Wizards Rumors

And-Ones: Trade Disputes, S. Johnson, Two-Ways, More

In the wake of the Lakers‘ decision to recind their Mark Williams trade with the Hornets, teams around the NBA are discussing whether the league should introduce new measures designed to reduce the likelihood of similar situations in the future, says ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

According to Marks, those clubs are wondering whether it should be solely at the discretion of a team and its medical staff to decide what constitutes a failed physical and whether a third-party mediator might be necessary to resolve disputes.

Those clubs have also asked whether there should be a window for teams to explore amending the terms of a deal after the trade deadline has passed if there are a concerns about a player’s physical. In that hypothetical situation, Marks notes, the amended terms would have to involve only draft compensation, not new players.

The Hornets have reportedly been in touch with the NBA to discuss whether they have an avenue to dispute the Lakers’ decision to void the Williams trade between the two teams.

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

  • Former NBA lottery pick Stanley Johnson has parted ways with Anadolu Efes for family reasons, the Turkish club announced (via Twitter). Johnson, a 6’6″ forward who appeared in 449 regular season NBA games from 2015-23 after being drafted eighth overall in 2015, is joining the South Bay Lakers. The Lakers‘ G League affiliate confirmed in a press release that it has acquired Johnson’s returning rights in a trade with the Rip City Remix.
  • Five players, including Warriors big man Quinten Post and Sixers forward Justin Edwards, have been converted from two-way contracts to standard deals in the days since the trade deadline. There are several more two-way players around the league who could follow suit, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who identifies seven more candidates for promotions, including Wizards forward Justin Champagnie, Sixers guard Jared Butler, Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark, and Pelicans wing Brandon Boston.
  • Although the NBA pays a team a fee when it loses a home game in order to play overseas, that payment typically doesn’t cover the full cost of the lost revenue, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. So what’s in it for teams who choose to take part in those international games? Vorkunov explores that subject, detailing the brand-building calculus at play for those clubs.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

A number of free agent signings have been finalized in the days since last Thursday’s trade deadline, but there are still many teams around the NBA with one or more open spots on their respective rosters.

For clubs with just a single standard or two-way opening, there’s not necessarily any urgency to fill those spots, especially ahead of the All-Star break. But the clock is ticking for teams who have two or more openings on their standard rosters to make a move, since clubs are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.

With the help of our roster count tracker, here’s where things stand for all 30 teams around the NBA as of Monday morning. As a reminder, teams are typically permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

(Note: Teams marked with an asterisk have a player on a 10-day contract.)


Teams with multiple open roster spots

  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Philadelphia 76ers *
  • Sacramento Kings *

The Cavaliers dipped to 13 players on standard contracts as a result of Thursday’s De’Andre Hunter trade, so their situation is fairly straightforward — they’ll have to re-add a 14th man by February 20.

The Warriors‘ four-for-one Jimmy Butler trade dropped them to just 11 players. They quickly got back to 12 by promoting Quinten Post from his two-way contract to a standard roster spot and now have three openings on their standard roster, along with one open two-way slot.

Golden State doesn’t have to fill all those openings, but the team does have to get back to at least 14 players on standard contracts by Feb. 20. Assuming Post got a prorated rookie minimum salary on his new deal, the Warriors – by my count – have $1,372,306 in breathing room below their first-apron hard cap.

If the Warriors were to sign a pair of veterans to rest-of-season minimum deals on Feb. 20, they would each count for $635,853 against the cap, leaving the team with $100,600 in breathing room below the hard cap. It’s possible Golden State will go that route. It’s also possible the club will sign a couple players to 10-day contracts, then go another 14 days in March with just 12 players under contract in order to create a bit of extra wiggle room below that hard cap. That would allow the Warriors to sign a 15th man a little earlier in the second half.

The Sixers briefly dropped to 12 players on standard contracts at the trade deadline, but they’re back to 14 now, having promoted Justin Edwards to a standard contract and given Chuma Okeke a 10-day deal. They’re expected to sign David Roddy to a 10-day contract too, which will give them a full standard roster.

For now then, no roster moves are necessary in Philadelphia, but the team does have a two-way slot open and could drop back to 13 players on standard deals after Okeke’s and Roddy’s 10-day contracts expire, which would necessitate a least one addition within 14 days.

The Kings are currently carrying 12 players on full-season standard contracts, with Daishen Nix on a 10-day deal. They’ll have to get back to 14 players by Feb. 20.

Teams with one open roster spot

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Charlotte Hornets *
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • New York Knicks
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz

The Hawks, Celtics, Nets, Mavericks, Bucks, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Knicks, Raptors, and Jazz are all carrying 14 players on full-season standard contracts and three on two-way deals, with no reported signings pending. They’re each free to carry that open roster spot for as long as they want to, though some figure to fill it sooner rather than later.

