Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Beal Focused More On Defense

November 8th, 2021 at 8:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bradley Beal rumors never go away, but the All-Star guard is quite content with the changes the Wizards have made, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The team’s improved depth has eased the burden off him and he’s become more of a contributor at the defensive end.

“It feels great not having to make every play and do everything,” the Wizards star said. “I can really focus on a lot of other things in the game, especially my defense. But more or less, it’s an amazing feeling knowing that you have vets when it’s time to close out a game and win a game. They’re prepared. They know what to do, and we’re all camaraderie-wise ready to go.”

Latest On Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant

November 8th, 2021 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Wizards forward Rui Hachimura, who has been sidelined to start the season for personal reasons, is expected to be “reintegrated fully” within the next couple weeks, sources tell Charania. Hachimura will have to through a ramp-up process before he’s ready to return to the court.
The Wizards remain hopeful that center Thomas Bryant, who is coming off an ACL tear, will return before January, per Charania. The team has previously stated that it hopes Bryant will be able to play “sometime in December,” so that timeline remains unchanged.

[SOURCE LINK]

Davis Bertans Remains Week-To-Week With Ankle Sprain

November 7th, 2021 at 5:15pm CST by JD Shaw

Wizards forward Davis Bertans remains week-to-week due to an ankle sprain, head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Bertans is in the second season of a five-year, $80MM deal he signed with the team roughly a year ago. Players such as Kyle Kuzma and Deni Avdija have seen increased playing time during his absence.

Wizards Notes: Beal, Avdija, Harrell, Bryant

November 7th, 2021 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

COVID-19 forced Bradley Beal to miss the Olympics, but he’s feeling better after going through a few months of “funk,” writes Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. Along with improved health, Beal is enjoying the Wizards‘ 6-3 start as he hopes the conversation will focus more on the playoff race rather than his upcoming contract decision. Washington has offered Beal a four-year extension valued at more than $180MM, but he could make about $50MM more by waiting for free agency next summer.

“There are situations where it can loom over your head like, oh, damn, what am I going to do, where am I going to go, who am I going to sign with?” Beal said. “I don’t think I have that problem. I’m here. This is what I’m making. I’m making a lot of money, and I’m comfortable with doing that, and I could stop today and be good (financially).”

Beal has repeatedly expressed his loyalty to the organization and his desire to spend his career with one team. The drawback has been a lack of competitiveness by the Wizards, who haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since Beal joined the team. That’s the goal he expressed recently to team chairman Ted Leonsis.

“I’m not sitting here and saying we’re going to hold up the Larry (O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy), but I want to be able to have those opportunities,” Beal said. “I want to be able to see that that’s reachable.”

There’s more from Washington:

Deni Avdija doesn’t mind having players challenge him on defense, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The second-year forward is a deceptively strong defender, ranking second on the team in opponents’ field goal percentage at 36.2%. “I think I was a good defender even last year, but last year I didn’t get the most respect. I’m just, it’s my heart, you know? I’m not the most athletic. You see people bring me in pick-and-roll all the time. They think they can attack me, they think they can score on me, and it’s fun,” Avdija said.
Montrezl Harrell, who was acquired from the Lakers over the summer, says it’s easy to understand why his numbers have improved, Hughes tweets. Harrell is averaging 18.0 points and 9.7 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per night after playing just 22.9 minutes per game last season. “Montrezl Harrell is on the floor, brother,” he said. “That’s the biggest difference.”
With Thomas Bryant expected to return from an ACL tear next month, Hughes posted a video of him at practice, noting that he appears to be running without discomfort (Twitter link).

Hachimura To Return Sooner Rather Than Later?

November 5th, 2021 at 5:38pm CST by Rory Maher

Wizards forward Rui Hachimura is back with the team, but there’s still uncertainty about when he’ll rejoin the lineup. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. said that he tentatively expects Hachimura back “sooner rather than later,” according to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. “I don’t have a timetable, but I would agree with [‘sooner rather than later’],” Unseld said on Thursday. “He’s been around more, he’s working out, so it’s good to have him in the building and be present.

Greg Monroe, Gary Clark, Carsen Edwards Join G League Teams

November 5th, 2021 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

A handful of NBA veterans have joined G League teams in advance of the start of the NBAGL’s 2021/22 season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As Charania reports, the Capital City Go-Go (Wizards) have added center Greg Monroe, the Mexico City Capitanes have added forward Gary Clark, and the Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz) have acquired swingman Carsen Edwards.

Monroe, 31, has nine years of NBA experience under his belt, but hasn’t played in the league since 2018/19, when he appeared in 43 total games for three teams. In 632 career NBA games, the former Georgetown star averaged 13.2 PPG and 8.3 RPG in 27.7 minutes per contest. He has spent time playing in Germany and Russia since 2019.

An undrafted free agent with three years of NBA experience from 2018-21, Clark appeared in 132 total games for four teams. He’s known more for his defense, having put up very modest offensive numbers (3.2 PPG on .346/.311/.889 shooting) in the NBA. Clark, who will turn 27 later this month, has previous G League experience with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Edwards was the 33th overall pick out of Purdue in 2019 and spent his first two professional seasons with the Celtics, but didn’t emerge as a reliable rotation player, posting just 3.6 PPG on .372/.302/.750 shooting in 68 games (9.2 MPG). He was traded to Memphis and subsequently waived during the 2021 offseason.

