Wizards Sign Ramon Sessions For Rest Of Season
2:37pm: The Wizards have officially re-signed Sessions, according to the NBA’s transactions log.
11:11am: After his second 10-day contract with the Wizards expired this week, Ramon Sessions is set to sign a rest-of-season deal with the club, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post (Twitter link). The club will have one open roster spot even after re-signing Sessions, no corresponding move will be required.
Sessions, who will turn 32 next month, didn’t play during his first 10 days with the Wizards, but has worked his way into the team’s rotation since then. In five games for Washington, the veteran point guard has averaged 7.2 PPG and 3.4 APG with a .333/.400/.737 shooting line.
With John Wall still recovering from knee surgery, Tomas Satoransky has handled the brunt of the Wizards’ point guard minutes, with Tim Frazier and now Sessions acting as backups. It’s not clear if Sessions will continue to see regular minutes once Wall is healthy and ready to return to the lineup, or if he’ll simply provide some veteran insurance down the stretch and in the playoffs.
If the Wizards officially re-sign Sessions today, his new deal would count for $224,517 against the club’s 2017/18 cap. However, because Washington is over the tax line, the signing will cost the team an extra $337K or so in projected tax penalties.
Chris McCullough Changes G League Teams
- Chris McCullough, who had been playing for the Northern Arizona Suns, was recalled today by the Wizards and then re-assigned to the Erie BayHawks, according to the team. Washington doesn’t have a G League affiliate of its own this season, so McCullough is eligible to play for other G League squads via the flexible assignment rule.
Iam Mahinmi's Role Continues To Decrease
- The Wizards will still owe Ian Mahinmi north of $31MM after this season, a troubling thought considering the way his usage has been trending over the course of the year. Mahimni’s playing time this season is down from last year and, as Candace Buckner of The Washington Post writes, he logged the first DNP-CD of the season over the weekend.
Injury Updates: Leonard, Hill, Williams, Ross, Wall
Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard will meet with coach Gregg Popovich on Tuesday to discuss his progress rehabbing from a quad injury, Michael C. Wright of ESPN reports. Leonard could return as early as Thursday if both parties feel he’s ready to play again. The team’s franchise player has been sidelined since January 13th with the lingering quad issue that has cost him all but nine games this season.
In other injury updates from around the league:
- Pelicans forward Solomon Hill could make his season debut as early as this weekend, William Guillory of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Hill has been sidelined by a torn hamstring suffered in late August. “We’re so close to the finish line that we’re definitely not going to rush the situation now,” coach Alvin Gentry told Guillory. “I can see a situation where he might be able to play a few minutes here or there.” Hill is in the second year of a four-year, $48MM contract.
- Suns reserve center Alan Williams could make his season debut on Tuesday, according to Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic. Williams underwent surgery in September to repair the meniscus in his right knee with a six-month timetable to return. He went through a full practice on Monday. Williams, whose three-year, $17MM contract is only guaranteed through this season, averaged 11.4 PPG and 9.1 RPG after the All-Star break last season.
- Magic swingman Terrence Ross is questionable to return this season, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Ross has been sidelined since November 29th with a knee injury. A bone bruise has stalled Ross’ return, Robbins adds. “Some days it feels good, and then some days it kind of flares up,” Ross told Robbins. Ross has one season left on a contract that pays him $10.9MM annually.
- Wizards point guard John Wall went through some non-contract drills Monday as he works his way back from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports relays. If medically cleared, Wall could practice in full for the first time on Friday, Hughes adds.
Strong Finish Required For Home-Court Advantage
- The Wizards, who have lost four of their last six, need to finish strong in their last 15 games to gain home-court advantage in the opening playoff round. They could finish anywhere from third to eighth and shooting guard Bradley Beal told the Washington’s Post Candace Buckner that they can’t afford to take nights off. “It’s not a situation where we can just sit here and say, ‘Oh okay, we can just coast into the playoffs.’ That’s not it,” he said. “We’re not even playing our best basketball either. So that’s definitely not how we want to approach going into the playoffs.”
Wall Nearing Return?
Ramon Sessions Ready To Contribute If Needed
- Although he didn’t play a single minute for the Wizards during his first 10-day contract, Ramon Sessions inked a second 10-day deal with the club on Monday. As he tells Candace Buckner of The Washington Post (Twitter link), Sessions he’s prepared to see the court this time around. “If I sit for another 10 days, it’s nothing that I’ve got grudge on my shoulder or anything,” Sessions said. “But if they call me, I’ll be ready to go.”
Wizards Re-Sign Ramon Sessions
Despite having his initial 10-day contract with the Wizards expire on Sunday night, point guard Ramon Sessions won’t be hitting the free agent market. According to an announcement from the team (Twitter link), Sessions has officially signed a second 10-day deal with Washington that will keep him under contract through next Wednesday.
Sessions, who will turn 32 next month, signed a 10-day contract with the Wizards after the All-Star break, giving the club some depth at point guard with John Wall still recovering from knee surgery. However, with Tomas Satoransky handling starting duties in Wall’s absence and Tim Frazier getting the backup minutes, Sessions didn’t see any action during his first 10 days with Washington.
While it’s not clear if Sessions will receive any playing time during his next 10 days with the Wizards, there’s little downside to the arrangement from the team’s perspective. Without Sessions, the club would only have 13 players on its 15-man NBA roster, one below the NBA-mandated minimum of 14 — so another signing would’ve been required if Sessions wasn’t retained.
A team is permitted to sign a player to two 10-day contracts before making a decision on that player for the rest of the season. After Sessions’ second deal expires next Wednesday night, Washington will either have to lock up the veteran for the season or sign another player to fill that 14th roster slot.
NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/4/18
Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Spurs have assigned guard Derrick White to their G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, the team announced today in a press release. White has averaged 2.5 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 16 games with San Antonio this season.
- The Bucks recalled rookie power forward D.J. Wilson from the Wisconsin Herd, the team announced on its Twitter feed. The first-round pick is averaging 14.9 PPG and 5.2 RPG in nine G League games.
- The Wizards have assigned third-year forward Chris McCullough to the G League, according to the team. Washington doesn’t have a G League team of its own, so McCullough will join Phoenix’s affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns. He has appeared in 12 games with Northern Arizona this season.
Wizards Have Decision To Make On Sessions
Veteran guard Ramon Sessions will find out today if he’ll be getting a second 10-day contract from the Wizards, relays Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Sessions’ first 10-day deal expires at midnight, and even though he hasn’t appeared in any games yet, that doesn’t mean the team doesn’t have plans for him.
Washington signed Sessions to provide depth at point guard while John Wall recovers from knee surgery. Waived by the Knicks in January, Sessions had prior experience in Washington and was a logical choice for the role. Wall is expected to miss another two to four weeks and the Wizards already have a roster opening, so that may work in favor of Sessions getting another contract.