. On Thursday, both players were waived. Free agent guard Caleb Daniels is also expected to be signed-and-waived by Miami in the coming days, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The procedural move would allow Daniels to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K  — on top of his NBA G League salary — if he spends at least 60 days with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s NBAGL affiliate. Daniels, 25, went undrafted in 2023 out of Villanova. After signing an Exhibit 10 deal with Miami last summer and subsequently being waived, he spent his first professional season with the Skyforce, appearing in 47 games (30.1 MPG) while averaging 12.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.2 APG on .429/.368/.841 shooting.
  • The Wizards were the worst rebounding team in the NBA in 2023/24. They should be better in that category in ’24/25 after adding Jonas Valanciunas and Alex Sarr, among other players, writes Chase Hughes of The Monumental Sports Network. Valanciunas has been one of the league’s best rebounders on a per-minute basis for most of his career.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Mavs, Camp Questions, Maine Staff

September 13th, 2024 at 3:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on “The Tonight Show” to promote his children’s book, Celtics star Jayson Tatum made a few predictions about the upcoming season, as Max Molski of NBC Sports Boston relays. Notably, Tatum picked himself to win MVP, and said he thinks the Celtics will return to the NBA Finals again in 2025.

“It’s gonna be a rematch. We’re gonna play Dallas again,” Tatum said.

Boston claimed its 18th championship by defeating the Mavericks in the 2024 Finals. Jaylen Brown was voted Finals MVP.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

  • With an early training camp set to open in under two weeks, Jared Weiss of The Athletic lists five questions facing the defending champions entering 2024/25, including how Tatum and Brown will respond to some minor controversies with Team USA this summer. Weiss also wonders which young players will crack the rotation this season, with Jaden Springer and Baylor Scheierman looking like the top contenders entering camp.
  • Former Wizards player development coach Landon Tatum has joined Boston’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, as an assistant coach, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). Tatum had been with Washington since 2016, Scotto notes.
  • Tatum’s hiring was confirmed in a press release from the Maine Celtics announcing the team’s coaching staff for ’24/25. Tyler Lashbrook, who was a player development assistant on Joe Mazzulla‘s staff last season, has been named Maine’s head coach. “Tyler is a great coach who excels in relationship management and communication,” said Mazzulla. “Last season he led our late game situational prep and took the lead on developing some of our younger players. I am excited for Tyler to have this opportunity to grow as a coach and leader, and to impact the Maine team and community.” Assistant Steve Tchiengang has been promoted to Maine’s associate head coach, while Taaj Ridley is also back for a second season. Tatum and Brendan Baker are the team’s new assistants, per the release.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Hornets, Friedman, Wade

September 12th, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Luke Adams

After two years in Atlanta, Dejounte Murray was traded to New Orleans in July, leaving an open backcourt spot in the Hawks‘ projected starting lineup next to star point guard Trae Young. Who will fill that opening? Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscription required) considers the options, suggesting that as many as five players could be in the mix for the job.

Bogdan Bogdanovic and Dyson Daniels look like the top candidates. A Young/Bogdanovic pairing in the backcourt could create some problems on the defensive end, according to Williams, though she notes that Bogdanovic improved on that end of the court last season. Daniels, meanwhile, has the makings of an elite point-of-attack defender, but he has yet to display much of an offensive game at the NBA level and will be new to the Hawks’ system.

Vit Krejci, Garrison Mathews, and Kobe Bufkin are the other shooting guard possibilities Williams looks at, though she acknowledges that not all of them are locks to end up in the regular rotation, let alone to vie for a starting role.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • The Hawks will hold their training camp next month at the University of Georgia in Athens, per Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, while the Hornets will conduct their camp in Durham at Duke University, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. It’ll be a familiar setting for Hornets big man Mark Williams, who played his college ball with the Blue Devils.
  • Assistant coach Nick Friedman, who spent the past five seasons in the Hornets organization, is joining the Capital City Go-Go – the Wizards‘ G League affiliate – under head coach Cody Toppert, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Friedman and Toppert previously worked together with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Northern Arizona Suns, Scotto notes.
  • The Heat announced on Thursday that they’ll be unveiling a statue of Dwyane Wade outside Kaseya Center on Sunday, October 27, as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays. Wade will be honored by the team the following night during the Oct. 28 home game vs. Detroit.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

G League Moves: Kings, Wizards, Cavs, Jazz, Hawks, More

September 12th, 2024 at 5:21pm CST by Luke Adams

While the NBA trade market has been quiet since July, NBA G League teams have been active in recent days, swapping returning player rights and draft picks ahead of the 2024/25 season.

