Category: Washington Wizards Blog

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Wizards trade Montrezl Harrell to Hornets

Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations & General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today that the team has acquired center Montrezl Harrell from the Washington Wizards in exchange for center Vernon Carey Jr., guard Ish Smith and the Boston Celtics’ 2023 second-round pick, which is top-45 protected.

“Ish returns to us as a respected veteran leader who can guide our young players as we continue to compete over the stretch run of the season,” said Wizards President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard. “Vernon is a talented young player who can build on his brief but promising NBA experience while continuing to develop within our system.”

In his seventh NBA season, Harrell is averaging 14.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 46 games, including three starts, for the Washington Wizards. The Tarboro, NC, native ranks fourth in the NBA in field goal percentage (64.5%) this season and is averaging 9.8 points in the paint per game, which ranks first among NBA reserves (25th overall). In his 43 appearances off the bench this season, Harrell is averaging 13.7 points per game, which is good for the sixth-highest scoring average among NBA reserves.

The 2019-20 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Harrell holds career averages of 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.6 minutes per game in 433 total games with the Rockets (2015-17), Clippers (2017-20), Lakers (2020-21) and Wizards (2021-22). He currently ranks fourth in NBA history in career field goal percentage (61.9%) and has finished in the top ten league-wide in field goal percentage in each of the last four seasons. The University of Louisville product was selected 32nd overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Carey appeared in 23 career games for the Hornets over the course of two seasons, averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.6 minutes per game after being selected 32nd overall in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Duke University.

Smith appeared in 37 games for the Hornets this season, averaging 4.5 points, 2.6 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game after signing with Charlotte as a free agent on Aug. 7, 2021. For his career, the North Carolina native and Wake Forest product holds career averages of 7.6 points, 3.8 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game over 691 appearances (167 starts) with Houston, Memphis, Golden State, Orlando, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Detroit, Washington and Charlotte.

Wizards guard Bradley Beal will undergo season-ending wrist surgery

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal will undergo surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament of his left wrist and will miss the remainder of the regular season.

The decision to proceed with the surgery was mutually agreed upon by the team, Beal and his representation after a re-evaluation today by Hand Specialist Dr. Michele Carlson of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and the Wizards medical team.

“Despite the last 10 days of getting intensive treatment and rehab on my wrist, it became clear that I would not be able to compete to my standards or to the level that our team and our fans deserve,” said Beal. “I’m disappointed to have my season end this way, but we all agreed that this was the best decision. I look forward to coming back at 100% and continuing to lead this team as we work together to build toward the future.”

Per the Washington Times, “now, Beal will focus on rehab in the coming months. But he‘ll have a gigantic decision to make this summer as the three-time All-Star can opt out of his contract to reach free agency. The Wizards can offer Beal a five-year contract worth $241 million, though there’s no guarantee that Beal would accept. Beal has long said he wants to stay in Washington, but a recent report from The Athletic indicated that the 28-year-old “remains uncertain” whether the Wizards’ front office can surround him with enough talent to seriously compete in the long run.”

The injury, which Beal suffered at the 7:47 mark of the third quarter at Memphis on January 29, was originally revealed following examination and testing by Wizards Head Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. William Postma and Hand Specialist Dr. Curtis Henn of MedStar Health in conjunction with Dr. Carlson and Monumental Basketball Chief of Athlete Care & Performance Dr. Daniel Medina.

The three-time All-Star averaged 23.2 points, a career-high 6.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 40 games this season.

Wizards guard Bradley Beal out with wrist injury

Wizards guard Bradley Beal has been diagnosed with an injury to the scapholunate ligament of his left wrist. He will miss the team’s next four games, beginning with tonight’s game at Milwaukee, and will be re-evaluated in approximately one week.

The injury, which Beal suffered at the 7:47 mark of the third quarter at Memphis on January 29, was revealed following examination and testing by Wizards Head Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. William Postma and Hand Specialist Dr. Curtis Henn of MedStar Health in conjunction with Dr. Michelle Carlson of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and Monumental Basketball Chief of Athlete Care & Performance Dr. Daniel Medina.

The three-time All-Star has averaged 23.2 points, a career-high 6.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 40 games this season.

Wizards sign Greg Monroe to 10-day contract

The Washington Wizards have signed center Greg Monroe to a 10-day contract via the NBA Hardship Exception provisions.

Monroe recently completed a 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he played in three games, averaging 6.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Monroe’s appearance on December 27 with Minnesota marked the first game played for the now 10-year veteran since the 2018-19 season.