The G League Ignite have also announced two veteran additions, confirming that center Kosta Koufos and former Jazz guard Kevin Murphy have come aboard. Amir Johnson and Pooh Jeter are among the other veterans on the team.

And-Ones: 2022 Cap Room, Stephenson, G League, More

November 5th, 2021 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

Only four NBA teams currently project to have significant cap room in the 2022 offseason, writes Danny Leroux of The Athletic. Not only is that number lower than usual, but none of those four teams appear likely to have enough space for a maximum-salary player worth 30% of the cap, Leroux adds.

The Pistons currently project to have the most space, with Blake Griffin‘s dead money coming off their books. According to Leroux, the Magic, Spurs, and Grizzlies join them as the other clubs likely to have at least $15MM in room. Teams like the Wizards and Bulls could have room too, but that would be a worst-case scenario for those clubs, since it would mean losing Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine, respectively, in free agency.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Veteran NBA swingman Lance Stephenson spoke to Jack Green of Betway about his decision to play in the G League and the role he expects to have with the Grand Rapids Gold, the Nuggets‘ new affiliate. Stephenson, who worked out for several NBA teams during the offseason, hopes to show in the NBAGL that he still has plenty left in the tank. “My body feels amazing,” he said. “I don’t feel like an older guy, I still feel like a young guy. So I think I’ve got a couple more years left.”
The original plan for the Mexico City Capitanes was to join the NBA G League for the 2020/21 season. However, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed their debut back by a year, and the team has now been uprooted from its home in Mexico due to pandemic-related travel concerns. Eric Gomez of ESPN takes an in-depth at the new G League franchise and the adjustments it has had to make over the last couple years.
Former CAA agent Michael Tellem has joined Excel Sports, the agency announced (via Twitter). Danilo Gallinari, Jakob Poeltl, and Daniel Theis are among the most notable NBA clients for Tellem, whose father is Pistons vice chairman and former agent Arn Tellem.
It’s not just NBA scouts and executives who have been impressed so far by the new Overtime Elite league — the program’s level of professionalism and credibility has also made an impact on its players, writes Kyle Tucker of The Athletic. “It’s even more than I thought it would be,” said 2022 draft-eligible forward Kok Yat. “If I didn’t come here, no NBA scouts would know who I am. You want to be seen, so this feels like a huge step.”

Davis Bertans Week-To-Week With Ankle Injury

November 3rd, 2021 at 6:02pm CST by Rory Maher

Wizards sharpshooter Davis Bertans is week-to-week after sustaining an injury to his left ankle, according to head coach Wes Unseld Jr. (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington). Bertans will be out for at least the remainder of this week.

The 5-2 Wizards have had a strong start to the season, but Bertans has struggled to find a rhythm thus far. In seven games, the “Latvian Laser” is averaging 6.1 points and 1.7 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game, with a .342/.333/1.000 shooting slash line.

It’s a setback for Bertans, whose minutes were already considerably lower than they had been the previous two seasons with the Wizards (16.9 versus 25.7 and 29.3).

Second-year forward Deni Avdija and rookie Corey Kispert could see their roles expand while Bertans is injured. The Wizards are still awaiting the season debut of third-year forward Rui Hachimura, who has been out for personal reasons.

Gafford Returns To Action Monday

November 1st, 2021 at 7:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Wizards big man Daniel Gafford returned to action on Monday, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. He suffered a right quad contusion against the Celtics on Wednesday. He underwent an MRI to ensure the injury was not more serious. He’s averaging 8.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.0 BPG.

Community Shootaround: Strong Starts

October 31st, 2021 at 5:30pm CST by JD Shaw

The Bulls, Knicks, Warriors, Heat and Wizards are tied for the league’s best record (5-1) entering the final night of October, having opened the season on a strong note.

Chicago is sporting a new core that includes Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic in the starting lineup — its only loss came against the Knicks on Thursday in a one-point game.

New York is looking to build on its success from last season after adding Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier to a battle-tested core. Golden State has seen strong performances from Stephen Curry (28.7 points per game), plus two backcourt pieces in Damion Lee and Jordan Poole (combined 28.2 points per game).

The two Southeast Division teams on the list, Miami and Washington, are enjoying win streaks of four and three games, respectively. The clubs have played well despite dealing with various absences, including Bam Adebayo (knee) and Daniel Gafford (quad) on Friday.

The million-dollar question is simple: which of these teams are most likely to sustain a high level of success? Chicago and Washington have relatively new cores, while Miami and Golden State have veterans and coaches with valuable championship experience. New York remains a hungry wild card.

From a long-term perspective, the Heat and Warriors are still waiting for Victor Oladipo and Klay Thompson to return from their injuries. Chicago has also lost second-year forward Patrick Williams, who’s expected to miss at least the rest of the regular season with a dislocated wrist.

We want to know what you think. Which of these teams are more likely to succeed than others? Is it still too early in the season to draw any serious conclusions? Take to the comments section below!