Two teams that can’t fill their openings sooner rather than later are Dallas and New York. The Knicks are just $540,126 below their second-apron hard cap, while the Mavericks have a mere $171,120 to operate below their first-apron hard cap. Based on my math, New York would be able to sign a veteran free agent as a 15th man as of February 28 (that date moved up a day as a result of the Knicks trimming $4,825 from their cap in the Delon Wright/Jericho Sims swap), while Dallas will have to wait until March 31.

The Hornets are in this group because they have a two-way slot open, but their standard roster is full for now. In fact, it’s more than full — as a result of having been granted a hardship exception, they’re temporarily carrying 16 players instead of the usual maximum of 15. Elfrid Payton, on a 10-day deal, is the 16th man.

The Pacers and Clippers, meanwhile, each technically have an open roster spot for now, but they reportedly have deals in place with prospective 15th men. Indiana will sign center Alex Len once he clears waivers, while L.A. will add three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. Both players are on track to clear waivers on Monday.

Teams with no open roster spots

  • Chicago Bulls
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Miami Heat
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Orlando Magic
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • San Antonio Spurs *
  • Washington Wizards *

The Bulls, Nuggets, Pistons, Rockets, Lakers, Grizzlies, Heat, Thunder, Magic, Suns, and Trail Blazers are all carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. If they want to make a free agent addition during the season’s final two months, they’ll have to cut a player to do so.

That won’t necessarily be the case for the Spurs and Wizards though. Both clubs have just 14 players on full-season standard contracts, with one on a 10-day deal — Bismack Biyombo for San Antonio and Jaylen Nowell for Washington. Once those contracts expire, the Spurs and Wizards could open up a roster spot if they opt not to retain Biyombo and Nowell, respectively.

Southeast Notes: Williams, Wizards Moves, Magic, Gueye

The Hornets are in the awkward position of having Mark Williams back on their roster after their trade with the Lakers was rescinded. Charlotte released a statement (Twitter link) welcoming Williams back to the team. The franchise made it clear that the third-year big man will be back in the starting lineup.

“After the other team aggressively pursued Mark, we made the difficult decision to move him,” the statement read in part. “We have always held great respect for Mark’s talent, work ethic and character. We are thrilled to see him rejoin the roster as a dynamic presence at the starting center position.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • The Wizards were very busy before the trade deadline, making four deals, highlighted by the Kyle Kuzma swap with Milwaukee. The Washington Post’s Varun Shankar praised the front office’s approach, believing that the moves achieved the Wizards’ goals of landing young players with upside, adding draft picks, creating long-term financial flexibility and acquiring high-character veterans.
  • The Magic own 20 draft picks over the next seven years and didn’t feel the need to give away assets at the trade deadline, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. Weltman believes Orlando will naturally have a stronger second half with the return of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. “We didn’t jump [Thursday] because we felt that the right deals didn’t present themselves [and] that the timing of the trade deadline coincided with us being in a little bit of a slump generated a little bit of a squeeze effect where the league looks to squeeze long-term assets for short-term solutions,” Weltman said. “And there are some teams that are in positions where they need[ed] to make moves like that, and we don’t count ourselves as one of those teams. We count ourselves as a growing team and we’re going to continue to grow. I remain very excited about where this team is headed.”
  • Hawks big man Mouhamed Gueye delivered his best performance of the season on Friday with 15 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks against Milwaukee. The 2023 second-round pick told Spencer Davies of RG.com in an extensive interview he’s ready for an expanded role. “Just keep doing what I’m doing, be aggressive on defense and on offense,” Gueye said. “Obviously, I’m gonna knock down shots. It’s gonna come. But just keep working and don’t worry about anything else. It’s the same mindset. Just be there, compete, play hard. Make or miss a shot, next play. Really just competing.”

Wizards Sign Jaylen Nowell To 10-Day Deal

10:54pm: Nowell’s signing is official, the Wizards announced in a press release.

Interestingly, the announcement didn’t come until after the completion of Washington’s Saturday game against Atlanta. Nowell wasn’t on the team’s active list or injury report for that matchup.

Since 10-day contracts must cover a minimum of three games and the Wizards only have two left before the All-Star break, it looks like Nowell’s deal will run through Feb. 21, Washington’s first post-All-Star contest.

If that’s the case, it would technically end up being a 14-day contract, paying Nowell a total of $195,147.


1:31pm: The Wizards intend to sign free agent guard Jaylen Nowell to a 10-day contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Nowell, who spent his first four NBA seasons from 2019-23 in Minnesota, had stints with Memphis and Detroit in 2023/24, then joined the Wizards’ G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, this past fall. The 6’4″ guard has spent most of the season with the Go-Go, pouring in 25.2 points per game on a scorching-hot .527/.515/.929 shooting line across 20 contests (34.3 MPG).

This will be Nowell’s second NBA stint of the season. He was also in New Orleans for about two-and-a-half weeks in November, appearing in eight games and averaging 8.4 PPG in 21.0 MPG for the injury-plagued Pelicans.

The 25-year-old should provide some offensive punch for a Wizards team that underwent an overhaul at the trade deadline, swapping out a third of its roster. Washington is reportedly waiving newly acquired center Alex Len, which will open up a spot on the 15-man roster for Nowell.

Assuming it’s finalized today, Nowell’s 10-day contract will allow him to be active for Washington’s final three games before the All-Star break. It will pay him $139,391.

Alex Len Waived By Wizards, Will Sign With Pacers

9:31pm: Len has been placed on waivers, the Wizards announced (via Twitter).


1:12pm: After acquiring him earlier this week, the Wizards will cut center Alex Len, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Charania, Len intends to sign with the Pacers after he clears waivers.

The fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft, Len never became the sort of impact player his lofty draft position might suggest, but he has been a reliable frontcourt option for 12 NBA seasons, spending time with the Suns, Hawks, Raptors, Wizards, and Kings.

The 31-year-old Ukrainian has spent the last few seasons as a depth piece in Sacramento, where he made 149 appearances (15 starts) over the course of three-and-a-half seasons, averaging 3.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game.

Len was sent from the Kings to the Wizards along with Colby Jones in a three-team deadline-day deal that saw the Kings receive Jake LaRavia from Memphis. Despite trading away big men Jonas Valanciunas and Marvin Bagley III this week, Washington didn’t feel the need to retain Len, who will get an opportunity to join a playoff-bound team in the East.

The Pacers opened the season with Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman backing up starting center Myles Turner, but both reserves suffered Achilles tears during the season’s opening days, decimating the team’s depth in the middle.

Although Indiana traded for Thomas Bryant in December, the club could still use some another trustworthy veteran option as injury insurance, especially with Turner currently dealing with a neck strain.

The Pacers sent Wiseman to Toronto in a salary dump trade on Thursday, which both opened up a spot on their 15-man roster and created enough room below the luxury tax line to sign Len to a rest-of-season contract. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), Indiana was only $147K below the tax threshold before making that deal.

Wizards Sign Jaylen Martin To Two-Way Deal

4:03 pm: Martin has officially signed his two-way contract with the Wizards, the team announced in a press release.


10:42 am: The Wizards are signing guard Jaylen Martin to a two-way contract, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link).

Martin, 21, has split this season between the Long Island Nets and Delaware Blue Coats. In 22 total G League games, he’s averaging 16.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 47.1% from the floor. The Florida native went undrafted in 2023 after opting to play for Overtime Elite.

In his first professional season in 2023/24, Martin spent some time with the Knicks on a two-way deal. However, he didn’t appear in a game with the team. He then signed a two-year, two-way contract with Brooklyn after last season’s deadline, but still didn’t make his NBA debut until this season. Martin played just five minutes for the Nets across three outings before being waived in January.

Having traded away Jared Butler to Philadelphia the deadline, Washington had an open two-way roster spot, so no corresponding move will be necessary to sign Martin. Justin Champagnie and Tristan Vukcevic occupy the two other two-way slots for the team.

Signing Martin is a solid upside swing for a Wizards team that added young talent in both the draft and the deadline. Once he’s officially signed, 12 of Washington’s 18 players on the roster will be aged 25 or younger.

More On Kevin Durant: Curry Convo, Warriors/Heat Trade Talks

The Warriors and Suns began “secretly” talking about the possibility of a Kevin Durant trade early last week, according to Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who say that the star forward and his longtime manager and agent Rich Kleiman didn’t learn about those discussions until the two teams played one another last Friday.

By Saturday, the two teams were far enough along in negotiations that Durant and Stephen Curry touched base to talk about the idea. Shelburne and Windhorst hear from sources that Durant told Curry a reunion with the Warriors “didn’t feel right” and that this “wasn’t the time” for them to team up again.

While the Warriors were discouraged by Durant’s stance, they didn’t give up on making a deal at that point, hoping that Durant might change his tune once he learned how far down the road Phoenix had gotten in those discussions without informing him, per ESPN.

The Suns have internally conceded that it was a mistake not to loop Durant into the process earlier, Shelburne and Windhorst say. The former MVP has been described as “blindsided” by being so heavily involved in trade rumors this week after having expressed a desire to stay in Phoenix.

“We should’ve gone through (Kleiman),” a team source told ESPN.

As Shams Charania reported earlier today, the Warriors, Suns, and Heat discussed a potential multi-team trade that would’ve sent both Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga to Phoenix, with Durant going to Golden State. Shelburne and Windhorst provide more details on those conversations, reporting that the Wizards were involved as well, as we speculated on Wednesday.

The four teams were negotiating a trade that would have looked like this, according to ESPN:

  • Durant to Golden State.
  • Butler, Kuminga, Jonas Valanciunas, two first-round picks (from the Warriors), two second-round picks (one each from Miami and Golden State), and pick swaps to Phoenix.
  • Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schröder, Kyle Anderson, and the Cavaliers’ 2025 first-round pick (via Phoenix) to Miami.

There are some missing details there — among them, Jusuf Nurkic would’ve been involved and would’ve gone to the Wizards, who presumably would’ve sought at least a first-rounder from the Suns as a sweetener to take on that contract.

While it sounds like there was some momentum in those negotiations, the Heat ultimately weren’t sold on the deal. They sought the Warriors’ 2025 first-round pick rather than Cleveland’s, according to Shelburne and Windhorst, who say that Golden State also had some reservations about the Suns’ steep asking price for Durant.

With Durant standing firm on his stance that he had no desire to go to Golden State, the talks fell apart.

After those discussions ended, there was a window for the Heat to potentially acquire Durant in a trade that would send Butler to Phoenix. Durant would have been more open to playing in Miami than Golden State, sources tell ESPN, and the Suns and Heat traded “visions” of what a deal might look like, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

However, the Suns were seeking a massive haul for Durant that included “a combination of talented young players and draft picks,” Jackson writes. According to both ESPN and the Herald, the Heat considered the price too steep and backed out, pivoting to a Butler deal with the Warriors that cut out Phoenix altogether.

The Suns were “deflated” by the outcome, according to Shelburne and Windhorst, who say that there were several times during the weeks leading up to Thursday’s deadline that Phoenix thought there might be a path to a Butler deal involving Bradley Beal.

However, sources tell ESPN that the Hawks and Wizards were believed to be the only teams considering taking on Beal, and it’s unclear whether he would’ve waived his no-trade clause for either team. The Suns reportedly never got close enough to a deal to approach Beal about it, eventually pivoting to exploring a Durant scenario without first informing the star forward.

As Windhorst noted on the latest Hoop Collective podcast, we’ll find out this coming summer whether those Suns trade talks involving Durant will sour him on the idea of remaining in Phoenix beyond this season.

Trade Deadline Leftovers: Ingram, Draft Pick Details, Tax Projections, More

Brandon Ingram waived his trade bonus as part of the trade that sent him from New Orleans to the Raptors, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Ingram’s 15% trade kicker would have added nearly $2.1MM to his $36MM salary for this season, and while the Pelicans would have been responsible for paying it, Toronto would have taken the cap hit, pushing the team close to the luxury tax line.

Without that extra money on the books, the Raptors were able to accommodate a James Wiseman salary dump deal with Indiana and promote Jamison Battle to their standard roster while still maintaining some breathing room below the tax threshold.

As Murphy notes, the Raptors/Pelicans trade still would’ve worked just fine from a rules perspective if Ingram had received his trade bonus, so he certainly wasn’t obligated to waive it. The fact that he did so might suggest that the veteran forward feels good about what a contract offer from Toronto will look like, Murphy speculates.

Here are a few more leftovers from Thursday’s trade-deadline deals:

