Washington Wizards

Brooklyn Nets assistant head coach David Vanterpool reached out and deflected a sideline pass from Washington Wizards point guard Spencer Dinwiddie to teammate Kyle Kuzma during the fourth quarter of the Nets' 119-118 road win on Wednesday in Capital One Arena.

Referees didn't catch the coach's interference, and Nets forward Kessler Edwards ultimately earned a steal off the play.

After the game, Kuzma made his feelings clear on the matter.

Wizards acting head coach Joseph Blair did the same:

The Nets were up 109-103 at the time of Vanterpool's interference.

Brooklyn didn't score on its next possession, but the Wizards still lost an opportunity to score because of Vanterpool.

It's certainly a bitter pill to swallow for the team in a one-point defeat. To make matters worse, referees could have called a technical foul on Vanterpool if caught, giving the Wizards one free throw attempt plus the ball back.

Despite the deflection, the Wizards fought back and had multiple chances to win the game on their final possession. However, three-point attempts from Kuzma and Dinwiddie were off the mark, ending the Wizards' comeback attempt.

After the game, Josh Robbins of The Athletic acted as the game's pool reporter and got some answers from crew chief Ben Taylor regarding the play.

In sum, Taylor noted that his crew did not see a deflection on the court during the play. He also said that there was no "mechanism in place" for a review.

As for Vanterpool, the 48-year-old played professional basketball (largely overseas) from 1995-2007. He's been an assistant or associated head coach ever since with stints for CSKA Moscow, the Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves and now the Nets.

The 2021-22 season marks his first in Brooklyn.

The Washington Wizards reportedly have little appetite to move Bradley Beal before the NBA's Feb. 10 trade deadline.

"Beal has made it clear he doesn't plan to sign an extension and likely will skip his player option," ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported. "That would make some teams nervous, but to this point, there has been no real discussion of Beal on the trade market, league executives said."

Washington is eighth in the Eastern Conference at 23-21.

The Wizards have made the playoffs twice in the previous four years, exiting in the first round on both occasions. Even though the franchise is clearly trying to contend now, some will argue trading Beal is the best course of action since the short-term gains are likely minimal.

But Windhorst noted Washington has a significant financial advantage if the three-time All-Star declines his $36.4 million player option for next season. The Wizards can offer as much as $241 million over five years on his next deal. Opposing teams would be capped at $179 million over four years.

In a December interview with Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, Beal reaffirmed his "full commitment is to the team."

" I want it to work," he said. "I've contributed to being here. I've committed to being here twice. Now, I want to see that commitment to me, as well, that we can create a winning team here, a winning environment here."

Like Anthony Davis did with the New Orleans Pelicans, Beal could put the Wizards in a difficult position by making it clear he won't re-sign. Instead, the 28-year-old seems to at least be open to the idea of staying in the nation's capital beyond this season.

At the moment, it's difficult to see a path to the NBA Finals for the Wizards. Nevertheless, making the playoffs and losing in the first two rounds is arguably better than trading Beal and rebuilding, with little idea as to when the franchise will be back in the postseason.

The latter outcome is still on the table since Beal can leave in the offseason, but that's a risk the Wizards are smart to take.

The Washington Wizards announced head coach Wes Unseld Jr. entered the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols on Friday.

Assistant coach Pat Delany will lead the coaching staff on an interim basis starting with Saturday's home game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Unseld was hired by the Wizards in July to become a head coach for the first time.

The 46-year-old Maryland native spent the previous 17 years as an assistant. His coaching career began with Washington in 2005 and featured stops with the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets before his return to the nation's capital.

He's guided the Wizards to a 22-20 record in his first season at the helm. They rank ninth in the Eastern Conference standings.

In December, Unseld expressed concern about trying to remain safe while case numbers rose amid COVID-19's omicron variant:

It's very frustrating. I don't know what the answer is, to be honest with you. I spent three months in the bubble. I get it. We have a job to do, we're given this opportunity and this platform to do it. But at some point, there is a concern not only for your own personal safety, but the safety of your loved ones and friends and folks you have at home that you could potentially be, unbeknownst to you, bringing something to your house.

Unseld joins guard Bradley Beal, the team's leading scorer at 24 points per game, in the health and safety protocols. Beal missed three games in December while in protocols and reentered them Tuesday.

Delany joined the team's staff in August after stints with the Magic and Charlotte Hornets.