A player’s G League returning rights are only valuable in certain situations. If a player is on a standard or two-way contract with an NBA team, those returning rights mean little, since the player will play for his NBA’s team affiliate when he reports to the G League. Even for players not on NBA rosters, returning rights offer no assurances for G League teams — the player could opt to play in Europe, Australia, Asia, or in another non-NBAGL league.

However, most G League trades made at this point in the year are completed with the knowledge that at least one of the players involved in the deal intends to sign an NBAGL contract and report to the team acquiring him. And in some cases, the trades represent the start of a greater opportunity for a player.

For instance, last summer, Trevelin Queen (Osceola Magic) and Alondes Williams (Sioux Falls Skyforce) were among the players who had their returning rights acquired by new teams. Queen and Williams initially signed training camp contracts with the NBA parent clubs (Orlando and Miami), but were eventually promoted to two-way deals and finished the 2023/24 season in the NBA.

Here are some details on the latest trades completed in the G League:

  • The Stockton Kings, Capital City Go-Go (Wizards), and Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers) finalized a three-team deal that sent Jules Bernard‘s returning rights to Cleveland, the rights to Dexter Dennis and Justin Powell to Stockton, and NBA veteran Jaylen Nowell to Capital City, per a press release from the Kings. Nowell has reportedly agreed to a camp deal with the Wizards.
  • Stockton followed up that deal by reaching a separate agreement with the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz‘s affiliate (press release). The Kings acquired the rights to Jayce Johnson and a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for the rights to Dane Goodwin.
  • The College Park Skyhawks, the Hawks‘ G League affiliate, sent the returning rights to Miles Norris and Joel Ayayi to the Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies) in exchange for Michael Devoe‘s rights and the Indiana Mad Ants’ 2025 first-round pick.
  • The Skyhawks subsequently flipped that 2025 Mad Ants first-rounder to the San Diego Clippers for Joey Hauser‘s rights (Twitter links). Hauser is reportedly joining the Hawks this fall on an Exhibit 10 deal.
  • The Mexico City Capitanes – the G League’s only unaffiliated team – has made a pair of trades. The Capitanes sent Ethan Thompson‘s rights to the Osceola Magic in exchange for the rights to D.J. Wilson and a 2024 first-round pick (Twitter link), then acquired Greg Brown‘s returning rights from the Texas Legends (Mavericks) in exchange for the rights to Phillip Wheeler and a 2025 second-round pick (press release).
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Former NBA Lottery Pick John Henson Confirms Retirement

September 11th, 2024 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA big man John Henson has no intentions of attempting a comeback, confirming to Spencer Davies of RG.org that he has retired as a player and has moved onto the next stage of his life.

“I was so blessed to play this long,” Henson said. “It’s a lot of opportunities, man. It’s just a matter of one step at a time. I’m only 33, so I have time to explore and figure out what I want to do next. This is just the next phase, and we’ll see where it takes me. But so far, so good.”

The 14th overall pick in the 2012 draft, Henson spent his first seven seasons with the Bucks, then played for the Cavaliers and Pistons during the 2019/20 season. He averaged 7.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 19.7 minutes per game across 445 career outings (160 starts) from 2012-20. Health issues, including wrist and hamstring injuries, slowed him down and limited his availability during his final seasons.

Though he inked a 10-day contract with the Knicks in April 2021, Henson didn’t appear in any games for New York. The 6’9″ center also signed with Mets de Guaynabo in Puerto Rico in March 2022, but ended up not suiting up for the team.

“I could’ve fought. I could’ve went the G League route and tried to work my way back, but I’ve always just been a guy that basketball’s never life or death for me or my life,” Henson said. “I’m not gonna sit here and bang my head against the wall. My first initial thought was let me finish my education and let me see what happens, and then we’ll go from there.”

According to Davies, Henson has passed on offers in recent years to be a veteran mentor on the G League Ignite’s roster and to join the Capital City Go-Go (the Wizards‘ G League affiliate) as an assistant coach.

Henson’s focus has been on media jobs — he’ll provide color commentary for ACC games and serve as an analyst on SiriusXM’s ACC Today program during the 2024/25 season, per Davies. The big man previously spent two seasons appearing on The Bettor Half Hour on MSG Network.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Los Angeles Notes: Guthrie, Lakers Trade Targets, West, Clippers Rotation

September 10th, 2024 at 9:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers are hiring Zach Guthrie as the head coach of their NBA G League affiliate in South Bay, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The G League team has confirmed the hiring (Twitter link).

