Washington Wizards

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has high praise for Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal.

"He's a Hall of Fame, All-Star player. Take that away from your team, you're trying to figure out where that impact's gonna come from," Durant told reporters after Beal missed Monday's Nets-Wizards game with a hamstring injury.

Beal has been limited by injury to 18 games this season but is in his most efficient scoring campaign, shooting a career-high 52.2 percent. While his scoring is down to 22.9 points per game, his lowest since 2017-18, that's largely because a strong Wizards offense has allowed him to tone down his attacks to the rim.

As far as Beal's Hall of Fame credentials, that's probably a stretch. He's made just three All-Star teams and one All-NBA team, and the Wizards have not gotten past the second round of the playoffs during his tenure with the franchise.

Even though the Basketball Hall of Fame has a lower barrier of entry than its football and baseball counterparts, Beal would have to write a strong second half to his career to make it to Springfield, Massachusetts.

That said, Beal is the type of player who can function in any lineup in any situation. He's a perfect fit for the Hall of Very Very Good, just not quite on the HOF level.

Change could again be on the horizon for Kyle Kuzma. After getting traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Washington Wizards in August 2021, the 27-year-old's future is a bit uncertain, as he could soon be on the move.

Kuzma, who is in his second season with the Wizards, has a $13 million player option for the 2023-24 campaign. And at this point, it doesn't seem likely he'd opt in to remain in Washington, according to a recent report by Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.

"He wants out," an NBA source told Pincus of Kuzma. "He's looking for over $20 million a season and in a big market [or with a contender]."

But it's also possible Kuzma could be on a new team before opting out and becoming a free agent this upcoming summer.

Pincus reported that Kuzma has been on the radar of the Sacramento Kings, who tried to acquire him when he was previously dealt from the Lakers to the Wizards. The Kings may even have the assets to try to swing a trade for Kuzma.

"The Kings can't trade a first until 2028 (due to protections on their obligation to the Atlanta Hawks for Kevin Huerter), but they could build a deal around Harrison Barnes with that distant pick and/or prospects like Davion Mitchell," Pincus wrote.

Sacramento may not be the only team with interest in Kuzma. The Lakers are a "team to monitor," per Pincus, while the Phoenix Suns "may also see a path" and the New York Knicks are "another team to keep a close eye on."

It would make quite a bit of sense for Kuzma to end up with the Kings, though.

Sacramento has gotten off to a strong start to the 2022-23 season. It is 14-10 and in fifth place in the Western Conference, and it may be trending toward a playoff appearance. The Kings have the longest active postseason drought in the NBA, as they haven't made it since 2006. And they haven't won a playoff series since 2004.

If Sacramento is aggressive and adds the right complementary players to its talented core, then it could make a legitimate push to the postseason—and possibly even have success once it gets there. Kuzma may be the right fit to help make that happen.

A six-year NBA veteran, Kuzma is having one of his best seasons yet. He's averaging a career-high 21.4 points through 26 games, as well as 7.7 rebounds. The 6'9" standout is also shooting a career-best 46.2 percent from the field.

The best possible scenario for the Kings would be to trade for Kuzma, then sign him to a long-term deal. Because not only is he having success this season, but he's a player who they could continue to build around for the long term.

With De'Aaron Fox anchoring the backcourt and Domantas Sabonis having success down low, Kuzma would be a great third scoring option to play alongside that duo. It's a trio that seems like it would mesh well and possibly take Sacramento to greater heights.

So if the Wizards are open to moving Kuzma now, the Kings would be wise to try to put together an offer to land him. If he stays in Washington, then Sacramento should be aggressive in its pursuit of him next offseason.

Having lost six of their last seven games and fallen to 10th place in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards could have some big decisions to make looking ahead to the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 9.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Kyle Kuzma has caught the attention of several teams, including the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns, if Washington decides to move on from the 27-year-old forward.

There have been rumblings about widespread interest in Kuzma for some time. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on his podcast last week (starts at 47:40 mark) that executives on opposing teams have heard "they're trying to get Kuzma out of Washington."

Charania reported last month the Suns have expressed interest in multiple forwards, including Kuzma, Harrison Barnes and KJ Martin.

Phoenix continues to be in the market for another shooter as it explores trades involving Jae Crowder.

The Hawks have a potential trade chip to dangle in front of Washington if they want to go after Kuzma. John Collins has seemingly been on the block for years, but he remains in Atlanta for the time being.

According to Charania, the Wizards "have shown interest" in Collins and they "seriously discussed a potential deal" for the 25-year-old last offseason.

Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard told Charania that Kuzma "has so much more room to grow" as a player and "we’re really excited for his future growth here."

Kuzma's contract pays him $13 million this season and includes a $13 million player option for 2023-24. He is averaging career highs in scoring average (20.6 points per game), rebounds (7.7) and assists (3.6) in 23 starts.

