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The Washington Wizards yesterday requested waivers on guard Jared Butler.
Butler saw action in 40 games for Washington during the 2023-24 season, averaging 6.3 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game. The Baylor product also appeared in 16 games for the Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, last season.
He most recently appeared in five preseason games for Washington.
The Wizards roster currently stands at 18, including three two-way players.
The Washington Wizards have signed guard RayJ Dennis to a two-way contract.
Dennis (6-2, 180), spent 2024 NBA Summer League and preseason with the LA Clippers before being waived on Oct. 9. The Oswego, Illinois native played five seasons of college basketball with Boise State (2019-21), Toledo (2021-23), and Baylor (2023-24) – appearing in 35 games as a super-senior with the Bears in 2023-24. He was voted as a second-team All-Big 12 selection after averaging 13.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. Dennis was the unanimous MAC Player of the Year in 2022-23, averaging 19.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game and leading the Rockets to a MAC title.
Washington Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon recently underwent surgery in New York City to repair a ligament tear to his right thumb.
The injury was sustained during Saturday’s practice in Montreal.
There is no timetable yet for his return.
The Washington Wizards will host their annual open practice on Wednesday, October 16, at the Thurgood Marshall Academy in Southeast D.C. beginning at 1:00 p.m.
Thurgood Marshall students, staff, and facility will be invited to watch the team practice as they continue to prepare for the 2024-25 season. The Thurgood Marshall community will enjoy an afternoon featuring the Wizards Dancers, G-Wiz, DJ Heat, in-arena host Britt Waters, and the entire Wizards roster and coaching staff. All those in attendance will receive a ‘202’ Wizards branded t-shirt courtesy of Capital One.
The Washington Wizards have named Brian Keefe as head coach. Keefe becomes the 26th head coach in the organization’s history.
“We are excited for Brian to become our next head coach. Brian is a proven motivator and connector of people,” said Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins. “As a leader in the organization, he will continue to positively grow and invest into the development of our players. His wealth of experience will help move our team forward as we build for long-term sustained success.”
Keefe was originally named interim head coach on January 25, 2024, with the team seeing improvement in defensive rating, overall net rating, and opponent three-point percentage over the remainder of the regular season. Under his direction, the Wizards held opponents to the second lowest three-point percentage (34.5%) in the league. Before being named interim head coach, Keefe was in his first season with Washington, serving as the team’s lead assistant coach.
Throughout his 16-year NBA coaching career, he has been influential in the development and evolution of the careers of multiple All-Stars, All-NBA, and MVP caliber players, with stops in Brooklyn (2021-2023), Oklahoma City (2019-20 and 2007-2014), Los Angeles (2016-2019), and New York (2014-2016). Known for his extensive background in player development, multiple Wizards players improved in various statistical categories under Keefe’s guidance as interim head coach.
He started his NBA career as a video coordinator with the San Antonio Spurs in 2005. During his second season, the team won the 2007 NBA championship.
“I am grateful to Michael [Winger] and Will for the opportunity to lead the Washington Wizards,” said Keefe. “I look forward to continuing to work with our players and helping them grow and develop. As a team, we are committed to a collaborative approach to build an environment of accountability and hard work that allows us to improve every day.”
As an assistant coach, Keefe has been a part of teams that have earned playoff berths on eight occasions, including five consecutive playoff appearances (2009-2014) and a trip to the NBA Finals in 2012 with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Washington Wizards have signed guard-forward Justin Champagnie to a two-way contract and guard R.J. Hampton to a 10-day contract.
Champagnie, who signed a 10-day contract with Washington on Feb. 22, has averaged 3.7 points per game in three appearances with the team. In his lone game with the Capital City Go-Go, the NBA G League affiliate of the Wizards, on Feb. 26, he scored 29 points on 7-10 shooting from three-point range while adding seven rebounds and three assists. The Pittsburgh product is averaging 22.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals per game in 35 NBA G League games this season between Capital City and Sioux Falls.
