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Wizards Notes: Beal, Porzingis, Offseason Needs

April 11th, 2023 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

After completing the first season of his five-year, $251MM contract with the Wizards, Bradley Beal admitted that it was a “disappointing” season for the team, which finished with a 35-47 record. However, as Ava Wallace of The Washington Post writes, Beal said on Monday that he doesn’t intend to ask for a trade or to use his no-trade clause as a “trump card” to force the Wizards into certain roster moves.

“That’s an unnecessary thing for me to do. … That’s not me; that’s beneath me,” Beal said. “I’m definitely frustrated. I’m also at peace with where I am and who we are and what we need to do to be better. It’s nothing I can do — I can’t control it. I’m not going to sit here and cuss everybody out. We know where we failed and how we have to be better, and we have to do so. And there’s never one time where I’m like: ‘You know what? I’m out of here.’ But I very well could because I do have the no-trade. But I don’t use it as a trump, no.”

Beal added that he fully expects to be in D.C. next fall and that “you guys would hear” if he wanted out, per Wallace.

He also spoke on Monday about the police investigation that was launched into a postgame altercation with a fan in Orlando last month. The fan involved in that incident reportedly yelled at and insulted Beal because he had lost a bet on the game.

“Nobody wants to lose money. I get it. If you keep it about sports, I’m all for it,” Beal said (link via ESPN.com). “But I think it’s when people start getting personal, talking about your family, talking about your character, your integrity towards the game. I think all of that, we can save it. We can really keep those comments to ourselves.”

Here’s more on the Wizards:

After Wizards president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard reiterated his desire to sign Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma to new contracts this summer, Porzingis reciprocated that interest during his own end-of-season media session, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “I feel at home here. Believe it or not, I love the city,” Porzingis said. “I know a lot of people are saying it’s not a sexy destination for a lot of free agents, but I really like the city.” Porzingis holds a player option for 2023/24 — he’d be extension-eligible this offseason if he opts in and would need to negotiate a new deal if he opts out. He said he’ll meet with his representatives on Tuesday to begin discussing the decision.
In a separate NBC Sports Washington story, Hughes identifies several of the Wizards’ most pressing offseason needs, including volume three-point shooting, shot creation, and more athleticism on the perimeter.
Arguing that the Wizards’ 2022/23 season should be viewed as an abject failure, Josh Robbins of The Athletic notes that the team’s management and ownership appear to still be committed to their “middle-build” philosophy rather than opting for a teardown.

Wizards Notes: Kuzma, Porzingis, Gafford, Future

April 8th, 2023 at 5:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kyle Kuzma knows he’ll get a huge contract wherever he goes in free agency, so that won’t be the main factor when he makes his decision on where to play, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Keeping Kuzma, who held an exit interview with team president Tommy Sheppard on Saturday, will be one of Washington’s top offseason priorities. The 27-year-old forward plans to listen to offers from all interested teams and will reach a final decision based on what he believes is best for his future.

“It’s not about money, I’m going to get paid regardless anywhere [I go] and here, too,” Kuzma said. “It’s about can I come into work every day and be the best version of myself, can I help lead guys, can I make other players better, can I light up rooms. All those things matter when you’re trying to be successful.”

Hughes notes that Kuzma has achieved his greatest NBA success during the two years he has spent with the Wizards. His stats have improved compared to his four seasons with the Lakers, and his overall game has expanded. Kuzma told reporters he has enjoyed his time in Washington and indicated that two years of losing might not cause him to seek a more successful franchise.

“I think you have to have patience,” he said. “I believe to certain extents what guys like (Damian Lillard) and even (Bradley Beal have said), those guys where they talk about how the grass is not always greener and stuff. Just because you go to a contender doesn’t mean you’re going to win a championship right away because health can be a factor.”

There’s more from Washington:

Kristaps Porzingis, who’s involved in extension talks with the Wizards, said he can foresee a long-term future with the team, per Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Porzingis posted career highs in scoring and field goals percentage this season while appearing in 65 games, his largest total since 2016/17. “This was a great opportunity for me last season when I got traded here,” he said. “This was one of the places that I was looking at and I thought I could fit there very well, and, yeah, it’s been great. I believe this is a great place for me also, going forward.”
The Wizards will add center Daniel Gafford to their lengthy inactive list for the season finale on Sunday, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
Failing to reach the play-in tournament marked another disappointing season in Washington, states Candace Buckner of The Washington Post, who adds that a late-season tank left the team with only a remote chance to land one of the draft’s top prizes. Buckner reviews the season to determine what went wrong for the Wizards and whether there’s reason to believe the future will be any brighter.

Wizards To Retain Wes Unseld Jr. For 2023/24

April 5th, 2023 at 7:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards were officially eliminated from the postseason race on Tuesday night and have fallen short of their preseason expectations, but the team’s disappointing season won’t cost head coach Wes Unseld Jr. his job.

Unseld will continue to hold his position as Washington’s coach entering the 2023/24 season, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic. President of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard confirmed as much on Tuesday.

“He is our coach moving forward,” Sheppard said of Unseld.

Unseld, whose contract runs through the 2024/25 season, was hired by the Wizards to replace Scott Brooks in 2021. In his two seasons since taking the head coaching reins, Unseld has led the team to a 69-92 (.429) overall record and has missed the postseason in back-to-back years.

As Robbins notes, Unseld arrived in D.C. with a reputation as a defensive tactician, but hasn’t improved Washington’s unit, which placed 20th in defensive rating in the last season under Brooks. That ranking dipped to No. 25 last season and is at No. 20 again this year.

Despite the team’s underwhelming performance under Unseld, he has supporters, according to Robbins, who suggests that the Wizards’ relative lack of two-way players and injury woes have been factors in their struggles. Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kyle Kuzma have played together just 35 times this season, Robbins observes, though it’s not a great sign that Washington hasn’t even played particularly well in those games, going just 16-19.

It will be a big offseason for the Wizards, who are expected to attempt to negotiate new contracts with Porzingis and Kuzma and are in position to secure a top-10 pick in the draft lottery. I’d expect the club to enter the fall anticipating a playoff-caliber season, with Unseld facing increased pressure to deliver on those expectations.

Wizards Retain First-Round Pick

April 4th, 2023 at 5:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards will retain their 2023 first-round pick by virtue of missing the playoffs, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington notes. The pick this year was lottery protected, stemming from a 2020 trade with the Rockets. The Knicks are now owed the Wizards’ 2024 pick, which is top-12 protected — that protection decreases to top-10 in 2025 and top-eight in 2026. If none of those convey, the Knicks would receive two second-round picks in 2026 and 2027.

Wizards’ Jay Huff Named G League Defensive Player Of The Year

April 4th, 2023 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Big man Jay Huff, who is on a two-way contract with the Wizards, has been named the G League’s Defensive Player of the Year, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). Thirty NBAGL head coaches and general manager voted on the award.

Huff, 25, began the G League season playing for the South Bay Lakers before joining the Capital City Go-Go when he signed his two-way deal with Washington in early March.

In 46 total games for South Bay and Capital City across both the Showcase Cup and the NBAGL regular season, Huff blocked an incredible 145 shots, which works out to a league-leading 3.2 per game.

The Go-Go had the G League’s 12th-best defensive rating before adding Huff and had the third-best mark following his arrival. Conversely, South Bay ranked No. 7 in defensive rating following Huff’s last game with the team and were just 14th the rest of the way.

Huff’s two-way contract only covers the 2022/23 season, so he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency this summer. He has only logged 15 total minutes in four appearances at the NBA level for the Wizards this season.

Veteran guard Kris Dunn, who was briefly teammates with Huff on the Go-Go, finished second in G League Defensive Player of the Year voting, while South Bay Lakers guard Shaquille Harrison was third (Twitter link). Dunn is now with the Jazz; Harrison is on a 10-day deal with the Trail Blazers.

Deni Avdija (Elbow) Ruled Out For Multiple Games

April 4th, 2023 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards‘ injury list continues to grow, with the team announcing today in a press release that forward Deni Avdija will miss at least the next two games due to left elbow bursitis. The team isn’t yet ruling out Avdija for its final two games of the season.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Maledon, Washington, Strus, Heat

April 1st, 2023 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

Responding to reports that Wizards guard Bradley Beal is under police investigation for a postgame altercation with fans in Orlando, agent Mark Bartelstein told Marc J. Spears of ESPN (Twitter link) that his client is “one of the NBA’s classiest and outstanding citizens” and blamed the fans for their “abusive” language.

“The comments and words that were spewed at Brad in Orlando have no place anywhere in our society,” Bartelstein wrote in a statement. “For him to be subject to that type of verbal abuse is absolutely unacceptable. I believe the league is going to have to take a much closer look as to what is happening in NBA arenas to protect the players and I know that where we have advanced with gambling is certainly having a huge impact on this behavior!”

As we previously relayed, a man in the stands who had made a bet on the game allegedly told Beal, “You made me lose $1,300, you f–k,” while the guard was heading toward the locker room. The police report stated that Beal turned around and walked toward the stands, then swatted at a friend of the man who made the comment, making contact with his head and knocking his hat off.

According to TMZ Sports, the fans involved in the confrontation, who were sitting courtside, were heckling Beal for much of the night and made multiple “disparaging” comments aimed at the Wizards star. There has been no clarity yet on whether or not Beal will face any charges for the incident.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

The Hornets‘ signing of Xavier Sneed to a 10-day contract helped clear the way for Theo Maledon to have a career night on Tuesday, as Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer explains. Teams are limited to having their two-way players active for just 90 combined games (instead of 100) if they don’t have full 15-man rosters, so adding Sneed as a 15th man allowed the team to start Maledon. He responded with 19 points and nine assists in a road win over Oklahoma City.
Hornets forward P.J. Washington may have played his last game before he becomes a restricted free agent. Washington left Friday’s loss to Chicago due to a sprained right ankle, and Boone isn’t sure whether he’ll return for any of the four games left on Charlotte’s schedule.
Heat guard Max Strus, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, admitted that he can’t help but think about what his next contract might look like and whether he’ll remain in Miami going forward, but he doesn’t feel like it’s affecting his play at all, per Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “It wouldn’t be human to not think about it,” Strus said. “I wouldn’t say it’s added pressure or anything like that.”
Following the bankruptcy of crypto exchange company FTX, the Heat‘s arena will be getting a new name. As Douglas Hanks of The Miami Herald details, the arena will be called the Kaseya Center, assuming a $117MM agreement with a local software company is approved next week by Miami-Dade County commissioners.

Wizards, Kristaps Porzingis Discussing Contract Extension

March 29th, 2023 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards and big man Kristaps Porzingis have engaged in “serious” discussions about a possible contract extension, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Porzingis, who holds a $36MM player option for the 2023/24 season, is currently eligible for a veteran extension as long as he turns down that option as part of any agreement. In that scenario, his first-year salary would have to match or exceed his $36MM option salary.

If he were to decline the option, Porzingis would be eligible for an extension worth up to approximately $180MM over four years, beginning in ’23/24, as Charania observes. However, The Athletic’s report doesn’t make it clear exactly how high the Wizards are willing to go with their offer.

Porzingis is enjoying arguably his best season since entering the NBA in 2015. He has averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 32.6 minutes per game for the Wizards, with an impressive shooting line of .498/.385/.851. In addition to his increased production, the 27-year-old has avoided the injured list this year — his 65 games are the most he has played in a single season since 2016/17.

Despite Porzingis’ strong performance, the Wizards will likely finish in the lottery in the Eastern Conference. At 34-42, they’re currently 2.5 games back of Chicago for the East’s No. 10 seed with just six left to play.

The Wizards have reportedly shown interest in re-signing both Porzingis and forward Kyle Kuzma, who also holds a 2023/24 option that he’s unlikely to exercise. While Kuzma has also been productive in D.C., Josh Robbins of The Athletic questions whether it makes sense to double down on the team’s current core, given this year’s underwhelming record. Robbins notes that the price tags on new deals for Porzingis and Kuzma will go a long way toward determining the wisdom of investing in the duo.

Because players who sign veteran extensions are limited to 20% raises in the first year of their new deals, Kuzma will become a free agent rather than signing an extension between now and July. He’s earning just $13MM this season, so a 20% raise would result in a first-year salary of $15.6MM on an extension — he believes he can exceed that, though Charania says he and the Wizards have mutual interest in working something out in free agency.

Porzingis is earning $33.83MM this season, so his limit in the first year of an extension would be either 120% of that amount or the league-wide maximum salary for a player with between seven and nine years of NBA experience (whichever is lesser). Based on the NBA’s latest cap projections, that would mean a maximum salary of $40.2MM for Porzingis.

Bradley Beal Under Police Investigation

March 28th, 2023 at 11:26am CST by Luke Adams

Wizards guard Bradley Beal is under police investigation due to an incident that occurred after a loss in Orlando last Tuesday, per David Purdum of ESPN.

As Beal and the Wizards were headed to the locker room, a man in the stands who had apparently bet on the game told the three-time All-Star, “You made me lose $1,300, you f–k,” per a police report obtained by ESPN. The police report states that Beal turned around and walked toward the stands, then swatted at a friend of the man who made the comment, making contact with his head and knocking his hat off.

According to Purdum, police reviewed video footage of the altercation and determined that Beal made a comment about this being his job and taking it seriously, while the man who made the comment is heard apologizing. There’s a possibility that the Wizards star will face a battery charge, Purdum adds.

Wizards Notes: Beal, Kuzma, Davis, Tanking

March 27th, 2023 at 9:50am CST by Dana Gauruder

Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma didn’t play on Sunday and the Wizards’ high-scoring duo may be shut down the remainder of the season.

Beal has a mild left knee sprain, while Kuzma is nursing a sprained right ankle. Coach Wes Unseld Jr. said he “hopes” they return this season, Ava Wallace of the Washington Post tweets. However, the Wizards are now tied with the Pacers and 3.5 games behind the Bulls for the final play-in spot, so it may not make sense to play the duo again.

We have more on the Wizards:

Without Beal and Kuzma, as well as point guard Monte Morris, the Wizards fell to the Raptors 114-104. That ensured the team would finish with a losing record for the fifth consecutive season. Kristaps Porzingis admits that without those players, the team is in a tough spot. “Those guys (Toronto) right now are a level higher. Us without our main guys, it’s different,” Porzingis told Wallace. “Difficult task.”
The play of lottery pick Johnny Davis was a bright spot on Sunday, Wallace noted in the same story. He scored a career-best 15 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. “I feel like I just needed to see one go down,” Davis said. “It’s been a while since I hit a three. So once I saw that first one go, it just built up my confidence to be able to take and make open shots.”
The best thing for the Wizards’ long-term outlook would be to have the losses pile up the rest of the way, David Aldridge of The Athletic opines. The team needs another impact player and its best hope of getting one would be to have some lottery luck.