The Wizards are interested in re-signing Trevor Ariza as well as Marcin Gortat, but there’s concern that they’ll prove too expensive to retain, Marc Stein of ESPN.com wrote last week. Meanwhile, executives around the league told Zach Lowe of Grantland that they believe Gortat and Ariza will cost a combined $15-20MM in annual salaries. Here’s the latest out of D.C., where we could see some big checks written this summer..
- Ariza is a free agent this summer but he continues to be extremely complimentary of the Wizards, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “I think trust,” Ariza said, when asked what was most important to him. “Having trust in where you are, with your organization, with your teammates, is No. 1. “And how comfortable you are, how comfortable my family is, and this year, my family has been extremely comfortable. We loved our neighborhood that we lived in. The organization has been great. My teammates, we hang out all the time, so I think this is a really good destination. Free agents would be crazy not to want to come here.”
- Free-agent-to-be Gortat reiterated his affinity for the Wizards, this week, writes Brandon Parker of the Washington Post. Gortat was hesitant to come to D.C. in the Suns trade but ultimately felt at home in his new surroundings.
- When asked if this was a “lost season,” Wizards rising sophomore Otto Porter said that he saw his rookie campaign as a “learning season,” Lee tweets. Porter struggled during his first NBA season and the club even considered sending the No. 3 overall pick to the D-League.