Hampton (6-4, 175) appeared in eight games for the Miami Heat this season while on a two-way contract, averaging 1.3 points and 1.0 assists per game. He has played in 15 total NBA G League games this season with Sioux Falls and Capital City, averaging 12.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He was acquired via trade by the Go-Go on Feb. 14 and most recently scored 24 points on 6-7 shooting from three-point range with seven rebounds in a Capital City win on Mar. 1.
The Washington Wizards have signed forward Justin Champagnie to a 10-day contract.
Champagnie (6-6, 206) has started in all 34 games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League this season, averaging 22.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. Champagnie is shooting .494 from the field in 37.6 minutes per game and his 15 double-doubles rank fourth in the G League this season.
The 22-year-old has previously spent time with the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics, averaging 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 41 total NBA games in his three-year career. Champagnie (pronounced sham-penny) attended the University of Pittsburgh for two seasons and was named a first team All-ACC selection as a sophomore after averaging 18.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.
The Washington Wizards have acquired center Richaun Holmes and a 2024 first round pick in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks for center Daniel Gafford.
“We welcome Richaun to our organization and look forward to him adding depth and a veteran presence to our frontcourt,” said Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins. “We were also able to add a first round pick in the upcoming draft, which is in alignment with our strategy to continually increase our flexibility and move further toward our long-term goals.”
Holmes (6-10, 240) has appeared in 441 career games (163 starts) over eight-and-a-half seasons for Dallas, Sacramento, Phoenix, and Philadelphia, holding averages of 8.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks while shooting .605 from the field. He has averaged 3.4 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting .559 from the field in 23 games (two starts) for the Mavericks this season. The 30-year-old is one of five players in the NBA to have shot .550 or better from the field in every season since 2016-17.
Prior to being acquired by Dallas in a trade from Sacramento in July 2023, Holmes averaged 12.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting .646 from the field and .788 from the free throw line during his first three seasons with the Kings. That stretch included the 2020-21 season, where he posted career highs of 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.7 assists while starting all 61 games in which he played. Holmes was selected 37th overall by Philadelphia in the 2015 NBA Draft.
The Wizards originally acquired Gafford from Chicago as part of a three-team trade in March 2021. He played in 218 games (145 starts) in three-plus seasons with Washington, averaging 9.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting .704 from the field.
“We appreciate what Gaff brought to our organization and our community as a Wizard,” said Dawkins. “The development he made during his time here is a reflection of his work ethic and commitment, and we wish him the best as he takes the next steps in his career.”
Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger announced today that Brian Keefe has been named interim head coach of the Washington Wizards for the remainder of the season.
Keefe was named the Wizards’ lead assistant in July after having spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets. He brings over 17 seasons of coaching experience to Washington, including stints as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20 and 2007-14), Los Angeles Lakers (2016-19), and New York Knicks (2014-16). Keefe began his NBA career as a video coordinator with the San Antonio Spurs from 2005-07, helping the team win the 2007 NBA championship.
The Wizards will undertake a comprehensive head coach search in the offseason.
Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger announced today that Wes Unseld Jr. will transition from his role as head coach of the Washington Wizards into a front office advisory position.
“After several thoughtful conversations with Wes, we determined together that a change was needed for the benefit of the team,” said Winger. “Wes embodies the characteristics we value in our organization, and his vast basketball experience will be an asset to the front office as we progress toward our long-term goals. We are thankful that he will continue his contributions to our organization and community.”
Unseld Jr. was named head coach of the Wizards on July 17, 2021. He compiled a record of 77-130 (.372) in his two-and-a-half seasons with the team.
“I am grateful to have served as head coach of the Washington Wizards,” said Unseld Jr. “I look forward to this new opportunity to work toward our organization’s continued progress.”
Per the Washington Post, “Unseld is under contract through the 2024-25 season, and his “advisory role” is nebulous for the time being, a way to keep him connected to the Wizards while providing the team a new on-court leader amid a season in which Washington has seen improvement on an individual level but has not been competitive as a team.”