<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-cam-whitmores-day-to-day-work-causing-concerns-washington');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: Cam Whitmore’s ‘day-to-day work’ causing concerns in Washington');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Whitmore-shoots.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: Cam Whitmore’s ‘day-to-day work’ causing concerns in Washington</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-08T09:26:29-08:00">December 8th, 9:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-08T09:26:29-08:00">December 8th, 9:26am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-will-riley-sends-message-washington-justin-champagnie" rel="noopener">Washington Wizards have been</a> on the struggle bus so far this season, currently sitting at 3-19 after a recent home loss at the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/atlanta-hawks/hawks-news-jalen-johnson-triple-double-streak-monster-game-wizards">hands of the Atlanta Hawks.</a> The Wizards were not expected to be good by any means this year, but fans were likely still hoping for something a tad bit more encouraging than what they’ve seen so far.</p><p>Over the offseason, the Wizards brought in Cam Whitmore from the Houston Rockets, hoping that the gifted wing would be able to fully blossom with a much larger role. So far, that hasn’t been the case, and recently, <a href="https://rg.org/news/basketball/practice-habits-center-cam-whitmore-shrinking-role-wizards" rel="noopener">one report shed light</a> on some potential friction between Whitmore and the Washington organization at this early juncture of the season.</p><p>“Inside the organization, the concern has been the day-to-day work. Amid a 3-19 start to the season, Washington has emphasized establishing firm practice habits and a consistent approach across its young roster, and Whitmore has not consistently met those expectations,” reported Grant Afseth of RG.org.</p><p>“If you’re trying to establish yourself in the NBA, you need to show up to practice,” said one source, per Afseth.</p><p>Whitmore has all the tools to be a solid rotational player in the NBA, including elite athleticism as well as a competent perimeter jumpshot. However, the fact that character issues, which were a concern for Whitmore as far back as the 2023 NBA Draft, are still showing up is not a great sign for his future prospects at the NBA level.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Wizards have been floundering away this season. CJ McCollum has tried his best to get his trade value up in recent weeks, but it remains to be seen whether any team would take the bait on that front.</p><p>In any case, the Wizards will next take the court on Friday evening at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: Cam Whitmore’s ‘day-to-day work’ causing concerns in Washington

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/utah-jazz/nba-rumors-ace-bailey-preferred-landing-spot-revealed-wasnt-jazz');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Ace Bailey’s ‘preferred landing spot’ revealed, and it wasn’t Jazz');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Ace-Bailey-on-draft-night.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Ace Bailey’s ‘preferred landing spot’ revealed, and it wasn’t Jazz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-23T07:24:40-07:00">September 23rd, 7:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-23T07:30:01-07:00">September 23rd, 7:30am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the 2025–26 NBA season a month away, a new report has shed light on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-ace-bailey-agent-clears-the-air-on-recent-utah-rumors">Utah Jazz rookie Ace Bailey’s draft-night intentions</a>. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the 19-year-old forward <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/monday-best-the-latest-nba-free-agency" rel="noopener">preferred to land</a> with the Washington Wizards, not the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-rumors-ace-bailey-trade-speculation-shot-down-by-shams-charania">Utah Jazz, who ultimately selected him No. 5 overall</a> in the 2025 NBA Draft.</p><p>“This one has been in circulation since draft night in June: Washington is the lottery team, according to various rivals, that was the preferred landing spot for Ace Bailey,” Stein reported Monday. “Bailey’s camp refused to engage with teams interested in bringing him in for an individual workout in the days leading up to the June 25 draft in the apparent hope of steering himself to the Wizards.”</p><p>The Wizards held the No. 6 overall pick, just one spot behind Utah. Despite Bailey’s apparent preference and limited workout availability, the Jazz moved forward with the selection, a move that sparked widespread speculation about whether the former Rutgers standout <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/jazz-news-ace-bailey-officially-lands-summer-league">would report to Salt Lake City</a>.</p><h2><b>Ace Bailey eyed Wizards at No. 6 before Jazz made surprise pick</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Jazz-rookie-Ace-Bailey-2.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Fueling that speculation further was the Wizards’ recent signing of Sharife Cooper to a two-way contract. Cooper is the son of Bailey’s manager, Omar Cooper, who is widely believed to have orchestrated much of Bailey’s tightly controlled pre-draft process. The timing of the signing raised eyebrows around the league.</p><p>NBA insider Jake Fischer reported in June that the move “surprised no shortage of personnel people who track the two-way market,” noting that Sharife Cooper hadn’t played in the NBA since the 2021–22 season and had spent the past year playing in Turkey, Greece, and France — none at the EuroLeague level.</p><p>Despite the off-court noise, Bailey is expected to play a central role in Utah’s rotation this season. He averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.3 assists per game during his lone season at Rutgers.</p><p>The Jazz will begin their 2025–26 campaign at home on Wednesday, October 22, against the Los Angeles Clippers. The game marks the return of former Jazz forward <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/utah-jazz/nba-insider-reveals-utah-jazz-traded-john-collins-too-productive">John Collins, who was traded to the Clippers this offseason</a> in a three-team deal. The Clippers also enter the season under league scrutiny, following an ongoing NBA investigation into whether a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-rumors-kawhi-leonard-signed-28-million-deal-for-no-show-job-to-circumvent-salary-cap">$28 million endorsement deal between Kawhi Leonard</a> and the now-bankrupt company Aspiration may have violated salary cap rules.