5:40pm: Monumental Sports confirmed in a press release that it has reached an agreement with the District of Columbia to keep the Wizards and Capitals in their current home downtown.
“I look at outcomes, not process, and we got to the right outcome,” said Leonsis. “I know this was a difficult process and I want people to understand how much I love Washington D.C. and how much I’ve always loved Washington D.C.”
5:34pm: In December, Monumental Sports, the Ted Leonsis-led company that owns the Wizards, announced a plan to move from the District of Columbia to Alexandria, Virginia.
However, the plan never seemed to gain any traction in the Virginia legislature, and it faced opposition from powerful labor unions in the area. A couple weeks ago, the deal was said to be on life support after the proposal to build a new arena and “entertainment district” was removed from the state’s 2024 budget.
On Wednesday, the city of Alexandria announced in a press release that it has ended negotiations on the deal that would have moved the Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals to the Potomac Yard area.
According to Jonathan O’Connell, Teo Armus, Gregory S. Schneider and Michael Brice-Saddler of The Washington Post, Leonsis and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday they were finalizing a deal that would keep the Wizards and Capitals in Capital One Arena until 2050, pending approval of the D.C. Council.
The proposal includes $515MM from D.C. to assist with Leonsis’ efforts to modernize the arena. The plan also addresses some of Leonsis’ concerns about his ability to grow his businesses, as well as crime in the downtown area near the arena.
As the Post’s authors write, the tentative agreement seems quite similar to one that Leonsis rejected in December, as the 13-member D.C. Council approved $500MM in upgrades for the arena just a few months ago.
Leonsis and Bowser had remained in regular contact despite the proposed plan to move to Virginia, per the Post’s report.
“We appreciated our discussions about how we could grow together,” Bowser said, adding that, “it became very clear about how our community feels about our teams” following Leonsis’ December announcement.
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott confirmed to Sarah Rankin, Matthew Barakat and Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press that he has been told Leonsis is no longer considering moving the teams out of D.C.
Ted Leonsis‘ plan to move the Wizards from Washington, D.C. to Alexandria, Virginia appears to be on life support, according to David Aldridge of The Athletic.
As Aldridge details, Virginia senator Louise Lucas, who is the chair of the state senate’s Finance and Appropriations Committee, removed the proposal to build a new arena and “entertainment district” from the state’s 2024 budget, and that budget was approved on Saturday by Virginia’s General Assembly.
While it’s possible that proposal will be revived and regain momentum as a result of various political maneuvering, Aldridge believes the setback gives Leonsis a chance to return to the bargaining table with D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser to figure out a deal that would keep the Wizards in Washington going forward. Reaching a compromise to keep the Wizards in the nation’s capital would allow everyone to save face, Aldridge contends.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
Trade rumors are a reality of life for most NBA players, Hawks guard Trae Young told reporters following Sunday’s All-Star Game (video link). Speculation has been growing that Young could be on the move this summer, especially after Atlanta decided to hold onto his backcourt partner, Dejounte Murray, at the deadline.
“The best players in the game have all been traded,” Young said. “Some of the few lucky ones have been blessed to be drafted in situations where they can win championships and it will all be perfect for them. They can stay in that one situation forever. That’s what I wanted to do, and that’s what I want to do with Atlanta. But who knows? This is the type of league where things change, but obviously my mindset is staying in Atlanta right now. I don’t get caught up in all the rumors and stuff. My contract is locked in for a couple years. I don’t have very much say in it right now.”
As Young notes, he’s under contract for the next two seasons and has a nearly $49MM early termination option for 2026/27. His contract also includes a 15% trade kicker, which would factor into the price of any deal unless he chooses to waive it. Young is in his sixth year with the Hawks after being taken with the fifth pick in the 2018 draft, but the organization may be ready for massive changes following another disappointing season.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
After being upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game in Boston, Magic guard Markelle Fultz (left knee tendinitis) was ultimately ruled out for a 16th consecutive contest. As Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel tweets, Fultz has only gone through portions of practice this week, so the club wasn’t quite ready to clear him for game action.
Asked what went into the decision to rule out Fultz on Friday, head coach Jamahl Mosley explained: “Just being able to check to make sure he’s fully back to what we need him to do and getting full practices in with full contact. That’s going to be very important.”
