Washington Wizards

The Kristaps Porzingis era with the Dallas Mavericks has reportedly come to an end.

Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, the Mavs are sending Porzingis to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.

The Mavericks struggled to pair Porzingis with Luka Doncic. He is averaging 19.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in 34 starts this season, but his 28.3 three-point percentage is the worst of his career.

Going to Washington gives Porzingis an opportunity to jump-start his career, but his arrival will also impact Bradley Beal's future. The three-time All-Star, who will miss the rest of the season because of left wrist surgery, can become a free agent this summer by opting out of his contract worth $36.4 million in 2022-23. 

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Monday on NBA Today (starts at 2:35 mark) that Beal is seeking the full five-year supermax extension. 

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Mavericks' Updated Depth Chart and Payroll

PG: Luka Doncic, Spencer Dinwiddie, Trey Burke

SG: Jalen Brunson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Theo Pinson

SF: Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock, Frank Ntilikina

PF: Maxi Kleber, Davis Bertans, Sterling Brown

C: Dwight Powell, Marquese Chriss, Boban Marjanovic

Team payroll: $122.8 million, per Spotrac

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Wizards' Updated Depth Chart and Payroll

PG: Raul Neto, Ish Smith, Joel Ayayi

SG: Corey Kispert, Deni Avdija

SF: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Anthony Gill

PF: Kyle Kuzma, Rui Hachimura

C: Kristaps Porzingis, Thomas Bryant

Team payroll: $125.6 million, per Spotrac

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Porzingis gives the Wizards a go-to scoring option with Beal unavailable. He can also reestablish himself as an All-Star-caliber player without playing second fiddle to Doncic.

Porzingis has one guaranteed year left on his contract at $33.8 million, plus a $36 million player option for 2023-24. 

The Wizards acquired Dinwiddie in a blockbuster five-team trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. He inked a three-year, $54 million deal in the sign-and-trade to serve as the starting point guard alongside Beal.

However, Dinwiddie has struggled and failed to mesh with Beal. The 28-year-old is averaging 12.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting 37.6 percent from the floor and 31.0 percent from deep through 44 games.

While Dinwiddie is coming off a torn ACL, Washington likely expected much more out of him after his career year with the Nets in 2019-20.

With the Wizards only posting a 24-29 record this season, 11th in the Eastern Conference, it's not surprising they parted ways with Dinwiddie.

Bertans has two guaranteed years left on his contract with a $16 million player option for 2024-25. 

The Mavs will bet on Bertans to revert to his play from previous seasons. He shot 40.7 percent from three-point range on 5.0 attempts per game from 2016 to 2021. 

This season, though, Bertans is only making 31.9 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. Since Doncic is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NBA, it should be easier for him to find open opportunities.

The Dallas Mavericks are trading 2018 All-Star Kristaps Porzingis to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. The trade also includes a second-round pick being sent from Dallas to Washington, per MacMahon and Adrian Wojnarowski.

The seeds for this move were planted during a 2020-21 season that came to a disappointing conclusion.

The Mavs finished fifth in the Western Conference before losing to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. Porzingis didn't play like a star in that series, averaging 13.1 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 29.6 percent from beyond the arc.

"There's a little bit of a mental battle because that's not what I'm used to and where I'm most comfortable," he told reporters after the team was eliminated. " ... Whatever I do, it seems like it's always something, so I just try to be as professional as I can."

Rumors about his future started well before the 2021 postseason, too.

B/R's Jake Fischer reported in February 2021 that Dallas had "quietly gauged the trade market" around the 7'3" center.

Team governor Mark Cuban subsequently denied the rumors:

As the Porzingis trade-talk smoke billows, I asked @mcuban about reports that Mavs have gauged @kporzee trade value.

"It's not accurate," he says. "We have not discussed him in a trade at all. Has not happened."

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 23, 2021

. @mcuban elaborates, in stronger terms. pic.twitter.com/Oaldstvpba

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 23, 2021

As they looked to build their roster around Luka Doncic, the Mavs made a big bet on Porzingis.

In addition to sending two first-round picks to the New York Knicks as part of the package to acquire him, they handed him a five-year, $158.2 million extension. At the time he signed the deal, the Latvian hadn't actually played for the team, having missed the entire 2018-19 season while recovering from a torn ACL.

Upon returning to the court, Porzingis hasn't been a significantly different player from the one who rose to stardom with the Knicks. He averaged 20.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 134 appearances for the Mavs. He also shot 44.8 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from three-point territory.

Unfortunately for Dallas, the 26-year-old's defense proved to be a bit of a liability. Speaking anonymously with Fischer, a Western Conference executive offered a harsh assessment.

"It looks like it's impossible for him to get in a stance," the executive said. "He looks like a scarecrow out there. You don't expect him to necessarily be great from the jump, but I've watched Porzingis a couple of times this year, and I'm not sure the guy can guard anybody."

In general, the 2021 playoffs seemed to drive home all of the concerns about the Doncic/Porzingis partnership. Along with the latter's poor performance (13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and a 29.6 percent clip on three-pointers), MacMahon reported he "has been frustrated, often feeling more like an afterthought than a co-star as Doncic dominates the ball and the spotlight."

Under new head coach Jason Kidd, MacMahon reported in December that Porzingis "has felt refreshed" and appeared to have forged a stronger dynamic with Doncic.

The results weren't really showing up on the court, though, and it got more and more difficult to ignore the need to shake up the roster in a big way. Similarly, casting Porzingis as the second star alongside Doncic was a tougher sell over time.

Doncic isn't leaving anytime soon since he just signed a five-year, $207.1 million extension. Dallas clearly still felt a level of urgency to improve the roster now rather than wait and see whether Porzingis improved.

Because his stock has fallen so far, acquiring Porzingis could be a shrewd gamble for Washington. Quite simply, he can't be much worse than how he played with Dallas.

Wojnarowski reported Monday that Wizards star Bradley Beal was to undergo season-ending wrist surgery. His agent also met with team governor Ted Leonsis and general manager Tommy Sheppard to discuss his long-term future in the nation's capital.

The three-time All-Star has a $36.4 million player option for next season, and this trade seems like a move to appease Beal and convince him to stick around.

Shedding Dinwiddie and Bertans is basically net neutral for Washington since they combine to make $34 million in 2022-23. In Bertans' case, he has at least $38 million coming his way over the next two years—the Mavs can pay $5 million to avoid his full $16 million cap hit in 2024-25.

Getting off Bertans' salary is nice but doesn't ultimately change the Wizards' financial situation given what Porzingis is earning.

Considering what they invested into Porzingis, ultimately landing Dinwiddie and Bertans is an underwhelming return, and it can reasonably lead to speculation about whether the Porzingis/Doncic partnership was worse than Dallas had let on.

Porzingis' inability to stay healthy was also less than ideal for a team that wants to win a championship at some point.

Pending formal completion of the trade/physicals, it appears Porzingis era ends with his having played 134 of a possible 209 games as a Maverick, including 34 of 55 this season. No one from Mavs is telling me this, but have to think that factors heavily into this trade.

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 10, 2022

Dinwiddie is averaging 12.6 points and 5.8 assists while shooting 31.0 percent from the perimeter. While the 28-year-old is failing to match his peak with the Brooklyn Nets, he's theoretically the kind of scorer and playmaker who can ease the burden on Doncic.

Bertans, meanwhile, is a floor-spacer, albeit one who's shooting a career-worst 31.9 percent from beyond the arc. His willingness to play off the ball also makes him a good fit in the offense.

Still, general manager Nico Harrison will face big questions if neither Dinwiddie nor Bertans is meaningfully better than how each has played with the Wizards.

The Washington Wizards have traded big man Montrezl Harrell to the Charlotte Hornets for center Vernon Carey and guard Ish Smith, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Harrell, 28, has averaged 14.1 points on 64.5 percent shooting and 6.7 rebounds in his seventh NBA season (first with the Wizards).

The former Louisville star spent his first two seasons with the Houston Rockets before getting traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Harrell enjoyed his best seasons with the Clips, winning the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award in 2019-20 after posting a career-high 18.6 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game.

After a three-season stint with the Clippers, Harrell stayed in town but signed a one-year deal with the Lakers. He stayed productive (13.5 PPG on 62.2 FG% and 6.2 REB), but fell out of the rotation by the end of the season.

The Lakers then sent Harrell as part of a blockbuster deal that also included Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Washington Wizards for point guard Russell Westbrook.