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Ace Bailey’s ‘preferred landing spot’ revealed, and it wasn’t Jazz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-rumors-2026-draft-class-could-fuel-tank-race');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Star-studded 2026 draft class could fuel tank race');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Darryn-Peterson-and-Cam-Boozer.jpg"><figcaption>Pamela Smith-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Star-studded 2026 draft class could fuel tank race</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-14T11:01:32-07:00">August 14th, 11:01am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-14T15:39:15-07:00">August 14th, 3:39pm</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Less than two months removed from the 2025 NBA Draft, front offices are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/3-potential-superstars-headline-way-too-early-best-prospects-2026-nba-draft">turning their focus to next year’s group of prospects</a>. Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper fueled a heated NBA tank race last season. Several highly touted prospects atop the 2026 class — including Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s A.J. Dybansta — could <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45946735/nba-free-agency-2026-preview-lebron-trae-names-storylines-watch" rel="noopener">have a similar effect</a> on the 2025-26 campaign.</p><p>“NBA teams are excited for the 2026 draft class, creating an interesting subtext for rebuilding and tanking teams. Coupled with the perception that the 2027 draft is much weaker, there will be a lot at stake come lottery time in the spring,” wrote ESPN’s Jeremy Woo.</p><p>“The headliners of the 2026 class are Kansas guard Darryn Peterson (ESPN’s current No. 1 ranked prospect) and BYU wing A.J. Dybantsa, who NBA teams regard as the two strongest contenders at the top.</p><p>“I’d handicap Peterson as the slight frontrunner as he’s considered one of the most dynamic scoring guard prospects to enter the college ranks in some time and built momentum with a strong high school senior season.</p><h2>Will Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa fuel another tank race this season?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Darryn-Peterson.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Whitlock-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>While much can change during the college season, the top of the 2026 draft class is drawing similar hype to Flagg and Harper. Darryn Peterson and A.J. Dybantsa appear to have an early lead atop the group. However, Boozer and Ament are also regarded as premier prospects.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-why-2027-draft-looks-like-a-dud-after-star-studded-2026-class">strength of the 2026 class should lead to another closely monitored tank race</a> this season. The Utah Jazz have the NBA’s lowest projected win total at 18.5, while the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards are tied for the second-lowest at 20.5.</p><p>The NBA’s flattened draft lottery odds — implemented to dissuade teams from tanking — have been a hot topic following this year’s drawing. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-draft-lottery-winners-losers-after-mavericks-no-1-pick">The Dallas Mavericks landed the No. 1 pick</a> despite having a 1.7 percent chance.</p><p>Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs jumped from the eighth-best odds to the second pick, while the teams with the top-three odds (Jazz, Wizards, Hornets) all dropped outside the top four.</p><p>Yet, there’s still value in finishing towards the bottom of the standings. The team with the NBA’s worst record can fall no lower than the fifth pick, while the second-worst cannot fall lower than sixth, and so on.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Star-studded 2026 draft class could fuel tank race

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-trade-proposal-for-anfernee-simons-celtics-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards trade proposal for Anfernee Simons amid Celtics rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/759833132-wizards-trade-proposal-for-anfernee-simons-amid-celtics-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards trade proposal for Anfernee Simons amid Celtics rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-09T13:40:36-07:00">July 9th, 1:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-10T14:07:18-07:00">July 10th, 2:07pm</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Celtics made one of the biggest moves of the offseason when they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/jrue-holiday-trade-grades-for-celtics-blazers-after-stunning-deal">traded Jrue Holiday for Anfernee Simons.</a> The move was necessary for the Celtics because they wanted to get under the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=apron+lines+nba&amp;client=safari&amp;sca_esv=160e23f215d5943b&amp;rls=en&amp;sxsrf=AE3TifNiapOZBdbaFbfwvsLKLC9RqR5jog%3A1752092397370&amp;ei=7c5uaLOyFtbAp84PtubOCA&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjz3NXnzLCOAxVW4MkDHTazEwEQ4dUDCBA&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=apron+lines+nba&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiD2Fwcm9uIGxpbmVzIG5iYTIGEAAYFhgeMgsQABiABBiGAxiKBTILEAAYgAQYhgMYigUyCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFMgsQABiABBiGAxiKBTILEAAYgAQYhgMYigUyBRAAGO8FMgUQABjvBTIIEAAYogQYiQUyBRAAGO8FSNgFULYBWLkEcAF4AZABAJgBlwKgAacEqgEFMi4xLjG4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgSgArYCwgIKEAAYsAMY1gQYR8ICBRAhGKABwgIFECEYqwLCAgUQIRifBZgDAIgGAZAGCJIHAzMuMaAHtxayBwMyLjG4B68CwgcFMi0zLjHIBxg&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp" rel="noopener">second apron</a>. Although Simons is a great scorer and a much younger player than Holiday, it doesn’t appear that Boston has plans to keep him around.</p><p>Reports suggest the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/ranking-5-best-anfernee-simons-trade-destinations">Celtics are looking to flip Simons in another trade</a>. The Washington Wizards have an impressive young core, but they are lacking what Simons would bring to the table, so they make a lot of sense as a trade partner after trading away Jordan Poole.</p><h2><b>Wizards trade proposal for Anfernee Simons</b></h2><p><b>Wizards receive:</b> Anfernee Simons</p><p><b>Celtics receive:</b> Corey Kispert, Richaun Holmes, two second-round picks</p><p>The Celtics seemingly won the Holiday-Simons trade, according to consensus. Simons averaged 19.3 points per game because he has a versatile offensive skill set. He is particularly deadly as a 3-point shooter, but he also plays on a significantly cheaper contract than Holiday.