Washington Wizards

Kyle Kuzma apparently took some pleasure in watching his former team lose Tuesday's season-opener to the Golden State Warriors. 

The 26-year-old posted a tweet on his Instagram stating the Los Angeles Lakers are 0-7 without him in the lineup. He later deleted it, but a user on social media got an image of the original post. 

Following the Lakers' first-round playoff exit last season, Kuzma certainly made it sound like he was unhappy with his place in head coach Frank Vogel's rotation. 

"My biggest thing is I just want to play within a consistent role," Kuzma told B/R's Tyler Conway in July. "If I have that ability, I'll be able to showcase what I can really do. There were parts of this year—and even anywhere else in my career—when I'm in a consistent space, I'm out there handling the ball, making teammates better, scoring, shooting, defending, rebounding. I think if I'm in that space, I'll be good."

Instead of trying to find a role for Kuzma, the Lakers decided to send the fifth-year forward to the Washington Wizards as part of the package to acquire Russell Westbrook. 

The Lakers went winless in the preseason (0-6) before Tuesday's loss to the Warriors. 

Vogel used Kuzma primarily off the bench last year. He appeared in 68 games (32 starts), averaging 12.9 points per contest with a solid 36.1 three-point percentage. 

Kuzma will get a chance to show the Lakers what they are missing on Wednesday. He will make his Wizards debut against the Toronto Raptors at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

Opposing players apparently aren't hesitating to give Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal the hard sell.

"Almost every game we play, someone says something," Beal told The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor regarding how frequently he gets recruited by his NBA peers.

The three-time All-Star has a $36.4 million player option for 2022-23, and he said he's unsure about his next steps beyond this season.

"It brings you back to college," Beal said. "Which school is the right school? Which team is the right team? You love the fact that people see your game and would love to play with you. But it's also tough on the back end, because you have no idea what you want to do."

Beal didn't look long for the Wizards amid their 3-12 start last season. He cut quite a forlorn figure on the bench at times.

But Washington ultimately rallied to qualify for the playoffs through the play-in tournament. That only provided momentary relief in terms of solidifying Beal's tenure in the nation's capital, though.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported in July the 28-year-old was "seriously mulling his future in recent weeks, and at times has been very much on the fence about whether or not he wants to remain with the Wizards."

Charania followed up days later to say Beal wouldn't be going anywhere for now:

The Wizards are still gunning for the playoffs, and they might be collectively stronger now than they were last year.  

Washington lost Russell Westbrook but added Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell. The team can probably count on improvement from younger players such as Deni Avdija, Daniel Gafford and Rui Hachimura as well.

Still, the Wizards are clear underdogs in the NBA title race. Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey listed them 21st in his power rankings on opening night, and they have a +16000 championship moneyline on FanDuel.

Especially as the trade deadline nears, the speculation about Beal's future will reach a fever pitch if Washington is struggling to make a breakthrough in the Eastern Conference.

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The Washington Wizards and Daniel Gafford agreed to a three-year, $40.2 million extension, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

The 23-year-old landed with Washington midway through the 2020-21 season. He averaged 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 23 games with the Wizards.

Gafford is due to earn nearly $1.8 million for the upcoming season and has a $1.9 million team option for 2022-23. The Athletic's Ben Standig reported his new contract will begin in 2023.

Handing him an extension now could prove to be a shrewd move.

Thomas Bryant underwent ACL surgery last winter and is all but guaranteed to miss a portion of this season. Although Montrezl Harrell arrived as part of the Russell Westbrook trade, he seems likely to be the backup center based on his usage with the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers.

General manager Tommy Sheppard told reporters in September the plan is to make Gafford the starting center on opening night:

We'll start it out with Daniel Gafford will be the opening day center and then with [Montrezl Harrell] behind him. Montrezl has been fantastic; his energy, his effort. I think what he brings to us is tremendous. I think that will play itself out, minutes will work themselves out. Players tell you what to do. It's the ultimate meritocracy. If you go out and perform, you're going to get minutes.

Gafford put up 26.3 points, 14.5 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per 100 possessions with the Wizards, according to Basketball Reference. That offered a taste of what he might be able to do in a larger role.

Even if Gafford is unable to keep pace with that production, $13.4 million annually is a more than reasonable salary if he emerges as a capable starting center.

For comparison, Robert Williams got $48 million over four years from the Boston Celtics, and Richaun Holmes signed for four years and $46.5 million to return to the Sacramento Kings.

