Category: Washington Wizards Blog

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Suns trade Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and draft picks to Wizards for Bradley Beal

The Washington Wizards on Saturday, June 24 acquired guards Chris Paul and Landry Shamet, four first round pick swaps (2024, 2026, 2028 and 2030) and six second round picks (2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2030) from the Phoenix Suns as part of the agreement to trade guard Bradley Beal to Phoenix.

“Bradley leaves a legacy and impact that will continue to be felt by those he helped during the 11 seasons we watched him develop into a cornerstone of our on-court and off-court efforts,” said Monumental Sports & Entertainment Founder and CEO Ted Leonsis. “We appreciate and respect the place he holds in our franchise’s history and we’re proud that he established himself as a star player, community leader and family man in Washington, D.C.”

Beal leaves as the franchise’s all-time leader in three-pointers made (1,514) while ranking second in total points (15,391), second in steals (772) and third in games played (695). He also ranks in the franchise’s top five in minutes played, assists and free throws with averages of 22.1 points, 4.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game during his 11 seasons with the Wizards. Beal earned three All-Star selections, was named All-NBA Third Team in 2020-21 and was named the 2018-19 Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award winner.

“From afar, I’ve admired Bradley as an All-NBA player and a difference-maker in his communities,” said Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger. “We were pleased to work together to find a deal that moved us closer to our goal of eventually competing for championships while getting Bradley to a place where he’ll be able to do so immediately. We wish Bradley and his entire family the best of luck in Phoenix and thank him on behalf of the organization, the fans and the city of Washington for his immeasurable contributions.”

Shamet owns career averages of 8.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting .388 from three-point range in 302 games with Philadelphia, the LA Clippers, Brooklyn and Phoenix. He averaged 8.7 points, a career-high 2.3 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 40 games with the Suns last season, raising his numbers to 11.1 points, 3.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds in nine games as a starter. The five-year veteran was originally drafted by the Sixers with the 26th overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft and was named to the 2019 NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

“Landry has a well-deserved reputation as a connector and positive influence in the locker room in addition to his abilities on the court,” said Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins. “He will be a valuable contributor to our organization.”

Guard Jordan Goodwin and forward Isaiah Todd will also go from Washington to Phoenix as part of the deal, while Phoenix’s 2028 second round pick along with the Wizards’ 2029 second round pick and the draft rights to Jarace Walker (the eighth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft) will go to Indiana for the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly (the seventh pick in the 2023 NBA Draft).

Goodwin averaged 6.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 62 games for the Wizards this season. He was originally signed as a two-way player before being converted to a regular contract on Feb. 24. Todd averaged 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds in 18 games for the Wizards over the past two seasons. His draft rights were originally acquired as part of a five-team trade on Aug. 6, 2021.

Chris Paul being traded to the Warriors

Via the Bay Area News Group:

Chris Paul — yes, that Chris Paul — is now a Golden State Warrior. He was traded Thursday by Washington for Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins, and draft picks.

It’s going to take a while for us to collectively wrap our heads around this one.

But at the core of it all is the well-known fact that everyone can overlook things when they’re desperate.

The Warriors were desperate to rid themselves of Poole. The four-year, $123 million contract extension he signed before the start of last season was proven to be a mistake for the team. Not only did Poole fail to perform like a nine-figure player and future face of the franchise this past season — particularly in the playoffs — but the emotional damage that rippled through the team following Draymond Green’s punch of Poole in the preseason never healed.

Three-team trade will reportedly send Kristaps Porzingis to Celtics, Marcus Smart to Grizzlies

Via ESPN.com:

The Washington Wizards are completing a three-way deal with the Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies that will send Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies, Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics and Tyus Jones to the Wizards, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Grizzlies are sending the No. 25 pick on Thursday night and a 2024 first-round pick to the Celtics, sources told Wojnarowski.

The Celtics are sending the 35th pick on Thursday to the Wizards in the deal, sources told Wojnarowski.

Rumor: Clippers, Wizards and Celtics trade discussion

Via the LA Times:

The Clippers are deep in negotiations to make their first roster alterations ahead of the next NBA season.

By Wednesday afternoon, the team remained in discussions toward a three-team trade that, if completed, would send the expiring contract of forward Marcus Morris Sr., the former starter who had lost his rotation spot late last season, promising but little-used forward Amir Coffey and the 30th pick in Thursday’s NBA draft to Washington, and take back guard Malcolm Brogdon from Boston, according to a person briefed on the trade talks but not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Wizards fire President and GM Tommy Sheppard

Statement from Ted Leonsis, Founder, Principal Partner, Chairman & CEO, Monumental Sports & Entertainment:

Tommy Sheppard was relieved from his duties as General Manager and President of the Washington Wizards. Failure to make the playoffs the last two seasons was very disappointing to our organization and our fans.