</p><p>Holiday is 35 years old and showed signs of regression last season. He is one of the greatest guard defenders ever, but he wasn’t as elite in that regard as usual in his last season in Boston.</p><p>The trade for Simons seemed like the perfect way to usher in a new era of contention, but the Celtics apparently want to trade him again. He only has one more year on his deal, so perhaps Boston is worried about the cost to retain him. Not to mention, they likely won’t compete for the title this upcoming season without <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-jayson-tatum-posts-encouraging-video-after-achilles-surgery">Jayson Tatum, who is out for the year with a torn Achilles tendon.</a></p><p>Richaun Holmes is under contract for two more seasons, and Corey Kispert won’t hit the open market until after the 2028-29 season, so both of them could have an impact on the Celtics’ roster upon Tatum’s return. Boston is particularly thin at the center position, so Holmes could have a big role with the team.</p><p>In addition to trading Holiday, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/kristaps-porzingis-trade-grade-hawks-celtics-deal">Celtics also sent Kristaps Porzingis packing</a>, Luke Kornet signed with the San Antonio Spurs, and Al Horford is unlikely to return to the team. That leaves Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman, and Luka Garza as the team’s only options at the center position.</p><p>Kispert would also be an intriguing option because he is one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA, and Boston shoots more shots from beyond the arc than anybody else in the league. Kispert would fit right in while playing a Sam Hauser-esque role.</p><p>Neither Holmes nor Kispert are near the caliber of player Simons is, but the Celtics don’t seem motivated to make him a part of their core, and they are desperate to add more depth after a busy offseason of shedding contracts.</p><h2><b>Would the Wizards trade for Anfernee Simons?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Anfernee-Simons-dribbling.jpg"><figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Wizards have been busy molding a roster that is set up well for the future but also one that shouldn’t be atrocious next season.</p><p>They have an impressive young core, highlighted by 2025 draftees Tre Johnson and Will Riley, as well as 2024 NBA Draft first-rounders Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Bub Carrington. They also just <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-acquiring-cam-whitmore-in-trade-with-rockets">traded for recent first-rounders in Cam Whitmore</a> and Dillon Jones.</p><p>Washington has also been busy bringing in veterans who can mentor these youngsters. Marcus Smart, Khris Middleton, and CJ McCollum are all big-name players who have passed their primes but can still make an impact on the court. Simons would bridge the gap between the players who are brand new to the NBA and the aging veterans.</p><p>Simons is entering his eighth year in the NBA, but he is still just 26 years old. He’d help the Wizards get better right away, but he is still young enough to fit the team’s timeline.</p><p>Plus, Simons provides the self-creation and 3-point shooting lacking in Washington. Because the Celtics haven’t been able to find a trade partner for Simons yet, it seems likely that there isn’t much of a trade market for him. This trade proposal would be highway robbery for the Wizards, but it may actually be realistic.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards trade proposal for Anfernee Simons amid Celtics rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-warriors-lakers-and-clippers-among-eight-eyeing-brogdon');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: Warriors, Lakers, Clippers among 8 teams with Malcolm Brogdon interest');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Malcolm-Brogdon.jpg"><figcaption>Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: Warriors, Lakers, Clippers among 8 teams with Malcolm Brogdon interest</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-07T13:37:54-07:00">July 7th, 1:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-07T13:37:54-07:00">July 7th, 1:37pm</time><address><a>Jake Faigus</a>Jake Faigus graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 and has written for several publications and websites. He has had stops at Catena Media, Playmaker, DraftKings, USA Today, Spike Up, and Spotlight Sports Group. He also writes for Sporting News and works at iHeartMedia in Phoenix when he is not writing for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Malcolm Brogdon has become a hot commodity this offseason as either a trade or <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/nba-rumors-malcolm-brogdon-wizards-buyout-candidate-not-traded">a buyout candidate</a>. The Washington Wizards hold the rights to Brogdon, but they have shown a willingness to listen to teams throughout the league to make a potential sign-and-trade. Brogdon has a history of being a reliable guard, so it’s no wonder many teams are competing for his services. He would be an instant help, wherever he might end up.</p><p>NBA insider, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, reported <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-on-bradley-beals-future?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167737792&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email">that eight teams have </a><a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-latest-on-bradley-beals-future?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167737792&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">contacted</a> the Washington Wizards about Brogdon with varying interest levels. That list includes the Clippers, Suns, Lakers, Warriors, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Kings, and Bucks.</p><p>He also discussed the guard market and said it should become clearer once Beal’s decision is finalized.</p><p>He said, “Other players whose options will likely become clearer once Beal lands include Westbrook, De’Anthony Melton, and Ben Simmons. When healthy, Melton is not an outright point guard but has proven to be a strong point-of-attack defender at multiple positions.”</p><p>Bradley Beal is the big domino waiting in the wings across the NBA in the backcourt. Once Beal is bought out or traded, the floodgates will open, and multiple teams will get involved in the backcourt market, and the fact that Brogdon has such a high list of suitors only strengthens that outlook.</p><p>Injury issues have stunted Brogdon’s growth in the NBA, with him only playing in 70 or more games since his rookie year. He is so sought after because all these teams need depth in the backcourt.