This marks the second consecutive season the Wizards have fallen off after a hot start. They were 10-3 through 13 games in 2021-22 but finished 25-44 over their final 69 games to miss the playoffs.

Washington was 10-7 after a 106-102 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 20. The team is now 11-13 overall in the midst of its recent rough stretch.

The Wizards haven't made the playoffs in three of the previous four seasons. They haven't won a postseason series since the 2016-17 season.

Bradley Beal has been with the Washington Wizards his entire career and apparently didn't have many choices when it came to joining a contender this past offseason.

The three-time All-Star, who re-signed with the Wizards on a five-year maximum contract worth $251 million this offseason, appeared on the No Chill with Gilbert Arenas podcast and explained why he made such a decision.

"There were no teams in the market, free-agency-wise," he said. "I'm just being frank. There was nowhere else for me to go where I can be like, 'Oh, I can go win.' It was teams that strategically wasn't what I wanted."

Beal also suggested he appreciated the "voice" he has in the Washington organization and wanted the opportunity to play with Kristaps Porzingis—who he called "probably the best big I've played with"—and Kyle Kuzma.

Washington has played well at times this season and is in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings at 10-11. That would qualify for the play-in tournament, and Beal is averaging 24.1 points, 5.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.

Things are trending in the wrong direction for the Wizards with losses in five of their last six games, but there is still enough talent to reach the playoffs. And they know they can build around Beal in the future as well.

As Jae Crowder remains on the trade block, the Washington Wizards have reportedly emerged as a potential suitor for the Phoenix Suns' estranged forward.

"There's been some chatter about them looking at a guy like Jae Crowder," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast Wednesday (h/t RealGM). "I'm pretty confident there's been some discussions between the Wizards and the Suns. We've been talking about Jae Crowder now for about two months. It's obvious it's a hard trade to pull off. The Wizards have a bunch of guys who make decent salaries on their roster they can use in a trade."

Windhorst added that the Suns are seeking a power forward in any Crowder deal, and the Wizards are fairly loaded at the position with Kyle Kuzma, Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija on the roster.

It seems unlikely Kuzma will be moved, as he's thriving this season, averaging 20.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, though he's shooting just 31.3 percent from three. He and Avdija (7.6 PPG, 5.1 APG) have largely served as the team's starting pair at forward, with Hachimura (11.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG) coming off the bench.

Crowder, 32, would give the Suns an injection of experience and scrappy defense. The veteran forward averaged 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last year in Phoenix, shooting 34.8 percent from three, but had a falling out with the team over the offseason.

Per Windhorst, "Crowder was informed over the summer that he may lose his starting job this season, sources said, and it prompted him to request a trade."

Crowder, for his part, denied those reports:

The irony is that the player he lost his job to, Cam Johnson, is now likely out until some point in 2023 after requiring surgery on his right meniscus.

But Windhorst reported earlier in November that "despite Johnson's injury, there is no change to the situation with Crowder, and there are no current plans for him to return to the team, sources said."

It appeared as though the Suns were getting closer to a trade in mid-November, with multiple reports suggesting talks had progressed.

Nothing has happened as of yet, however, though the Wizards reportedly are taking a closer look.

The Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young, Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal and Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey have all expressed interest in playing for Team USA in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup next summer.

Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported Tuesday all three stars confirmed their desire to help the American squad bounce back from a disappointing seventh-place finish at the 2019 World Cup while also using the tournament to help bolster their chances of being chosen for the 2024 Summer Olympics roster.

"Yes, I'm definitely open to it," Young told Vardon. "I mean, even since I was in high school, it's been my dream as a basketball player. I've tried out multiple times since I've been in high school. There's been a couple of times when I could have been on that team, and it kind of hurt my heart."

Team USA manager director Grant Hill and head coach Steve Kerr have decided to abandon the program's previous desire to get NBA stars to make a commitment to play back-to-back summers, first for the World Cup and then the Olympics, per Vardon.

Instead, they'll take each tournament individually and build out the best possible roster from the players willing to make the offseason trip.

The 2023 World Cup is being split between Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines, while the 2024 Olympics are taking place in Paris. The 2021 Olympics were in Tokyo.

Team USA management is cognizant of the travel demands of that many overseas trips following the long NBA seasons and understand players may not want to make a full-time annual summer commitment.

"I've never gotten the opportunity to do a World Cup," Beal told Vardon. "As long as I'm healthy, injury-free, and there's a place for me on the team, yeah, I'll probably be there in the Philippines."

Maxey added: "I would love to play for the country. That would be cool. It's always a blessing to represent your country, play with different guys, and go out there and compete."

It will likely create a situation in which the World Cup team is filled with players who may end up on the Olympic roster fringe, depending on whether LeBron James, Stephen Curry and the rest of the American superstars opt to play in Paris.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen told Vardon he's yet to hear from Team USA officials, but he'd also “take a lot of pride in representing us on a stage in front of the world.”