The Washington Wizards announced guard Bradley Beal will miss the remainder of Friday's preseason game against the New York Knicks with a right knee contusion.

The 28-year-old had five points and two assists before exiting.

Beal appeared in 60 games last season and was excellent on his way to 31.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists a night as one of the bright spots on the team. He and Russell Westbrook helped lead Washington to a playoff appearance, although the team lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the first round.

With Westbrook now on the Los Angeles Lakers, Beal will have even more offensive responsibilities on his shoulders in 2021-22.

If he is sidelined, look for Raul Neto and Deni Avdija to see more playing time.

Washington Wizards center Montrezl Harrell offered critical comments Thursday regarding the way he was used by the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

According to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, Harrell said:

"Honestly, man, I'm trying to just get back to playing basketball freely and just get back to enjoying the game and just being able to help my team on both ends of the floor. I didn't really get to be utilized how I wanted to be last year. I damn near felt like I had a season off. So, I'm using this preseason to really ramp back up and knock off a lot of the rust on my own game, really."

Harrell spent last season with the Lakers after playing the previous three seasons for the Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers shipped him to Washington this offseason along with Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in exchange for Russell Westbrook.

After setting career highs with 18.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game en route to being named NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2019-20, Harrell was considered a huge addition for the Lakers.

Harrell had thrived coming off the bench for the Clippers the previous few seasons, and the expectation was he would do the same for the rival Lakers as a backup to Anthony Davis.

While the 27-year-old veteran didn't play poorly last season, he didn't come close to replicating the production he put up during his final season with the Clippers.

Harrell came off the bench in all but one of the 69 games he appeared in last season, averaging 13.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists—his lowest averages since 2017-18.

He did shoot an impressive 62.2 percent from the field, though, which bettered his 58.0 percent mark from 2019-20.

Harrell signed a two-year deal with the Lakers, meaning he will have one season to show his stuff in Washington before becoming a free agent again.

Given his success as a bench player over the years, it seems likely that Harrell will come off the bench for the Wizards, perhaps behind talented center Daniel Gafford.

While trading Westbrook to the Lakers means the Wiz no longer have a second star to support Bradley Beal, the acquisition of Harrell, Kuzma and KCP gives them considerably more depth, as does the signing of guard Spencer Dinwiddie.

If Beal plays MVP-caliber basketball again in 2021-22 and the new additions fit in well, the Wizards have a chance to be a surprise team and return to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

Bradley Beal hasn't requested a trade from the Washington Wizards, but he doesn't appear ready to make a long-term commitment, either.

Beal said he is in "no rush" to sign a contract extension when he becomes eligible this season.

“My biggest thing is getting us off going to a good start,” Beal said Monday, per Ava Wallace of the Washington Post. “We worry about the contract money and all that later. I’ll let them deal with it when the time comes, for sure. I got all year to sign, too. So I’m not in a rush.”

The Wizards can offer Beal a four-year, $181.5 million extension starting Friday. While general manager Tommy Sheppard has said he plans to offer Beal an extension as soon as he's able, the All-Star guard seems to be taking a more patient approach.

Beal has long been viewed among the likeliest players to request a trade, given his All-NBA status and the Wizards' continued inability to build a winner around him. The team has not gotten past the second round in his career and has posted losing records in three straight seasons.

Beal has instead been steadfast that he would not request a trade, saying in January 2020 that it would be taking "the easy way out." With that said, Beal has made no commitments about being a Wizard beyond the end of his current contract, and he can become a free agent following the 2021-22 campaign.

If the Wizards get off to a slow start, they might have to begin quietly listening to offers for Beal. They'd otherwise run the risk of Beal hitting free agency next summer and leaving for nothing.

It's very much worth monitoring this situation early in the season. 

After being traded from the Washington Wizards, Russell Westbrook is excited to be playing his hometown Los Angeles Lakers. But Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard recently made it clear that Westbrook did not orchestrate his move to Los Angeles.

Sheppard said Westbrook would've agreed to return to Washington for another season had a trade to the Lakers been unavailable. Sheppard said it was "Lakers or bust" for Westbrook, as he had no desire to play for the Los Angeles Clippers.

"Russell actually never asked to move on," Sheppard said in an interview with NBC Sports Washington (via RealGM). "He just said, ‘If I can get to the Lakers, that’d be something I would love to do. If not, I’ll be back here.’

"I said, ‘What about the Clippers?’ He said, ‘Hell no.’"

