Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Kings, Babby, Bynum, 2014

April 3rd, 2013 at 11:08pm CST by Chuck Myron

TNT's David Aldridge, writing for NBA.com, delivers a lengthy summary of the fallout from the presentations that competing bidders for the Kings made today before a group of owners. Aldridge concludes that the key issue has shifted from the size of the bids to how quickly each city can build a new arena. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com gives his take on the affair, noting that four of the 12 owners scheduled to attend today's meeting were not present. The Kings saga is the major story of the day, but there's plenty more happening around the Association:

Even with Bradley Beal out for the rest of the season, the Wizards aren't planning to bring in another guard, reports Michael Lee of The Washington Post (Twitter link).
Lon Babby's first three years as the Suns' president of basketball operations have included plenty of both hits and misses, but owner Robert Sarver likes the job Babby has done with the franchise, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Babby was offered a two-year extension this past Sunday, and accepted the offer on Tuesday.
Andrew Bynum isn't ruling out a return to the Sixers in the offseason, agent David Lee tells John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
A roundtable of ESPN.com contributors debate the best free agents not in this summer's class but in 2014 — a group that apparently won't include Zach Randolph.
N.C. State small forward T.J. Warren will return to school rather than enter the draft, his father tells Joe Giglio of the News & Observer. Opinions on Warren vary widely, as Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress had him as the 31st-best prospect, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranked him No. 62.
Nerlens Noel remains atop many draft boards in spite of his torn ACL, and a Western Conference executive told Chris Mannix of SI.com that with so much medical information available these days, "it's easy to predict that he will be fine." Mannix has more draft-related updates on Steven Adams, Alex Poythress and Cody Zeller.
HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy provides further insight on why Noel is rated so highly, noting that scouts like Noel's upside while advanced statistics demonstrate his high value.

Luke Adams also contributed to this post.

Southeast Notes: Heat, Dooling, Wizards, Wall

April 1st, 2013 at 9:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cavs were competitive tonight in Atlanta tonight but ultimately they were unable to pull out a W over the Hawks. Guard Devin Harris turned in a game-high 25 points as the Hawks won 102-94 and improved to 42-33 on the year. Here's more out of the Southeast..

We saw that Keyon Dooling agreed to sign with the Grizzlies this morning. Dooling wanted to return to the Heat, but the team never called, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Since returning from injury, Wizards star John Wall has been turning heads and changing minds this season, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Stan Van Gundy, who was critical of the point guard’s play earlier this year, admits that Wall’s performance of late is proving him wrong night in and night out.
Earlier today we looked at the latest on the Wizards, including comments from Wall on why he believes that he is a max player.

Wizards Notes: Wall, Okafor, Beal

April 1st, 2013 at 3:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

Wizards players were among the many notables at the White House this morning for the annual Easter Egg Roll, and while Bradley Beal made his pitch for lower taxes to President Obama, a couple of his teammates appear focused on other ways to keep their bank accounts in order. Here's the latest on Washington's team:

John Wall believes he's the ninth-best point guard in the league, but tries to explain to TNT's David Aldridge, who writes his Morning Tip column for NBA.com, why he believes he deserves a maximum-salary contract. "Well, I feel like I get what I deserve," the third-year point guard said. "I know what I play like. I think (the Wizards) understand what I've been through the first two years, having what I had. Not to talk bad on any of my teammates or any of the guys I've had. I just feel like some of them weren't very professional about their job. They didn't care about winning, to be honest."
Wall feels better about his teammates this year, and said Washington's acquisition of veterans in the offseason has helped him warm to the idea of a long-term commitment to the Wizards. All things being equal, Aldridge doesn't believe Wall is a max player, but given the circumstances in Washington, he thinks a five-year deal worth $68.75MM, which would make Wall the team's designated player, would fit the bill.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld also caught up with Wall, who offered further explanation on why he should get the max. "I’m not just going to base it on my play lately," he said. "I’m just talking about me in the future and how I want to change the organization around, making the playoffs and hopefully winning a championship here."
Unless Emeka Okafor wanted to risk a significant paycut to sign with a contender, there's been little doubt he would elect to stay with the Wizards for next season and collect his $14.488MM salary rather than exercise his early-termination option for 2013/14. Okafor confirms his plan is to stay in D.C., as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com observes.
Beal gave Grantland's Zach Lowe a wide-ranging interview that touched on his adjustment to the NBA and rumors earlier this season linking him to the Grizzlies in a potential Rudy Gay deal. "It is what it is. It’s a business. But I knew the (team) wasn’t going to trade me," Beal said.

Eastern Rumors: Raptors, Price, Wall, Butler

March 28th, 2013 at 8:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks take on the Lakers tonight in a battle of teams currently occupying eighth place in their respective conferences, and while it seems the Lakers are the only team in the matchup that has to worry about making the postseason, the Bucks aren't moving any closer to clinching their spot. Milwaukee lost to the ninth-place Sixers last night, and Philadelphia could move within six games of the Bucks if the Lakers win tonight. Of course, six games back with 11 to play is quite a hill to climb, but the Bucks would surely feel more confident if they could break their four-game losing streak. Here's more on another team that's backsliding and more from around the East:

While it appeared to be a near-lock that the Thunder would receive the Raptors' 2013 first-round pick, Toronto's recent slide may improve their odds of keeping it, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. The pick is protected from 1-3 and 15-30, and if the Raptors keep losing, it's not out of the question that they finish with the league's fourth- or fifth-worst record, says Wolstat. As our tentative draft order shows, the Raps are currently tied for the NBA's ninth-worst mark.
A.J. Price has been out for more than two weeks with a groin strain, and with just 11 games left in the season for the Wizards, the point guard is worried he won't get another chance to improve his free agent stock, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com details. "It adds to the frustration but what can you do? What can you do? Injuries are part of the game. Just trying to get myself back to form as quick as possible so I can showcase what I can do for everybody and make a statement," he said."I’m really trying to get back on the court."
John Wall, heading into a summer when he'll be eligible for an extension from the Wizards, has been drawing plenty of praise of late, observes USA Today's Sean Highkin.
If Jimmy Butler continues to show the improvement he's displayed of late, the Bulls could have a tough decision in the summer of 2014, when Luol Deng will be a free agent and Butler will be eligible for an extension, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Wizards Want To Retain Martell Webster

March 24th, 2013 at 2:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Recently, Martell Webster made it known that he is extremely happy in Washington and wants to return next season. It appears that the feeling is mutual as all indications point to the Wizards wanting to bring Webster back for 2013/14, according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Sulia).

Webster has started 54 of 68 games for the Wizards this season and is averaging a career-high 11.6 PPG to go with 3.8 RPG and 1.9 APG. The swingman reiterated his desire to stay in D.C. to Bucher and explained that while he liked individuals that he played with in Portland, he finds that he’s happy with the Wizards organization in all aspects.

The former No. 6 overall pick is earning $1.6MM this season and will likely seek a pay bump this summer.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Kidd, Wizards, Wall, Rose

March 22nd, 2013 at 5:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Heat signed Juwan Howard for the remainder of the season after the big man completed his second 10-day contract with the team. “He brings credible, veteran leadership [to the team],” coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (on Twitter). While a team in Miami’s position would typically be in cruise control at this stage of the season, there’s a winning streak to protect, so we may not see Howard on the hardwood anytime soon. Here’s more from the conference that people once dismissed as the JV portion of the league..

Several people close to Knicks guard Jason Kidd wouldn’t be surprised if he calls it a career after this season, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The future Hall of Famer, who says that he hasn’t made up his mind yet, will celebrate his 40th birthday tomorrow. Kidd’s deal with the Knicks runs through 2014/15.
Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) asks how much Wizards guard John Wall is worth. Wall only has one more year on his rookie scale contract, meaning that Washington can work out an extension with him this summer. The Wizards could give him a five-year deal with the designated-player exception but they may instead decide to hold on to it for Bradley Beal.
In his latest mailbag, NBA.com’s Sam Smith writes that he doesn’t see Derrick Rose making the Bulls title contenders if he returns this season. The star guard would have to ease his way back into playing and likely couldn’t be as much of a factor in limited playing time.

Odds & Ends: LeBron, Raja Bell, Wall, Draft

March 20th, 2013 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few Wednesday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association:

Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com takes an extensive look at the decision that will face LeBron James, along with the teams that hope to sign him, in the summer of 2014. While Windhorst suggests that the Heat, Cavaliers, Lakers, and Bulls are among the clubs that could be in the mix for LeBron in '14, he stresses that the former MVP himself has yet to make any decisions about whether he'll even opt out of his contract with Miami.
If the Cavs hope to recruit James or any other major free agent in the summer of 2014, they'll need to put a more competitive product on the court in 2013/14, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Despite not being playoff-eligible, Raja Bell has continued to search for an NBA job, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). However, nothing has developed, and Bell appears likely to sit out the entire season.
John Wall continues to tell reporters that he feels he's worthy of a maximum contract, with Michael Lee of the Washington Post the latest scribe to get a quote from Wall on the subject. The Wizards point guard tells Lee he'd be disappointed if he can't work something out with the team before the 2013/14 season gets underway.
When we asked last night whether Wall deserves a max deal, the response was an overwhelming no. Lee's readers at the Washington Post agree, as their responses indicate.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford answers plenty of draft questions in his latest chat, noting that the situation at Kentucky will be very interesting to watch. Top recruit Julius Randle announced today that he'll become a Wildcat, and three current freshman suggested yesterday that they're leaning toward returning to Kentucky for their sophomore years.
The NBA has hired former Nuggets and Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe as its vice president of basketball operations, the league announced today. Vandeweghe will report to executive VP of basketball ops Stu Jackson.

Poll: Does John Wall Deserve A Max Deal?

March 19th, 2013 at 7:53pm CST by Alex Lee

We already know John Wall thinks he is worthy of a maximum-salary contract. As of today, it sounds like we know that the Wizards think he is worthy of a maximum-salary contract. But do you think he is?

While he has certainly shown plenty of potential in his first three years in the league, the Wizards surely expected Wall to blossom into a star more quickly, similar to how Kyrie Irving has this year in Cleveland. As Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld points out, Washington has gone 18-15 since Wall returned and the lightning quick point guard has looked incredible in March, averaging 20.1 points, 7.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals while shooting 52.4 percent from the field.

But Kennedy also notes that some people in NBA circles still have reservations about his jump shot and feel for the game – both of which were questions on Wall when he was at Kentucky. While his recent performance suggests he may be improving on those opportunity areas, he will need to do it consistently to convince everyone that is headed for stardom.

It sounds like Wall will get a max deal. But what do you think – is he worth it? Feel free to elaborate on your answer in the comments section.

Odds & Ends: Wall, Mitchell, Brooks

March 19th, 2013 at 7:18pm CST by Alex Lee

There are only four games on the NBA schedule tonight. With anticipation for the NCAA Tournament ramping up, we should expect the NBA draft updates to pour in. Here are a few links from around the league and the college ranks:

Whether John Wall is worthy of a max deal is still up for debate, writes HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy. It was reported earlier today that all signs point to the Wizards offering Wall a max contract. Kennedy indicates that while Wall and the Wizards have been stellar since his return, plenty of evaluators still have their doubts that Wall can take the jump to legitimate stardom. Wall will become a restricted free agent after next season, but says he would prefer to sign an extension before that happens.
We heard earlier today that North Texas forward Tony Mitchell intends to enter this June's NBA draft. Our Luke Adams noted that Mitchell seemed to take a step back this year in his sophomore season. CBS College Basketball Insider Gary Parrish agrees, writing that Mitchell projected as a mid-to-late first rounder last year and that his sophomore season undoubtedly hurt his draft stock and could cost him millions.
While his playing time has been drastically reduced in his second season, Nets guard MarShon Brooks has made the most of a recent uptick in minutes, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Assuming the Nets will continue to be aggressive in their pursuit of a title, Brooks, currently fifth in the team's guard rotation, could be a value trading chip down the line given the ability he showed as a rookie.
If you ever have the urge to check in on your favorite retired player, Sham Sports has a recently updated (and very entertaining) compilation of the whereabouts of former NBAers.

Wizards Considering Max Deal For John Wall?

March 19th, 2013 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Last Monday, Grantland's Zach Lowe reported that John Wall believes he's "definitely" worthy of a maximum-salary contract following his rookie deal. Wall will be eligible for an extension beginning this July, and according to J. Michael Falgoust of CSN Washington, "all the signals" suggest the Wizards are open to offering a max deal.

Wall, 22, has only appeared in 33 games this season after being sidelined for the first two months, but is averaging career-highs in points per 36 minutes (18.2), assists per 36 minutes (8.7), FG% (.444), and PER (18.7). If he were to reach an agreement on a long-term extension with the Wizards, the team could lock him up for as many as five seasons, on a deal that would begin in 2014/15. Speaking to CSN Washington, Wall expanded on why he believes he's worthy of the maximum salary.

"I feel like I’m a max guy, just on how I am as a person. I feel like I make my teammates better," Wall said. "I’m just a leader. I like to lead and I feel like I can change the organization. That’s the way we’re going with this team and how we've been playing lately."

Even if the Wizards and Wall don't finalize a contract extension during the coming offseason, the team will still have the opportunity to match any and all offers for Wall in the summer of 2014, when he becomes eligible for restricted free agency.