Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Spoelstra, Jovic, Labissiere, Coulibaly, Holmes

August 25th, 2025 at 4:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra visited Europe last week to watch some of his players in exhibition games prior to the EuroBasket tournament.

That didn’t go unnoticed by forward Nikola Jovic, as Spoelstra went to Belgrade to watch Jovic play for the Serbian national team in an exhibition against Slovenia.

“I was definitely motivated [by Spoelstra watching], he’s one of the best coaches in the world, if not the best,” Jovic said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “He went the extra mile to come see me, I definitely wanted to show that I’ve improved and that I’ll be even better next season.”

Spoelstra believes Jovic will benefit from the experience.

“I love it when he spends time with the national team. Every time he comes back to us, he comes back more mature,” he said in a TV interview. “I think being around a group that knows how to win, that really cares about winning, the team is so connected also. So I think it makes a big impression on him. We’re looking forward to some great things ahead for him with us.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Skal Labissiere‘s NBA G League rights were acquired by the Capital City G0-Go from the Stockton Kings in a four-team swap, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets. That clears the way for Labissiere to join the Wizards‘ affiliate if he’s waived during training camp. Washington agreed to sign the veteran big man to a training camp deal earlier this month. Labissiere, 29, has appeared in 152 NBA games after getting drafted late in the first round in 2016. He was out of the league for four seasons until he appeared in four games with the Kings last season.
Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly says he’ll miss big man Richaun Holmes, who signed a two-year contract with Panathinaikos, the 2024 EuroLeague champions. The unrestricted free agent played 48 games with the Wizards over the past two seasons. “I love him, I love Rich. He’s probably the hardest player I’ve played with,” Coulibaly told Giorgos Kyriakidis of Basketnews.com. “I’d love to be with him on the court. I think he’s going to fit well with this team. So, good luck to him.”
In case you missed it, the Magic signed Colin Castleton to a training camp contract. Get the details here.

Nikola Jokic Headlines Serbia’s Roster For EuroBasket

August 23rd, 2025 at 12:03pm CST by Rory Maher

The Serbian national team has officially announced its roster for the upcoming EuroBasket tournament, according to FIBA. The 12-man group is headlined by Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP who won Finals MVP en route to Denver’s first title in 2023.

While Jokic is the most noteworthy name on Serbia’s roster, the team has three other active NBA players in captain Bogdan Bogdanovic (Clippers), Nikola Jovic (Heat) and Tristan Vukcevic (Wizards). The roster also features a handful of European stars, some of whom have NBA experience.

Here’s the full 12-man roster:

Aleksa Avramovic
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Ognjen Dobric
Marko Guduric
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jovic
Stefan Jovic
Vanja Marinkovic
Vasilije Micic
Nikola Milutinov
Filip Petrusev
Tristan Vukcevic

Thunder guard Nikola Topic and former Warriors big man Alen Smailagic were on Serbia’s preliminary roster but did not make the final cut.

Serbia is considered the favorite for the tournament, which begins on August 27 and ends on September 14. The team went 7-0 in exhibition games leading up to EuroBasket, per FIBA, defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Greece, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany and Slovenia.

The Serbian national team won a bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and a silver at the 2023 World Cup (Jokic didn’t play after the Nuggets’ playoff run), but was surprisingly eliminated by Italy in the round of 16 during the last European championships in 2022. Spain won that edition of the tournament.

John Wall To Join Amazon’s NBA Coverage

August 20th, 2025 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

When John Wall announced his retirement as a player on Tuesday, he referred to “new opportunities” presenting themselves and said he’s ready for his “next chapter.” According to Michael Lee of The Washington Post, the next phase of Wall’s career will involve joining Amazon Prime Video for its studio show in 2025/26.

Although Wall told Lee in a recent phone interview that he still felt like he has “a lot left in my tank” as a player and was disappointed he didn’t get another opportunity on the court, he’s looking forward to staying involved in the NBA by sharing his insights with fans on Prime Video beginning this fall.

“If you never really had the opportunity to sit down and talk to me, you won’t really understand how much I love basketball, where my basketball mind is at, where my IQ is,” Wall said. “I can basically tell you the best player in the country — from girls to boys, high school, to the players that’s in college, to the people that’s at the NBA and WNBA.”

It will be Amazon’s first season as an NBA broadcaster. The streaming giant will air games exclusively on Friday nights through December before adding Thursday and Saturday broadcasts later in the season. Prime Video will also be the home of the knockout round of the NBA Cup in December.

Amazon previously announced that former NBA stars Blake Griffin and Dirk Nowitzki will be part of its studio show, which will be hosted by Taylor Rooks.

In addition to that studio team, Prime Video’s broadcasting roster will include analysts Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, Candace Parker, Stan Van Gundy, Dell Curry, Brent Barry, and Udonis Haslem, as well as sideline reporters Cassidy Hubbarth, Allie Clifton, and Kristina Pink, and play-by-play announcers Kevin Harlan, Ian Eagle, Michael Grady, and Eric Collins.

Wall, meanwhile, made a few more interesting remarks in his conversation with Lee, noting that he had wanted to remain with the Wizards for his entire NBA career and that he hopes to have his No. 2 jersey retired by the franchise. The former No. 1 overall pick also discussed the health issues that derailed his playing career and ultimately cut it short.

“People think, ‘Oh, he got the money, he’s set for life, he don’t care.’ No, I would give up all the money to play basketball and never deal with none of those injuries,” Wall said. “I didn’t play the game of basketball for money. I played the game of basketball because I love it. I was itching to get back to play. I wasn’t itching to sit on the sideline and collect the check. The check don’t mean [anything].”

Wizards Signing Skal Labissiere To Camp Roster

August 19th, 2025 at 6:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards have reached an agreement with free agent big man Skal Labissiere, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets. The Wizards already have 15 players under guaranteed contracts, so it’s safe to assume Labissiere is receiving a training camp deal.

Haynes also reported on Tuesday that the Wizards were signing Alondes Williams. The additions of Williams and Labissiere would push Washington’s roster count to 20, one shy of the limit.

Labissiere, 29, has appeared in 152 NBA games after getting drafted late in the first round in 2016. He was out of the league for four seasons until he appeared in four games with the Kings last season.

He was signed to a 10-day deal in early March when injuries forced Sacramento to seek frontcourt depth. Like Williams, Labissiere was a member of Orlando’s Summer League team in July. He’ll now try to work his way onto Washington’s roster with a standout camp.

Labissiere appeared in 148 total games with Sacramento and Portland from 2016-20. He has spent most of his time since then in the G League, trying to work his way back into the NBA. The 6’10” center has played regularly for the Stockton Kings the past two seasons. He appeared in 44 games with Stockton last season, averaging 14.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game.

He also had a brief stay with a team in Puerto Rico.

Wizards To Add Alondes Williams To Camp Roster

August 19th, 2025 at 5:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agent guard Alondes Williams has reached an agreement with the Wizards, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets.

Considering the Wizards already have 15 players under guaranteed contracts, it’s safe to assume Williams is receiving a training camp deal. The addition of Williams would push the Wizards’ roster count to 19 players, two shy of the offseason limit.

Williams has nine games of NBA experience — he made his debut with the Nets in 2022/23, saw action in seven games with the Heat the following season, then appeared in one game with the Pistons last season.

Detroit signed Williams to a two-way deal in October but waived him in early January. Williams was a member of the Magic’s Summer League squad in July.

Last season, Williams appeared in 45 G League games with the Sioux Falls SkyForce and Motor City Cruise. He averaged 18.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 32.9 minutes per contest.

If Williams received an Exhibit 10 contract and gets waived before opening night, he could join the Capital City Go-Go, who acquired his returning rights in a trade earlier this month. Spending at least 60 days with the Go-Go- would make him eligible to earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $85,300.

John Wall Announces Retirement

August 19th, 2025 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

Former No. 1 overall pick and five-time NBA All-Star John Wall has announced his retirement, publishing a video on social media to confirm his decision (Instagram link).

“I’ve been chasing a ball since I could barely walk. Driveways, parks, packed gyms, 5:00 am workouts,” Wall said over a video montage of his career highlights. “I gave this game everything I had, from Raleigh to Kentucky to the league. Every jersey I’ve worn meant more than just wins and stats. It was about representing something bigger, and it’s something I couldn’t do without you.

“To my family, my mom especially, thank you for all your sacrifices. I hope I made you proud. To my teammates, trainers, and coaches, thank you for believing in me. And to the fans, you made me feel unstoppable.

“Today I’m stepping off the court, but not away from the game. Basketball will always be in my life. As new opportunities present themselves, I feel now is the time to walk confidently into my next chapter. Thank you for every cheer, every moment. Retired, but never done, I’m doing it the Wall way.”

Drafted first overall by the Wizards in 2010 after earning SEC Player of the Year honors as a freshman at Kentucky, Wall almost immediately emerged as Washington’s full-time starting point guard and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.

The 6’3″ guard, known for his speed and athleticism, remained in D.C. for 10 seasons, receiving five straight All-Star nods from 2014-18, making an All-Defensive team in 2015 and earning All-NBA third team honors (and MVP votes) in 2017.

