Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Remain Interested In Rasual Butler

August 21st, 2015 at 8:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Spurs continue to show interest in signing unrestricted free agent forward Rasual Butler, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops reports (via Twitter). San Antonio’s interest in the veteran was first noted by Jason Quick of The Oregonian back in early July. Butler has also reportedly garnered attention this Summer from the Warriors and the Trail Blazers, and Portland was even said to have made a contract offer to the 36-year-old, though Butler was in no hurry to sign at the time.

San Antonio has in excess of $85MM in guaranteed salary already committed for the 2015/16 campaign, which includes 13 players inked to guaranteed contracts, as our roster count for the team illustrates. The Spurs, who are over both the salary cap and luxury tax line, can offer Butler no more than the veteran’s minimum salary. Whether or not that sum would be enough to entice Butler to play in Texas remains to be seen, but certainly the lure of joining a solid organization like the Spurs should hold some level of appeal. San Antonio already has starter Kawhi Leonard to man the three spot, as well as Kyle Anderson and Reggie Williams on the depth chart as reserves.

Butler, a 13-year NBA veteran, averaged 7.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 75 appearances with the Wizards last season. His career numbers are 7.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.8 assists to go along with a slash line of .402/.363/.749.

Wizards Notes: Temple, Oubre, Camp Deals

August 21st, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The summer has been relatively quiet for the Wizards, with the trade for Jared Dudley and the Alan Anderson signing perhaps the team’s most significant moves. Washington is hoping it’s a different story a year from now, with native son Kevin Durant poised to hit free agency. While we wait to see how that storyline develops, see the latest from the nation’s capital:

Jazz coach Quin Snyder, and not the Utah front office, is the party that expressed interest in Wizards guard Garrett Temple, according to a source who spoke with J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic (Twitter link). The Wizards don’t appear eager to trade Temple, and it seems unlikely he’ll be changing teams, Michael tweets.
Kelly Oubre intrigued the Hornets and the Heat, who had this year’s ninth and 10th picks, respectively, and the Celtics and Rockets tried to move up to draft him, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Ulimately, the Wizards came up with the package the Hawks accepted for the No. 15 overall pick, allowing Washington to come away with the small forward from Kansas. Deveney chronicles the struggle Oubre’s family faced in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which forced them from their home in New Orleans 10 years ago.
The Wizards aren’t offering partial guarantees with their training camp invitations, Michael writes in a separate piece, and that was a factor in the decision undrafted Maryland shooting guard Dez Wells made to turn down an offer from the Wizards for a deal with the Thunder instead, Michael adds.

And-Ones: Ross, Bucks, Max Salaries

August 21st, 2015 at 11:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors, who on Thursday signed Jonas Valanciunas to a four-year, $64MM extension, have had talks with representatives for Terrence Ross about an extension of his own, GM Masai Ujiri said, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link). Wolstat reported last month that the team would seek extensions for both, though it’s clear that Valanciunas was the first priority. Still, the Raptors and the Aaron Mintz client have plenty of time in advance of the deadline, which would be November 2nd this year instead of the traditional October 31st, since Halloween falls on a Saturday. See more from around the NBA:

The Bucks see a half-dozen of their players as long-term building blocks, and while that’s a broader view of a nucleus than many teams take, it’s one that can give all six the feeling that the team values them, as Frank Madden of SB Nation’s Brew Hoop examines. “We’re trying to build around some kind of consistency with the nucleus of Michael Carter-Williams, Khris Middleton, Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greg Monroe and John Henson,” GM John Hammond said on The Baseline with Warren Shaw and Cal Lee (audio link), as Madden transcribes. “Those six guys are the young core that we look and say that’s kind of the future of this organization, and that’s not discounting anyone else. Other players have to step [up] and become a part of that group with us. But those guys are the group we hope we can build some kind of continuity with.”
John Wall pointed earlier this summer to Reggie Jackson‘s new five-year, $80MM contract with the Pistons as proof that the Wizards didn’t pay too much when they inked Wall to a deal for a similar amount in 2013, and Wall said recently to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that some signings are out of line. “But I know when I got my $80MM, they said I didn’t deserve it. Now guys are getting it and they’re not saying anything about it,” Wall said in part. “I’m never knocking those guys because they’re doing what they’re supposed to do. You’re supposed to get that money and take care of your family and get better. I just [criticized max deals] because they made a big deal about me getting $80MM, and now people are getting $80MM, $95MM and they don’t deserve it.”
Blake Griffin was the only one of the five stars Berger spoke to for his piece who lent much support to the idea of shortening the regular season. “Money is an object, though,” said Griffin’s teammate Chris Paul, who serves as president of the players association. “When we were kids playing AAU, we’d play five games in a day and wouldn’t think twice about it. I don’t know what the right number is. We’ve been playing 82 for a while though, huh? As far as I can remember. That’d be tough [to change].”

Will Bynum To Play In China

August 20th, 2015 at 3:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Will Bynum is finalizing a deal to re-sign with the Guangdong Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter link). While the length and terms of the agreement are unknown, it was relayed back in June by Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post that Bynum had a standing offer to return to China on a three-year deal.

The 32-year-old guard spent most of the 2014/15 season in China with Guangdong, but signed with Washington late in the year and appeared in seven games for the Wizards. Bynum put up 22.3 points, 7.0 assists and 3.2 turnovers in 32.1 minutes per game for the Tigers last season. He had also garnered interest from Barcelona this Summer, according to a report by Enea Trapani of Sportando.

Bynum’s career numbers through parts of eight NBA seasons are 8.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists to go along with a slash line of .442/.272/.799. He averaged 3.1 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 9.6 minutes per night for the Wizards during his brief 2014/15 stint with the team.

Wizards To Sign Jaleel Roberts

August 19th, 2015 at 5:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Wizards will sign undrafted center Jaleel Roberts, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (via Twitter). The exact length and terms of the deal are unknown, but Charania notes that it is a non-guaranteed pact. Roberts had worked out for Washington prior to this year’s NBA Draft.

The addition of Roberts will give Washington a roster count of 16 players, and with 15 of those contracts being fully guaranteed, the 22-year-old will be a longshot to make the regular season roster. Working in Roberts’ favor is the Wizards’ lack of depth at the pivot, with the team having just Marcin Gortat, DeJuan Blair, and Nene available for minutes at center currently.

The seven-footer played for four seasons at UNC-Asheville, notching career averages of 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks to accompany a slash line of .581/.000/.650.

Southeast Notes: Webster, Beal, Kalinoski

August 17th, 2015 at 5:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Martell Webster‘s partial guarantee of $2.5MM for 2016/17 becomes a full guarantee of more than $5.845MM if he plays in 70 games this coming season, and the Wizards forward has embraced a new commitment to his fitness this summer, as he explains to Ben Mehic of Fansided’s Wiz of Awes blog. Webster also made it clear that he wants to continue to play past the expiration of the contract, backtracking from comments he made this past fall that indicated he would most likely retire in 2017.

“I feel amazing,” Webster said to Mehic. “I transformed by body, I dropped 20 pounds and I’m probably going to drop 10 more, so that I’m about 206 — anywhere from 206 to 210 this next year, that’s what I want to play at. I feel amazing, a lot of pressure has been taken off my back and off of my joints and I feel great.”

See more from Washington and elsewhere around the Southeast Division here:

The Wizards are hesitant to commit to the four-year, maximum-salary extension that Bradley Beal wants unless it contains some non-guaranteed salary, given his history of injuries, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. That jibes with what Michael heard late last month, when he wrote that the Wizards wanted an escape hatch in any long-term deal while Beal’s camp was insistent upon a player option if he were to take less than the max. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported in May that the Wizards were committed to giving him the max, but Michael says the club’s thinking has shifted slightly since last fall, when Washington seemed ready to move full speed ahead with extension plans despite Beal’s broken wrist.
The Heat and Hornets had expressed interest in signing undrafted Davidson guard Tyler Kalinoski to a deal for training camp, but he signed with Elan Chalon of France instead on a contract that included an NBA out, writes Ian Thomsen of NBA.com. That escape clause has expired, but the NBA dream is not dead for the Kenny Grant client, as Thomsen chronicles in a piece that examines the path of those on the fringe between the NBA and Europe. “A guy with his skill-set is intriguing,” said Dan Craig, who coached Kalinoski on the Heat’s summer league team. “I think he is right there on the brink of being a 14th or 15th guy on an NBA roster. In the right system, under the right coaching, he could possibly come in and give you impact minutes.”

Northwest Notes: Tskitishvili, Wolves, Exum

August 16th, 2015 at 12:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ater being out of the league for nearly a decade, former Nuggets player Nikoloz Tskitishvili is interested in making a comeback, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. At 32, Tskitishvili insists he’s a better player now than when he quickly passed through the league after being the No. 5 overall pick in the 2002 draft. Tskitishvili spent three seasons in Denver, averaging 3.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 143 games while shooting about 30%. He wants to atone for his past failings and attended the summer league in Las Vegas hoping to find someone to give him a chance. “I’m 100 times better than I was,” he said. “It’s just very difficult for teams to understand that, because they are looking at the number, the age. If you ask me, this is the best shape I’ve ever been in and the best I’ve been playing in my career.”

There’s more news out of the Northwest Division:

The Wolves hold a trade exception worth more than $6.3MM that will expire next Sunday, tweets former Nets executive Bobby Marks. Minnesota is in a tough position because the team is hard capped and has 16 guaranteed contracts, Marks notes. The trade exception was created in last summer’s deal that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland.
Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders likes the veteran leadership that newly acquired Andre Miller and Tayshaun Prince will bring, along with Kevin Garnett (Twitter link). He also notes that Garnett and Prince were once regulars on the All-Defensive team, calling it a “Defensive Culture for Pups to see.”
Utah’s season won’t be destroyed by the loss of Dante Exum, writes Brad Rock of The Deseret News. He points out that the Jazz have a capable backup in Trey Burke, who has started 111 games during his career, along with nearly $7MM in cap room to pursue other options. Utah already has Bryce Cotton on its roster and signed Raul Neto in July. The team also has been rumored to have interest in Washington’s Garrett Temple.

Thunder To Sign Dez Wells

August 14th, 2015 at 6:50pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Thunder have reached an agreement on a contract with undrafted free agent Dez Wells, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (via Twitter). While the length and terms of the pact are not yet known, it is likely a training camp pact that may possibly include a small partial guarantee, though that is just my speculation.

The former Maryland guard had previously been extended a training camp invite by the Wizards, as well as by five other unnamed teams. He reportedly turned down Washington’s offer because they already possess 15 players on guaranteed pacts, and he wanted better odds at landing a regular season roster spot. Wells was reportedly open to signing with the Wizards if Garrett Temple was dealt to the Jazz and a roster spot opened up as a result. Oklahoma City also has 15 players on guaranteed deals, as our roster count for the team shows, so it’s curious what led Wells to choose the Thunder, seeing as his odds are equally long to stick once the regular season commences.

In 28 appearances during his senior season with the Terrapins, Wells averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists to go along with a slash line of .464/.510/.806.

Jazz Interested In Garrett Temple

August 10th, 2015 at 4:52pm CST by Eddie Scarito

4:52pm: The Wizards aren’t anxious to move Temple, and he wouldn’t come cheaply, Michael hears (Twitter links). GM Ernie Grunfeld and coach Randy Wittman are fans of the guard, Michael adds.

4:26pm: The Jazz have yet to contact the Wizards about Temple, a source told Michael for an updated version of his story.

MONDAY, 3:29pm: The Wizards would probably take back either no salary, allowing them to create a trade exception, or a player on a non-guaranteed contract that Washington would turn around and waive, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. Undrafted shooting guard Dez Wells from the University of Maryland, who has offers for camp deals from five other teams but had ruled out the Wizards, would be open to signing with Washington if Temple’s roster spot opens, Michael hears.

FRIDAY, 12:10pm: The Wizards aren’t opposed to a trade involving Temple, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt hears (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 4:22pm: In the wake of the heartbreaking news that second-year guard Dante Exum is likely to miss the entire 2015/16 campaign with a torn ACL, the Jazz are interested in acquiring Garrett Temple from the Wizards, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News reports (Twitter links). Utah coach Quin Snyder is familiar with Temple from when both were with the Spurs during the 2009/10 season, Genessy adds.

Temple, 29, had picked up his player option worth his minimum salary of nearly $1.101MM back in June in order to return to the Wizards. He made 52 appearances for Washington last season, including 18 starts, though much of his time was spent at shooting guard, as Basketball-Reference illustrates. In 2014/15, Temple averaged 3.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 14.2 minutes per game, and owned a slash line of .400/.375/.729.

It’s unclear if the Wizards would be willing to trade Temple, whose size (6’6″) and defensive abilities would help Utah compensate for the loss of Exum, Genessy adds (on Twitter). Utah currently has close to $7MM in cap room, and can open more than $10MM if they waive their players with non-guaranteed salaries, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes. The Jazz also possess draft-and-stash signee Raul Neto, as well as Bryce Cotton to back up likely starter Trey Burke.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Wizards, Ejim

August 8th, 2015 at 7:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards‘ new group of perimeter backups could make Bradley Beal more effective and help him stay away from injury, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. A series of mishaps has limited Beal to 56, 73 and 63 games in his first three NBA seasons, but his minutes per game should be reduced next year with the offseason additions of Gary Neal, Jared Dudley, Alan Anderson and Kelly Oubre. Neal signed with Washington as a free agent. The Wizards sent a second-round pick to Milwaukee in exchange for Dudley in a July trade. Anderson signed as a free agent after two years in Brooklyn. And Oubre was acquired in a draft-night deal with Atlanta. “I think Jared is going to help us out tremendously,” Beal said. “Alan is going to help us out. … I’m excited. We still have a great team, still have our core together and it’s just a matter of going out and getting the job done again.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The loss of free agent Kevin Seraphin to the Knicks may force the Wizards to fully commit to a small-ball approach, according to Seth Partnow of The Washington Post. Washington had success with that strategy during the playoffs, and Partnow argues that the improvement of Otto Porter Jr. means that the Wizards’ best bet is a lineup with John Wall, one big man and three shooters.
Melvin Ejim’s deal with the Magic is for two years at the minimum salary, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. The former Iowa State star will receive $150K guaranteed in the first season.