Guthrie had been an assistant with the Wizards since 2021. He also spent a season with Dallas and four seasons with Utah. Additionally, Guthrie served as the manager of advanced scouting for the Magic and was an assistant video coordinator for two years with the Spurs.

We have more on the Los Angeles teams:

  • Zach LaVine, Trae Young, Jerami Grant and Brandon Ingram are among the rival players who could be linked to the Lakers in trade rumors this season, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report writes. Noting that the Lakers are pushed up against the second tax apron, Pincus believes that a trade would be their only path toward improving the roster. He takes a look at a dozen potential trade targets.
  • The Lakers will wear a No. 44 band on the left shoulder of their uniforms this season to honor Jerry West, according to ESPN Dave McMenamin. West played all 14 years of his Hall of Fame career with the team. He later served as a coach and executive with the organization. West, who was also a consultant for the Clippers beginning in 2017, died in June at the age of 86.
  • Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac, who have all signed new contracts in 2024, are the only surefire starters for the Clippers. How will the rest of the lineup and rotation shake out? The Athletic’s Law Murray tackles that subject, speculating that free agent addition Derrick Jones Jr. and Terance Mann will likely join the above trio in the starting five with Norman Powell preferably slotted in a super-sub role. Two other offseason additions, Nicolas Batum and Kris Dunn, should also claim rotation spots.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

2024/25 NBA Over/Unders: Southeast Division

September 9th, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2024/25 NBA regular season set to tip off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including Bovada and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2023/24, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’24/25?

We’ll continue our series today with the Southeast Division…

Orlando Magic

Miami Heat

Atlanta Hawks

Charlotte Hornets

Washington Wizards

Previous voting results:

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics (58.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
  • New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (58.8%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (52.5 wins): Under (51.7%)
  • Toronto Raptors (30.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (19.5 wins): Over (54.3%)

Southwest

  • Dallas Mavericks (49.5 wins): Over (78.0%)
  • Memphis Grizzlies (47.5 wins): Under (65.6%)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (46.5 wins): Under (60.6%)
  • Houston Rockets (43.5 wins): Under (51.4%)
  • San Antonio Spurs (36.5 wins): Under (52.9%)
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament

September 8th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The play-in tournament ensures that at least 10 teams in each conference will get a taste of the postseason.

Unless something unforseen happens, eight teams in the Eastern Conference can already plan on playing beyond their regular season finales. It’s safe to assume the Celtics, Bucks, Sixers, Magic, Knicks, Cavaliers, Pacers and Heat will occupy eight of the postseason slots. The only mystery regarding those clubs is which two teams will have to come out of the play-in tournament.

Predicting which two Eastern teams among the remaining seven will participate in the play-in is a much tougher call. The Bulls and Hawks snared the last two spots last season, but there’s reason to believe they’ll wind up in the lottery.

The Bulls dealt away leading scorer DeMar DeRozan and top defender Alex Caruso this offseason and would like to make more moves. Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic have been on the trading block for quite a while and they could be wearing different uniforms at some point during the season. The addition of Josh Giddey, joining Coby White in the backcourt, could be enough to get them back to the play-in but that’s certainly no lock.

The Hawks, of course, broke up their high-scoring backcourt by dealing Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans. Atlanta did wind up with the top pick in the draft, but Zaccharie Risacher isn’t your typical top overall selection. No one quite knows what the Hawks have in Risacher, who is unlikely to have the sort of first-year impact that Victor Wembanyama or Brandon Miller did a year ago.

The Raptors have a much different roster than in recent years but they should improve on their 25-win total. They have built around Scottie Barnes with a backcourt of former Knicks Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.

The Hornets could be on the upswing if LaMelo Ball can finally stay healthy for a whole season. They have two high-scoring wings in Miller and Miles Bridges.

The Wizards signed Jonas Valanciunas and have two promising forwards Bilal Coulibaly and No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr. They still seem to be a couple of years away from entering the postseason picture.

The Nets, of course, traded away their top player in Mikal Bridges with their sights set on next offseason, when they’ll have extra first-round picks and plenty of cap space.

Last, but maybe not least anymore, are the Pistons. Coming off the worst season in franchise history, the Pistons used their ample cap room to get Cade Cunningham more help. The additions of Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. should make them more competitive.

That leads us to our topic of the day: Among the Bulls, Hawks, Raptors, Hornets, Wizards, Nets and Pistons, which of those Eastern Conference teams will make the play-in tournament this upcoming season? 