Washington, which is currently riding a three-game winning streak, is slated to play six home games in an 11-day span beginning Saturday against the Blazers.

Whether the Washington Wizards move Bradley Beal will be one of the biggest storylines of the entire NBA trade deadline, but general manager Tommy Sheppard isn't looking for any guarantees from his team's star player, who has a player option on his contract after this season.

"I think you judge people by their actions," Sheppard told Josh Robbins of The Athletic. "I think we both have been very direct and clear with each other. Ownership has been very direct. His agent, too. We're all on the same page. We want the same things. I don't need an assurance. I don't think he needs an assurance. We keep going forward."

Sheppard also said he and Beal "have a constant dialogue" and have been "very transparent" with each other when asked if the team has to at least consider trading him since there is a risk he could move on after the season.

This comes after Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington reported Oct. 1 that Washington offered Beal a contract extension and was willing to ink him to a maximum four-year, $181.5 million deal.

Another avenue would be Beal playing this season, exercising his player option for 2022-23 and then re-signing with the Wizards for five years and approximately $235 million.

Sheppard confirmed the contract extension is still on the table.

"There's no reason to take it off," he said. "It stands all year. He can sign it all season. I've never been anything but transparent. We delivered it the first day that it was available. That's out of respect to him."

Beal, 28, is a three-time All-Star who was on the All-NBA Third Team last season. He has followed up with averages of 24.0 points, 6.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds across 34 games while shooting 45.5 percent from the field this season.

That Washington is a borderline playoff contender this season at 21-20 and the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference could ultimately make the team's decision on whether to trade him even more difficult.

On the one hand, the Wizards could keep him and look to make a playoff push. On the other, the front office could recognize that this team isn't a legitimate contender and make a move with an eye on the future.

But Sheppard made it clear he doesn't need any assurances from the star player before he makes such a decision.

Nothing much more needed to be said after Bradley Beal dropped 29 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in the Washington Wizards' 110-93 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

"I know who I am," Beal said, per The Athletic's Josh Robbins. "I’m confident in who I am. It’s kind of like what K.D. said (when he said) ‘I’m Kevin Durant.’ I’m Bradley Beal. You all know who I am. You all know what I’m capable of doing. Let me just go out and do that and have fun doing it."

The three-time All-Star had missed Washington's previous three games after entering the NBA's health and safety protocols. The team went 1-2 over that span.

In general, the 2021-22 season has been somewhat below the standard Beal set over the past few years. He's averaging 23.5 points, down from 31.3 in 2020-21 and 30.5 in 2019-20. His 28.7 percent clip on three-pointers is on pace to be a career low as well.

But Thursday was a reminder of how the 6'3" guard is capable of torching an opposing defense on any given night.

Getting Beal back more to his peak could have big implications for the Wizards. 

They sit 21st in offensive rating (108.1), per NBA.com, and that number is bound to improve if their best player becomes a more efficient scorer and playmaker.

Washington might also be able to climb out of a play-in position. Beal's squad is 18-17 and eighth in the Eastern Conference but only trails the sixth-place Philadelphia 76ers by one game. The Cleveland Cavaliers, two games up in fifth place, might see their results take a turn for the worse following Ricky Rubio's season-ending torn ACL.

Should the Wizards finish with a winning record for the first time since 2017-18 and advance past the first round of the playoffs, it could then influence Beal's future beyond this year. 

He has a $36.4 million player option for 2022-23, so it seems plausible he could opt out in search of a bigger payout. The odds of him staying in Washington, D.C., are probably higher now than they were before this season.

If the 28-year-old winds up hitting the open market, he'll be one of the most sought-after free agents because, in his own words, his reputation precedes him.

Gilbert Arenas and Kwame Brown probably aren't going to be ringing in the new year together.

Arenas posted a lengthy message on his Instagram account that was directed toward Brown. He hinted that he has a 54-minute video that exposes Brown's play on the court and reminded the former Washington Wizards big man he was "booed by EVERY CITY u played for."

Arenas continued, saying "a alpha wouldn't be on the internet complaining how everyone treated him and blaming people for why his career didn't go the way it should have."

There was something of a back-and-forth between the two in May when Arenas, Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes discussed Brown on their All The Smoke podcast.

That prompted a response from Brown, who posted a video on Instagram criticizing them that included sexist and racial language.

Brown was in the NBA for 12 seasons and played for the Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers.

He was teammates with Arenas for two seasons in Washington and never lived up to the expectations that came with being the No. 1 overall pick of the 2001 NBA draft.         