With his sustained production and expiring contract, Harrell was a prime candidate to be dealt. Rumors circulated regarding him, with Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report writing on Jan. 18 that Harrell "has been considered available for trade."

And now he's heading to Charlotte, where he'll hope to help a 28-28 Hornets team sitting ninth in the East.

As far as the Wizards go, they get a veteran in the well-traveled Smith, who has played for 12 teams in his 12-season career.

This will mark his second go-around with the Wizards after he averaged 9.2 points, 4.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 24.2 minutes per game over the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

The Hornets selected Carey, a former Duke star, with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He's only played in 23 games over his two NBA seasons, averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.7 minutes per game.

Still, he's just 20 years old and has plenty of time to further develop his game, so the Wizards could have gotten a steal in return.

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal plans to undergo season-ending surgery on his left wrist, agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Tuesday.

Beal suffered a sprained left wrist in his team's Jan. 29 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies and hasn't played since. The guard has also missed time this season in the health-and-safety protocols in December and January.

This concludes a disappointing year for Beal, who averaged 23.2 points (his lowest since 2017-18), 6.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. He shot 45.1 percent from the field and a career-low 30 percent from three-point range.

The three-time All-Star had been one of the top offensive players in the NBA in recent seasons, ranking second in the league in scoring in both 2019-20 and 2020-21. Beal averaged a career-high 31.3 points per game, trailing only Stephen Curry.

He didn't fare quite as well this season. He struggled to get to the free-throw line as consistently, while his outside shooting also plummeted.

Beal's absence will only put more pressure on the rest of Washington's roster. Spencer Dinwiddie—whom The Athletic's Josh Robbins recently reported is being shopped ahead of Thursday's trade deadline—and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope can provide some perimeter scoring, but they're a steep drop-off from Beal.

Washington (24-29) currently sits one game behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

The Washington Wizards are operating under the assumption that star guard Bradley Beal wants to remain with the franchise moving forward.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Wizards "have heard nothing from Beal that indicates he's not committed to being there."

Beal has a player option for next season, meaning he could opt out and become a free agent during the offseason, but the Wizards plan on signing him to a five-year contract extension if he does decline his option, per Windhorst.

While Beal has often been the subject of trade rumors in recent years, he has always been vocal about his loyalty to the Wizards and wanting to win in Washington.

During an appearance on the Woj Pod with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski in January, Beal expressed his belief that the Wizards are "going in the right direction." He also expressed satisfaction that the Wizards have been committed to building around him.

Beal added:

"It's not always like that everywhere. Like, if I go somewhere else, they're just not going to build around you. They'll build around what they have. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but if I have the chance to create my own legacy and make it work here with the team that drafted me, then why not give it a shot?"

Despite what Beal has said publicly, David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic reported last week that Beal is conflicted about his future in Washington.

They noted that while Beal's preference is to build a winning franchise in Washington, it isn't necessarily a lock that he will sign a max extension during the offseason.

If Beal has any reservations, Windhorst noted that he could exercise his player option for 2022-23, try to force a trade during the offseason and then sign a five-year extension with the team that acquires him.

This season has undoubtedly been a frustrating one for Beal and the Wizards as a whole, considering the team is 11th in the Eastern Conference at 24-29.

Beal was named an All-Star in three of the previous four seasons, but he missed out this time, as his scoring numbers have dropped off significantly.

He has still been productive with 23.2 points, 6.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 three-pointers made per game, but he is well off the pace of the career-high 31.3 points per game he averaged last season.

Beal is also shooting just 45.1 percent from the field and a career-worst 30.0 percent from three-point range.

The 28-year-old veteran has shown he is an elite offensive player when he is at the top of his game, however, so it is understandable why the Wizards seemingly want him to be the cornerstone moving forward.

Beal is dealing with a wrist injury that is getting re-evaluated this week, and while that could be a factor in whether he gets traded before Thursday's deadline, all signs point toward the Wizards keeping him and trying to extend him during the offseason.

A Washington Wizards assistant coach was restrained toward the end of Monday's 121-100 loss to the Miami Heat at Capital One Arena amid a verbal confrontation with a fan. 

According to NBC Sports' Chase Hughes, Montrezl Harrell, Thomas Bryant and security had to intervene. It's unclear how the incident began. 