Although his return didn’t happen on Friday and he didn’t take contact in Saturday’s practice, Fultz told reporters on Thursday that he thinks he’ll be back sooner rather than later, per Beede (subscription required). The former No. 1 overall pick said that he’s been “progressing great,” though he’s also on board with the team’s cautious approach to the injury.
“I’m thinking the long game here,” Fultz said. “I don’t want to come back in, play a few games and have to sit back out. When I’m back, I want to stay back for the long run.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
Monumental Sports, the Ted Leonsis-led company that owns the Wizards, has formally announced a plan to move the team from D.C. to Alexandria, Virginia. The NHL’s Washington Capitals, which are also controlled by Monumental Sports, would be part of the move too.
Virginia state lawmakers voted on Monday to move forward with a proposal to build a new arena and “entertainment district” in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood, according to a report from The Washington Post. The plan still requires approval from the full General Assembly and local officials.
According to today’s announcement, the goal is to have the arena completed and the Wizards and Capitals moved in for 2028.
“We are committed to providing world-class fan experiences while continuously evolving our teams, deepening community ties, and solidifying our role as leaders at the forefront of sports and technology,” Leonsis said in a statement. “The opportunity to expand to this 70-acre site in Virginia, neighboring industry-leading innovators, and a great academic partner, would enable us to further our creativity and achieve next-generation, leading work – all while keeping our fans and the community at the forefront of everything we do.”
Monumental Sports’ announcement and the Washington Post’s reporting indicates that the Virginia plan will be a public-private partnership, with money coming from both Leonsis and local taxpayers.
As Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN notes, Washington, D.C. city officials have been making an effort to keep the Wizards in the downtown Capital One Arena, where the Wizards and Capitals have played since 1997. Leonsis has been seeking $600MM in public funds to renovate the arena; on Monday, mayor Muriel Bowser announced a new bill offering Monumental Sports $500MM in financing for that project.
“This proposal represents our best and final offer and is the next step in partnering with Monumental Sports to breathe new life and vibrancy into the neighborhood and to keep the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals where they belong — in Washington, DC,” Bowser said, per Wojnarowski.
However, it sounds like that bill may be in vain, as Leonsis’ priority now is to move forward with the new entertainment district in Alexandria. The proposed complex would feature a new arena, a practice facility for the Wizards, Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s corporate headquarters, a media studio for Monumental Sports Network, a performing arts venue, and an expanded esports facility.
Assuming the Virginia plan proceeds without any snags, Leonsis’ goal is to update Capital One Arena to be a flexible arena that could host between 10,000 and 20,000 people and would continue to host concerts, sports, and other events — it would also become the home arena for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics.
As Wojnarowski writes, Leonsis’ teams have the ability to exit their lease with Capital One Arena in 2027. The Alexandria plan calls for a Virginia stadium authority to own the proposed complex and lease it to Monumental Sports & Entertainment, according to The Washington Post’s report, which says Monumental would have a lease in excess of 30 years.
The Wizards are looking to make major renovations to their arena and want public funding to pay for the majority of the bill.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Wizards as well as the NHL’s Capitals and WNBA’s Mystics, has asked D.C. for $600MM of public funding to renovate Capital One Arena, Sam Fortier of The Washington Post reports. That’s about 75% of the funds needed to carry out Monumental’s renovation plan. The remaining $200MM would be covered by Monumental, which is owned by chief executive Ted Leonsis.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
Having passed on the opportunity to interview for a general manager role with at least one other NBA team in the past, Michael Winger tells Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times that he had begun to wonder whether he’d get an opportunity to become the lead executive in a front office. That was the impetus for his decision to pursue the job as the Wizards‘ president, a position he officially secured on Thursday.
“Seldom, I think, in pro sports do those opportunities come along where almost all of your boxes, if not all of your boxes, are checked,” Winger said. “And this was I think the rare and supremely fortunate opportunity for somebody like me to check all the boxes: ownership, market, fan base, already a talented team.”
Winger has some familiarity with the Washington area already, as Greif notes. The former Clippers general manager lived in Baltimore during his final year of law school and often visited friends in D.C. during that time.
“I just felt like if I’m ever going to challenge myself, now’s the time and (Wizards owner) Ted (Leonsis) is the right person,” Winger said. “I think D.C. is the right fan base.”
