Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Larsson, Mitchell, Risacher, Middleton

April 12th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Heat lost rookie guard Pelle Larsson on Wednesday to a sprained ankle he suffered during a weightlifting incident, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. The rookie out of Arizona called the incident a “freak accident.”

“I was lifting and just stepped and got my foot caught in something,” Larsson said. “So I just stepped on a twisted ankle, and it doesn’t feel great.”

Larsson isn’t sure if he’ll be ready for next week’s play-in tournament, according to coach Erik Spoelstra. It’s unfortunate timing, as he had established himself as a strong perimeter defender for Miami and started six games in a row with Andrew Wiggins sidelined, averaging 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals in those games, Chiang notes.

“It’s more frustrating than anything, especially when it happens off the court,” Larsson added. “It feels like you don’t have as much control. So it’s frustrating.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

After playing 22 minutes in Friday’s matchup against the Pelicans, Heat guard Davion Mitchell crossed the 2,000-minute mark on the season and met the starter criteria. That means his qualifying offer this season will remain at $8,741,210 — it would have dipped to $7,976,830 if he had fallen short of 2,000 minutes.
Hawks No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher continued his late-season push for Rookie of the Year consideration on Thursday, scoring a career-high 38 points against the Nets. According to the team (Twitter link), Risacher’s 38 points were the most by any rookie in a single game this season.
Wizards forward Khris Middleton has been out since March 27 and will probably miss the team’s final game of the season on Sunday, according to The Washington Post’s Varun Shankar (Twitter link). In 14 games with the Wizards, all starts, Middleton averaged 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per night.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Hornets, Heat, Wizards

April 10th, 2025 at 8:38pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Magic clinched home court in all potential play-in games by defeating the Celtics on Wednesday. In the process, they also clinched the Southeast Division title, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes.

Orlando still needs to win a play-in game to clinch an official postseason slot, but it’s still an impressive feat for a team that lost its top three players – Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs – to lengthy injury absences over the course of the season.

“[I’m] extremely proud of this group,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Just being able to endure through all the things — the injuries, the bump back, guys in, guys out — and still come away getting the division and giving yourself a chance at a secured seventh [seed] for the opportunity to get into the playoffs. I’m proud of our group for that, for being as tough as they are, resilient as they are to continue to push through no matter the circumstance.”

As the current No. 7 seed, the Magic will host of the Hawks, Bulls or Heat on Tuesday and will see Boston again if they officially secure seventh place with a play-in win.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Hornets have decisions on multiple key players this offseason, cap expert Yossi Gozlan observes on his Substack. Some key points of reflection include whether Mark Williams is part of their future after the Lakers trade fell through, whether Tre Mann should be tendered his $6.96MM qualifying offer, and whether Miles Bridges should be traded, Gozlan writes.
The Heat had a chance to obtain home-court advantage in a play-in game, but fell to the Bulls on Wednesday. A missed Tyler Herro three that led to a made Matas Buzelis deep ball put the nail in the coffin for Miami, according to ESPN and the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. Herro had an open path to the basket with 43 seconds left and the Heat down five, but chose to stop at the three-point line rather than taking the easy layup. “What I’ll say is Tyler has a fearlessness that you can’t take for granted,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He’s hit so many big shots. He wants to take on anything to help you win and he’s had a lot of big plays offensively, especially in fourth quarters, in his time with us. And it’s my job now to also coach him in situational basketball.“
While unlikely, it’s still possible for the Heat to move out of 10th place in the East, Chiang writes in a separate piece. They’ll continue to play their regulars for the final two games of the season.
The Wizards‘ plan to develop their young players and boost their lottery odds this season is a sound plan, but Candace Buckner of The Washington Post wonders whether it’s negatively impacting those currently on the roster. Even if players individually develop, Buckner opines that losing so often so early may harm their chances of developing winning habits.

Marcus Smart: ‘Control What I Can Control’

April 7th, 2025 at 10:56am CST by Arthur Hill

For years, Marcus Smart dreamed of bringing a championship to Boston, so it felt odd to be back at TD Garden on Sunday with the rebuilding Wizards, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.

Smart didn’t play, despite loud chants from Celtics fans for coach Brian Keefe to put him in the game. Keefe explained that he’s focused on giving time to younger players as the season winds down. With one year left on his contract at $21.6MM, it’s uncertain whether Smart’s NBA future will be in Washington.

“Control what I can control,” he said. “That’s been my motto, and that’s kind of how it’s going to stand. These last couple years, you’ve seen things that you probably didn’t expect to see, you experienced things that you probably didn’t expect to experience, and it kind of brings things to the surface for you. You’ve just got to control what you can control.”

Smart was a popular figure in Boston for nine years as part of the young core that turned the Celtics into title contenders again. He was a fiery competitor and demonstrative leader who won Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2022.

His career abruptly changed a year later when he was sent to Memphis in a three-team deal that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. Injuries limited his effectiveness with the Grizzlies, as he played just 20 games last season and 19 this year before being traded to the Wizards in February.

He’s averaging a career-low 18.7 minutes per night in 15 games with Washington while taking a back seat to his youthful teammates. He has embraced the role of a veteran leader and is impressed at how well his messages are being received.

“They’re calling me ‘Unc’ and things like that,” Smart said. “I ain’t ready for that. But it’s great. It’s a great group of young guys here, and the thing that I love about them is they’re ready to learn and they’re willing to learn. They’re constantly asking me questions, constantly asking me to demonstrate things, and that’s what you ask for. As a competitor, as a player yourself, when guys come up to you, that’s a great feeling. It allows you to see that what you’re doing and the impact that you’ve made hasn’t gone unnoticed, and keep doing it. So I was very excited.”

Keefe said Smart has been “terrific” since the trade and has served as a “tremendous leader, tremendous player,” Robb adds in a separate story. While it’s a rewarding role, it’s not what Smart wants to be at age 31. He believes he can still help a contender, and there may be several teams inquiring about him this summer.

The Wizards also acquired Khris Middleton from Milwaukee at the trade deadline, so they’ll have choices to make about whether to hold onto their two veterans or try to flip them for assets to help with the rebuilding project.

“I’m one of probably the biggest competitors in this league,” Smart said. “As long as I’m able to be out there, I want to be out there and I’m going to be out there. Where, when, how – that’s not in my control. All I can do is control my preparation and be prepared for whatever is thrown at me. So obviously I would like to get back to that play of racking up those minutes and really getting out there with those guys, but like I said, control what I can control.”

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Sarr, Middleton

April 6th, 2025 at 4:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Despite having lost their last three games in a row and six of their last 10 contests overall, the Hawks have been making a push to develop their young perimeter players with a play-in tournament berth already assured, writes Jake Fischer for Hawks.com.

No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher in particular has been taking positive strides as the season has transitioned into its home stretch. Accordingly, he has been named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for two months running.

“(Trae Young is) more comfortable and aggressive throwing the ball ahead and seeing those guys attack the rim in transition,” Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said.

“The floor’s more open,” Young agreed. “And that causes my defender to make a decision whether to help or stay with me.”

The growth of 23-year-old forward Jalen Johnson, prior to his season-ending shoulder injury, and 22-year-old guard Dyson Daniels, a strong All-Defensive Team candidate, also gives the team major hope for the future.

“We think we can propel this team to a championship one day,” Daniels said. “The more we play together, the more chemistry we develop, the more experience we get, the more games we’re going to win.”

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Another Rookie of the Year candidate, Wizards big man Alex Sarr, has been showing plenty of promise as Washington’s lottery-bound 2024/25 season has wound down, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The 19-year-old, selected with the No. 2 pick last summer, has been taking particular pride in his recent play on defense. “I love that he celebrated a defensive play,” coach Brian Keefe said, referring to a key block in a late-game situation in March. “It wasn’t just an offensive play. That’s winning stuff. That’s a winning play he made. If he wanted to be excited about that, that’s great, because we want him to anchor our defense.” Sarr’s shooting from distance has come and gone this season, but he has been enjoying consistent minutes, which he appreciates. “Being able to have freedom helps you develop as a player,” Sarr told Robbins, “knowing the things maybe you shouldn’t do, the things you have to work on.”
Former All-Star wing Khris Middleton, just two months into his Wizards tenure, has become a stabilizing veteran presence. According to Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (subscriber link), Middleton already leads Washington in taking charges. The 33-year-old veteran’s willingness to put his body on the line has inspired his young teammates, Hughes opines.
In case you missed it, veteran Heat wing Andrew Wiggins is hoping to be back before Miami’s regular season ends, although there is no set timeline yet for his return from his right hamstring tendinopathy.

Injury Notes: Heat, Lillard, VanVleet, Coulibaly, Yabusele

April 3rd, 2025 at 6:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat forward Andrew Wiggins will miss his fourth consecutive game on Thursday due to right hamstring tendinopathy, but another Miami forward, Duncan Robinson, will make his return vs. Memphis, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Robinson hasn’t played since March 23, having been sidelined for the club’s past five contests due to a back problem. However, he feels “a lot better,” according to head coach Erik Spoelstra, who reiterated that the injury is different than the one the veteran sharpshooter dealt with at the end of last season (Twitter link via Chiang).

In addition to being without Wiggins, the Heat will still be missing Kevin Love (personal reasons), as well as Terry Rozier, who is listed as out due to an illness, but neither player has been a regular rotation contributor since the All-Star break anyway.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

The Bucks decided against bringing Damian Lillard on their three-game road trip that begins Thursday in Philadelphia, but head coach Doc Rivers is increasingly optimistic about the guard’s ability to return before the end of the season, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays (Twitter link). Lillard was diagnosed last month with a blood clot in his calf. “He had a great report the other day…the numbers are phenomenal,” Rivers said. “‘Why mess with it?’ was our thing. Why fly him or anything? It could affect (his progress). … We have much more hope today than we did three days ago, I can tell you that. And so, we’re going to take everything that we can do to see if there is a way we can get him back.”
Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet didn’t suit up on Wednesday for the victory that clinched Houston its first playoff spot since 2020, having sat out due to knee and ankle soreness. VanVleet had played in the Rockets’ previous 11 games and should be back in the lineup in short order, but that ankle issue, which forced him to miss 16 games in February and March, likely won’t clear up anytime soon. “It’s going to take some time,” head coach Ime Udoka said, per ESPN. “We will have to deal with it the rest of the season, coming off the injury.”
The Wizards didn’t formally rule out Bilal Coulibaly for the rest of the season when they announced on March 13 that he’d miss about four-to-six weeks due to a right hamstring strain. However, head coach Brian Keefe acknowledged on Thursday that the second-year forward will “probably not” be back before the team wraps up its regular season schedule, as Varun Shankar of The Washington Post tweets.
After missing a pair of games with a right knee sprain, Sixers forward/center Guerschon Yabusele will be activated for Thursday’s matchup with Milwaukee, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Celtics’ JD Davison Named G League MVP

April 2nd, 2025 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics two-way player JD Davison has been named the G League’s Most Valuable Player of the 2024/25 season, according to an official announcement from the NBA (Twitter link).

A 2022 second-round pick, Davison has played sparingly at the NBA level in his first three professional seasons and logged just 51 minutes in 12 total appearances for the Celtics in ’24/25. He spent most of his time with the Maine Celtics, appearing in a total of 45 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games for Boston’s NBAGL affiliate.

Across those 45 outings, Davison averaged 25.6 points, 7.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 34.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .482/.332/.762. Maine went just 8-8 in the Tip-Off Tournament, but the 6’1″ guard led the team to a 21-13 record and a No. 3 playoff seed in the G League’s regular season.

Salt Lake City Stars big man Oscar Tshiebwe – who is on a two-way contract with the Jazz – and Capital City Go-Go guard Jaylen Nowell finished second and third, respectively, behind Davison for the G League MVP award, which is voted on by the league’s head coaches and general managers.

Tshiebwe, known as an elite rebounder, averaged a record-setting 18.3 RPG in 42 games for Salt Lake City while also contributing 16.1 PPG, 2.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, and 1.1 BPG. The Stars, like the Celtics, finished the regular season with a 21-13 record.

Nowell isn’t currently on an NBA roster, but he earned call-ups with New Orleans and Washington over the course of the season. The veteran guard spent most of the year with the Wizards‘ G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, for whom he averaged 24.7 PPG, 5.4 APG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.1 SPG with an impressive .526/.479/.901 shooting line. The Go-Go posted a 20-14 regular season mark.

Checking In On Starter Criteria, Traded Draft Picks, Mavs’ Two-Ways, More

March 31st, 2025 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The months on the calendar between the NBA's in-season trade deadline and the start of the offseason represent the only time of year in which teams aren't permitted to make trades.

Still, while the possibility of Shams Charania dropping shocking trade news in the middle of the night is off the table during this final stretch of the regular season, there's plenty going on around the league that will impact future roster decisions and trade talks.

We're checking in on a few of those subplots today. Let's dive right in...

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Wizards Notes: Record Loss, Sarr, Champagnie, Middleton

March 28th, 2025 at 12:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

Losing games is beneficial for the Wizards as they try to maximize their lottery odds, but there was nothing to be gained from Thursday night’s performance, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Washington set franchise records by giving up 162 points to Indiana and losing by 53 points. The Pacers overwhelmed the Wizards’ defense, shooting 64.1% from the field and 57.4% from three-point range.

“You should be upset,” coach Brian Keefe said. “You shouldn’t be happy. But it’s always about what you do going forward. Unfortunately, losses like this happen. You don’t want them to. No one’s happy about it, most of all our organization, me and the players especially. We’ve got competitive guys in our locker room. But it’s how you go forward. It’s always how you respond.”

At 16-57, Washington remains a half-game “behind” the 16-58 Jazz in the race for the league’s worst record. Robbins points out that the Wizards have been playing better lately, putting together a 6-4 run from February 24 to March 15 that included wins at Detroit and Denver. They also won at Philadelphia on Wednesday, so there were no warning signs that they were about to break this 54-year-old record.