"I understand that there's not a lot of traditional bigs like that in America, like the back-down bigs," Allen said. "Even I'm not even really like that typical, I guess, European basketball big in terms of just banging down there. But I'm here to fill a role, whatever they need, and I feel like I can fit into any role."

Finding centers who can fit the more European play style often on display in major international tournaments has been an issue for the Americans in recent years, but Allen's defensive prowess could bring a lot of value.

A lot of factors will come into play when building the roster, including what teams make deep runs in the NBA playoffs and which players are dealing with nagging injuries they will want the summer to rest, but the early buy-in sounds promising for Team USA.

The 2023 World Cup is scheduled to tip off on Aug. 25.

Los Angeles Clippers guard John Wall said he's hoping for an overwhelmingly positive reaction when he returns to Washington, D.C., to face off with the Wizards on Dec. 10.

Wall, who played for the Wiz from 2010 through 2020, discussed his first game back at Capital One Arena with fans in attendance during an appearance Wednesday on HBO's The Shop (1:55 mark of the video below).

"Being there for 10 years, the team that drafted me, being the franchise guy and then getting traded from there," Wall said. "Then that's during the midst of COVID, so I never had the opportunity to be back to play in front of fans. So hopefully I'll get that big standing ovation that I think I deserve. My ultimate goal was trying to bring a championship there, like everything I gave to that city, from playing through my injuries, giving back to the community, it felt like a second home to me."

The five-time All-Star lived up to the sky-high expectations of being the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, though injuries prevented him from maintaining his usual impact over his final few seasons in the nation's capital.

Wall averaged 19 points, 9.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 573 regular-season appearances across nine seasons with the Wizards. He was voted to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2015 and the All-NBA Third Team in 2017.

His individual success wasn't enough to help Washington capture its first title since 1978, though. The team reached the playoffs four times during the guard's tenure but never advanced beyond the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Now the question is how the 32-year-old from North Carolina will perform after sitting out two of the past three seasons. He missed 2019-20 with heel and Achilles injuries, and he sat out all of last year as part of an agreement with the rebuilding Houston Rockets.

Wall did still look like an impact player in 40 games for the Rockets in 2020-21, averaging 20.6 points and 6.9 assists.

"They told me just be myself, be John Wall no matter what, and I think for me it's easy," Wall told reporters last week. "I know how to be myself. For me it's to push the pace, I think I'm one of the best two-way guard defenders in the league at my position so that helps them out a lot with a lot of the switching they do."

He'll likely split minutes with Reggie Jackson at the point to open the campaign, but the former University of Kentucky standout could earn a larger share of the playing time if he returns to peak form throughout the season.

As for his return to Washington, it would be a surprise if Wizards fans gave him anything other than a sustained standing ovation. The team didn't reach its ultimate goal during his time there, but that wasn't because of a lack of effort from the longtime face of the franchise.

The Dec. 10 contest is the Clippers' only visit to D.C. this season.

Washington Wizards star Kristaps Porzingis was ruled out for the remainder of Monday's preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets because of a sprained left ankle.

Porzingis dropped 20 points in 16 minutes, shooting 5-of-10 from the floor and adding three rebounds.

The 7'3" Porzingis was traded to Washington in one of the more surprising deals just before the NBA's 2022 trade deadline.

At the time, Feb. 10, he had a bone bruise that had kept him out since Jan. 29. That added to a theme throughout his NBA career.

Porzingis missed only 10 games as a rookie in 2015-16, but that was the last time he surpassed 70 appearances in a season. With the trade, it felt as if the Dallas Mavericks had given up on his ever turning a corner in terms of durability.

For the Wizards, Porzingis' arrival came as they were trying to find ways to remain competitive despite Bradley Beal's season-ending wrist surgery. Beyond helping in the short term, it sent a message to Beal ahead of an offseason in which he could have hit free agency.

Beal signed a five-year, $251 million supermax extension in July, so Washington's pursuit of playoff basketball won't end any time soon.

In what should be a highly competitive Eastern Conference, the Wizards need Porzingis to not only stay healthy but also to return to something approaching his All-Star peak with the New York Knicks.

On both fronts, it could be a losing bet for Washington.

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal was placed in COVID-19 health and safety protocols on Sunday, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

He will not play in Monday's preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets.

The 29-year-old's health figures to be a primary storyline in 2022-23 after he was ruled out for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign because he needed season-ending surgery on his left wrist.

The procedure ended what turned into a disappointing season for Beal. He averaged 23.2 points, 6.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 30.0 percent from three-point range culminating in 23.2 points per game, which was a far cry from the 31.3 points per game he posted the previous season.

The three-point percentage was the worst mark of the shooting guard's career, and the scoring totals were a dramatic drop-off after averaging better than 30 points per night in consecutive campaigns.

Look for Washington to turn toward Will Barton and Deni Avdija for more playing time while Beal is sidelined.