</p><p>The Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors need another guard behind James Harden and Steph Curry. The Phoenix Suns <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/the-move-suns-must-make-2025-nba-free-agency">are also desperate to find a steadying force at point guard</a> because they are argued not to have a true point guard outside Collin Gillespie.</p><p>The option of returning to the Milwaukee Bucks is also on the table. The Bucks are starving for backcourt help after parting ways with Damian Lillard.</p><p>Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Sacramento Kings do not need as much help in the backcourt as the Clippers, Warriors, Bucks, and the Suns.</p><p>The 32-year-old Brogdon played in only 24 games for the Wizards last season, averaging 12.7 points and 4.1 assists per game, while shooting 43.3 percent from the field, but only 28.6 percent from behind the three-point line. He has played in only 63 games in the past two seasons.</p><p>A change of scenery seems necessary for him and the Wizards because they are on a rebuilding timeline, which he does not fit.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: Warriors, Lakers, Clippers among 8 teams with Malcolm Brogdon interest

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-why-rockets-traded-cam-whitmore-wizards-over-other-offers');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Why Rockets traded Cam Whitmore to Wizards over other offers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cam-Whitmore-during-pregame-warmups.jpg"><figcaption>Erik Williams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Why Rockets traded Cam Whitmore to Wizards over other offers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-06T07:55:58-07:00">July 6th, 7:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-06T07:55:58-07:00">July 6th, 7:55am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 NBA offseason is going full steam ahead. The 2025 NBA Draft is in the rearview mirror and free agency is in full swing. New reporting on the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-acquiring-cam-whitmore-in-trade-with-rockets">Cam Whitmore trade</a> reveals why the Rockets traded him to the Wizards over other landing spots.</p><p>Houston traded forward Cam Whitmore to Washington <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1941591853255753840" rel="noopener">in exchange for two second-round picks</a>, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.</p><p>The Rockets reportedly worked with Whitmore and his reps at WME Basketball over multiple weeks to find his new home. Houston’s front office <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45678556/sources-rockets-trade-whitmore-wizards-two-seconds" rel="noopener">had multiple offers on the table</a> for Whitmore. But Whitmore wanted to land somewhere that gave him “a legitimate chance to thrive in his career,” Charania reported.</p><p>This trade came on the heels of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-breaks-silence-trade-teasing-fans">Rockets acquiring star Kevin Durant</a> from the Suns.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2023-nba-draft-live-tracker-updates-picks-trades-grades-analysis">Rockets drafted Whitmore with the 23rd overall pick</a> in the 2023 NBA Draft. Whitmore will now now pursue a future with the Wizards. He grew up in Maryland, which makes the move to Washington almost a return home.</p><p>He will turn 21 years old later this year and is just beginning his professional career. Whitmore did not get many opportunities to prove himself with the Rockets. In fact, he only averaged 16.2 minutes per game in the 2024-25 season.</p><p>But many NBA scouts are still impressed with Whitmore’s skills and believe he could thrive in Washington.</p><p>Whitmore has made the most of his limited minutes early in this career. He averaged 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game over his first few seasons in the NBA. Whitmore also has a career field goal percentage of 44.9%, which is quite efficient for a big. This bodes well for Whitmore’s ability to earn himself a role with the Wizards during the 2025-26 season.</p><p>Now that Whitmore has joined the team, he will have plenty of opportunity to show his worth.</p><p>Whitmore will join a host of new players on the Wizards next season. Washington acquired CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk in exchange for Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey earlier this offseason. They also added <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/washington-wizards-2025-nba-draft-grades">Tre Johnson with the sixth overall pick</a> of the 2025 NBA Draft.</p><p>Washington’s current starting lineup should include Bub Carrington, CJ McCollum, Bilal Coulibaly, and Alex Sarr. Obviously this could change before the start of the season.</p><p>Either way, Whitmore should have plenty of opportunities to prove himself during the 2025-26 NBA season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Why Rockets traded Cam Whitmore to Wizards over other offers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-jonathan-kuminga-named-surprise-suitor');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: Washington named surprise Jonathan Kuminga suitor');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jonathan-Kuminga-1.jpg"><figcaption>David Gonzales-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: Washington named surprise Jonathan Kuminga suitor</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-03T22:11:29-07:00">July 3rd, 10:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-03T22:11:49-07:00">July 3rd, 10:11pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards are not going to sign just any impactful player in NBA free agency. They need to prioritize guys who fit their current rebuild plan, which is progressing but still has a long way to go until it reaches completion. Another pricey veteran does not make sense at this time, especially since the organization is already paying sizable salaries to CJ McCollum, Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart. This franchise covets someone who could <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6472793/2025/07/03/jonathan-kuminga-warriors-free-agency-latest/" rel="noopener">potentially grow with its young core</a>.</p><p>Enter Jonathan Kuminga. The Wizards are one of a few squads that have the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/siegels-scoop-warriors-jonathan-kuminga-free-agency-holdup-trade-market-intel">Golden State Warriors’ restricted free agent</a> on their radar, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. A sign-and-trade is seemingly an option that both parties could consider. Although Washington D.C. is not exactly a hot hoops destination at this time, as is usually the case whenever a team loses 60-plus games in back-to-back campaigns, it could offer tremendous appeal to the 22-year-old forward.