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The Washington Wizards have waived forward Will Barton.
Barton was originally acquired from Denver, along with Monte Morris, prior to the start of the 2022-23 season. The 10-year veteran appeared in 40 games for Washington, averaging 7.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
The Washington Wizards have signed Capital City Go-Go guard Quenton Jackson to a two-way contract.
Jackson, a 6-5, 173-pound rookie from Texas A&M, has appeared in 32 games this season for the Go-Go, averaging 12.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on .489 shooting from the field. Jackson has scored 20-or-more points in five games this season, including a season-high 24 on two occasions. Four of Jackson’s five 20-point outings have come during the Go-Go’s last 17 regular season contests, where he has averaged 14.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game on .506 shooting from the field.
The Los Angeles native went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft before competing in Summer League, training camp and preseason with the Wizards.
Tonight’s Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons NBA game has been postponed.
Due to severe weather conditions in the Dallas area, the Pistons have been unable to fly back to Detroit after their game on Monday at American Airlines Center.
The date for the rescheduled game will be announced at a later time.
The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired forward Rui Hachimura in a trade with the Washington Wizards for guard Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks, it was announced today by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.
The Wizards acquired Nunn, a 2023 second round pick (via Chicago), the less favorable of the 2028 second round picks of Los Angeles and Washington and Los Angeles’ own 2029 second round pick from the Lakers. Washington also generates a trade exception in the exchange.
“We are excited to welcome Rui and his family to the Los Angeles Lakers,” said Pelinka. “Adding both size and depth to the wing position has been a goal, and the chance to accomplish that by acquiring a player with Rui’s two-way skills and upside was an opportunity that doesn’t present itself often. We want to thank Kendrick Nunn and his family for his time as a Laker, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
Hachimura (6’8”, 230) has appeared in 30 games for Washington this season, averaging 13.0 points (.488 FG%, .337 3P%), 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.3 minutes per game. In 177 career NBA games (118 starts) across four seasons (2019-23) with the Wizards, the 24-year-old has averaged 13.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 27.8 minutes, shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from 3-point range. Hachimura, who received All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2020, has played in five career playoff games (all starts) with the Wizards, averaging 14.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 34.6 minutes per game.
The Japan native was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft after a three-year collegiate career (2016-19) at Gonzaga University. In his final season as a junior, Hachimura appeared in 37 games and averaged 19.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 30.2 minutes per contest on his way to being named a consensus First Team All-American.
“Kendrick has shown the ability to be a solid perimeter threat who can provide instant offense as a reserve,” said Wizards President Tommy Sheppard. “He has proven to be a valuable contributor during his young career, most notably as key role player helping Miami make a run to the Finals.”
Nunn, a 6-3 guard in his third NBA season, holds career averages of 13.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 162 games with the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. He has appeared in 39 games (two starts) this season in Los Angeles, averaging 6.7 points per game. Nunn had appeared in every game for the Lakers during the month of January, scoring a season-high 23 points in a win over Atlanta on January 6 and averaging 10.5 points on .474 shooting from the field in 18.3 minutes per game.
Nunn was selected as a member of the 2019-20 All-Rookie First Team while with Miami after averaging 15.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, helping Miami to an NBA Finals appearance in the NBA Bubble. The Chicago native followed his rookie campaign by averaging 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game in 2020-21 with Miami before missing the entire 2021-22 campaign with a right knee bone bruise.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal has been cleared to resume full basketball activities after undergoing a re-evaluation of his low-grade left hamstring strain.
His return to play will be based on his progression.
The injury originally occurred in the second quarter of the team’s game at Milwaukee on Jan. 3.
In a 123-113 Bucks win over the Wizards yesterday, Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 55 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals, shooting 20/33 FG and 15/16 free throws.
Here are video highlights from his monster game:
Via the Washington Post:
The low tone in Rui Hachimura’s voice gave a hint of what the last month has been like for the 2019 No. 9 overall pick. He had just played his first game in 34 days after a bone bruise in his ankle took much longer to heal than originally anticipated, and during that span all Hachimura could do was watch helplessly as the team lost 10 straight and other teammates went in and out of the lineup with a variety of ailments.
The Wizards (12-21) won just three of 16 games with Hachimura out.
“I was just on the sideline watching my teammates losing the game,” Hachiumra said before hustling to the bus after a 120-112 loss to the Jazz. “So, you know, it was tough for me.”
Hachimura was no savior Thursday night and certainly isn’t expected to be, but his return brought some optimism the team is getting healthier. That optimism was tempered by the fact that Kristaps Porzingis (non-covid illness) missed his second straight game and Deni Avdija was held out after tweaking his back during the morning’s shoot-around. But help seems to be on the way.
The good news is, Bradley Beal is back in action for the Washington Wizards. The bad news is, his return couldn’t prevent the team from losing their 10th game in a row. Via the Washington Post:
Sunday’s game ended with drama appropriate of a Hollywood script, but the Lakers emerged as the heroes. They prevailed, 119-117, to hand Washington its 10th straight loss, making it 41 days since the Wizards have won on the road.
A back-and-forth thriller in the fourth quarter came down to one scrambled possession.
James had the ball just inside the half-court line when Deni Avdija and Kuzma trapped him in a double team, forcing a turnover out of James that he ended up sending off Kuzma’s leg. A scramble for the ball ended up with James recovering and getting the ball to former Wizard Thomas Bryant for a smooth, go-ahead dunk with less than eight seconds to play. Kuzma missed a desperation three-pointer on the other end to end it.
“I felt like they were not at our level,” a visibly agitated Kristaps Porzingis said, trying to find his words. “We just lost the game. Obviously LeBron did his thing and played well, but — some mental mistakes from us. I don’t know what to say. It’s tough, it’s tough, it’s tough. But, yeah, we’re going to get out of it.
“If [Kuzma’s three-pointer] went in, it would have been a completely different movie. Nobody wants to be in this position, but we’re going to have to find a way out, to dig our way out of this.”
The Wizards are 11-20 this season, which ties them with the Orlando Magic for the 12th best record in the Eastern conference.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal was diagnosed with a right hamstring strain after undergoing an MRI examination today.
The injury occurred in the first quarter of last night’s game vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.
Beal will be out for the team’s next three games and will be re-evaluated in one week.
Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura, who has missed the last four games with right ankle soreness, received an MRI examination yesterday that revealed a bone bruise. He will be listed as out for Wednesday’s game at Brooklyn and his status beyond Wednesday will be determined by his clinical evolution.
Hachimura originally injured his ankle on Nov. 20 in the Wizards’ game vs. Charlotte.