However, a series of leg injuries, including a torn Achilles, slowed down Wall during his last few seasons with the Wizards. He was traded to Houston during the 2020 offseason, but was limited to just 40 appearances in his first year with the Rockets due to ongoing health issues, then reached a mutual decision to remain away from the team in his second year in Houston. Wall’s last season in the NBA came in 2022/23, when he made 34 outings for the Clippers.

In total, Wall appeared in 647 NBA regular season games, making 604 starts, and averaged 18.7 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in 34.9 minutes per contest, with a career shooting line of .430/.322/.776.

Reporting as recently as December 2024 indicated that Wall hadn’t given up on making an NBA comeback, but after no opportunities materialized this past season, the veteran – who will turn 35 next month – has decided to call it a career.

Shortly after Wall made his announcement, the Wizards put out a social media post congratulating him on his retirement and referring to him as “one of our franchise all-time greats” (Twitter link).

Moussa Diabate Declines To Rejoin French National Team

August 17th, 2025 at 9:28am CST by Rory Maher

Hornets big man Moussa Diabate was cut from the French national team on August 8 ahead of EuroBasket 2025. After a knee issue forced Vincent Poirier to withdraw from the tournament, France’s head coach, Frederic Fauthoux, reached out to Diabate about the possibility of rejoining Les Bleus, according to Arthur Puybertier of BeBasket.

However, after consulting with his camp, Diabate declined the offer in order to “focus on his upcoming NBA season” (hat tip to Eurohoops).

2025/26 is a big season for the 6’11” center, whose minimum-salary contract with Charlotte is non-guaranteed. Diabate emerged as a rotation regular in ’24/25, averaging 5.7 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 59.6% from the field in 71 appearances (17.5 minutes per game).

While the Hornets could be facing a roster crunch this fall, head coach Charles Lee recently praised Diabate, so it would be somewhat surprising if the 23-year-old ends up being released.

The French national team announced on Sunday (via Twitter) that it has finalized its 12-man group for EuroBasket, with Poirier and Paris Basketball guard Nadir Hifi the final two players cut. According to Eurohoops, France’s roster will likely consist of Theo Maledon, Sylvain Francisco, Elie Okobo, Isaia Cordinier, Matthew Strazel, Zaccharie Risacher, Bilal Coulibaly, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Guerschon Yabusele, Jaylen Hoard, Alex Sarr and Mouhammadou Jaiteh.

Risacher (Hawks), Coulibaly (Wizards), Yabusele (Knicks) and Sarr (Wizards) are current NBA players, while Maledon, Okobo, Luwawu-Cabarrot and Hoard previously spent time in the league. Cordinier is a former second-round pick (44th overall in 2016), but the 28-year-old has only played in Europe to this point in his career.

Southeast Notes: Jaquez, Highsmith, Wizards Roster Imbalance

August 16th, 2025 at 3:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat added Simone Fontecchio, Kasparas Jakucionis and Norman Powell this offseason while moving on from Kyle Anderson, Alec Burks, Haywood Highsmith, Kevin Love and Duncan Robinson.

Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. believes it’s going to take a while for the team to build chemistry, considering all the roster moves.

“It’s starting to become the reality,” Jaquez said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I think your rookie year, you go through it and it’s an adjustment. Now your second year, I think you really start to understand what it means to be in this business. Guys that you’ve built a relationship with are no longer going to be there. It’s definitely going to be an adjustment period, but we’re just really excited to get new guys and have this new team and try to win games.”

Jaquez had a disappointing second season as his playing time declined. He’s focused on securing a rotation spot once again.

“Just going back and watching some film,” Jaquez said. “I think that’s a big one. Just remembering what it was that put me on the floor, what it was that got me to this position. Just kind of leaning into my strengths, as well as working on things that I need to work on like shooting and defense. And just bringing it all together as a whole, I think is one of the biggest things for me this offseason.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

While the Heat valued Highsmith, it was more essential for the franchise to get under the luxury tax, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel explains in his latest mailbag. Highsmith was dealt to the Nets this week in what can be classified as a salary dump. Given where the Heat are in the Eastern Conference pecking order, it would be hard to justify them being a tax team and risk paying repeater penalties going forward. The move also opens up more playing time for some of the younger players on the roster.
The Wizards‘ roster is top-heavy with wings while having few traditional bigs or point guards. Josh Robbins of The Athletic believes the roster imbalance is not a big concern for the Wizards front office. Their aim is to bring in as many high-upside players as possible and then develop them into solid pros, while hoping one of them becomes a franchise player and a couple others can reach All-Star level production.
The Hawks gave an offer sheet to a restricted free agent on Saturday. Get the details here.

NBA Teams Average 14.4 Back-To-Backs In 2025/26

August 15th, 2025 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

Five NBA teams will play a league-high 16 back-to-back sets during the 2025/26 regular season, while six clubs will have just 13 instances of back-to-back games on their schedules. The remaining 19 teams will play either 14 or 15 back-to-backs.

[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Schedules By Team]

Those totals – along with an overall average of 14.4 back-to-backs per team – are about what we’ve come to expect in recent years.

Prior to the COVID-shortened seasons of 2019/20 and ’20/21, the NBA’s regular season consisted of 177 days, and the league had made a concerted effort to reduce instances of back-to-backs. When the league announced its initial schedule in ’19/20, its press release boasted that teams were averaging a record-low 12.4 back-to-backs that season, marking the fifth straight year in which that number had reached an all-time low.

However, since 2021/22, NBA regular seasons have spanned just 174 days, making it a little more difficult for schedule-makers to avoid back-to-back sets. The average number of back-to-backs per team is still well below where it once was (teams averaged 19.3 in 2024/25), but it’s no longer at a record low.

Here are the back-to-backs by team in 2025/26:

Charlotte Hornets: 16
Denver Nuggets: 16
Philadelphia 76ers: 16
Phoenix Suns: 16
Washington Wizards: 16
Golden State Warriors: 15
Los Angeles Clippers: 15
Miami Heat: 15
New Orleans Pelicans: 15
Portland Trail Blazers: 15
Toronto Raptors: 15
Utah Jazz: 15
Brooklyn Nets: 14
Cleveland Cavaliers: 14
Dallas Mavericks: 14
Detroit Pistons: 14
Houston Rockets: 14
Los Angeles Lakers: 14
Memphis Grizzlies: 14
Milwaukee Bucks: 14
New York Knicks: 14
Orlando Magic: 14
Sacramento Kings: 14
San Antonio Spurs: 14
Atlanta Hawks: 13
Boston Celtics: 13
Chicago Bulls: 13
Indiana Pacers: 13
Minnesota Timberwolves: 13
Oklahoma City Thunder: 13

Warriors, Lakers, Knicks, Thunder Get Most Nationally Televised Games For 2025/26

August 15th, 2025 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

Having gone from two national broadcasting partners (ABC/ESPN and TNT) to three (ABC/ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime) ahead of the 2025/26 season, the NBA’s schedule will feature a significant increase in nationally televised games.

When the league unveiled its full regular season schedule on Thursday, it announced 237 nationally televised regular season matchups, along with the seven knockout round NBA Cup games whose participants aren’t yet known, for a total of 244 contests.

As Colin Salao of Front Office Sports writes in a subscriber story, the total number of nationally televised games is up by more than 40% from last season, when the league’s partners nationally broadcasted a total of 172 games.

Salao also points out that beginning in the middle of the season, when the NFL schedule starts winding down, the NBA will have national games every day of the week: Peacock on Monday; NBC/Peacock on Tuesday; ESPN on Wednesday; Amazon on Thursday; Amazon and ESPN on Friday; Amazon and ABC on Saturday; and ABC, NBC, and Peacock on Sunday.

Every team will be featured at least twice on the national TV broadcast schedule, with the Warriors, Lakers, Knicks, and defending champion Thunder leading the way with 34 appearances apiece.

Here’s the full breakdown of nationally televised games by team:

Golden State Warriors: 34
Los Angeles Lakers: 34
New York Knicks: 34
Oklahoma City Thunder: 34
Houston Rockets: 28
Minnesota Timberwolves: 28
Denver Nuggets: 26
Boston Celtics: 25
Cleveland Cavaliers: 24
Dallas Mavericks: 23
San Antonio Spurs: 22
Los Angeles Clippers: 21
Milwaukee Bucks: 18
Detroit Pistons: 16
Orlando Magic: 14
Philadelphia 76ers: 14
Atlanta Hawks: 13
Memphis Grizzlies: 10
Indiana Pacers: 9
Phoenix Suns: 9
Sacramento Kings: 9
Portland Trail Blazers: 8
Miami Heat: 5
Charlotte Hornets: 3
Chicago Bulls: 3
Brooklyn Nets: 2
New Orleans Pelicans: 2
Toronto Raptors: 2
Utah Jazz: 2
Washington Wizards: 2

Since nationally televised matchups are subject to change, there’s no guarantee that every team will ultimately end up being featured multiple times on the national stage.

As Salao points out, all 30 clubs showed up at least once on the national broadcast schedule initially announced for 2024/25, but the Wizards didn’t get any nationally televised games after having their lone contest replaced by a showdown between Cleveland and Oklahoma City.

Additionally, not every team this season will have a game aired on a traditional, non-streaming network — the only games featuring the Raptors or Wizards will air on either Peacock or Amazon Prime.