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2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Washington Wizards

May 16th, 2017 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards’ 2016 offseason, which included huge new deals for Bradley Beal and Ian Mahinmi, received mixed reviews. However, while Mahinmi battled injuries and didn’t have the impact Washington had hoped, Beal delivered on his contract extension with a career year, and new head coach Scott Brooks turned out to be the Wizards’ most important offseason addition.

After coming within one game of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Wizards will now have to decide whether to follow up Beal’s deal with a similarly lucrative extension for Otto Porter. The club’s lack of cap flexibility will make it tricky to acquire additional reinforcements whether or not Porter returns.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Wizards financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

Bradley Beal ($23,775,506)
John Wall ($18,063,850)
Ian Mahinmi ($16,661,641)
Marcin Gortat ($12,782,609)
Markieff Morris ($8,000,000)
Jason Smith ($5,225,000)
Tomas Satoransky ($3,000,000)
Kelly Oubre Jr. ($2,093,040)
Chris McCullough ($1,471,382)
Martell Webster ($833,333) — Waived via stretch provision
Total: $91,906,361

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Sheldon Mac ($1,312,611)¹
Daniel Ochefu ($1,312,611)²
Total: $2,625,222

Restricted Free Agents

Otto Porter ($7,732,904 qualifying offer / $14,734,953 cap hold)
Bojan Bogdanovic ($4,663,316 qualifying offer / $7,088,241 cap hold)
Trey Burke ($4,187,598 qualifying offer / $8,466,495 cap hold)
Total: $30,289,689

Cap Holds

Brandon Jennings ($1,440,000)
Total: $1,440,000

Trade Exceptions

Andrew Nicholson TPE ($2,515,973) — Expires 2/22/18

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $6,646,794

Renouncing all their free agents and waiving their non-guaranteed salaries would leave the Wizards with nine guaranteed contracts and three cap charges for empty roster slots, totaling $94,353,206. That doesn’t leave the Wizards much room to work with, so it makes more sense for the team to stay over the cap, which would allow for possible deals with RFAs like Porter and/or Bogdanovic.

Footnotes:

Mac’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($50,000) after July 1.
Ochefu’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($50,000) after July 1.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.

Marcin Gortat May Seek Trade From Wizards

May 16th, 2017 at 12:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards center Marcin Gortat plans to talk to his agent this summer to determine “if this is the right fit,” tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post.

Gortat claims he “did more sacrificing” than anyone and was underappreciated in his role with the team (Twitter link). He is also angry that Washington signed backup Ian Mahinmi to a longer contract than his last summer, saying, “I know how this business works.” (Twitter link)

Gortat still has two seasons and more than $26MM left on his current deal with the Wizards. This isn’t the first time he has been unhappy with his situation in Washington, as he frequently clashed with former coach Randy Wittman.

Injured Morris Vows To Keep Playing

May 14th, 2017 at 10:13am CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards forward Markieff Morris is suffering through a severe left ankle injury, but says there’s no chance it will prevent him from playing in Monday’s Game 7 against the Celtics, relays J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Morris was able to play 39 minutes in Game 6, putting up 16 points and 11 rebounds in a thrilling 92-91 victory. He has been fighting through the pain ever since landing on Al Horford‘s foot on a jump shot in Game 1 and hasn’t practiced since the injury. “I don’t shoot at all. I just go back to treatment every day,” Morris said. “It’s not swollen as much, but the pain is still there. It’s the worst injury I’ve ever had.”

Poll: Who Will Win Celtics/Wizards Series?

May 9th, 2017 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers made quick work of the Raptors in their second round series, but they’ll have to be patient as they wait to see which team they’ll play in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics/Wizards matchup on the other side of the bracket doesn’t resume until Wednesday, and it will feature at least two more games — it’s currently tied at two games apiece.

The Celtics are the No. 1 seed in the East and hold home-court advantage, which could be important — so far in the series, the home team has yet to lose a game. In fact, that streak extends even earlier, as the home team also won all four games in the regular-season series.

Still, it’s not as if Boston is a significantly better team than Washington. The two clubs were separated by just four games in the standings during the regular season, and the Wizards came much closer to stealing one of the two games in Boston than the Celtics did in Washington. And if you believe in momentum, the Wizards have it all right now, coming off a pair of dominant victories that evened the series.

What do you think? Which team will win this series? Vote below, and then jump into the comments section to share your thoughts on this series — and on which team would give LeBron James and the Cavs more of a challenge.

Who will win the series?

Boston Celtics 55.69% (827 votes)

Washington Wizards 44.31% (658 votes)

Total Votes: 1,485

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Bogdanovic Provides Spark For Wizards In Game 3

May 7th, 2017 at 3:24pm CST by marksuleymanov

After two tough losses to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Wizards coach Scott Brooks decided to play Bojan Bogdanovic more in Game 3, yielding strong results, per J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic. The former Nets forward, who will be a free agent this summer, scored 19 points in 29 minutes in Washington’s Game 3 win, prompting Brooks to admit he made a mistake not playing the sharpshooter more often. “I guess I should have gone on Twitter a few games ago, right? He’s a good player. I made a mistake, I only played him eight minutes,” Brooks quipped. “The way the game was going, we were up, things were going good and we had a chance to win the game. He’s been in a lot of big games, he’s made a lot of big shots and he’s done that for us this year.”

Wizards’ Kelly Oubre Jr. Suspended For Game 4

May 6th, 2017 at 11:44am CST by Joshua Fischman

11:44am: The NBA officially confirmed that Oubre has been suspended without pay for Game 4, announcing in a press release that he received the one-game penalty for “charging and making forceful and unwarranted contact” with Olynyk (Twitter link via Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com).

11:07am: Kelly Oubre Jr. will be suspended for Sunday’s Game 4 of the Wizards-Celtics series, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The suspension comes on the heels of the Wizards small forward’s Game 3 altercation with Kelly Olynyk.

In a Game 3 that included eight technical fouls, Oubre’s ejection was most striking. After Olynyk was called for an offensive foul for setting an illegal screen that knocked Oubre to the ground, the Wizards’ second-year player rose up and proceeded to shove Olynyk, while shouting at him. Oubre was charged a flagrant 2 and ejected from the game.

Oubre scored 12 points in each of the first two games of the series and ranks second among bench players on the team in both points and minutes per game these playoffs. Bojan Bogdanovic, who scored 19 points in 29 minutes in Game 3, figures to benefit from the extra available minutes in Oubre’s absence. During the regular season, the Wizards’ bench ranked 29th in scoring with a mere 26.9 points per game.

Timberwolves Finalize Purchase Of Iowa Energy

May 3rd, 2017 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have finalized the purchase of the Iowa Energy, a D-League franchise, the team announced today (Twitter link). The Energy previously had a partnership with the Grizzlies, but we learned back in January that the Wolves would be taking over control of the Des Moines-based club going forward.

In the wake of today’s announcement, it makes sense to take stock of where things stand in regard to NBA teams and their D-League affiliates. In 2016/17, 22 NBA clubs had one-on-one relationships with D-League teams, leaving eight NBA franchises without their own affiliates. However, changes are in store for the 2017/18 season, as the Development League becomes known as the Gatorade League.

Here are the changes expected for the 2017/18 G-League season, including updates on all the teams without affiliates:

Atlanta Hawks: Will take over the Erie BayHawks, with an affiliate of their own in College Park, Georgia lined up for the 2019/20 season. Previously unaffiliated.
Denver Nuggets: No concrete plans reported.
Los Angeles Clippers: Hoping to operate new affiliate in 2017/18.
Memphis Grizzlies: Will own and operate a new affiliate in Southaven, Mississippi. Previously affiliated with the Iowa Energy.
Milwaukee Bucks: Will own and operate a new affiliate in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Previously unaffiliated.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Will take over the Iowa Energy. Previously unaffiliated.
New Orleans Pelicans: No affiliation for 2017/18. Intend to own and operate a new affiliate for the 2018/19 season. Search reportedly narrowed to six cities.
Orlando Magic: Will own and operate a new affiliate in Lakeland, Florida. Previously affiliated with the Erie BayHawks.
Portland Trail Blazers: No concrete plans reported.
Washington Wizards: No concrete plans reported.

Morris Vows To Play Despite Sprained Ankle

May 1st, 2017 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards forward Markieff Morris sat out practice today with a badly sprained left ankle that he suffered in Sunday’s Game 1 against the Celtics, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. The team hasn’t commented on his availability for Tuesday’s Game 2, but Morris has already made up his mind. “I’m playing tomorrow. It’s final,” he said. “There’s nothing the doctors can say to me for me not to be able to play.” Injured center Ian Mahinmi also was held out of practice today, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.

Community Shootaround: Favorite Pierce Moment

April 30th, 2017 at 9:11pm CST by Austin Kent

When the Clippers fell to the Jazz in Game 7 of their first-round series the legendary, 19-year career of former Celtics forward Paul Pierce officially came to an end. The man had made no secret of the fact that the 2016/17 campaign would be his final campaign in the NBA.

For nearly two decades Pierce routinely established himself as one of the game’s deadliest offensive weapons in the clutch, decorating his resume with a laundry list of accomplishments along the way.

Although he was the 2008 Finals MVP when the C’s knocked off the Lakers in an instant classic battle, it’s the endurance and longevity that he showed throughout his time in the league that stands out the most.

A Top 20 all-time scorer with 26,397 total points, Pierce showed up year in and year out to lead Boston’s offense. From 1998-2013, Pierce averaged 21.8 points per game all while wearing Celtics green.

Though not quite as memorable as his legacy with the C’s franchise, Pierce also reaffirmed his spot in NBA history by emerging as a critical factor in postseason appearances with the Nets and Wizards.

Simply put, there’s no denying that Pierce was an icon of his generation and an exemplary pro. Where there may be some debate, however, is what Pierce story or chapter stands out as the most memorable.

Was it the late-nineties dynamic duo he formed along with Antoine Walker? His incredible return to the court at age 22 after being stabbed in a nightclub? His brief tenure as a Raptor killer in the twilight of his career? The back-to-back Finals battle with the Lakers? The Infamous Wheelchair Incident of 2008?

Sure, there are too many to choose from, but we’re going to ask you to do it anyway.

We’ll miss you Truth.

Wizards Notes: Horford, Mahinmi, Smith, BIG3

April 30th, 2017 at 12:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Boston’s Al Horford could have been in the visiting locker room as the Eastern Conference semifinals get under way this afternoon, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Before signing a four-year, $113MM deal with the Celtics last summer, Horford narrowed his list to three finalists that also included the Wizards and Rockets. Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld and VP of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard flew to Atlanta to make a personalized pitch to Horford. Point guard John Wall also joined in the recruiting process.

“Me and him had a great conversation,” Wall recalled. “He told me it was down to [us], them and I think Houston. He made his final decision after that, you’ve got to move on. It would’ve been great to have him on our team, but he’s with the Celtics. They had a great season this year. He had a heck of a season and we’re competing against him now so all that texting, all we had is out the window.”

There’s more today out of Washington:

The Wizards have announced that back-up center Ian Mahinmi won’t be available for today’s game (Twitter link). That isn’t suprising, Michael tweets, because Mahinmi hasn’t gone through a full practice since straining his left calf two weeks ago. He has ramped up his individual workouts over the past week, but isn’t ready for game action. Mahinmi played just 31 regular season games after signing a four-year, $64MM deal last offseason, as knee problems limited him to just five games before the All-Star break.
There’s better news about reserve big man Jason Smith, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Coach Scott Brooks said Smith will be ready for today’s game. He has been dealing with a left calf strain, but played 11 minutes in Friday’s closeout game against the Hawks.
Four former Wizards players are hoping to be part of the BIG3 league this summer, relays CSNMidAtlantic. Etan Thomas tweeted Saturday that he was at the league’s draft combine along with DeShawn Stevenson, Kwame Brown and Michael Ruffin. The new league, which features three-on-three competition among former NBA players, will hold its draft today in Las Vegas.