</p><p>Kuminga could be craving a fresh start, and the Wizards give him an opportunity to log big minutes and further hone his promising skill set. He is averaging 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists through his first four seasons with the Warriors. Those numbers, along with his 22.2 minutes per game, would surely improve if he lands on Washington this offseason.</p><h2><b>Wizards and Jonathan Kuminga can help each other out</b></h2><p>This is a pivotal time for the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Kuminga has proven himself capable of adding value on both ends of the floor. Perhaps he can climb closer to his ceiling in the right environment. Learning the answer to that query will be mighty expensive, however. The Wizards must quickly decide if they are willing to fork over the annual 30 million that Kuminga is reportedly seeking.</p><p>The organization is not necessarily operating with a serious sense of urgency, given the growing pains the team still has to endure, but general manager Will Dawkins is moving with purpose. Lucrative, multi-year commitments need to be worth the cost, otherwise Washington will be trapped in the same cycle that has unleashed seemingly endless suffering upon the community.</p><p>However, feeble franchises do not escape the abyss without taking chances. Acquiring the explosive Kuminga and pairing him with Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-tre-johnson-washington-rebuilding-puzzle">rookie Tre Johnson</a>, among others, could be a risk worth taking.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: Washington named surprise Jonathan Kuminga suitor

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-1-player-washington-may-trade-up-nba-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: 1 player Washington may trade up for in NBA Draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Wizards-rumors-1-player-Washington-may-trade-up-for-in-NBA-Draft.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: 1 player Washington may trade up for in NBA Draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-24T18:14:15-07:00">June 24th, 6:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-24T21:49:32-07:00">June 24th, 9:49pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards may not have a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/hawks-news-atlanta-acquiring-kristaps-porzingis-3-team-trade-celtics-nets">draft capital war chest like the Brooklyn Nets</a>, but they have the resources to transform their franchise on Wednesday. They made their first trade of the offseason by sending <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/pelicans-news-wizards-cj-mccollum-jordan-poole-trade">Jordan Poole to the New Orleans Pelicans</a> on Tuesday, and they’re probably not done making deals.</p><p>Washington wants to move up for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-draft-big-board-5-0-76ers-final-ace-bailey-vj-edgecombe-decision">Maryland big man Derik Queen</a>, via ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.</p><p>“Another interesting name whose draft stock is all over the place is Derik Queen. While some view him as a sure-thing top-10 pick in this draft, some teams expect Queen to be on the board when the Hawks and Spurs are picking with the 13th and 14th selections, sources said,” he reported. “Queen is one of the better interior scorers in this draft class, and he has a variety of moves in the low post that make him an intriguing option for many teams to want to add to their frontcourt.”</p><p>“If he is still available late in the lottery, the Wizards are a team that will hold significant interest in trading up to acquire him, sources said,” he continued. “Washington owns the 18th pick and has several tradeable players like Marcus Smart and Corey Kispert that could be of value to teams in the back half of the lottery.”</p><p>The Wizards have the No. 6 pick as well, but that’s too early to take Queen. They’ll more than likely draft one of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/nba-rumors-star-draft-prospect-wizards-locked-in-on-not-ace-bailey-2">Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears</a>, Texas guard Tre Johnson, or Rutgers wing Ace Bailey in that range. The latter player has star potential, while the first two could be their point guards of the future.</p><p>However, moving up from No. 18 into the end of the lottery for Queen makes perfect sense. The 6-foot-10-inch, 246-pounder’s offensive acumen would complement Alex Sarr’s rim protection in the frontcourt, and his post moves would add a new element to Washington’s offense.</p><p>The Baltimore-bred Queen would not only stay at home with the Wizards, but he’d also play with an old friend.</p><h2><b>Bub Carrington, Derik Queen could be Wizards’ DMV duo</b></h2><p>Washington guard Bub Carrington wasn’t shy about who he <a href="https://twitter.com/bijan_todd/status/1922076256922722451" rel="noopener">wanted his team to draft</a> after it received the No. 6 pick in May 12’s draft lottery, via Monumental Sports Network’s Bijan Todd.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bub Carrington was asked on his feelings for what the Wizards should do at No. 6 and hinted HEAVILY that his fellow Baltimore native Derik Queen is high on his list.</p><p>He and Queen grew up 3 houses down from each other and would play all the time, he says. <a href="https://t.co/KayXKU0ENI">pic.twitter.com/KayXKU0ENI</a></p><p>— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) <a href="https://twitter.com/bijan_todd/status/1922076256922722451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I’ll reserve that to myself [who should be the No. 6 pick], but I think my Baltimore buddy should come home…I never played on his team, but he was my neighbor; he lived three houses down from me,” he revealed. “I would see him all the time, we played against each other our whole entire lives, went to the same schools, stuff like that. Me and Derik are really close.”</p><p>Queen revealed that the <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1937596941640069359" rel="noopener">feeling is mutual</a> during Tuesday’s pre-draft interviews.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Derik Queen opens up about his relationship with Bub Carrington, who wasn’t shy about his desire to play with his fellow Baltimore native after the draft lottery. <a href="https://t.co/yPwyiAP0y9">pic.twitter.com/yPwyiAP0y9</a></p><p>— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshvaldez100/status/1937596941640069359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Growing up with Bub, that’s my guy…Love Bub, he had an amazing year last year. Me and him talk,” the 20-year-old said. “We didn’t talk after our workout because it was rough, but hopefully I have a chance to play with him…”</p><p>Queen’s media availability ran out before he could clarify what he meant by “rough,” but it’s safe to assume that he didn’t publicly slight the Wizards. Rather, he likely meant that his workout with the team was exhausting and drained his social battery, which kept him from hanging out with Carrington.