Please take to the comments section to address this topic. We look forward to your input.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

International Notes: Fournier, Gafford, Smailagic, Karaman

September 8th, 2024 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Evan Fournier is ready to get started with Olympiacos after spending 12 years in the NBA, per a Eurohoops story. The 32-year-old guard made the decision to play in Europe after helping France win a silver medal at the Olympics. During a press conference this week, Fournier confirmed that he received an offer from Washington, but he didn’t want to settle for being a mentor and a part-time player.

“I had contacts with some contenders during the summer, before the Olympics,” he told reporters. “I had an offer from the Wizards, but that wasn’t something I wanted for my career right now. I came to Olympiacos to experience strong emotions, play in big games, and be part of a special project. This was the opportunity at the right time and by far the best option for me.”

Fournier added that he grew up as a fan of Olympiacos and is happy to be able to join the Greek team. He spent time with JSF Nanterre and Poitiers Basket 86 before coming to the NBA, so he’s familiar with the European style of play, and he said at the news conference that it’s actually harder to score in the EuroLeague than it is in the NBA. He also stated that he received encouragement from Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, a former teammate, about returning to Europe.

“Vucevic and I have been discussing it all the time lately,” Fournier said. “He is from Montenegro and is a fan of Red Star, and he was asking me a lot of questions about my transition here. He loves European basketball as well. If he doesn’t (make) the playoffs, he will come see me play here.”

There’s more international news to pass along:

  • Mavericks center Daniel Gafford received an offer to join Luka Doncic on the Slovenian national team, Matej Erjavec, president of the Basketball Federation of Slovenia, revealed in an interview with Ekipa. Gafford was approached with the possibility after a game last season and asked for some time to consider it. “When he called us a few days later, he said that this summer was simply not going to work, as he had ordered individual exercises, programs, personal trainers and some other matters,” Erjavec said. “(But) he is definitely interested in the future.”
  • Former NBA player Alen Smailagic cited extortion, blackmail and financial fraud as reasons he chose to leave Serbia and sign with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, per BasketNews. Smailagic has filed criminal charges against two people regarding a contract his parents signed in 2019 after his first season with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League.
  • Turkish player Ilkan Karaman, who was selected in the 2012 NBA draft, has died at age 34 after being struck by a car while standing on the sidewalk, according to BasketNews. Karaman was taken by the Nets with the 57th pick in 2012. His draft rights were traded to Cleveland in 2014 and to Milwaukee in 2020, but he never played in the NBA.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Evan Fournier Says He Turned Down Offer From Wizards

September 4th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Evan Fournier had an opportunity to extend his NBA career, but he reveals in an interview with the French media outlet L’Equipe that he declined a two-year offer from the Wizards, according to French journalist Maxime Aubin (Twitter link).

The full interview won’t be posted until Thursday, but Aubin reports that Fournier said he wasn’t interested in taking on a “mentoring role” or playing for “a losing team.” That’s the situation he found himself in after being sent to Detroit at last season’s trade deadline. Fournier wound up playing 29 games for the Pistons and averaging 7.2 PPG off the bench in 18.7 minutes per night while shooting 37.3% from the field and 27% from three-point range, both far below his career averages.

The 32-year-old guard opted to return to Europe, agreeing to a two-year contract with Olimpiacos over the weekend. After being stuck in Tom Thibodeau’s doghouse with the Knicks and seeing very limited playing time over the past two seasons, Fournier wanted a situation where he could “enjoy playing basketball again,” per Aubin.

Fournier was one of the league’s most productive shooting guards during his six-plus seasons with Orlando, and he had a strong first year with New York, starting all 80 games he played while averaging 14.1 PPG and shooting 38.9% from beyond the arc. He fell out of favor with Thibodeau the next season because of his defensive shortcomings, but the Knicks’ front office decided to hold onto him and his hefty contract in case it was needed for a major trade.

At last month’s Olympics, Fournier showed he can still play at a high level against some of the world’s best competition. He averaged 9.8 points in six games to help French capture the silver medal.

Fournier received a hero’s welcome from Greek fans when he arrived at the airport and posted a short video of their response on Twitter. He told L’Equipe that playing in Europe became his priority after the Olympics wrapped up, Eurohoops relays.

“I would have liked to experience more things in the NBA, I only made the playoffs five times,” Fournier said. “But you don’t control everything about your destiny there. After the Olympic Games, I told my agent that I was keen to (return to Europe). Olympiacos was my priority.”

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts