Wizards Rumors

John Wall Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out 6-8 Weeks

JANUARY 31: The Wizards officially confirmed today in a press release that Wall underwent a successful arthroscopic debridement procedure on his left knee. He’ll miss about six to eight weeks, according to the team.

JANUARY 30: John Wall will undergo a procedure on his troublesome left knee tomorrow, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post, who reports that the Wizards point guard will be sidelined for the next six-to-eight weeks. Buckner had written on Monday that Wall was headed to Cleveland to seek a second opinion on his knee issue.

Wall’s knee soreness, which stems from an injury sustained early in the season, has slowed him down at times this season. He has received injections and had his knee drained already, and will now undergo what Buckner refers to as a “clean up.” Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who calls the procedure a “knee scope,” hears that Wall could be sidelined for two months (Twitter link).

The Wizards will look to hold onto their position in the Eastern Conference playoff picture during Wall’s absence. Currently, the club’s 27-22 record is tied for fifth in the East, but the Bucks (27-22) and Pacers (28-23) could soon push Washington down to the No. 7 spot. The Sixers (24-23) and the new-look Pistons (22-26) are also lurking.

While the Wizards hope to get a fully healthy Wall back for this season’s stretch run, the team has to be nervous about ongoing knee issues for a player who is under contract through 2022/23 — based on current cap projections, the point guard’s salary will rise to nearly $47MM by the end of his super-max contract.

Wall’s knee injury will also force him to miss the All-Star Game, so a replacement figures to be announced soon. That substitute will be an Eastern Conference player and will join LeBron James‘ squad for the event. (Update: Andre Drummond is replacing Wall.)

Wizards' Time To Make Push Is Now

Wall Doesn't Believe Teammates Don't Like Him

Heat center Hassan Whiteside believes his team’s lack of national exposure contributed to him being overlooked for the All-Star Game, relays Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Whiteside is having a solid season, averaging 14.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per night, and the Heat are fourth in the East at 27-20, but Kristaps Porzingis, Kevin Love and Al Horford were selected ahead of him as reserve frontcourt players.

“You know, it’s confusing,” Whiteside said. “I get confused about it sometimes. Is it about stats? Or is it about winning?”

Of the 15 teams with the league’s best records, the Heat were the only ones not to have an All-Star. Whiteside suggested it’s because the team has barely appeared on national television. TNT hasn’t televised a single Miami game this season, while ESPN has shown just one, with another scheduled broadcast bumped for a Celtics-Timberwolves contest.

“The NBA pushes teams,” he said. “The NBA pushes guys. The media pushes people. There’s teams all got Christmas games that stink, so I’m not going to say what teams, but you all know those teams that shouldn’t be playing on Christmas.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
  • The Heat have taken a creative approach to getting maximum value out of their two-way players, Jackson adds in a separate story. Both are close to their NBA limit, with nine days left for Derrick Jones and six for Derrick Walton. Miami is conserving their time by not having them travel with the team on the flight home from Houston after Monday’s game and not having them at practice today. All two-way players will be eligible to join their teams after their G League season [or playoff run] is over, even if they have used all 45 days. For Jones and Walton, that will be March 24, unless Sioux Falls makes the postseason.
  • Gambling on Dwight Howard has turned out to be a good move, Hornets coach Steve Clifford tells Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Howard’s problems with free throws and turnovers haven’t gone away, but his coach contends the 32-year-old center has made a difference by still being a dominant rebounder and rim protector. “This might be his best [season] since his second year in Houston,” Clifford said.
  • Mavericks guard J.J. Barea is getting a strong reaction to his negative comments about John Wall, relays Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. After the Wizards lost Monday in Dallas, Barea told reporters he doesn’t believe Wall is liked by his teammates. “I’ve never had a teammate say he didn’t like me,” Wall said to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post (Twitter link). “If it’s true, nobody would be man enough to say it to me so I don’t believe it. … I don’t let that affect me.”

Rodney Hood Could Be Good Fit For Wizards' Bench

Rodney Hood‘s ability to score off the bench could make him a perfect fit for the Wizards, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The 25-year-old Jazz guard seems like a good bet to be traded by the February 8 deadline, and Washington could be among the suitors.

The Wizards would like to improve their bench and find some relief for Bradley Beal, who is playing about 36 minutes per night. Reserve guard Jodie Meeks, who signed a two-year deal with Washington last summer, is shooting just 36.2% from the field and 30.6% from long distance.

Wizards Rumors: Oubre, Gortat, Mahinmi

The Wizards haven’t been involved in many trade rumors so far this year, but they’re still a team worth monitoring closely in the coming weeks. Washington completes a trade-deadline deal virtually every season — in 2017, the club added Bojan Bogdanovic, and two years ago it was Markieff Morris arriving in D.C. at the deadline.

In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks took a closer look at some trade options for the Wizards, so let’s dive in and round up a few of the highlights from the former Nets executive…

  • Kelly Oubre Jr. is a key part of the Wizards’ rotation, so the team may not be willing to move him, but he’d draw real interest from other clubs if Washington makes him available. “Oubre Jr. and Marcin Gortat are two players that consistently come up when we have personnel meetings,” one league executive told Marks.
  • Ian Mahinmi‘s contract is currently viewed as “not tradable,” according to Marks. Mahinmi, who isn’t playing much for the Wizards, will still have two years and $31MM+ left on his deal after this season.
  • The Wizards have made a habit of trading first-round picks in recent years, but they’d be wise to avoid doing so this year, writes Marks. A league source who spoke to ESPN agrees: “Washington can ill afford to move a first-round pick this year, even if it upgraded their roster for the short term.”
  • Another NBA executive weighed in with a take on how the Wizards should handle their future first-round picks and add complementary players around stars like John Wall and Bradley Beal: “What Washington needs to is take a look at how the Raptors built out their team. Yes, Wall and Beal are homegrown talent, but the Wizards do not have a stockpile of young players that have developed into a key part of the rotation and could start on any given night.”
  • Marks identifies Tyreke Evans as a trade candidate who should receive interest from the Wizards, but suggests that the team probably shouldn’t offer more than Tim Frazier, second-round picks, and cash.

Seven Southeast Trade Candidates To Watch

The NBA trade deadline is just over three weeks away, and there’s no shortage of players around the league who could change teams. Over the next week, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of those top trade candidates, breaking them down by division.

While our focus will be primarily on teams expected to be sellers at the deadline, our lists may also include some players on contenders who could be used as trade chips when those teams look to make upgrades.

We’re examining the Southeast Division today, so let’s dive in and identify seven players who could be on the move on or before February 8…

  1. EvanFournier verticalEvan Fournier, SG (Magic): Fournier has been the subject of several trade rumors already in 2018. Marc Stein of the New York Times said this week that rival executives expect Orlando to actively shop him; Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders suggested last week that Fournier is the Magic player drawing the most trade interest from rival teams; and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier in January that the Pistons pursued a deal for the veteran sharpshooter. Fournier, who is scoring a career-high 18.0 PPG this season to go along with a very respectable .396 3PT%, would certainly be an intriguing addition to a contender, but his contract may complicate matters. He’s owed $17MM annually through at least 2019/20, with a $17MM player option for 2020/21. Matching that salary with contracts the Magic are willing to take on won’t necessarily be easy for Fournier’s suitors.
  2. Nikola Vucevic, C (Magic): Vucevic, Fournier’s frontcourt teammate, has the more palatable contract of the two — he’s earning $12.25MM this season and then will make $12.75MM in the final year of his deal in 2018/19. That single year of control beyond this season may make him attractive to teams that want more than a rental but prefer not to make long-term commitments. Vucevic is also enjoying a nice bounce-back year after struggling in 2016/17, averaging 17.4 PPG and 9.3 RPG. He has even added a semi-reliable three-point shot to his game. However, a broken hand suffered last month throws a wrench into the Magic‘s chances of moving Vucevic. That injury is expected to sideline the big man for six to eight weeks, which would put him on track to return around the time of the deadline, or right after it. Any team with interest in Vucevic will be keeping a very close eye on his recovery process over the next few weeks.
  3. Dewayne Dedmon, C (Hawks): While DeAndre Jordan‘s name has popped up in trade rumors more frequently, Dedmon looks to me like a more prudent investment for teams targeting centers. With an increased role in Atlanta this season, Dedmon is enjoying a career year, posting 10.8 PPG and 7.8 RPG. And after attempting just one three-pointer in his first four NBA seasons, Dedmon has made 16 of 39 (41.0%) from outside in 2017/18. Although he missed 19 games with a left tibia stress reaction, Dedmon is back on the court now, and at $6MM, his cap hit makes him an attractive target for contenders with potential luxury-tax concerns and a need at center, such as the Cavaliers and Bucks. The only downside is that his $6.3MM player option for 2018/19 means he’ll probably opt out this summer and would be a rental for any club acquiring him.
  4. Ersan Ilyasova, PF (Hawks): Like Dedmon, Ilyasova has a reasonable $6MM cap charge for this season, and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer. However, Ilyasova figures to receive interest from teams looking for a different sort of skill set — he won’t offer much rim protection or rebounding for a big man, but Ilyasova’s ability to shoot three-pointers (.393 3PT% this season) is valuable for a club looking to stretch the floor and give another frontcourt player more room to operate down low. A return to the Sixers might make some sense for Ilyasova. I could also see him fitting in with the Thunder in the role that Patrick Patterson has struggled to fill. Ilyasova is unlikely to push a team over the top, but he’s the sort of player who should be capable of making an important shot or two in the postseason.
  5. Marco Belinelli, SG (Hawks): Speaking of shot-makers, teams in need of outside shooting may prefer a backcourt option like Belinelli over a stretch four like Ilyasova. The Italian swingman has been as effective as ever from three-point range this year, making 39.2% of his attempts, and playing for a new team is unlikely to derail him — he’s currently suiting up for his eighth NBA squad, so he’s accustomed to bouncing around. At $6.6MM, Belinelli is yet another Hawk with an affordable expiring deal, and I expect him to be on the move in the coming weeks if Atlanta can extract a solid second-round pick from a trade partner.
  6. Marvin Williams, F (Hornets): Identifying the top trade candidates on the Hornets is tricky. Some of the team’s higher-paid players, including Nicolas Batum, have negative trade value, but Charlotte likely won’t want to move a bargain like Kemba Walker or a prospect like Malik Monk. If the team wants to cut long-term costs and avoid flirting with the luxury-tax line again next season, Williams would make the most sense as a trade chip. He’s well-compensated, but at $14MM in 2018/19 and $15MM (player option) in 2019/20, his contract isn’t as pricey or as lengthy as Batum’s. Williams is also enjoying an excellent season as a three-and-D wing in Charlotte, with career highs in FG% (.485) and 3PT% (.448). There haven’t been many rumors swirling around Williams yet, but the Hornets are generally active at the deadline, and the former UNC standout is one of a small handful of Charlotte players that would appeal to contenders — and that the Hornets might be open to moving.
  7. Hassan Whiteside, C (Heat): Whiteside’s super-sized contract, which will pay him $25.4MM next year and features a $27MM+ player option for 2019/20, would be a major roadblock to a deal. There have also been no legitimate indications that the Heat are interested in dealing him. Still, Bam Adebayo has been impressive in his rookie season, and Miami’s go-to fourth quarter lineups no longer include Whiteside. Since returning from his knee injury last month, Whiteside has averaged just 23.6 minutes per game, way down from the 32.6 he averaged last season. I don’t expect Whiteside to go anywhere at this point, but there are hints that the Heat would consider the possibility.

Here are a few more potential Southeast trade candidates to monitor:

  • Elfrid Payton, PG (Magic): Rival executives reportedly expect the Magic to shop Payton and Mario Hezonja.
  • Kent Bazemore, G/F (Hawks): Bazemore is said to be drawing some interest, and the Hawks are open to listening.
  • Justise Winslow, F (Heat): Winslow has been identified as a potential trade chip and probably makes more sense in a deal than Whiteside.
  • Kemba Walker, PG (Hornets): Walker almost certainly won’t be dealt by February 8, but the Hornets appear lottery-bound and the point guard’s free agency looms in 2019, so he’s worth watching.
  • Ian Mahinmi, C (Wizards): The Wizards surely wouldn’t mind moving Mahinmi and his over-sized contract, which is out of proportion with his modest role. He has negative value though, so Washington would likely have to attach draft picks to ship him out.

Checking In On NBA’s Two-Way Contracts

Two-way contracts were introduced in the NBA’s newest Collective Bargaining Agreement, which went into effect for the 2017/18 league year. That means this is the first season that NBA teams have had two-way deals at their disposal, so we’re learning as we go along how those clubs intend to use them and how much turnover there will be in the two-way ranks.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contracts]

Over the past several days, there has been plenty of turnover — January 15 represented the deadline for teams to sign players to two-way contracts for the 2017/18 season. As such, several teams moved to fill empty two-way slots in recent days, while other teams decided to replace one two-way player with another before it was too late to do so.

By the time the dust settled, 59 of 60 two-way slots around the NBA had been filled. The Wizards are the only club not to use both of its two-way slots. Washington is one of just four NBA teams that doesn’t have a G League affiliate of its own, limiting the control the franchise has over the development of its two-way players. Additionally, the Wizards’ lone two-way player, Devin Robinson, has yet to appear in an NBA game for Washington, so perhaps the club felt adding another two-way player would be an unnecessary investment.

Another deadline looms for two-way players, as all their 2017/18 salaries are set to become fully guaranteed on January 20. It’s possible that a two-way player could be waived before then, denying him his full-season salary, but I don’t expect we’ll see many of those moves — two-way players have very modest salaries, which don’t count against the cap, and replacements can no longer be signed, so there would be little upside to cutting a player at this point.

The full list of players currently on two-way contracts is below, sorted by team. Once these players reach their 45-day NBA limit (or a pro-rated version of that limit), they’ll no longer be eligible to play in NBA games unless their contracts are converted to standard NBA deals.

