Bradley Beal

Wizards Notes: Mathews, Beal, Rotation, Hachimura

July 9th, 2020 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Having been one of the first NBA teams to arrive at the Walt Disney World campus on Tuesday, the Wizards announced today (via Twitter) that their quarantine period has ended and they’ll conduct their first practice later this afternoon.

However, one player who won’t participate in that practice is two-way guard Garrison Mathews. Sources tell Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Mathews didn’t travel to Orlando with the team for personal reasons. According to Katz, Mathews hasn’t tested positive for the coronavirus, but it remains unclear whether he’ll join the team later or miss the rest of the season.

Mathews, a rookie out of Lipscomb, appeared in just 18 games for the Wizards during the season, averaging 12.6 minutes per contest, so he wasn’t exactly an indispensable rotation piece. Still, Matthews would likely have moved up on the depth chart with Bradley Beal sidelined for the restart, so if he doesn’t eventually join the club at Disney, he’ll be missed.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Although Beal was shut down for the rest of the season due to a rotator cuff injury, Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard said this week that he doesn’t think surgery “is an option at all” for the All-Star guard. Rest and a longer training camp period should have Beal ready to go for 2020/21, according to Sheppard. “I think if we had another month of ramp-up time, Bradley would probably be ready to play,” Sheppard said, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “These are eight games vs. 82 next season and all the seasons beyond that. I think it’s worth mitigating the risk right now for what’s ahead.”
In a separate story for NBC Sports Washington, Hughes contends that Beal’s performance this season showed that we still don’t know exactly what his ceiling is.
With Beal, Davis Bertans, and John Wall not participating in the summer restart, a handful of younger Wizards will get a chance to take on larger roles, according to Jackson Filyo of WashingtonWizards.com, who points to Troy Brown Jr., Rui Hachimura, Thomas Bryant, Moritz Wagner, and Jerome Robinson as players who could step up. “I’m so excited for this opportunity,” Hachimura said, per Hughes. “I think we have a chance to make the playoffs.”

Bradley Beal Won’t Play In NBA Restart

July 7th, 2020 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

Wizards star Bradley Beal won’t participate in the NBA’s restart this summer due to a right rotator cuff injury, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Wizards, the decision was made in “full consultation” with Wizards doctors, Beal, and the guard’s representatives.

“Bradley did everything possible to be ready to play, but after closely monitoring his individual workouts we came to the conclusion that it was best for him to sit out the upcoming games in Orlando and avoid the risk of further injury,” Wizards GM Tommy Sheppard said in a statement.

“Although he was able to play through the majority of the season with the injury, the layoff from March until now did not leave any of us feeling comfortable that he would have enough time to be ready to perform at the extremely high level we are all accustomed to seeing and agreed that not participating in the games in Orlando was the right decision.”

The Wizards’ announcement indicates that Beal first experienced discomfort in his right shoulder early in the 2019/20 season and managed the issue throughout the year before it worsened during the hiatus. He won’t travel with the team to Orlando as he continues his rehab process through the summer.

Since today’s announcement suggests Beal is being ruled out of the restart due to an injury rather than voluntarily opting out, he presumably won’t have to forfeit his remaining salary for 2019/20. It also means Washington won’t be able to sign a substitute player to replace him on the roster.

Previously, the Wizards signed Jerian Grant to replace Davis Bertans, who chose to opt out of the restart due to his upcoming free agency and a history of ACL injuries. However, players who are sidelined due to injuries aren’t eligible to be replaced by a substitute player. That applies not only to Beal but to fellow All-Star guard John Wall, who continues to recover from his Achilles tear.

While the 24-40 Wizards still technically have a shot at the postseason this summer, they’re 5.5 games back of Orlando and six games back of Brooklyn. They’d have to make up at least two games on one of those teams to force a play-in tournament, then win two consecutive games against the Magic or Nets to earn the No. 8 seed. That seems like a long shot without Beal, Wall, or Bertans available, and it seems clear the club is focusing more on 2020/21 than this season.

“This was a difficult decision and one that I did not take lightly as the leader of this team,” Beal said today in a statement of his own. “I wanted to help my teammates compete for a playoff spot in Orlando, but also understand that this will be best for all of us in the long term. I appreciate the support of my teammates, the fans and the entire organization and look forward to returning next season to continue the progress we have made.”

The Wizards’ eight seeding games in Orlando will be against the Suns, Nets, Pacers, Sixers, Pelicans, Thunder, Bucks, and Celtics. Each of those teams figures to be more heavily favored against Washington now that Beal is out of the picture.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Wizards Notes: Beal, Grant, Hachimura, Go-Go

July 6th, 2020 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Wizards guard Bradley Beal still hasn’t finalized a decision on whether or not he’ll participate in the NBA’s restart, but head coach Scott Brooks said today that Beal is expected to join the club on its flight to Florida this week, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes.

Beal said last week that he remains undecided about whether he’ll play this summer, expressing some concerns about the shortened ramp-up period and the possible injury risk. Brooks, who said there’s no specific timeline for Beal’s decision, said today that his All-Star guard is looking “great” in workouts.

“His physical condition has been pretty good and continues to improve every day along with our other guys,” Brooks said, per Youngmisuk. “We are all getting tested every day and as of right now he’s a go and we are all going down there ready to compete and get better and play to get in a playoff position. He looks great.”

The Wizards, who are 5.5 games out of the last playoff spot in the East, will be without All-Star point guard John Wall and sharpshooter Davis Bertans during the restart — Wall continues to rehab his Achilles injury, while Bertans opted out due to his impending free agency and his ACL injury history.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Jerian Grant, who replaced Bertans on the Wizards’ summer roster as a substitute player, called it a “dream come true” to join his hometown team, as Jackson Filyo of WashingtonWizards.com details. Grant, who grew up in the D.C. area, worked as a ball boy for the franchise as a kid, and his father Harvey Grant played for the then-Bullets from 1988-93.
Rui Hachimura, who would be preparing to represent Japan in the Tokyo Olympics this summer if not for the coronavirus, remains hopeful that he’ll be able to play for his home country in 2021, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “I’m honestly so sad about it. We can’t do anything about it,” Hachimura said of the postponement, adding that he has been looking forward to the event for years. “Of course, I would like to play in the Olympics. Next year, we’ll see how things go.”
Pops Mensah-Bonsu, the general manager of the Capital City Go-Go, won’t return to the Wizards’ G League affiliate for the 2020/21 season, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. “I wanted to pursue some other things at this moment in time,” Mensah-Bonsu said. The remainder of the 2019/20 NBAGL season was canceled and it’s unclear when next season will start — that uncertainty played a part in Mensah-Bonsu’s decision, per Buckner.

Lou Williams Expected To Play In Restart; Beal Still Undecided

July 2nd, 2020 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

Seven players so far have opted out of the NBA’s restart this summer, but Clippers guard Lou Williams is unlikely to join that group. Despite previously expressing uncertainty about his status, Williams is expected to suit up for the Clippers as they pursue a title at Walt Disney World, head coach Doc Rivers said on Wednesday.

“As far as Lou, all indications (are) that yes, he is (playing),” Rivers said on a Zoom call, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. “Obviously, up until we get on the plane, anything can happen. But I do expect Lou to be with us. I would be very surprised if he’s not.”

Meanwhile, another high-scoring guard, Bradley Beal, remains uncertain about his status for Orlando, as Youngmisuk writes in a separate story. Beal’s teammate Davis Bertans has already pulled out due to injury concerns ahead of his upcoming free agency. Beal’s backcourt mate and fellow All-Star John Wall won’t be in attendance either, as he continues to focus on his Achilles rehab and a 2020/21 return.

According to Youngmisuk, Beal is considering health factors too as he weighs his options.

“I have yet to make (my decision),” Beal told reporters on Wednesday. “I am still working my tail off every single day as if I am playing. It is more or less a decision that will come down to the medical staff and coming back from zero to 100, and then I have some nagging stuff from the end of the year that we are trying to clean up, too. We are looking at it from all angles. I am definitely working out every single day here. It is good to be back in the facility. … I am not swayed one way or another.”

Here’s more on certain players’ participation decisions:

Pacers guard Justin Holiday, who was previously reported to be on the fence about whether to play this summer, announced this week in a Players’ Tribune piece that he’ll participate in the restart even as he continues to fight for social-justice causes.
The Nets have been hit hardest by injuries and defections so far — they’ll be without Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Nicolas Claxton due to injuries, and Wilson Chandler and DeAndre Jordan are opting out of the restart. Spencer Dinwiddie is also still weighing his decision after a positive COVID-19 test, but outside of possibly Dinwiddie, general manager Sean Marks doesn’t anticipate any more opt-outs, writes Malika Andrews of ESPN.
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said during a Wednesday Zoom call that he expects everyone on the club’s roster to participate this summer, per Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian. That includes some players who were injured when the season was suspended, such as Jaren Jackson Jr., Justise Winslow, and Brandon Clarke. It’s not clear yet whether Grayson Allen and Jontay Porter will be healthy enough to play, but both sound likely to accompany the team to Orlando.

Southeast Notes: Iguodala, Beal, Magic, Hornets

June 30th, 2020 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Andre Iguodala turned 36 years old in January, but that didn’t stop him and the Heat from agreeing to a contract extension when he was dealt to Miami at the February trade deadline. Speaking to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, Iguodala said that the new deal, which provides a $15MM guarantee for 2020/21 and a $15MM team option for ’21/22, was something both sides pushed for at the time of the trade.

“Both sides knew the window we have — my window and the team’s window,” the Heat forward said. “We all know about when teams want cap space. It’s hard to get acclimated with a group of guys in two months. The locker room is a special place. I wanted to be somewhere where I could grow with the guys, a lot of the young talent that I have a good impression of, help them grow, especially Bam (Adebayo), Kendrick Nunn, Tyler (Herro) and Duncan (Robinson). I didn’t want it to be a two-, three-month thing.”

As Jackson points out, the Heat hadn’t expected to be a major player on the 2020 free agent market, so adding $15MM for Iguodala to next season’s books shouldn’t hurt the team. And in the 2021 offseason, the $15MM team option can be turned down with no penalty if the club needs to create cap room.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

General manager Tommy Sheppard said this week that the Wizards will be “very protective” of star guard Bradley Beal during the NBA’s restart, but there’s no indication Beal won’t play as the team pushes for the final playoff spot in the East, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.
Magic head coach Steve Clifford still isn’t committing one way or the other on whether Jonathan Isaac and Al-Farouq Aminu will be available this summer, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Asked today about the two injured forwards, Clifford replied, “They’re both in here working every day. … I just think it’s really early to try to make an intelligent decision on anything like that.”
Joe Wolf, who has been the head coach of the Hornets‘ G League affiliate for the last two seasons, won’t have his contract with the Greensboro Swarm extended, the club announced today in a press release.

Eastern Notes: Beal, Heat, Raptors, Dolan

June 14th, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by JD Shaw

Wizards star Bradley Beal is in the midst of a career-best season with the team, one that he’s confident can be sustained when the NBA returns in Orlando later this summer, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes.

Beal, who turns 27 later this month, averaged 30.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game this season. He shot 46% from the floor and 35% from downtown in 57 games, leading a depleted Wizards team throughout the campaign.

“I feel like something else clicked for me,” Beal said of this season, as relayed by Katz. “I honestly changed my way of thinking in the game. Playing the game, I was honestly just more aggressive. I just had the mindset that I’m the best player on the floor, and I’m gonna go showcase that.”

Washington dealt with various injuries this season and played without All-Star point guard John Wall, with Beal emerging as a much-needed leader throughout the year. The team is currently 5.5 games behind the No. 8 seed Magic and six games behind the No. 7 seed Nets for a potential playoff spot.