Here’s more from the new Wizards executive on the challenges that await him in D.C. and the six years he spent in Los Angeles as the Clippers’ GM:
New Wizards president Michael Winger will have “carte blanche” to reshape the team’s roster, and owner Ted Leonsis isn’t opposed to a rebuild if that’s what Winger has in mind, a league source tells Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
Leonsis has been rumored to be opposed to tearing down the roster and building through the draft in the past, so this could be a pivot point for the franchise. It will be interesting to see which direction Winger goes.
Winger’s decision-making power won’t be limited to just the Wizards’ roster, as he will have “wide latitude” to reshape the organization’s infrastructure, including the front office and coaching staff, according to Robbins. The 43-year-old had been the Clippers’ GM since 2017.
Both Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic have heard from sources who say Winger will submit a five-year plan to Leonsis that will be updated after every year. Washington’s owner “wanted someone who’d take big swings, in a big market,” according to Aldridge’s source. Leonsis has assured Winger he’s willing to pay the luxury tax if necessary in the future, Aldridge adds.
Winger, who is a lawyer and has an analytics background, is known as a “big-picture” thinker who has extensive experience handling contract and trade negotiations, as well as navigating the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement and salary cap, per Robbins and Aldridge.
A source tells Aldridge that Winger isn’t afraid to voice his opinion, as he was one of the few Clippers executives who had reservations about the Paul George trade with the Thunder — which was tied to Kawhi Leonard signing with L.A. as a free agent — because Winger believed the Clippers were giving up too many first-round picks.
Leonsis also owns the NHL’s Washington Capitals, WNBA’s Mystics, and the Wizards’ G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. Winger will oversee the Wizards, Mystics and Go-Go.
Although one report suggested Winger might not hire a No. 2 executive until after the draft and free agency, the team stated the search will be undertaken immediately, and Robbins’ sources inform him that Winger will look to hire someone within the next couple weeks. The new hire will likely have a “relatively traditional basketball background,” per Robbins.
Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) that Thunder vice president of basketball operations Will Dawkins is considered a “strong candidate” for the position. Dawkins worked with Winger for several years in Oklahoma City, Stein notes. Dawkins got his start as an intern with the Thunder in 2008 and has steadily worked his way up in the basketball operations department.
Aldridge believes hiring Winger is a step in the right direction, because it shows Leonsis isn’t satisfied with the status quo. The Wizards have posted five straight losing seasons and haven’t had a 50-win season since 1978/79.
New team president Michael Winger, who had been the Clippers’ GM since 2017, will have “carte blanche” to potentially overhaul the Wizards‘ roster going forward, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post.
Winger has been tasked by owner Ted Leonsis to develop an “identity” as well as “setting a fresh direction for the team,” according to Wallace.
Echoing a previous report, Wallace says Winger will hire a “general manager-type figure” to focus solely on the roster, though she suggests that may happen after the draft and free agency. Winger is also responsible for the WNBA’s Mystics and the G League’s Capital City Go-Go, which are owned by Leonsis’ Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the parent company that controls the Wizards.
The veteran executive is expected to be “empowered” to change the team’s coaching staff as well, Wallace reports. However, it sounds unlikely that head coach Wes Unseld Jr. will be going anywhere, at least for now, as he’s a favorite of Leonsis and is well-regarded within the Wizards, sources tell Wallace.
Wallace writes that Winger has a positive reputation amongst work colleagues, who refer to him as a “crucial voice” within the Clippers who is known as a “fair negotiator ready to lead his own organization.” While the 43-year-old didn’t speak to the media as a Clippers executive, Wallace hears he’s a “strong internal communicator” who’s adept at breaking down advanced concepts, including aspects of the CBA, into “layman’s terms.”
“He’s really good at seeing the whole board,” one executive who has worked with Winger told Wallace. “He’s super organized and really smart. Process-driven to the nth degree. He won’t be reckless or let his team make big mistakes.”
Ahead of a 138-122 Game 2 loss against the Bucks, necessity dictated that the Heat use a rare starting five, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Starting shooting guard Tyler Herro has been ruled out for the next four-to-six weeks after breaking the ring and middle fingers of his right hand, so head coach Erik Spoelstra had to make a change.
Miami started its 27th different five-man lineup of 2022/23, with Gabe Vincent running the point, Duncan Robinson in for Herro at shooting guard, Max Strus at small forward, Jimmy Butler at the four, and Bam Adebayo manning the middle. Though Robinson was inserted into the starting lineup due to his three-point shooting acumen, he only scored in fourth quarter garbage time with the contest already out of hand.
There’s more out of the Southeast Division: