Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Notes: Nets, Giannis, Morant, Poole, Hayes

November 27th, 2024 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

There’s good news and bad news for the Nets on their latest injury report, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. Leading scorer Cam Thomas has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game in Phoenix due to left hamstring soreness. Thomas, who has also dealt with an illness and a sore back as of late, was removed in the third quarter on Monday vs. Golden State to “protect him from himself,” in the words of head coach Jordi Fernandez.

Big man Noah Clowney will join Thomas on the sidelines, having been ruled out for a second straight game due to a left ankle sprain. Brooklyn has yet to provide an update on the results of an MRI Clowney underwent on his injured ankle, Lewis notes.

A banged-up Nets team could get some reinforcements soon, however. According to Lewis, Nic Claxton (lower back soreness), Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain), and Cameron Johnson (right ankle sprain) are all considered questionable to play on Wednesday. Claxton and Finney-Smith each missed Monday’s game, while Johnson exited in the first half.

Ben Simmons is also off the injury report after sitting out on Monday due to lower back injury management.

We have a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Originally listed as probable due to a left calf strain, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was a late scratch vs. Miami on Tuesday due to swelling in his left knee, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. As Owczarski notes, Antetokounmpo had surgery on that knee during the summer of 2023.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant played on Monday for the first time since November 6, but he has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit due to a new injury, a left knee contusion, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Morant downplayed the ailment after the game on Monday: “A little knee to knee. Everybody know I get back up every time. … Quick little stinger, get out the way and just take care of it now.”
Wizards guard Jordan Poole missed a second straight game on Tuesday due to left hip flexor soreness, per the team (Twitter link). Poole had initially been listed as questionable, so it sounds as if the issue is a day-to-day one rather than one that will keep him sidelined for an extended period.
In his first game back following a two-week absence due to a right ankle sprain, Lakers center Jaxson Hayes re-aggravated that same ankle injury during the final minute of Tuesday’s loss to Phoenix. He had to be helped to the locker room, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter links), who says the team plans to provide an update on Hayes on Wednesday afternoon.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Brogdon, Coulibaly, Williams, Salaun, Diabate

November 25th, 2024 at 5:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic guard Jalen Suggs won’t play in Monday’s game against Charlotte due to a left hamstring strain, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets. Suggs has started all of Orlando’s previous 18 games, averaging 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Suggs signed a five-year, $105.5MM extension last month.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Malcolm Brogdon has provided a calming influence on the Wizards since returning from a thumb injury, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post writes. Brogdon has scored 33 points with six assists over the last two games. “When things go awry or things are feeling sticky … Malcolm is a surefire way for us to get back in the groove of what we’re trying to do,” teammate Corey Kispert said. Brogdon will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly says he’s improved defensively in his second season by “not respecting” his opponents as much and “getting more physical with them,” he told Wizards reporter Bijan Todd (Twitter link). Coulibaly has racked up eight steals and three blocks over the past four games.
With Grant Williams suffering a season-ending knee injury, Hornets coach Charles Lee will have to try to replace Williams’ production in the short term with Tidjane Salaün and two-way player Moussa Diabate, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer points out. That’s because Mark Williams and Nick Richards are still on the mend from injuries. Williams hasn’t played for nearly a year and Richards is recovering from a rib injury.

Celtics Notes: Kornet, Tillman, Mazzulla, Brogdon, NBA Cup

November 23rd, 2024 at 6:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

Neemias Queta has seen an increased role this season, but Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla turned to two other big men after a sluggish first half at Washington Friday night, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. The first was Luke Kornet, who replaced Queta in the starting lineup for the second half. He responded with a 3-for-3 shooting night and a few hustle plays that had his teammates raving after the game.

“Energy, energy. Luke is just a ball of energy,” Jrue Holiday said. “He makes plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet, but when you’re out there playing with him, it’s like he’s just trying to run through a brick wall and you wanna do that with him.”

Later on, Mazzulla inserted Xavier Tillman, who has been out of the rotation for several weeks. Tillman played nine minutes in the second half, including a rare crunch time appearance.

“I just thought that (Xavier’s) been working hard and I felt like the game needed something different,” Mazzulla said. “Those guys are always ready and we wanted to be a little more switching and the last time we played them, we played him and Luke together and he did some great things on the defensive end, especially on (Jonas) Valanciunas. So I just kind of wanted to win those minutes in the fourth quarter. Credit to him just working hard and being ready and I thought he gave us some good stuff.”

There’s more from Boston:

Mazzulla explained that he was “manipulating the environment” on Friday when he got whistled for a technical for angrily confronting referee Ed Malloy after a play where he believed Jaylen Brown got fouled, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Mazzulla admitted it was an intentional tactic, and his players took notice. “I think that it was smart just to know that like he has our back no matter what,” Holiday said. “He was disrespectful in a respectful way, so I think getting that tech just showing us that like, yeah, I’m gonna fight for you guys and then having the crowd behind us even in that situation was big.”
Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon admits being angry after the Celtics traded him to Portland last summer, but he has made peace with the situation, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. After winning Sixth Man of The Year honors and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in his lone season with Boston, Brogdon has moved on to two rebuilding franchises. “You play with the cards you’re dealt at a certain point,” he said. “Things change at some point in your career. For me it’s changed a few times over the past couple of years. It’s embracing the situation that you’re in. I’ve been tasked to lead with these young guys and with this growing team and honestly I’m enjoying it. The Wizards are building the right way.”
After being surprised by Atlanta in their NBA Cup opener, the Celtics have posted back-to-back wins over Cleveland and Washington that have them in a good position to advance, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. They’ll win East Group C if they can beat the Bulls in Chicago and Cleveland defeats the Hawks. If Boston and Atlanta wind up tied at 3-1, the Celtics will have to rely on their point differential, which is currently +14.

Jalen McDaniels Signs G League Contract

November 23rd, 2024 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Five-year NBA veteran Jalen McDaniels will resume his career in the G League, having signed an NBAGL contract, according to the league’s official transaction log.

While the G League’s log says McDaniels has been claimed off waivers by the Memphis Hustle, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) hears from sources that the veteran forward is joining the Capital City Go-Go. The Grizzlies‘ and Wizards‘ affiliates will have to work out a trade to make that happen.

The 52nd overall pick in the 2019 draft, McDaniels showed some promise during the first four years of his career, which he spent primarily in Charlotte. His height (6’9″), wingspan (7’0″), and athleticism made him a versatile piece on defense, and he displayed a little outside shooting ability, making 34.2% of his three-point tries with the Hornets. The Sixers traded for him at the 2023 trade deadline and he finished that season in Philadelphia.

However, McDaniels’ production and playing time cratered last season in Toronto after he signed a two-year, $9.26MM contract with the Raptors. He was traded to Sacramento in a Kings salary dump at the start of the 2024 offseason, then was flipped to the Spurs in another cost-cutting move in October, about a week before the regular season began. San Antonio subsequently waived him.

McDaniels, who is still just 26, could earn an NBA call-up at some point this season if he impresses in the G League. He’s ineligible to sign a two-way contract, but could sign a standard deal or – beginning in early January – a 10-day pact.

McDaniels is the older brother of Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels.

Fischer’s Latest: Melton, Warriors, P. Williams, Lakers, Blazers, More

November 22nd, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Luke Adams

With De’Anthony Melton out for the season, his $12.8MM expiring contract should become a useful trade chip for the Warriors, Jake Fischer said on Friday in his latest Bleacher Report live stream (video link). As Fischer acknowledges, Melton’s expiring money and Non-Bird rights will have little value on their own, but attaching draft picks or players to him could create an attractive outgoing trade package for Golden State.

Discussing what kind of player Golden State may target with that sort of package, Fischer suggests a frontcourt addition is a possibility. The Warriors had interest in Kelly Olynyk at last season’s deadline and believe he’d be a good fit for their system, according to Fischer, who adds that the club may also consider more of a rim-running big man.

However, Fischer wouldn’t be surprised if the Warriors seek out a more direct replacement for Melton. As he explains, Golden State was high on the veteran guard not only for his fit next to Stephen Curry but because he gave the team a second lockdown point-of-attack defender to complement Andrew Wiggins. Finding another player who could fill that role could be a priority for the front office.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Bulls are “more willing than ever” to discuss forward Patrick Williams in a trade, says Fischer (video link). Williams is in the first season of a five-year, $90MM deal and continues to experience foot pain following a February surgery, so his value would likely be limited at the moment, but that could change if he shows he’s healthy and begins to produce more consistently.
Fischer continues to hear that the Lakers are scouring the market for a center, with Jonas Valanciunas‘ name still coming up frequently. The Wizards‘ big man is “definitely available for trade,” Fischer says (video link).
While Fischer also brought up Robert Williams as a possible option for the Lakers, he says he has talked to people around the league recently, including scouts, who believe the Trail Blazers may be more inclined to trade Deandre Ayton than Williams at this season’s trade deadline. Given that Ayton’s cap hit is nearly three times higher than Williams’, the Blazers may have a hard time extracting much of value for the former No. 1 overall pick.
Fischer suggests there are NBA veterans currently playing overseas or for national teams who will soon be looking to sign G League contracts (video link). Robert Covington, currently representing Team USA in AmeriCup qualifiers, is one player to watch, Fischer reports. There also may be some players returning stateside from the Chinese Basketball Association, since several who signed in China have received month-to-month contracts.
Writing for Marc Stein’s Substack, Fischer shared some ideas for in-season tournaments that the NBA considered before settling on the current format. One idea on the league’s “long list of half-baked ideas,” according to Fischer, was a 32-team single elimination event that would’ve included two marquee teams from Europe.

Southeast Notes: Williams, Richards, Zeller, Coulibaly, Wizards

November 22nd, 2024 at 3:25pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Hornets‘ top two rotational centers, starter Mark Williams and his backup Nick Richards, have rejoined team activities, Charlotte announced on Thursday (Twitter link).

Williams has been sidelined for the last 11 months, first due to a back issue and now as a result of a left foot tendon strain. Richards is recovering from a right first rib fracture. Sixteenth-year veteran big man Taj Gibson has been starting in their stead.

The seven-foot Williams has battled health issues in each of his three professional seasons thus far. Last season before going down, he was averaging a career-best 12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.8 steals per night.

Richards, a fifth-year Kentucky alum, had averaged a double-double (11.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG) during his five healthy games this fall.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Hawks reserve center Cody Zeller is currently not with the team, per Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com (Twitter link). The 6’11” big man has been away from Atlanta all year due to personal reasons, and is currently considered week-to-week.
The struggling Wizards are hoping that an improved emphasis on rebounding will help improve their defense, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network.
Second-year Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly was in the league’s concussion protocol this week, sources inform Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). He was inactive on Monday after getting elbowed in the mouth on Sunday. However, head coach Brian Keefe stated that Coulibaly was a “full participant” during the club’s Thursday practice, and Robbins tweets that Coulibaly is not on the Wizards’ injury report for Friday’s matchup vs. the Celtics, so it sounds like he won’t miss any additional time.

Southeast Notes: Wizards Losing Streak, Johnson, Carter Jr., Butler

November 19th, 2024 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards have lost eight straight and their last two outings were particularly ugly. They were blown out by Detroit and New York by a combined 48 points. Head coach Brian Keefe took ownership for the poor performances.

“I’m the leader of this team. I’m the head coach of this team,” Keefe said, per Varun Shankar of the Washington Post. “So I’ll take the responsibility for the last two nights, not playing up to the competitive disposition that we should be playing with, especially defensively. That will be addressed as a group, and we will get better. But that wasn’t … what our standards were, and we have to own that and we have to look at ourselves and we have to get better.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Hawks forward Jalen Johnson is listed as questionable to play against Golden State on Wednesday due to left lateral lower leg inflammation, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets. Johnson missed the Hawks’ win at Sacramento on Monday. He’s averaging 19.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game this season after signing a five-year, $150MM extension prior to the season.
Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. has been upgraded to questionable for the team’s road game against the Clippers on Wednesday, beat reporter Dan Savage tweets. Carter, who signed a three-year extension last month, hasn’t played since Nov. 3 due to left foot plantar fasciitis.
Heat forward Jimmy Butler missed four consecutive games due to a sprained right ankle. He was dominant in his return against Philadelphia on Monday, pouring in 30 points while adding 10 rebounds and five assists, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. “We know what the expectation is when he’s healthy,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “… He really set the tone by imposing his physical will on the game.” Staying on the court has been the issue for Butler. He has missed 20 or more regular-season games in three of the last four seasons, which is why the front office showed reluctance during the offseason to discuss a maximum-salary extension with him.

Southeast Notes: Brogdon, Bogdanovic, Bufkin, Micic

November 18th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malcolm Brogdon made his season debut on Sunday against Detroit but was limited to one point in 22 minutes, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post notes. He underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb in early October.

Brogdon was the first player off the bench for the Wizards, who acquired him in an offseason trade with Portland. The veteran guard is a candidate to be traded again before the February deadline. He’s playing on an expiring $22.5MM contract.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kobe Bufkin were active for the Hawks on Monday. Bogdanovic hadn’t played since Oct. 23 due to a hamstring strain, while Bufkin was making his season debut after partially dislocating his right shoulder last month.
Vasilije Micic made just his fifth appearance of the season on Sunday, scoring nine points in 14 minutes. Micic’s playing time has dropped this season with LaMelo Ball back in action but Hornets first-year coach Charles Lee praised the Serbian guard after the game. “He can initiate the offense for us. He knows the sets very well. I thought that he actually brought some great energy (Sunday),” Lee said, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net. “He’s done a really good job of preparing himself, his mind, and his body. He’s approached every day, even though he has not been in the rotation, like a true professional.”
Wizards 2023 second-round pick and two-way player Tristan Vukcevic hasn’t played for either the Wizards or their G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go. Coach Brian Keefe told Shankar prior to Sunday’s game the Vukcevic needs to ramp up his conditioning before returning to the court. The big man was on a standard contract last season but the team declined his team option and re-signed him on a two-way deal in July.

Wizards Notes: Poole, Wembanyama, Stock Watch, Rookies

November 15th, 2024 at 8:18pm CST by Rory Maher

After a forgettable first season with the Wizards, Jordan Poole is off to a much better start in year two, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Despite losing Wednesday’s game in San Antonio, Poole was terrific, recording 42 points on 15-of-22 shooting, six assists, two rebounds and two steals.

As Shankar notes, Poole opened last season as the starting shooting guard, but after struggling for much of 2023/24, head coach Brian Keefe moved him to the bench to be a primary play-maker. Poole returned to the starting lineup as point guard late last season when Tyus Jones was injured, and he’s happy to have more on-ball opportunities again in ’24/25.

“I think [this game] is the perfect example [of the benefits of switching to point guard],” Poole said after Wednesday’s 42-point outburst.

Through 10 games (30.7 MPG), the 25-year-old is averaging 22.2 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 4.4 APG, 2.3 SPG and 0.7 BPG, with an efficient shooting line of .457/.444/.923. Several of those statistics represent career highs.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

In the draft lottery in 2023, the Wizards were one ping-pong ball away from landing the No. 1 overall pick and the chance to select French phenom Victor Wembanyama. On Wednesday, he showed them what they missed by pouring in a career-high 50 points on 18-of-29 shooting, including going 8-of-16 from long distance, Shankar writes for The Post. While they have some promising young talent, Washington lacks a clear-cut star to build around like Wembanyama, Shankar notes.
Poole and second-year forward Bilal Coulibaly are among the Wizards whose stock is up through 10 games, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who says Alex Sarr and Kyle Kuzma are trending in the opposite direction early on in ’24/25. Washington’s 2-8 record is actually good thing for the future, Robbins adds, as the team needs to secure another high lottery pick for a 2025 draft class that is viewed as having plenty of high-end talent.
Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network shares some early statistical trends for the Wizards’ trio of rookie first-round picks — Sarr, Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George.

And-Ones: Trade Possibilities, Contract Decisions, Bell, Johnson, Rookies

November 14th, 2024 at 10:14pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Several should-be playoff contenders have struggled through the earlier parts of the season, either due to injuries or pieces not fitting together. While in-season moves don’t usually pick up until after the New Year, closer to February’s trade deadline, several teams appear to be scouring the market for help.

The Bucks are chief among those teams, stumbling out to a 4-8 record in the early part of the season. In an Insider-only piece, a group of ESPN writers agree that the Bucks’ most likely course of action is to see if their three-point shooting evens out. Milwaukee doesn’t have much flexibility, but players like Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. are shooting below their typical averages. Waiting it out might be the best and only course of action for now, although Jamal Collier notes that they’ve expressed interest in a defensive wing.

The Heat have several questions about their future after not agreeing to an extension with Jimmy Butler. Butler’s ankle injury has complicated matters further, but Tim Bontemps writes that the Heat aren’t in any rush to make moves. They entered the season wanting to see how their team looked in the first half of the season, and according to Bontemps, that thought process hasn’t changed.

While New Orleans has the flexibility to make a trade, its season is hampered by numerous injuries. Michael C. Wright indicates that the Pelicans seem more likely to stand pat this season and not make major moves since they’ve never paid the luxury tax and don’t seem to be in any rush to do so with a team that sits at 3-9. Brandon Ingram could make some sense as a trade piece, since he was unable to agree to an extension with the Pels before the season, but his trade market would be limited given his unrestricted free agent status at the end of the year.

The Knicks and the Sixers haven’t jumped out to the starts they’ve wanted, but they appear likely to approach that situation in different ways. New York needs frontcourt help, but should get Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson back from injuries at some point this season. After trading for both Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, a major move doesn’t seem to be in the cards. However, the Sixers – who also need frontcourt size – could dangle KJ Martin‘s $8MM pseudo-expiring deal in any move. They’ve always been aggressive under president Daryl Morey, and that’s not likely to change.

While several teams need help, it seems as though most should-be contenders don’t have many options available to them on the trade market — for now.

We have more from around the basketball world:

In the new CBA landscape, managing finances has been more crucial for NBA teams than ever before. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report breaks down every team’s most pressing upcoming contract decision, including calls the Hawks, Mavericks and Magic must make on stars Trae Young, Luka Doncic and Paolo Banchero, respectively. According to Pincus’s sources, the Suns and Kevin Durant will add two seasons at $123.8MM to his contract next summer. Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas, Miami’s Butler, Cleveland’s Caris LeVert and Minnesota’s Julius Randle will be at the center of some of the more interesting decisions explored by Pincus.
The Indiana Mad Ants – the Pacers‘ G League affiliate – added Jordan Bell to their roster and waived Tyler Polley, according to a team release (Twitter link). Bell has spent part of the last two seasons with the Mad Ants, averaging 12.1 points in 60 games played. Bell was the 38th overall pick in the 2017 draft, playing the first two seasons of his career with the Warriors and winning a championship with them in 2018. Polley signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Pacers this offseason.
Former NBAer Stanley Johnson may be on his way out of Turkish club Anadolu Efes, according to BasketNews’ Donatas Urbonas. Anadolu Efes was Johnson’s first European team, but he’s been exploring other options amid a potential departure and interest from other European clubs. Johnson, the eighth overall pick in 2015, has 449 games of NBA experience, making 104 starts. He holds career averages of 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in the NBA and has made just six EuroLeague appearances so far, ranking just 11th on his team in minutes played.
A pair of Grizzlies first-year players sit atop The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie’s first edition of this season’s rookie player rankings. Zach Edey, who is averaging 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, and Jaylen Wells, who’s averaging 11.2 PPG on 37.0% three-point shooting, rank first and second in Vecenie’s rankings. The Wizards also have reason for excitement, with three rookies ranking in the top 11. Jared McCain ranks third while No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher is No. 6 in the rankings. Undrafted rookie Ajay Mitchell is eighth.