  • According to John Hollinger of The Athletic and Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter links), the 2025 second-round pick the Wizards sent the Grizzlies in their Marcus Smart trade is believed to be the least favorable of Detroit’s, Golden State’s, and Phoenix’s second-rounders. Washington sent the second-most favorable of those picks to Milwaukee in the Kyle Kuzma/Khris Middleton deal.
  • As part of their Dennis Schröder side agreement within the framework of the five-team Jimmy Butler trade, the Pistons sent the Jazz the least favorable of their five potential second-round picks for 2028, reports Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). That group of picks includes New York’s, Charlotte’s, and the Clippers’ second-rounders. It will also include Detroit’s if it’s between 31-55 and Miami’s, as long as Dallas’ 2027 first-rounder isn’t in the top two.
  • To ensure they sent out at least one outgoing piece in the Kuzma/Middleton trade, the Spurs traded a protected 2026 second-round pick to the Bucks, per a press release from San Antonio. The Spurs didn’t provide any additional details on that pick, but it’s a virtual lock to be top-55 protected. The only question is whether it’s the Spurs’ own pick or one of the others they control.
  • Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) shares the updated end-of-season luxury tax projections after multiple teams ducked the tax or reduced their projected payments at the deadline. As a result of those moves, the projected payment for non-taxpayers dropped to $11.4MM apiece for 20 teams.
  • Several of ESPN’s NBA insiders share their thoughts on the biggest stories of the trade deadline, while John Hollinger of The Athletic explains why the 2026 offseason – which projects to have a loaded free agent class and many teams with cap room – loomed over many of this week’s moves.
  • According to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), there’s a “growing sentiment” among NBA teams after a wild deadline week that the deadline should happen during a break in the schedule. “It’s chaos, and your players and coaches have to play,” one GM told Smith. “Sometimes it’s hard to field a competitive roster. We need to look at adjusting the timing to be less impactful to the product we put on the floor.” The trade deadline used to be during the All-Star break, but the NBA was concerned about major deals overshadowing its midseason showcase — that would have been especially true this year, with All-Stars Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis traded for one another.

NBA Announces Three-Point Contest, Skills Challenge Participants

The NBA has officially announced the participants for the All-Star Saturday festivities in San Francisco on February 15, revealing today (via Twitter) which players will compete in the three-point contest and the skills challenge. Here are the details:

Three-Point Contest:

Among this year’s participants, Powell (43.1%), Garland (42.9%), and Johnson (41.7%) have been the most accurate three-point shooters so far this season, while Herro (39.3% on 9.7 attempts per game) has been the most prolific.

Lillard won the event in both 2023 and 2024 and will be looking to become the first player since Craig Hodges in 1992 to claim the three-point title for a third consecutive year. Larry Bird was also a three-time winner, having achieved the feat in the first three years the NBA held the event (1986-88).

Hield is the only other player in this year’s field to have won the contest before, having done so in 2020. The Warriors wing will be the home team’s representative next Saturday.

Skills Challenge:

It appears the NBA will be tweaking the format of the skills challenge again in 2025, with the event set to feature four teams of two players apiece instead of three players per team.

Mobley was part of the Cavs team that won the event in 2022, along with Jarrett Allen and Garland. He’ll be teaming up with Mitchell this time around.

The NBA also officially confirmed the participants of the dunk contest earlier this week (Twitter link). Those four players, who had been previously reported, are Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis, Spurs rookie Stephon Castle, Bucks guard Andre Jackson, and Magic two-way guard Mac McClung.

Like Lillard in the three-point contest, McClung will be looking to three-peat in his event next Saturday night.

Four-Team Kyle Kuzma/Khris Middleton Trade Officially Completed

The four-team trade that sends Kyle Kuzma to the Bucks and Khris Middleton to the Wizards has been formally completed, the Knicks announced in a press release (via Twitter). Washington confirmed the finalized agreement in a press release as well.

The terms of the deal, which also includes the Spurs, are as follows:

  • Bucks acquire Kuzma, Jericho Sims, either the Pistons’, Suns’, or Warriors’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable; from Wizards), and a protected second-round pick (from Spurs).
  • Wizards acquire Middleton, AJ Johnson, the draft rights to Mathias Lessort (from Knicks), the right to swap their own 2028 first-round pick for the Bucks’ 2028 first-round pick or the Trail Blazers’ 2028 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and cash ($1MM; from Bucks).
  • Knicks acquire Delon Wright, the draft rights to Hugo Besson (from Bucks), and cash ($2MM; from Bucks).
  • Spurs acquire Patrick Baldwin Jr. and cash ($4.13MM; from Bucks).
  • Note: If the Trail Blazers haven’t conveyed their lottery-protected 2025 first-round pick by 2027 and it lands outside the lottery in 2028, it would be ineligible to be swapped; in that scenario, the Wizards would simply have the right to swap their own 2028 first-round pick for the Bucks’ 2028 first-round pick.

The Kuzma/Middleton agreement between the Bucks and Spurs was initially reported on Wednesday morning. Our full story on that original deal can be found right here.

Milwaukee later expanded the trade by working out a side deal with New York involving Sims and a second side deal with San Antonio for Baldwin.

The transaction allows the Bucks to shed enough salary move below the second tax apron, which is why they’re permitted to send out cash in the deal — Fred Katz of The Athletic reported the details on the cash going to each team earlier today.

The only other changes from the terms previously reported are that the draft rights to Lessort are headed from New York to Washington instead of Milwaukee and the Spurs are sending the Bucks a protected second-round pick. Details on that second-rounder are TBD.