The Wizards request for a disabled player exception for injured All-Star point guard John Wall has been denied, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (via Twitter).
As both Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington and Bobby Marks of ESPN note (via Twitter), the denial does not come as a surprise, as Washington had to show that Wall would be out of action until June 15, 2020, 16 months after surgery, for an injury that generally has an 11-15 month recovery time.
Meanwhile, Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link) adds that the NBA’s denial of the Wizards’ request isn’t that big of a deal, tweeting that the team’s proximity to the tax likely would have prevented them from using the $9.258MM exception anyway.
Moreover, Katz opines (via Twitter) that it would have probably been more concerning had the DPE been granted because it would’ve meant that an independent physician determined Wall’s injury would sideline him for 16 months, begging the question as to the severity of the injury itself.