Washington Wizards center Montrezl Harrell has entered the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Wizards have seven players in the protocols ahead of Tuesday's game against the Miami Heat.

Washington placed Anthony Gill, Thomas Bryant and Aaron Holiday in COVID protocols Monday alongside Bradley Beal, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Raul Neto.

The Wizards had one game postponed last week because of multiple positive tests within the Brooklyn Nets organization, but they are now limited by their own outbreak. 

Washington has also struggled on the court with eight losses in the last 11 games to fall to 17-16 after a hot start.

Losing Harrell is another tough blow. The center is averaging 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game this season. He scored 15 points in 18 minutes off the bench in his last game against the Philadelphia 76ers before being ejected.

The 27-year-old has strengthened Washington's depth after coming over from the Los Angeles Lakers in the Russell Westbrook trade.

Daniel Gafford will take on a bigger role with Isaiah Todd likely to get extra minutes at center.   

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the New York Knicks after being placed in health and safety protocols, the team announced. 

Beal joins Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, in the protocols. 

The 28-year-old also missed time earlier in the season because of hip problems. He is averaging 23.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 28 games while shooting 45.6 percent from the field and a disappointing 28.3 percent from deep. 

Beal has been a staple in Washington's lineup since he was drafted third overall in 2012. Losing the three-time All-Star for any period of time certainly isn't good for Washington, as he's played a significant role for the 16-15 Wizards this season.  

With both Beal and Caldwell-Pope sidelined, the Wizards could rely on Aaron Holiday against the Knicks. The 6'1" point guard is averaging 6.0 points, 1.7 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 30 games. 

The Wizards offered Beal a four-year, $181.5 million extension in early October, but the veteran guard indicated he is in no rush to sign. He could potentially receive a more significant offer if he exercises his 2022-23 player option to become a free agent, or he could agree to a new deal over a shorter period of time. 

The days of the 16-15 Washington Wizards competing for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference were short-lived, and there is reportedly plenty of concern within the organization.

Josh Robbins of The Athletic reported that "at least several players have concerns about the direction and structure of the team's offense, particularly whether they as individuals, and by extension the team as a whole, are being put in the best positions to succeed."

While Washington bounced back some Saturday with a 109-103 victory over the Utah Jazz, it was an ugly 1-7 in its previous eight games with the only victory coming in overtime against the Detroit Pistons.

Five of the seven losses came by double digits, and the Wizards gave up more than 100 points in every one of the eight games. There may be individual concerns about how head coach Wes Unseld Jr. is using players offensively, but the defense has been a major problem as of late.

Washington was fourth in the league in defensive efficiency during its 10-3 start on Nov. 15 but is just 26th since, per NBA.com.

"You're fighting human nature," Unseld said when talking about individual offensive concerns. "I get that. Whether you feel like you're involved or you're not getting a touch or whatever it is—maybe you're getting a touch and it's just not going in for you—there's frustration. That's a normal, probably human reaction to that. But it shouldn't affect your energy and focus on the other end."

Figuring out both ends of the floor will be key for the Wizards if they are going to overcome this recent losing stretch and be a factor in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

Bradley Beal (19.8), Kyle Kuzma (11.3) and Spencer Dinwiddie (11.2) are the only players averaging double-digit field-goal attempts per game, and Robbins noted Montrezl Harrell recently called for more post touches in the offense.

Fortunately for Washington, it is still in playoff position with the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference thanks in large part to its impressive start. 

It will look to overcome some of those concerns about the offense and build on Saturday's win when it faces the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.                   

Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Utah Jazz after being placed in the NBA's health and safety protocols, the team announced. 

Kuzma had not missed a game this season before being ruled out Saturday. 

The reason for his landing in the protocol is unclear, as is his vaccination status. 

Losing Kuzma for any period isn't great for the Wizards, though it's especially disappointing entering Saturday's game against the Jazz, who are third in the Western Conference with an 18-7 record. 

Kuzma has played a significant role in the Washington lineup this season, averaging 13.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from deep in 26 games. 

With Kuzma sidelined, Davis Bertans and Anthony Gill figure to see more playing time. Bertans enters Saturday's game averaging 5.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per night, while Gill is averaging 2.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 5.2 minutes per game. 

Washington has lost three of its last four games and sits fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 15-11 record. 

The Wizards acquired Kuzma in the trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers in August. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell were also traded to Washington in that deal.