Atlanta Hawks

  1. Josh Magette, PG
  2. Andrew White, G/F

Boston Celtics

  1. Kadeem Allen, G
  2. Jabari Bird, SG

Brooklyn Nets

  1. Milton Doyle, G
  2. James Webb III, SF

Charlotte Hornets

  1. Mangok Mathiang, C
  2. Marcus Paige, G

Chicago Bulls

  1. Ryan Arcidiacono, PG
  2. Antonio Blakeney, SG

Cleveland Cavaliers

  1. John Holland, G/F
  2. London Perrantes, PG

Dallas Mavericks

  1. Jalen Jones, SF
  2. Johnathan Motley, PF

Denver Nuggets

  1. Torrey Craig, SF
  2. Monte Morris, PG

Detroit Pistons

  1. Kay Felder, PG
  2. Reggie Hearn, SG

Golden State Warriors

  1. Chris Boucher, PF
  2. Quinn Cook, PG

Houston Rockets

  1. Markel Brown, SG
  2. R.J. Hunter, SG

Indiana Pacers

  1. Ben Moore, F
  2. Edmond Sumner, PG

Los Angeles Clippers

  1. Tyrone Wallace, PG
  2. C.J. Williams, SG

Los Angeles Lakers

  1. Alex Caruso, G
  2. Gary Payton II, PG

Memphis Grizzlies

  1. Myke Henry, F
  2. Kobi Simmons, PG

Miami Heat

  1. Derrick Jones, SF
  2. Derrick Walton Jr., PG

Milwaukee Bucks

  1. Xavier Munford, SG
  2. Marshall Plumlee, C

Minnesota Timberwolves

  1. Anthony Brown, SG
  2. Amile Jefferson, PF

New Orleans Pelicans

  1. Charles Cooke, SG
  2. Mike James, PG

New York Knicks

  1. Isaiah Hicks, PF
  2. Luke Kornet, C

Oklahoma City Thunder

  1. P.J. Dozier, SG
  2. Daniel Hamilton, G/F

Orlando Magic

  1. Jamel Artis, SF
  2. Adreian Payne, PF

Philadelphia 76ers

  1. Demetrius Jackson, PG
  2. James Young, SG

Phoenix Suns

  1. Danuel House, SF
  2. Alec Peters, PF

Portland Trail Blazers

  1. Wade Baldwin, PG
  2. C.J. Wilcox, SG

Sacramento Kings

  1. Jack Cooley, PF
  2. JaKarr Sampson, SF

San Antonio Spurs

  1. Matt Costello, C
  2. Darrun Hilliard, G/F

Toronto Raptors

  1. Lorenzo Brown, PG
  2. Malcolm Miller, SF

Utah Jazz

  1. Erik McCree, F
  2. Georges Niang, PF

Washington Wizards

  1. Devin Robinson, SF

Last Day For Teams To Sign Two-Way Deals, Apply For DPEs

January 15 is an important date on the NBA calendar. As we outlined earlier this morning, it’s the day that several of the players who signed free agent deals in 2017 become trade-eligible for the first time on those new deals. In addition to being the first day that those players can be traded, January 15 is also the last day for teams to complete certain roster moves. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Last day for teams to sign players to two-way contracts:

If you were following Hoops Rumors over the weekend, you likely noticed a flurry of roster moves involving two-way contracts. That’s because January 15 represents the deadline for teams to sign players to two-way deals. If a club doesn’t finalize a two-way signing today, it can’t do so for the remainder of the 2017/18 league year.

A handful of two-way signings reported over the weekend – including the Lakersdeal with Gary Payton II and a pair of Pistons agreements – will need to be made official today. Additionally, the Bucks, Timberwolves, and Wizards each still have an open two-way slot, as our tracker shows, so if they don’t want to leave that second slot empty all season, they’ll need to fill it today.

Salaries for all two-way players will become fully guaranteed for 2017/18 on January 20.

Last day for teams to apply for a disabled player exception:

As our glossary entry on the disabled player exception explains, the DPE is a tool that can be granted to teams by the NBA. It gives a club a one-time cap exception that can be used to replace a player who suffered a season-ending injury.

The Celtics applied for and received a disabled player exception back in the fall after Gordon Hayward went down, but the Nets didn’t file for a DPE after Jeremy Lin‘s season-ending injury that same week. They’re expected to do so by today’s deadline, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The Heat are also worth watching, since they’ll be eligible for a DPE if Dion Waiters is ruled out for the season, as is expected.

Nikola Mirotic, 15 Others Become Trade-Eligible

Today is January 15, which means that trade restrictions have lifted for most of the rest of the NBA’s 2017 offseason signees. While the majority of those ’17 free agents became trade-eligible on December 15, there was a small subset of free agent signees whose trade ineligibility lasted for another month.

The 16 players whose trade restrictions lift today meet a specific set of criteria: Not only did they re-sign with their previous teams this offseason, but they received raises of at least 20%, their salaries are worth more than the minimum, and their teams were over the cap, using Bird or Early Bird rights to sign them.

The most notable name in this group is Bulls power forward Nikola Mirotic. He’s not the best player on the list — Blake Griffin and Kyle Lowry would be among those vying for that honor. But Mirotic is the most likely player to be dealt out of the 16 guys becoming trade-eligible today. He has been linked to a handful of teams already, including the Jazz, Pistons, and Trail Blazers.

Here are the 16 players becoming trade-eligible today:

With three and a half weeks left until this season’s February 8 trade deadline, nearly all of the NBA’s players are now eligible to be dealt. The only players still ineligible to be moved are those who signed free agent contracts later than October 15, plus certain players who signed contract extensions in the offseason.

Hawks guard Isaiah Taylor (January 17), Nuggets forward Richard Jefferson (January 19), and Pelicans guard Jameer Nelson (January 22) are now the only remaining players who will become trade-eligible between today and February 8. For the full list of players who won’t become trade-eligible before this year’s deadline, click here.

Gortat Insists Orlando Comments Were Misinterpreted

  • Wizards center Marcin Gortat said his quote about wanting to finish his career in Orlando was misinterpreted, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Gortat mentioned that he would like to return to the Magic so he could end his NBA journey where it started, but emphasized that he has no desire to be traded. “I want to play in Washington,” he said. “Just because I want to finish my career in a year-and-a-half doesn’t mean I don’t want to play in Washington. I think everything today was blown away a little too much.”