Player News - Wizards

Date: Team: Pos:

Bradley Beal (leg) is "weeks away" from returning to basketball activities.

"I still haven't been cleared," Beal said after the draft lottery. "It’s been six weeks since I've done any basketball-related activities," he said. "In the next couple weeks or so I’m going to get another X-Ray and see if the fracture actually started closing and see if can get back out there. Until then I’m still rehabbing, lifting weights and refraining from any basketball activity." We're not concerned yet, but this isn't something fantasy owners will want to linger.
May 22 - 10:16 AM

Bradley Beal is scheduled for another X-ray on his right fibula next week.

He's still not cleared for physical activity and it's taking him much longer to recover from the stress fracture in his right leg than was anticipated. We should have an update next week, after the X-rays are taken.
May 21 - 6:38 PM

Bradley Beal continues to recover from a stress reaction in his right fibula, and Wizards' doctors have not yet cleared him for physical activity.

We are beyond Beal's original six-week timetable for inactivity, but there's no cause for concern at this stage. We'll start to worry if the injury limits his activity during the Las Vegas Summer League, which he'll likely be asked to join in July.
May 20 - 7:05 PM

GM Ernie Grunfeld continued to put the heat on Jan Vesely to improve during the offseason.

"He needs to do better, he needs to improve and he needs to find a way to get that confidence back," Grunfeld said. Grunfeld is the one who picked Vesely sixth overall, so he needs to look in the mirror as well. "He needs to be out on the court, he needs to be playing. That's a way to build up confidence and have success in game-time situations." Vesely won't get on the court if he can't improve his still incredibly raw game. Teammate A.J. Price confirmed Vesely struggles from confidence issues.
May 13 - 2:01 PM

Over the final 49 games of last season, The Wizards outscored their opponents 95.6 to 94.5.

Over the first 33 games, the Wiz got outscored 97.2 to 89.2. It's not a coincidence that John Wall was on the court for those final 49 games and inactive for the first 33. It's perhaps the biggest piece of evidence his agent can bring to the table when the two sides open negotiations on a new contract July 1. Wall is going to be asking for a maximum five-year, $79 million extension.
Apr 30 - 4:20 PM

Of 14 teams polled by ESPN's Marc Stein, only six expect impending free agent Jason Collins to be in the NBA next season.

This has little to do with Collins' groundbreaking announcement that he is gay. "The reality," said one Western Conference executive, "is that he's been an end-of-the-roster kind of player for the last couple years." Collins is 34 and hasn't averaged more than 12 minutes per game since the 2008-09 season. He still has a chance to stick in the league because he's 7-feet tall, can defend the post and is a leader in the locker room. We'd be a little surprised if Collins doesn't latch on somewhere this summer, but it's far from a certainty.
Source: ESPN.com
Apr 30 - 4:01 PM

CSN Washington does not expect Jason Collins to return to the Wizards next season.

It's a byproduct of the Wizards big man depth and not a reaction to Collins' announcement regarding his sexuality. A gritty and smart player, Collins would make for a nice backup on a team that needs insurance in the big man department.
Apr 30 - 10:17 AM

Wizards C Jason Collins revealed he is gay, making him the first openly homosexual athlete in the history of major American team sports.

Collins made the groundbreaking revelation in a first-person account as part of this week's issue of Sports Illustrated. "I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation," he said. Collins, a 34-year-old 7-footer, has served as a defensive stopper for six different teams over 12 seasons. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer and expects to continue to play in the NBA. Here's Kobe Bryant's response, via Twitter: "Proud of @jasoncollins34," the tweet read. "Don't suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others #courage #support #mambaarmystandup #BYOU"
Apr 29 - 12:16 PM

Martell Webster said re-signing with the Wizards is "a high priority."

It's a well-known fact that Washington would like to retain Webster, but things change when free agency enters the mix. Webster shot 42.2 percent from 3-point range this season and should have a fair number of suitors this summer. We expect the swingman to land a nice raise after signing a one-year, $1.6 million deal with the Wizards last summer.
Apr 27 - 9:16 AM

Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld said the team will weigh whether to keep Nene on a minutes count next season regardless of his health status.

Nene played in just 61 games this year due to a variety of injuries and is under contract for another three seasons for roughly $40 million. It's understandable the Wiz would want to prolong his career and his value for as long as possible. Nene averaged 12.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 27 minutes per game this season.
Apr 24 - 2:56 PM

GM Ernie Grunfeld said it's a "big summer" for Jan Vesely, Trevor Booker, Kevin Seraphin and Chris Singleton.

This is the same sentiment expressed by Randy Wittman right around when the season ended, so we're not surprised to hear it again. "They all need to improve, they all need to work hard." It wouldn't surprise us to see the Wizards put all four on the trade block during the offseason as the team reshapes its roster.
Apr 24 - 8:04 AM

GM Ernie Grunfeld confirmed that the Wizards would like to re-sign Martell Webster.

Webster has now earned the endorsement of John Wall, owner Ted Leonsis and Grunfeld, so we'd think the sharpshooter has plenty of leverage at the negotiating table considering he knows the Wizards want him back. After he shot 42.2 percent from behind the 3-point line this season, there will be no shortage of suitors for Webster.
Apr 24 - 7:57 AM

GM Ernie Grunfeld praised and endorsed Randy Wittman as head coach of the Wizards.

"I think Randy did a very good job for us this season," he said. "We improved on the defensive end and that’s one area we really wanted to work on, because we feel if we’re going to be a solid team moving forward, you have to have a foundation and the foundation starts on the defensive end." It doesn't sound like anyone should be anticipating a coaching change right now.
Apr 24 - 7:55 AM

The Wizards plan to begin contract extension discussions with John Wall on July 1, the first day the team is eligible to do so.

All signs continue to point to Washington maxing out Wall. "Obviously, we’ve said all along that we’re building this team around John and with John. We want to have him here long term," said GM Ernie Grunfeld. We don't anticipate it taking much time to get something done if the Wizards come to the table offering max money.
Apr 24 - 7:53 AM

John Wall sounds willing to accept less than a maximum salary contract extension depending on what happens with the Wizards in the offseason.

We don't really believe Wall will take less than the max. "You never know how it goes," he said. "The main thing with me is it's not all about me. I'm not a selfish type of person, type of player. All I want to do is win. If we're winning, I'm cool with anything." All signs point to the Wizards giving him a max extension in the offseason and building around their franchise player.
Apr 23 - 9:38 AM


Highest Searched Players over the last 7 days


Video Center

  •  
    Is Father Time beating Pujols?

    Is Father Time beating Pujols?
  •  
    Is Cabrera an all-time great?

    Is Cabrera an all-time great?
  •  
    Is Pujols hurting the Angels?

    Is Pujols hurting the Angels?
  •  
    Why don

    Why don't the Jets cut Sanchez
  •  
    Draft: Latest Risers & Fallers

    Draft: Latest Risers & Fallers
  •  
    NFL Draft: Who will trade up?

    NFL Draft: Who will trade up?
  •  
    NFL Draft: Top Safeties, CBs

    NFL Draft: Top Safeties, CBs
  •  
    NFL Draft: Top Def. Linemen

    NFL Draft: Top Def. Linemen