</p><p>Regardless, Washington has a chance to flip the No. 18 pick and expendable <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/wizards-rumors-washington-draft-plans-corey-kispert-trade-speculation">veterans such as Kispert</a> for a player who fits with the team both on and off the court long-term.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: 1 player Washington may trade up for in NBA Draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-washington-pull-off-similar-bilal-coulibaly-draft-night-trade-jazz');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: Washington could pull off similar Bilal Coulibaly draft-night trade with Jazz');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Bilal-Coulibaly-of-the-Washington-Wizards.jpg"><figcaption>Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: Washington could pull off similar Bilal Coulibaly draft-night trade with Jazz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-23T16:37:21-07:00">June 23rd, 4:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-23T16:37:21-07:00">June 23rd, 4:37pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 NBA Draft is near, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-washington-draft-plans-corey-kispert-trade-speculation">the Washington Wizards own the No. 6 pick overall</a>. Rumors are buzzing that the team could be involved in a similar trade situation as they were in the 2023 draft when the organization traded up and selected Bilal Coulibaly.</p><p>Reports indicate that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-mock-draft-4-0-latest-intel-kevin-durant-trade">the Wizards are potentially interested</a> in trading up to the No. 5 pick with the Utah Jazz, according to insider Brett Siegel. The word around town is that Utah is interested in point guard Jeremiah Fears, who is someone the Wizards are rumored to be interested in as well.</p><p>“The three names most associated with the Utah Jazz leading up to the NBA Draft are [Tre] Johnson, [Kon] Knueppel, and Jeremiah Fears. In recent days, Fears has been gaining a lot of traction after his second workout with Utah. Perhaps this is just a ploy by the Jazz to try and get the Wizards, who have been widely reported to want Fears, to trade up a spot.</p><p>“For those draft junkies out there, you may remember Washington and Michael Winger making a similar move when they <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/washington-wizards-indiana-pacers-swap-7th-and-8th-overall-picks" rel="noopener noreferrer">moved up from the eighth pick to the seventh pick</a> so they could get Bilal Coulibaly in 2023. This only cost the Wizards two future second-round picks, which is likely what could happen in an offer with the Jazz.”</p><p>If the Wizards are truly interested in Fears, a trade-up scenario may not have to occur. Siegel explains how Fears doesn’t quite fit the bill for the Jazz, considering the club already has two young point guards and likely isn’t looking for a player who needs time to develop. Regardless, it’s a scenario that Washington is likely discussing internally with the NBA Draft approaching.</p><p>“Nonetheless, if the Jazz hold onto this pick, Johnson is the player that makes the most sense given his fit as a shooter on the wing. He is widely considered to be one of the safest picks in this year’s draft, and Johnson can be a long-term building block for the Jazz, who have signaled that they won’t be tanking moving forward.</p><p>“Drafting Fears would supply Utah with a high-potential guard, but they already have a crowded backcourt with young pieces like Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier. Would adding another youthful guard who would need time to develop be beneficial? That thinking is why scouts are expecting the Jazz to decide between Johnson and Knueppel despite Utah’s known interest in Fears’ skills.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: Washington could pull off similar Bilal Coulibaly draft-night trade with Jazz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-washington-draft-plans-corey-kispert-trade-speculation');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: Washington’s draft plans lead to Corey Kispert trade speculation');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Wizards-Corey-Kispert.jpg"><figcaption>© Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: Washington’s draft plans lead to Corey Kispert trade speculation</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-23T11:08:19-07:00">June 23rd, 11:08am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-23T13:23:50-07:00">June 23rd, 1:23pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-corey-kispert-54-million-contract-extension">Wizards re-signed sharpshooting guard Corey Kispert</a> in October, but they don’t need him anymore. The 26-year-old is one of the last holdovers from the team’s previous regime, and this front office wants to build around its own draft picks.</p><p>The Houston <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/siegels-scoop-how-kevin-durant-trade-saga-impacts-draft-free-agency-rumors">Rockets were interested in Kispert</a> before they traded for Kevin Durant on Sunday, via ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.</p><p>“The Rockets are said to have interest in Wizards wing Corey Kispert, sources said,” he reported on Friday. “This has led to some speculation about whether Washington would leverage Kispert in a deal that could move them up from the 18th pick to the 10th pick.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-kevin-durant-trade-suns-jalen-green">Rockets traded that No. 10 pick</a> along with Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and five second-rounders for Durant. That doesn’t mean that they still won’t get Kispert, it just can’t be in a Wizards trade-up scenario from pick No. 18.</p><p>“Let’s make this clear before the aggregators go crazy: there is no confirmation that the Wizards are actively trying to move from the 18th pick to specifically land the 10th pick with Houston, ultimately trading Kispert in the process,” Siegel continued. “Teams are constantly talking, and this was an idea that had bounced around like a game of telephone from one organization to another.”</p><p>“With this said, it does seem like Washington is actively looking to move up in the late lottery region with the No. 18 pick,” he continued.</p><p>The Wizards are “looking into” Maryland big man Derik Queen <a href="https://x.com/TroyHalibur/status/1936867389162881324" rel="noopener">as a trade-up target</a>, via team insider Troy Haliburton.