Morris Makes Progress In Return
- Wizards power forward Markieff Morris is making progress in his return from abdominal surgery, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Morris was part of the team’s weightlifting session today and played one-on-one games against teammates. He still isn’t expected to return to action until mid-November, but the team is encouraged by his progress. “He did everything. He did the entire 20 minutes of one-on-one live, which was great for him,” said coach Scott Brooks. “Playing against other NBA players is the next step of coming back … he’s tired of competing against the coaching staff and playing against us because you get false confidence playing against me and my staff. But it was good, he gave a good 20 minutes. The conditioning is pretty good, considering he’s coming back from the hernia surgery.”
Wizards Pick Up Kelly Oubre’s 2018/19 Option
The Wizards have picked up the fourth-year option on Kelly Oubre‘s rookie contract, according to Candace Buckner of the Washington Post.
The fourth-year team option is worth $3.2MM and keeps Oubre locked up through the 2018/19 season.
Oubre, 21, was the team’s first-round pick in 2015 and has emerged as a vital piece of the Wizards puzzle. He is currently the starting power power forward, due to injuries to Markieff Morris and Jason Smith. In two games this year, he is averaging 9.0 PPG and 7.5 RPG.
The Wizards face a similar decision with power forward Chris McCullough, whose fourth-year option is worth about $2.2MM and must be picked up by October 31.
Kelly Oubre Makes Case For More Minutes
- If Kelly Oubre can play as he did in Washington’s season opener, he may well find a bigger role than the one he saw with the Wizards last season. As Candace Buckner of the Washington Post writes, Oubre thrived when he subbed in for Jason Smith, making a strong case to earn more minutes in a small ball version of the team’s lineup.
Celtics Waive Daniel Ochefu
The Celtics reached their roster limit Saturday by waiving Daniel Ochefu, according to RealGM’s official NBA transactions log.
The 23-year-old center signed with Boston on Friday. He will be eligible to join the Celtics’ G League affiliate in Maine if he clears waivers tomorrow.
Undrafted out of Villanova last year, Ochefu spent his rookie season with the Wizards, appearing in 19 games. He was waived last week and received a $50K guarantee on his $1,312,611 salary for this season.
Wizards Waive Donald Sloan, Retain Carrick Felix
The Wizards have waived veteran point guard Donald Sloan, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Washington has confirmed the move in a press release.
This move paves the way for Carrick Felix to enter the regular season holding Washington’s final roster spot, Bucker notes. Washington’s roster now appears set at the 17-player maximum, with 15 on the NBA roster and two under two-way contracts.
Sloan, 29, did not play in the Wizards’ preseason finale on Friday, a 110-103 win over the Knicks. Sloan has made appearances in five different uniforms, suiting up for the Hawks, Hornets, Pacers, Cavaliers, and Nets.
As for Felix, 27, the former Cavaliers second-round pick (33rd overall) is looking to complete a full comeback from a series of knee injuries. He has not appeared in a regular season NBA contest since his rookie campaign when he averaged 2.7 PPG in seven games.
“Things like that, the injury I suffered, it happens to one percent of the world,” Felix said to reporters, including Bucker, earlier this week. “A lot of people break their knee cap and it kind of stays together [but] mine had a really big displacement, so I just had to take the time and really rest and let my body heal at once.”
Felix played in 66 minutes during the preseason, posting 32 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks in four games. Felix figures to replace Sheldon Mac on the depth chart after the young shooting guard suffered a potentially season-ending left Achilles’ tendon tear last week.
Wizards Deciding Between Sloan, Felix For Final Roster Spot
The battle for the Wizards‘ final regular season roster spot figures to come down to Donald Sloan and Carrick Felix, and head coach Scott Brooks calls it one of the “toughest” roster decisions he’s had to make in recent years, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. The decision may ultimately come down to what sort of player the Wizards want to keep around, since Sloan, a veteran point guard, and Felix, an athletic swingman, would play different roles.
In theory, the Wizards could keep both players on the roster. The team only has 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, leaving two openings. However, a 14th player – Sheldon Mac – has been ruled out for most or all of the season with a torn Achilles, and Washington will be on the hook for his salary until he recovers, whether or not he’s on the roster. By waiving him and keeping both Sloan and Felix, the Wizards would essentially be paying 16 players, an undesirable outcome for a club already well over the luxury-tax line.
Wizards Waive Daniel Ochefu
The Wizards have waived second-year big man Daniel Ochefu, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The move reduces Washington’s roster count to 18 players, including two on two-way contracts.
Ochefu, who played his college ball at Villanova, signed with the Wizards last year as an undrafted free agent. The 6’11” forward/center was an unexpected addition to the club’s 15-man regular season roster and spent the year with the franchise, appearing in 19 games. Ochefu played sparingly in those contests, averaging 1.3 PPG and 1.2 RPG in 3.9 minutes per game.
Ochefu’s contract with the Wizards includes a $50K guarantee, so that figure will remain on the club’s cap for 2017/18. Washington won’t be on the hook for the rest of his minimum salary, however.
With Ochefu no longer in the mix, the Wizards have 16 players on NBA contracts, including 13 on fully guaranteed deals. The Wizards figure to part with at least one of Carrick Felix, Donald Sloan, and Sheldon Mac before the regular season begins to reach the 15-man limit. If Mac is the player waived, Washington will remain on the hook for his salary until he recovers from an Achilles tear.
Wizards’ Sheldon Mac To Miss 6-8 Months
OCTOBER 9, 9:54am: Mac will undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair his torn left Achilles and is expected to miss six to eight months, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Mac’s 2017/18 salary is mostly non-guaranteed, but the Wizards will have to pay his salary until he returns to health, whether or not he remains on the roster. If Washington expects him to miss most or all of the season, the club may waive him simply to open up a roster spot.
OCTOBER 8, 3:47pm: The Wizards have scheduled an MRI for Monday for guard Sheldon Mac, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. A source tells Buckner the team believes Mac may have torn an Achilles tendon during today’s preseason game.
Mac had to be carried off the court after getting hurt on an attempted drive to the basket against the Cavaliers. He was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game.
Formerly known as Sheldon McClellan, the 24-year-old shooting guard appeared in 30 games for Washington last season, averaging 3.0 points in 9.6 minutes per night. His contract for this season only carries a $50K guarantee through January 10.
Wizards Could Try Otto Porter Jr. At PF
- The Wizards will need to come up with a suitable temporary power forward until Markieff Morris is ready to step back in, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. Head coach Scott Brooks will have several options, including sliding small forward Otto Porter Jr. up to the four.
Wall Has MVP Aspirations; Wizards Excited For Morris' Return
- Wizards head coach Scott Brooks believes John Wall can be in the MVP conversation this season, and Wall admits that he’s set the same goal for himself, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.
- Wall and the Wizards are looking forward to getting Markieff Morris back with the team, though the veteran forward won’t be healthy to start the season. Hughes has the details in a separate article for NBC Sports Washington.