Monroe originally signed with the Go-Go on November 7 and appeared in 12 games (one start), where he has averaged 10.4 points and 8.8 rebounds in his first career NBA G League season. Monroe has notched four double-doubles this season, including a 17-point, 10-rebound performance against the Delaware Blue Coats on December 11.

Monroe will join his hometown Wizards, marking the eighth different team in his now 10-year NBA career. He has played in 635 career games with Detroit, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia and Minnesota averaging 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Monroe averaged a double-double in 2014-15 and averaged at least 10 points per game in seven of the nine seasons of his career. Monroe made three playoff appearances with Milwaukee, Boston and Philadelphia, advancing as far as the Eastern Conference Finals with the Boston Celtics in 2017-18.

Wizards sign Tremont Waters to a 10-day contract

The Washington Wizards have signed guard Tremont Waters to a 10-day contract via the NBA Hardship Exception provisions.

Waters, a 5-10, 175-pound guard, has played in 39 career NBA games across three seasons with the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors, averaging3.8 points and 2.2 assists in the span. Waters appeared in 36 NBA G League games with Maine in 2019-20, averaging 18.0 points and 7.3 assists per game, tallying six point-assist double-doubles that season. Waters played in 13 games with the Wisconsin Herd this season, averaging 17.5 points and 6.5 assists per game before earning a 10-Day call-up with the Toronto Raptors on December 23.

Waters attended Louisiana State University for two seasons, helping the Tigers reach the Sweet Sixteen in 2018-19 as the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Originally from New Haven, Conn., Waters was selected with the 51st overall pick by the Celtics in 2019 and signed to a two-way contract.

Wizards sign Jaime Echenique to a 10-day contract

The Washington Wizards have signed center Jaime Echenique to a 10-day contract via the NBA Hardship Exception provisions.

Echenique, a 6-11, 258-pound center, originally spent 2021 Summer League, training camp and preseason with the Wizards, appearing in two preseason games. The Colombian has played in 14 games (13 starts) with the Capital City Go-Go this season, averaging 12.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game while shooting .554 from the floor. Echenique has tallied six double-doubles and currently ranks third in the NBA G League with 25 blocks on the season.

Originally from Barranquilla, Colombia, Echenique began his collegiate career at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas before transferring to and graduating from Wichita State. Echenique also played in Spain with Acunsa GBG during the 2020-21 season, averaging 12.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in 18 games.

Wizards sign Brad Wanamaker to a 10-day contract

The Washington Wizards have signed guard Brad Wanamaker to a 10-day contract via the NBA Hardship Exception provisions.

Wanamaker, a 6-3, 210-pound guard, has played in 190 career games in the NBA with the Celtics, Warriors, Hornets and Pacers, averaging 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. In 22 games (one start) with Indiana this season, Wanamaker averaged 3.5 points and 2.2 assists per game.

Prior to the NBA, Wanamaker played seven seasons overseas in Turkey, Germany, Italy and France. Originally from Philadelphia, Pa., Wanamaker attended the University of Pittsburgh where he graduated with the eighth-most games played in program history.

Wizards sign Jordan Goodwin to a 10-day contract

The Washington Wizards have signed guard Jordan Goodwin to a 10-day contract, via the NBA Hardship Exception provisions.

Goodwin, a 6-3, 200-pound guard from Saint Louis, has played in 14 games (11 starts) with the Capital City Go-Go this season, averaging 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Goodwin has led the Go-Go in scoring four times this season, including a 30-point performance against the Westchester Knicks on November 5 and is coming off a triple-double performance at the NBA G League Showcase in Las Vegas, where he tallied 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over the Iowa Wolves.

A native of Centreville, Ill., Goodwin left Saint Louis as the school’s all-time leader in steals, while also finishing in the top five in rebounds and assists. Prior to college, Goodwin played for Wizards’ guard Bradley Beal on his Saint Louis-based AAU team, Bradley Beal Elite, from his eighth grade through his senior year of high school.

Washington Wizards sign Jordan Schakel to a 10-day contract

The Washington Wizards have signed guard Jordan Schakel to a 10-day contract, via the NBA Hardship Exception provisions.

Schakel, who has played in 14 games with the Capital City Go-Go (the Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate), originally spent 2021 training camp and preseason with the Wizards, where he appeared in two games. The 6-6, 200-pound guard has averaged 13.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game with Capital City this season, shooting .396 from three-point range. The former San Diego State Aztec currently leads the NBA G League in made threes this season with 44 through 14 games, having knocked down 34 on a .479 three-point percentage over his last eight games.

Originally from Torrance, California, Schakel graduated from San Diego State with the third-most made threes in school history. He also ranked third nationally in three-point percentage during the 2020-21 season, shooting .461 from deep.