</p><p>Whether or not they include Kispert in a trade-up package, it makes the most sense for them to move on in the near future. The four-year, $54 million extension they signed him to simply allowed them to ship him out later instead of letting him walk in free agency this summer.</p><p>Kispert, who averaged 11.6 points on 45.1 percent shooting (36.4 percent 3 PT) with three rebounds and 1.7 assists over 26.3 minutes this past season, could help a contender as a shooting specialist off the bench. Meanwhile, Washington could not only stockpile more assets by dealing him, but it would also open up more minutes for its young core.</p><p>What could the Wizards get in a Kispert trade?</p><h2><b>Wizards could go different routes with Corey Kispert</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Corey-Kispert-shoots-a-layup.jpg"><figcaption>© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>One option for Washington is to forget about Houston and use Kispert as a trade-up piece with a different team. The Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 15 makes sense, although they’re just outside the 14-pick “lottery” section. The Gonzaga alum would be an extra off-ball option off the bench on a team that just won the NBA championship without him.</p><p>Here’s a <a href="https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine" rel="noopener">deal that would work</a> for both sides, via FanSpo’s NBA Trade Machine.</p><p><b>Wizards get:</b></p><ul><li>No. 15 pick</li><li>F Kenrich Williams ($7.1 million salary next season, two years left on contract)</li></ul><p><b>Thunder get:</b></p><ul><li>G Corey Kispert ($13.9 million next season, four years left)</li><li>No. 18 pick</li><li> No. 40 pick (via PHX)</li></ul><p>Taking Williams’ salary makes the deal work financially for Oklahoma City. Meanwhile, Washington would shed expendable assets to make sure it gets whoever it’s targeting with its second first-round pick.</p><p>Another option is to deal Kispert to Houston after the upcoming draft:</p><p><b>Wizards get:</b></p><ul><li>F Cam Whitmore ($3.5 million next season, two years left)</li><li>G Aaron Holiday ($4.9 million, one year)</li><li>C Jock Landale ($8 million, two years)</li></ul><p><b>Rockets get:</b></p><ul><li>G Corey Kispert</li><li>2026 second-rounder</li><li>2026 second-rounder (via MIN, NYK, NOP, or POR)</li><li>2027 second-rounder (via CHI, protected 51-60)</li></ul><p>Landing Whitmore would be the play here for Washington, as the 20-year-old forward was picked No. 20 overall in 2023 and averaged 9.4 points on 44.4 percent shooting with three rebounds across 51 games this past season. The Maryland native could be another addition to the Wizards’ young core, and Kispert would help Houston’s bench unit in the Durant era. The latter player is better for a win-now club as a plug-and-play veteran, as Whitmore is still developing. Meanwhile, sending out Holiday and Landale’s contracts would make the deal work financially for the Rockets.</p><p>Whatever Corey Kispert deal Washington makes will likely net it a young player, draft picks, or both.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: Washington’s draft plans lead to Corey Kispert trade speculation

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/nba-rumors-star-draft-prospect-wizards-locked-in-on-not-ace-bailey-2');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: The star draft prospect Wizards are ‘locked in on,’ and it’s not Ace Bailey');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/The-star-draft-prospect-Wizards-are-locked-in-on-and-its-not-Ace-Bailey.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: The star draft prospect Wizards are ‘locked in on,’ and it’s not Ace Bailey</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-20T17:27:01-07:00">June 20th, 5:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-20T23:34:32-07:00">June 20th, 11:34pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-rumors-team-insider-hints-washington-draft-board">Wizards have a group of prospects</a> they’re pondering picking at No. 6, but they especially like one of them. Although Rutgers star Ace Bailey could be available at that spot, <a href="https://x.com/TroyHalibur/status/1935736468233707699" rel="noopener">they’re big fans of</a> Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears, via Wizards insider Troy Haliburton.</p><p>“To my understanding, there is no internal connection to the Wizards with Ace’s people, and this play is for him to get to [the] Brooklyn [Nets]. Wizards locked in on Fears right now,” he reported on Wednesday.</p><p>Bailey’s “play” refers to the 18-year-old’s decision to cancel his pre-draft <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sources-ace-bailey-calls-off-76ers-meeting-workout-before-nba-draft">workout and dinner with the Philadelphia 76ers</a>, which was scheduled for Friday. That doesn’t mean Philadelphia won’t pick him at No. 3, as he’s also rejected all other workout requests, including <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/siegels-scoop-how-kevin-durant-trade-saga-impacts-draft-free-agency-rumors">from the Wizards, Charlotte Hornets</a>, and possibly the Nets. He and his team feel comfortable that he’ll be <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45515479/2025-nba-mock-draft-59-picks-trade-talks-heat-30-teams" rel="noopener">selected in the top six</a> regardless, via ESPN.</p><p>Whether or not Brooklyn moves up from No. 8 to snatch Bailey won’t change the fact that Washington is looking at several other players, with Fears being chief among them. The <a href="https://x.com/TroyHalibur/status/1935386831568429074" rel="noopener">team held workouts</a> with him, Texas guard Tre Johnson, Duke wing Kon Kneuppel, and Maryland big man Derik Queen, via Haliburton.</p><p>However, the Wizards aren’t the only team coveting Fears.</p><p>“I do think it should be noted here that Fears had a second workout in Utah, and it’s looking like the Jazz may like Fears just as much as the Wizards,” Haliburton continued.</p><p>The Jazz hold the No. 5 pick, one slot ahead of Washington. Additionally, teams picking behind the Wizards are interested in Fears, via ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.</p><p>“There also seems to be a potential pre-draft war breaking out between the Wizards, [New Orleans] Pelicans, and Nets over Jeremiah Fears, who is widely viewed as the second-best guard in the draft behind Harper,” he reported.</p><p>The Pelicans pick at No. 7, so multiple teams are in contention to leapfrog the Wizards.</p><p>“While they may hold interest in Bailey, these three teams also have Fears high on their draft boards, sources said,” he continued. “Trading up to the fourth pick with Charlotte would potentially give these organizations a choice between Fears and Bailey, as the Hornets could comfortably move down a few spots and still end up with the player they want.”