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Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has waived guard Steven Gray and forward Shavlik Randolph.
Gray (6-4, Gonzaga) appeared in two games averaging 1.5 points in eight total minutes.
Randolph (6-10, Duke) appeared in five games averaging 2.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per contest.
The Wizards roster now stands at 17.
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The last thing the Wizards want or need these days is another injury. That much is certain given that they’re already without John Wall (left knee), Nene (plantar fasciitis) and Kevin Seraphin (right calf).
So when highly touted rookie Bradley Beal fell Monday afternoon at Verizon Center, having twisted his left ankle during five-on-five drills and yelped out in pain, a hush fell over the practice.
After being tended to by Wizards head athletic trainer Eric Waters, Beal stood and tried to shake off the pain but was walking with a noticeable limp. He headed to the locker room under his own power as practice wrapped up.
— Reported by the Washington Post (Blog)
Trevor Booker climbed Milwaukee Bucks center Samuel Dalembert for a putback slammed, then stared over at his bench, where his teammates hooted and hollered.
Then, just as he crossed half court, Booker stole the ball from Brandon Jennings and was sprinting down the court for another two-handed dunk. Afterward, Booker screamed and shouted loud enough for fans in half-empty Bradley Center to hear him. Again, his teammates reacted giddily.
“I like getting crunk,” Booker said of his emotional outbursts in the Wizards’ 102-94 victory over the Bucks. “That’s a part of me. That’s a part of my game. Off the court, I’m laid back. But on the court, I’m very passionate.”
— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Blog)
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Gilbert Arenas is nearing an agreement on a one-year contract with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, a source told Yahoo! Sports.
Arenas, 30, was a three-time All-Star who averaged 20.7 points over 11 seasons for the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies. He was suspended for most of the 2009–10 season after bringing guns to the Wizards’ locker room. He averaged 4.2 points and 1.1 assists while playing in 17 games for Memphis last season.
— Reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports
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Nene is trying to stay optimistic but remains uncertain about when he will be able to return because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
Sidelined since he aggravated the injury while representing Brazil in the London Olympics last August, Nene visited a foot specialist in Baltimore this week and received electric stimulation treatment for the nagging problem.
“I was a little behind, than I thought,” Nene said, when explaining the reason for the treatment. “It’s still inflamed. I just want to take care of it the right way. But all the exercises, I’ve been doing fine. I’ve been listening. I’ve been obedient.”
— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Blog)
Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has exercised the fourth-year contract options on John Wall, Trevor Booker, Kevin Seraphin and Jordan Crawford while picking up the third-year contract options on Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton. Wall, Booker, Seraphin, Crawford, Vesely and Singleton are now signed through the 2013-14 season. Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not released.
“We have been able to bring in and develop this core group of talented, mature young players over the last several years, and we’re pleased to have them all signed through next season,” said Grunfeld. “Combining them with the veterans we’ve added gives us a solid foundation that can be competitive now while allowing us to continue to build towards future success.”
Wall was selected first overall by Washington in the 2010 NBA Draft. Last season, the 6-4 guard appeared in all 66 games and averaged 16.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 36.2 minutes per contest. He became the sixth fastest player in NBA history (124 games) to reach the 2,000 points/1,000 assists plateau. In 135 career games, including 130 starts, Wall has averaged 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.6 steals in 37.0 minutes per contest.
Booker was selected 23rd overall by Minnesota in 2010 before his rights were traded by the Timberwolves to Washington on draft night. In 50 games (32 starts during the 2011-12 season) the Clemson alum averaged career-highs with 8.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 25.2 minutes per game. He averaged 10.6 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting .518 from the floor over his last 29 games of the season. In 115 career games, including 46 starts, Booker has averaged 6.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per contest while shooting .539 from the field and .639 from the stripe.
Seraphin, originally drafted 17th overall by Chicago in 2010, was traded to Washington along with Kirk Hinrich and cash considerations in exchange for the rights to Vladimir Veremeenko. Last season the native of Cayenne, French Guiana, appeared in 57 games while averaging 7.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 20.6 minutes per contest. In 21 games as a starter, he averaged 14.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. In 115 career games, including 22 starts, Seraphin has averaged 5.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 15.7 minutes.
Crawford was selected 27th overall by New Jersey in 2010 before his draft rights were traded to Atlanta along with the draft rights to Tibor Pleiss in exchange for the rights to Damion James on June 24, 2010. He was then traded to Washington along with Mike Bibby, Maurice Evans and first-round draft pick in exchange for Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong. In 2011-12, the Xavier product appeared in 64 games (32 starts) and averaged career-highs with 14.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 27.4 minutes. In 106 career games, including 50 starts, Crawford has averaged 13.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 26.2 minutes.