“We’re competitors, so we definitely don’t want to be on the bad side of games like that,” Jordan Poole said. “I think we know that the longer you play, the more games you play, there will be nights like this, especially coming off of a back-to-back. I think we in the locker room know that’s not acceptable, especially for the standard that we’re trying to set, in how we played. But we’ve got to find ways to just learn from it, get better and then bounce back in a couple of days.”

There’s more from Washington:

Rookie big man Alex Sarr scored 22 points Thursday night and led the Wizards in shots for the seventh time in the last eight games, according to Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. The No. 2 overall pick is enjoying his best month of the season, averaging 17.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in March, and may be making a late bid for Rookie of the Year honors. “I think it’s a nice accomplishment. But at the same time I think there’s way more than just getting (an) individual award,” Sarr said. “… I’m going to be part of this team hopefully for a lot of years to come. And what we’re building right now is more important than (individual awards).”
In an interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Justin Champagnie admits he considered giving up his NBA dream as he fought to earn a roster spot over the last three years. The 23-year-old small forward’s efforts were rewarded this season when he signed a four-year, $10MM deal with the Wizards that includes $1.8MM in guaranteed money. “To be honest with you, I probably thought about quitting three or four times,” Champagnie said. “I always told myself no matter what happens, stay grounded, remember where you came from, keep doing what you’re doing, and let it be what it’s going to be.”
Khris Middleton, who was traded to Washington at the deadline after a long career in Milwaukee, believes the Wizards have a bright future and could challenge for the playoffs soon, Scotto adds. “I think if you give us a full offseason and give us a full season together,” he said, “with the improvement of the young core, which is going to be huge, I think they can take a big step because of the way they work, how talented they are, and how smart they are.”

France Eyes Victor Wembanyama For EuroBasket

March 28th, 2025 at 7:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Spurs shut down Victor Wembanyama last month due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, but there’s hope that he might be able to represent France at EuroBasket this summer.

In an interview with L’Equipe, French national team coach Frédéric Fauthoux said Wembanyama’s condition is being monitored to see if he can return for the international tournament, which gets underway in late August.

“We had Victor before his operation, he is motivated to be part of the team,” Fauthoux said. “We’ll see as he evolves physically, we’ll make the decision when it’s the right time, until then, we’ll be in the dark. But he feels good, everything is going well (in his rehabilitation).”

Wembanyama underwent surgery for the condition, which was discovered when he returned to San Antonio following the All-Star Game. Deep vein thrombosis is a form of a blood clot that affects the flow of blood to his shoulder. The Spurs don’t believe it’s a concern for Wembanyama’s long-term health, and he’s expected to be ready when training camp opens in late September.

Wembanyama was in the midst of an outstanding second NBA season before the medical issue arose. He averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and a league-high 3.8 blocks in 46 games and had been considered a heavy favorite for Defensive Player of the Year honors. He made his first All-Star appearance after being selected by coaches as a reserve.

Having Wembanyama, who starred at the Olympics last summer, would significantly improve the prospects for the French team, which wound up with difficult early matchups at Thursday’s draw. France will meet Luka Doncic and Slovenia in the group stage and could face Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Greek team later on.

Fauthoux expects to have several NBA players on his EuroBasket roster, including the Hawks’ Zaccharie Risacher and the Wizards’ Alex Sarr, who were the top two picks in last year’s draft.

“They are close to a pre-selection,” he said. “They are two players with a great future, with a lot of talent, and both have playing time in the NBA, it’s very important for me, for possible selections, it’s essential with the competition from EuroLeague, Eurocup, Champions League players.”

EuroBasket will take place from August 27 to September 14 with games in Cyprus, Finland, Poland and Latvia.

Wizards’ Khris Middleton To Undergo MRI On Right Knee

March 27th, 2025 at 10:50pm CST by Rory Maher

After playing 14 first-half minutes on Thursday against Indiana, forward Khris Middleton was ruled out for the second half due to right knee soreness, the Wizards announced (via Twitter).

In his post-game press conference, head coach Brian Keefe said Middleton would undergo an MRI on his right knee, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter link).

It’s unfortunate news for the three-time All-Star, who was traded to Washington last month after spending 10-plus seasons in Milwaukee. Middleton was a key part of the Bucks’ championship run in 2022, but his career has been derailed by a series of injuries the past few seasons.

The 33-year-old has appeared in just 36 total games in 2024/25, averaging 12.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists on .476/.362/.866 shooting in 23.0 minutes per contest. That’s the fewest minutes he’s averaged since he was a rookie with Detroit back in ’12/13.

Middleton holds a $33.3MM player option for ’25/26 that he’s widely expected to exercise.

In other Wizards injury news, forward Anthony Gill was also ruled out for the remainder of Thursday’s game after playing three minutes in the first half. He’s dealing with left hip soreness, per the team (Twitter link).