Here's video of what happened between a Wizards assistant coach and fans tonight. https://t.co/Il9WRZCKQq

— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) February 8, 2022

Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. addressed the incident following Monday's game, saying he was aware of what happened, telling reporters that, to his understanding, the altercation began when a fan said "something that was out of line." 

"I think it was a situation where something was said that was a bit over the line, and I think it got the best of one of our coaches, but either way, you gotta take the high road," Unseld said. 

https://twitter.com/NBCSWizards/status/1490884044057370627

The Wizards had a solid start to the 2021-22 season but have since fallen to 11th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 24-29 record. In addition, Washington is just 2-8 in its last 10 games, with both wins coming against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Wizards' performance on Monday night was particularly disappointing. With the absence of Bradley Beal, who was out with a left wrist injury, the offense could not keep pace.

Washington's most effective player was Corey Kispert off the bench. He finished with 20 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal.

With the team struggling and the trade deadline approaching, the Wizards are reportedly looking to make some changes. The Athletic's Josh Robbin suggested trading Spencer Dinwiddie. In addition, Harrell is available for trade, per Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer. 

With Beal reportedly expressing interest in remaining with the Wizards, the team is looking to add some pieces around him. According to Fischer, "several league personnel" believe Washington is the favorite to get Detroit Pistons veteran Jerami Grant. The team would also reportedly "love" to trade for Indiana Pacers star Domantas Sabonis, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

With the Wizards floating on the playoff bubble, it'll be interesting to see if they make any moves ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline. 

Bradley Beal is reportedly looking for a maximum contract with his 2022-23 player option looming.

"He has turned down a contract extension because he wants, from what I am told, a full five-year max," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said during Monday's episode of NBA Today (2:35 mark). "That would be a ... 70 or so million dollar difference between what the [Washington] Wizards could sign him for" compared to another team.

Beal is one of the most interesting case studies ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

The Wizards can likely net quite the return if they elect to move him, and one would think they at least have to entertain the notion since they are 24-29 and not even in position to qualify for the play-in tournament if the season ended Monday.

Washington is not a legitimate contender with or without Beal on the roster and could accelerate a potential rebuild with a trade and not have to worry about giving him such a pricey contract.

However, the Wizards could also choose to keep him and either make a late push this season or look ahead to the 2022-23 campaign and beyond. After all, he is just 28 years old and was an All-NBA third-team selection last season.

Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington reported in October that the team offered him a four-year, $181.5 million extension. However, Hughes also noted another option would be for Beal to become a free agent after the season and then re-sign with the Wizards for five years and approximately $235 million.

The latest from Windhorst suggests the shooting guard is interested in that avenue, and that type of clarity could help the front office in any decision-making process with Thursday approaching.

For the season, Beal is averaging 23.2 points, 6.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from three-point range. It is a drop-off after he averaged 31.3 points per game and shot 34.9 percent from deep last season, but he is still capable of taking over a game on the offensive end when playing at his best.

That type of scoring ability is surely intriguing for contenders looking to make a move, and the Beal discussions will likely remain a major storyline this week.          

The Washington Wizards have reportedly been one of the most active teams in the trade market leading up to the Feb. 10 deadline, and now it appears one of their veteran players is available for trade. 

The Wizards are shopping guard Spencer Dinwiddie, according to The Athletic's Josh Robbins. 

"The Wizards envisioned a Dinwiddie/Beal pairing as a top-tier backcourt, and it has been a massive disappointment," Robbins writes. "Dinwiddie isn’t making a positive impact when Beal plays."

The news comes after The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported the Wizards want to trade Dinwiddie "because he looks like a shell of his former self and his teammates don’t want him there."

Dinwiddie definitely hasn't lived up to the hype since coming over in a sign-and-trade from the Brooklyn Nets ahead of the 2021-22 season. The 28-year-old is averaging 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting 37.7 percent from the floor and 31.1 percent from deep in 43 games.

It's a significant dip from the 2019-20 season when he averaged 20.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists while shooting 41.5 percent from the floor and 30.8 percent from deep in 64 games for the Nets. 

To be fair, Dinwiddie missed all but three games last season after tearing his ACL. 

It's unclear which teams might be interested in Dinwiddie. However, Robbins lists the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers as potential fits for the California native. 

In addition to Dinwiddie, the Wizards have made Montrezl Harrell available for trade, per Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer. This is the last season of his contract and he's making just $9.7 million, making him an ideal target for teams looking to add depth entering the postseason. 

The Wizards have also been linked to several players on the market. According to Fischer, "several league personnel" consider Washington the favorite to land Detroit Pistons star Jerami Grant. In addition, the franchise "would love" to trade for Indiana Pacers veteran Domantas Sabonis, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

With All-Star guard Bradley Beal reportedly preferring to remain in Washington, it should come as no surprise that the Wizards are willing to make as many moves possible to build a contender around him. 

The Wizards are 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-28 record and are hoping to make the playoffs for the second straight season. 

Indiana Pacers star Domantas Sabonis is one of the biggest names reportedly on the market leading up to this year's Feb. 10 trade deadline, and one Eastern Conference team hoping to make a push for the playoffs is reportedly interested in the veteran. 

The Washington Wizards "would love" to trade for Sabonis, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today. However, Wojnarowski added the Wizards "may not have the assets" to make a deal right now. 

The news comes after Wojnarowski reported Sunday that Sabonis and Myles Turner are continuing to be discussed in trade talks following a deal that sent Caris LeVert to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Sabonis, who is in his fifth season with the Pacers, is averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting 58.0 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from deep.  

According to Wizards insider Quinton Mayo, the Wizards want to pair Sabonis with All-Star guard Bradley Beal. The 2016 11th overall pick has reportedly "received a ringing endorsement" from Beal. 

Mayo writes:

Expect Washington to approach the trade deadline aggressively with their sights set on Indiana Pacers star big man, Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis has received a ringing endorsement from Beal, and others, within the Wizards organization due to his skill set, possible fit within head coach Wes Unseld Jr.’s system, contract flexibility, and age, sources tell me." 

While Sabonis would help the Wizards improve their 22nd-ranked offense, he is not a defensive-minded player by any means, and Washington needs just as much help on defense, as it also has the 22nd-ranked defense. 

However, the Wizards' interest in adding a player like Sabonis should come as no surprise. Beal, who has a player option for the 2022-23 season, reportedly prefers to remain in Washington, and the franchise needs to be thinking about building around him for the future. 

Sabonis also comes with length on his contract. He is under contract through the 2023-24 campaign after signing a four-year, $77 million extension ahead of the 2020-21 season. If the Wizards plan to pair him with Beal, they'll also need an idea of who else to add in the future. 

The Wizards have also been linked to Jerami Grant, as Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported in January that they are a favorite to land the Detriot Pistons forward. 

Washington is 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-28 record and is hoping to make the playoffs for the second straight year. Indiana, meanwhile, is 13th in the East with a 19-36 record and must decide whether it plans to enter a rebuild. 

Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti announced Friday the team will hire former Cleveland Browns executive vice president Sashi Brown as its new president following the retirement of Dick Cass.

Brown most recently served as president of Monumental Basketball, which oversees the NBA's Washington Wizards, WNBA's Washington Mystics and G League's Capital City Go-Go.

The 45-year-old Boston native, who earned a doctorate from Harvard, served as legal counsel for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2005 through 2012 before being hired to lead the Browns' front office in 2013.

Cleveland went 15-61 during his tenure, including a 1-27 mark over the final two years before he was fired during the latter stages of the team's winless 2017 campaign.

"I want this to be real and clear, the way I know Cleveland and Browns fans can appreciate: Our win-loss record since I became executive vice president isn't going to cut it," Brown said at the time.

ESPN's Jamison Hensley reported the Ravens' transition from Cass to Brown will formally take place April 1. Brown will "oversee every area of the organization," both on the football side and business side.

It's not immediately clear who will make the final decision on roster moves between Brown and general manager Eric DeCosta, who's held that role since 2019.

The Ravens also feature John Harbaugh, the NFL's third-longest-tenured head coach (hired in 2008), as a factor in those personnel discussions.

Baltimore is coming off an 8-9 season that saw it miss the playoffs for the first time since 2017. It posted a 35-13 record over the previous three years.

The front office's main tasks this offseason will be adding another playmaker or two on offense and finding a way to retool a defense that ranked 25th in yards allowed in 2021.

A more pressing situation is on the horizon, however, as franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson is entering the final year of his contract.