Vesely was drafted sixth overall in 2011 by Washington. The Ostrava, Czech Republic native appeared in 57 games as a rookie, including 20 starts. He posted averages of 4.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per contest. The 6-11 forward shot .537 from the field and .532 from the line on the season, including 8.5 points and 7.0 rebounds over the last 15 games of the season.
Singleton was selected by Washington with the 18th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. The Florida State alum appeared in all 66 games, becoming the first Wizards rookie to appear in every contest since the 1981-82 season. He averaged 4.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per game.
Booker might not live on the edge, but the small-town simplicity and consistency of the South Carolina native has endeared him to Washington Wizards teammates, coaches and fans, who know what to expect when he steps on the floor: He will battle for rebounds, extra possessions and loose balls, play grinding, physical defense and look to force turnovers. The 6-foot-7 forward out of Clemson rarely leaves the game feeling like he left something behind.
“His energy level is contagious,” Coach Randy Wittman said. “When you’re playing out there with him, you can look silly if you’re not the same level. Having guys like that is always good to have.”
Booker had a team-high 12 points and two rebounds in 16 minutes Wednesday night in the Wizards’ 104-101 loss to the Raptors at Air Canada Centre. He watched from the bench in the closing seconds as Bradley Beal had his potentially tying three-pointer blocked.
— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post
With point guard John Wall injured and likely out of action for around eight weeks, the Washington Wizards have added some PG depth.
Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Jannero Pargo.
“Jannero brings us veteran leadership and added depth to our backcourt,” said Grunfeld. “He is a hard-nosed competitor and proven outside shooter that will fit well with the mix of veterans and young players on our roster.”
Pargo (6-1, 185) holds career averages of 6.5 points, 2.0 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game while shooting .354 from three-point range in 429 games (18 starts). Originally undrafted out of the University of Arkansas, Pargo began his career in 2002 with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has also spent time with the Raptors, Bulls, Hornets and Hawks.
Pargo comes to Washington after spending the 2011-12 season with the Atlanta Hawks where he averaged 5.6 points, 1.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds while shooting .384 from three-point range in 50 games. The eight-year pro enjoyed his best season in 2006-07 with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets when he appeared in all 82 games and averaged a career-high 9.2 points per contest. He has averaged 5.8 points and 1.5 assists in 40 career playoff games with the Lakers, Bulls, Hornets and Hawks.
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Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that guard John Wall will miss approximately eight weeks after being diagnosed with the early stages of a stress injury to his left patella. No surgery will be necessary, and his rehab will begin immediately.
“My teammates and I are all excited to build on the improvement we made at the end of last season, and I know they will continue to make great progress while I get through this setback,” said Wall. “I will work extremely hard to make sure I get back as soon as possible so I can re-join them and help our team continue to improve.”
Wall was examined yesterday in New York by orthopedic specialist Dr. David Altchek after experiencing discomfort in his left knee and underwent an MRI that revealed the early stages of a non-traumatic stress injury.
“We’re all disappointed for John after how hard he worked this summer and how excited he was to begin training camp, but we feel fortunate that we caught the injury early and that he will be able to return with the vast majority of the season still in front of us,” said Grunfeld. “In the meantime, we’re confident that the versatility and depth of our team will help us move forward and continue the positive momentum that we’ve seen over the past several months.”
The Wizards begin training camp on Oct. 2 at George Mason University and open the season on Oct. 30 at Cleveland.
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Brian Cook wasn’t excited about the prospect of joining the Wizards when the Los Angeles Clippers traded him last March. He sought a buyout before deciding to stick around for the rest of the season.
The experience in Washington must not have been too bad, because now, Cook is headed back. Cook, a 6-foot-9 veteran big man, signed a non-guaranteed, training camp deal on Tuesday with the Wizards, his agent, Mark Bartelstein said.
Cook received interest from “three or four other teams,” Bartlestein said, “but he really felt good about the way things finished up with the Wizards. He really enjoyed playing for [Coach Randy Wittman] and with the guys on the team and they kind of expressed the same thing to him. And as we were looking at different things, he wanted to go back. He had a comfort level. He’s back and hopefully, it will work out great.”
The Wizards will enter training camp with 18 players and one roster spot up for grabs – if the team elects to enter the season with the maximum 15 players.
— Reported by Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Blog)