Westbrook, who grew up in the Los Angeles area and played for UCLA, will be playing for his fourth franchise in four seasons. After spending the first 11 years of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Westbrook played one season each for the Houston Rockets and the Wizards.

Westbrook helped lead Washington to its first playoff appearance since the 2017-18 season, averaging a triple-double for the fourth time in his career. He posted career highs of 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists to go with 22.2 points.

Last season, the Clippers finished fourth in the Western Conference with a record of 47-25. Led by perennial All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the franchise reached the conference finals for the first time in its 51-year history, twice overcoming 0-2 series deficits in the earlier rounds. They were eliminated from the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns.

Westbrook is still in search of the first NBA championship of his career. Playing alongside Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Westbrook knows this season is his best chance to earn that elusive title.

"We both understand and know what it takes to be able to win, but Bron understands what it takes to get to that next level," Westbrook said on Tuesday.     

Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal said Tuesday he hasn't made a final decision about whether to receive a COVID-19 vaccine ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season.

"I'm still considering getting the vaccine, so one thing I want to get clear is that I'm not sitting up here advocating or campaigning that no, you should not get that vaccine," Beal told reporters.

The three-time All-Star said he was advised to hold off on vaccination for the time being because he's just past a 60-day window after being diagnosed with the coronavirus.

"I'm not sitting here saying that I won't get it," Beal said.

The 28-year-old University of Florida product was supposed to play for Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics, but he was removed from the final roster because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

His comments Tuesday come after he questioned why people were still contracting COVID-19 even if they were fully vaccinated in a Monday press conference:

In mid-September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided results from a review of over 615,000 coronavirus cases, which showed the vaccine reduced infection rates by five times, while also reducing hospitalizations and deaths more than tenfold.

Ninety-two percent of cases were recorded in people who weren't fully vaccinated, based on the study of positive test results from April 4 through July 17.

While the NBA hasn't mandated a COVID-19 vaccine for the 2021-22 season, unvaccinated players will face far stricter guidelines than their vaccinated teammates.

Unvaccinated players will have their lockers separated from teammates, must travel on a different section of the bus or plane and will face a mandatory seven-day quarantine if they are deemed a close contact to someone who tested positive, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps.

In addition, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported vaccinated players won't undergo regular COVID-19 testing, while players who aren't fully vaccinated will require a negative test on practice or travel days along with two negative tests on a game day.

Some NBA arenas are in cities or states that require full vaccination to attend large-scale events. For example, the Golden State Warriors' Andrew Wiggins can't play in home games unless he meets San Francisco's vaccination requirements.

Beal and the Wizards are scheduled to tip off the regular season Oct. 20 when they visit the Toronto Raptors.

Spencer Dinwiddie was apparently prepared to put a big chunk of his three-year, $60 million contract with the Washington Wizards toward his advocacy for cryptocurrency.

The veteran guard confirmed Monday at NBA media day he attempted to purchase the Wizards' jersey patch sponsorship for $12 million to promote the crypto app Calaxy. However, the league intervened:

This isn't the first time the NBA has stymied Dinwiddie's ambitions.

The 28-year-old unsuccessfully attempted to tokenize his three-year, $34 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets in September 2019.

Dinwiddie got more creative in May 2020 when he said he'd allow fans to pick his next stop if they raised $24.6 million in Bitcoin. He appeared to fall well short of the goal.

The Wizards have yet to announce the identity of their patch sponsor. If the situation drags on for long enough, then perhaps the NBA will have no choice but to let Dinwiddie back to the negotiating table.

Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal said Monday he has not received the COVID-19 vaccine, citing "personal reasons," per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.

Beal further discussed his thought process at the team's media day:

The NBA reportedly does not plan to mandate a vaccine for players, but the league will have stricter protocols and different travel arrangements for unvaccinated players, per Baxter Holmes and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. 

Players without a vaccine will also have to be tested for COVID-19 daily. 

Beal has already seen first-hand the potential problems after he was forced to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics due to health and safety protocols.

The Wizards also had a significant outbreak last season that affected the schedule. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an August study found that people who had previously contracted the virus and later got vaccinated had a reduced risk of reinfection compared to those who did not get vaccinated after getting COVID-19.

There could be even further complications in 2021-22 with New York City and San Francisco requiring vaccines for home players to take part in competitions. 

The vaccines have also proven to be effective in reducing the risk of serious illness or death in COVID-19. A study published in September showed unvaccinated people were 10 times more likely to be hospitalized and 11 times more likely to die of COVID-19, per Lena H. Sun and Joel Achenbach of the Washington Post.