A search for new leadership will begin immediately for an executive from outside the organization.

I would like to thank Tommy for his dedication to the Wizards organization and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Per the Washington Post, “Sheppard’s downfall was Washington’s inability to progress during his tenure despite multiple roster revamps and a new coach. The team finished 35-47 for the second consecutive season and missed the postseason for the fourth time in five years. Overall, the team went 129-179 under his leadership, a winning percentage of just .419. Sheppard took over the team from longtime general manager Ernie Grunfeld in an official capacity in July 2019 and led the Wizards during a time of great change both within the organization and for the NBA broadly.”

Wizards sign Xavier Cooks to multi-year contract

The Washington Wizards have signed Xavier Cooks to a multi-year contract.

“We welcome Xavier to the Wizards organization as a very intelligent, high-energy player that will add athleticism to our squad while being a great teammate,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “He left a lasting legacy in the NBL to pursue his dream to play in the NBA and we feel he will be an excellent addition now and in the future.”

Cooks, a 6-8, 183-pound forward from Wollongong, Australia, has played five professional seasons overseas since graduating from Winthrop in 2018. Cooks began his international career in Germany with s.Oliver Baskets before transitioning to the National Basketball League of Australia, where he has played for the Sydney Kings each of the last four seasons. Cooks was named the 2022 Grand Final MVP, as well as the 2023 NBL MVP, where he has averaged 14.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in 36 games, leading Sydney to its second-straight NBL title.

Cooks played his collegiate basketball at Winthrop from 2014-18, leaving as the school’s all-time leading rebounder and third all-time leading scorer after competing in 127 games. He also led Winthrop to a NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017 and was named the 2017-18 Big South Conference Player of the Year.

Wizards sign Jamaree Bouyea to 10-day contract

The Washington Wizards have signed guard Jamaree Bouyea to a 10-day contract.

Bouyea, a 6-2, 180-pound rookie from the University of San Francisco, recently completed a 10-day contract with the Miami Heat where he averaged 3.8 points in four games. After completing Summer League and training camp with Miami, Bouyea joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League, where he has played in 34 games (32 starts), averaging 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. Bouyea recorded Sioux Falls’ lone triple-double of the season on November 26 at Wisconsin, tallying 27 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists.

A native of Salinas, California, Bouyea went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. He left San Francisco as the Dons’ all-time leader in wins (98) and games played (160), while finishing fifth in total points with 1,718.

Wizards sign Jay Huff to two-way contract

The Washington Wizards have signed forward/center Jay Huff to a two-way contract.

Huff (7-1, 240 pounds) played in four career NBA games while on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2021-22 season. He has appeared in 47 games with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League over the last two years, averaging 15.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game while shooting .638 from the field. Huff currently leads the NBA G League with 3.4 blocks per game this season and has tallied nine double doubles on .622 shooting from the field and .380 shooting from three.

Huff went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft before joining the Wizards for Las Vegas Summer League, training camp and preseason. He then joined the Lakers on a two-way contract before signing into the NBA G League with South Bay in January 2022. The Durham, North Carolina native played four seasons at the University of Virginia, where he finished second on the school’s all-time blocks list with 166.

Wizards sign Jordan Goodwin to multi-year contract

The Washington Wizards yesterday signed guard Jordan Goodwin to a multi-year NBA contract.

“Jordan has worked extremely hard during his time with us and that has paid off both for him and for our team with this opportunity,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “He is a great example of our development program as well as the importance and impact of having the Go-Go as part of our organization.”

Goodwin has appeared in 40 games (four starts) with the Wizards on a two-way contract this season, averaging 6.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game. The second-year guard from Saint Louis has notched at least two steals in 10 games this season, including a five-steal effort on December 9 and six-steal game on December 10, becoming the first Wizard player to record back-to-back games with five-plus steals since Larry Hughes in 2005. Goodwin netted a career-high 19 points with his five steals, four rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes from off the bench on December 9 at Indiana.

Goodwin was signed to a two-way contract with Washington after spending the 2021-22 season with the Capital City Go-Go and participating in 2022 training camp with the Wizards. Goodwin played in 46 games for the Go-Go last season, averaging 16.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He earned a call-up with the Wizards in December 2021, appearing in two games. Goodwin led the Go-Go in scoring and set the franchise mark with 94 steals on the season, good for the fourth-most in the NBA G League. Goodwin played in four games with the Go-Go this season, averaging 19.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.