Here are some other notes from the Eastern Conference tonight:

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra could be facing a difficult roster decision as the team prepares for the league’s restart in Orlando, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes in his latest mailbag. Barring an unforeseen change, Miami must choose 13 active players from its notably deep roster, a decision that could leave veterans such as Udonis Haslem inactive entering the postseason.
The championship feeling is still lingering for the Raptors, who won their first NBA title one year ago, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes. The team still has several key players from its title run, including Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. Toronto hopes to use that championship experience to their advantage during the resumed season this summer.
Knicks owner James Dolan‘s image has yet to change under brand consultant Steve Stoute, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Dolan was most recently criticized for a delayed statement on racial injustice problems in America, with the Knicks being the last team in the league to release a statement on the topic.

Wizards Notes: Wall, Beal, Monumental Sports

June 12th, 2020 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Wizards point guard John Wall won’t return to the court this summer when the 2019/20 season resumes, but the teammates who got a look at the rehabbing star when he played five-on-five scrimmages this winter are enthusiastic about his progress, as Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington details.

Appearing on Chris Miller’s Wizards Talk podcast, Isaac Bonga suggested that fans and outside observers may be underestimating Wall’s potential impact once he’s ready to return in 2020/21.

“I think people don’t get how still crazy-good John is right now,” Bonga said. “People don’t get it. People don’t get it. Seeing John… with us and (with) G-League (players). It’s like, man, he cannot wait. He legit can’t wait to be back out there. That’s what he (was) showing every day out there. It’s crazy.”

During Wall’s lengthy absence, Bradley Beal has taken his game to a next level, increasing his scoring average to an impressive 30.5 PPG in 2019/20. Bonga told Miller that he’s excited to see the Wizards’ starting backcourt at full strength again next season: “Having those two back out there together again? It’s going to be a big problem.”

Here’s more on the Wizards:

A new round of Bradley Beal-related trade rumors surfaced this week, but they’re more of the same, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, who suggests that the Wizards can’t do much but continue to laugh them off. While Hughes acknowledges that the team’s – or Beal’s – stance could change at some point, he thinks the All-Star’s future probably “isn’t worth circling back to” until after next season.
Monumental Sports, the company that owns the Wizards, announced this week that employees earning more than $75K will have their pay checks reduced by 20% between July 12 and the end of the year. The decision doesn’t affect NBA players or contract employees, but figures to impact some people in the Wizards’ organization. Samantha Pell of The Washington Post has the story.
In case you missed it, we asked in a poll earlier this week whether the Wizards will steal the No. 8 seed from Orlando or Brooklyn this summer. The consensus? Probably not.

Southeast Notes: Spoelstra, Beal, Wizards, Hornets

June 7th, 2020 at 3:32pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra refused to comment on which staff members might be termed “essential” versus “non-essential” this week, with the NBA likely to prohibit teams from bringing more than roughly 35 people once the league returns in Orlando, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.

“The only thing I’ll say about that is I don’t want to term anything ‘essential’ or ‘non-essential’ staff,” Spoelstra said. “That’s not fair to any of our staff members. These are extreme circumstances. We will plan and act accordingly when we get to that point.”

The NBA recently announced plans to bring 22 teams to Orlando to restart its 2019/20 season, with games slated to start on July 31 and a 16-team postseason tournament scheduled to commence after eight regular season games.

The league postponed its season indefinitely on March 11, with players just getting back to their respective practice facilities within the past month. Teams are expected to play two or three exhibition games prior to the regular season officially restarting, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

“It will be different,” Spoelstra admitted. “It will not be like a normal end-of-September training camp, where you have your preseason and gear up for the regular season and get prepared for an eight-month marathon. That is physically, mentally and emotionally different than this preparation.

“This will be much more of a sprint prep and you’ll have to fast track. Thankfully, we have a group that had a lot of built-in chemistry and enjoyed playing with each other. A lot of the nuances of our success were not necessarily Xs and Os, it was the ability of the guys to read and react off of each other and bring the best off of each other.”

Here are some other notes out of the Southeast Division:

Quinton Mayo of NBC Sports Washington explores how Bradley Beal could solidify an all-NBA spot in the restarted season. Beal has enjoyed an impressive campaign to date with the Wizards, averaging a career-high 30.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game in 57 contests.
The Wizards are set to enter a complicated situation once the league returns from hiatus, Fred Katz of The Athletic explains. In addition to preparing to fight for a playoff spot after a lengthy layoff, the franchise must choose whom to bring to Orlando and address the health of John Wall. As stated previously, the league has recommended that teams should plan on bringing around 35 people (which naturally includes around 15 players), though an exact number has yet to be finalized.
Sam Perley of Hornets.com explains how resiliency and character defined the Hornets’ 2019/20 season, rather than a simple abrupt ending. Charlotte finished the campaign with a 23-42 record, trailing the eighth-seeded Magic by seven games and the ninth-place Wizards by 1.5 games when the season was suspended.

Heat Notes: Free Agent Targets, Butler, Olynyk, Restart

June 4th, 2020 at 7:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Though adding reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to their exciting roster remains the top goal for the Heat in 2021 summer free agency, they have many other viable options if Antetokounmpo is unavailable or uninterested, according to The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson.

Even with the prospect of a slight decline in the 2021 NBA salary cap due to the coronavirus pandemic causing a league revenue loss, the Heat should still have the cap space to add a maximum-salary free agent next summer to go along their intriguing core of All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, plus developing rookies Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro.

Pacers All-Star Victor Oladipo, who trains in South Florida during the offseason, would be a great fit on the wing along with Butler, Jackson notes. Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday, Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, and Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie number among Jackson’s other preferences for free agent additions to the Heat in 2021. Wizards guard Bradley Beal and Thunder guard Chris Paul may be available via trade.

There’s more news out of South Beach:

The Heat’s top free agent acquisition of 2019, All-NBA swing man Jimmy Butler, has returned to Miami this week in anticipation of a league restart as Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
With just eight non-playoff games left for the top 22 teams, the Heat have officially clinched a playoff berth, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). This means that Heat big man Kelly Olynyk will earn a $400K playoff bonus written into his contract.
The Heat’s status for the season restart was explored in another piece from The Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman. Production of Heat game broadcasts will be handled away from the games to accommodate COVID-19 personnel restrictions. Center Meyers Leonard, who injured his ankle during the Heat’s last game to this point, on March 11, has recovered and will be ready once play resumes.

Bradley Beal: Trade Rumors “A Sign Of Respect”

May 29th, 2020 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

Despite the fact that Bradley Beal signed a contract extension with the Wizards last fall and remains locked up through at least 2022, he continues to be the subject of trade rumors and speculation. Most recently, a New York Daily News report indicated the Nets were having internal discussions about potential avenues of acquiring Beal.

That Daily News report included the caveat that the Wizards are likely uninterested in trading their All-Star guard. Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein subsequently shot down the idea as well. Speaking to Jackie MacMullan of ESPN, Beal chose to view those rumors in a positive light, even as he downplayed them too.

“To me, I look at it as a sign of respect, that I’ve been doing good things and guys want to play with me,” Beal said. “That’s an unbelievable feeling. When you hear that Kyrie (Irving) and KD (Kevin Durant) want you, s–t, that’s amazing. At the same time, you don’t know how much there is to it, or how easy it would be to do. And I’ve put down roots in D.C. I’ve dedicated myself to this town, this community. I love it here, and it would feel great to know I could grind out winning here instead of jumping to another team.”

Beal did admit that he sometimes can’t help but think about different possibilities when he hears his name mentioned in trade rumors. However, he stressed that he has no desire to leave D.C. at this time — especially with fellow backcourt star John Wall set to be back at full strength for the start of the 2020/21 season after more than a year on the shelf with heel and Achilles injuries.

“My biggest thing right now is that I want to play with John again,” Beal said. “I want to see him get back to that level where I know he can be, especially since my game has grown so much (while he’s been out). What can we accomplish together? I’m so happy he’s healthy, working his tail off.”

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