</p><p>Siegel also mentioned that Johnson and Fears are the two most-linked players to Washington.</p><p>Are the Wizards right to be “locked in” on Fears?</p><h2><b>Jeremiah Fears could fill long-term void for Wizards</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jeremiah-Fears-celebrating-made-shot.jpg"><figcaption>Zachary Taft-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Fears is far from a flawless prospect. The 6-foot-3-inch, 180-pound point guard shot just 28.4 percent from deep for the Sooners and had just a 1.2/1 assist-to-turnover ratio (2/1 is optimal, 3/1 is excellent). However, he turned 18 on Oct. 14 and led an average-at-best roster to the NCAA Tournament while playing in an SEC that sent a record 14 teams dancing. His handle and quickness help him <a href="https://twitter.com/bjpf_/status/1932887551020605879" rel="noopener">get to the rim</a> at ease, and he could be an exceptional slasher in the NBA once he refines his finishing.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">jeremiah fears' strength and physicality really pops on tape, he'll bump and bruise bigger and older defenders to create and hold advantages on drives</p><p>the film reflects his 51.8 FTr, which ranks 2rd among guards in the 2025 draft, trailing only john tonje <a href="https://t.co/UFZqlPekvx">pic.twitter.com/UFZqlPekvx</a></p><p>— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) <a href="https://twitter.com/bjpf_/status/1932887551020605879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Fears could take the mantle from Jordan Poole as Washington’s playmaker. The latter guard has two years left on his deal, so it would make sense to restart the timeline with the rookie and flip the veteran for assets. That would give the team a young core of Fears, two-time Rising Star Bilal Coulibaly, first-team All-Rookie Alex Sarr, second-team All-Rookie Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, AJ Johnson, and whoever it selects with its other first-round pick on Wednesday.</p><p>Fears’ rim pressure could collapse the defense and help him open up looks outside for a Washington group that set an NBA record this past spring with <a href="https://x.com/NBA/status/1907655550088671240" rel="noopener">three rookies hitting 100-plus threes</a> in a season (Carrington, Sarr, George). However, he’s not worthy of a “pre-draft war.”</p><p>Fears’ average size doesn’t bode well for his defensive potential at the next level (107.7 defensive rating at Oklahoma, best players were under 100), and he has a long way to go with his shooting efficiency. Staying at No. 6 and getting one of Johnson, Knueppel, Bailey, Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, or Duke big man Khaman Maluach would be more prudent than selling assets to move up for Fears, who could fall to No. 6 anyway. The latter hooper has his strengths, but he’s not special compared to these other names.</p><p>While Fears may have the best handle, all of them besides Maluach are better shooters, and they’re all better defenders with more size. Other than Duke superstar Cooper Flagg and Rutgers standout Dylan Harper, there’s no “can’t-miss” prospect in this year’s draft. The Wizards probably won’t get either of them, so they need to avoid selling the farm for the wrong player. Those types of missteps set franchises back years.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: The star draft prospect Wizards are ‘locked in on,’ and it’s not Ace Bailey

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-team-insider-hints-washington-draft-board');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: Team insider hints at Washington’s draft board');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Wizards-rumors-Team-source-hints-at-Washingtons-draft-board.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: Team insider hints at Washington’s draft board</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-19T13:46:37-07:00">June 19th, 1:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-20T01:21:51-07:00">June 20th, 1:21am</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/still-hope-wizards-drawing-no-6-pick-draft-lottery">Wizards are just six days away</a> from progressing in their rebuild, but will they make the right decision? Only time will tell, but there’s a clear picture of who they want to take during Wednesday’s draft.</p><p>A team <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6430577/2025/06/17/washington-wizards-rebuild-strategy/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener">insider revealed insight</a> into the front office’s thought process, via The Athletic’s Josh Robbins.</p><p>“A team source said the Wizards’ draft board is similar to [The Athletic’s Sam] Vecenie’s,” Robbins reported on Tuesday. “In Vecenie’s third tier of ‘high-leverage starters,’ he has identified four players: Duke wing Kon Knueppel, Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, Texas wing Tre Johnson and Rutgers wing Ace Bailey.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mavericks-news-cooper-flagg-biggest-thing-2025-nba-draft">Duke superstar Cooper Flagg</a>, who the Dallas Mavericks will undoubtedly draft at No. 1, sits alone in Vecenie’s first tier of “future All-NBA player.” His second tier of “future All-Star” also only has one player, which is Rutgers guard Dylan Harper. The New Jersey native will likely go <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/spurs-rumors-the-current-trade-plan-for-no-2-pick-in-2025-nba-draft">No. 2 to either the San Antonio Spurs</a> or a team that trades up, but it would be tough for Washington to jump up that high from the No. 6 pick without selling most of its valuable draft capital moving forward.</p><p>However, the Wizards have a realistic chance at everyone else.</p><p>“In their third tier, the source said, the Wizards likely have six players, listed here in alphabetical order: Bailey, Edgecombe, Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears, Johnson, Knueppel and Duke big man Khaman Maluach,” Robbins continued.</p><p>While not all of those players will be available at No. 6, Washington could trade up with the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3 or the Charlotte Hornets at No. 4 to get one of them. General Manager Will Dawkins <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/wizards-news-nicolas-batum-shocked-reaction-bilal-coulibaly-no-7-overall-2023-nba-draft">moved up for Bilal Coulibaly</a> in 2023 and Kyshawn George in 2024, so it wouldn’t be surprising.</p><p>How should the front office rank the aforementioned prospects?</p><h2><b>Wizards must divide ‘tier three’ into multiple levels</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Tre-Johnson.jpg"><figcaption>Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Bailey, Johnson, Fears, Edgecombe, Knueppel, and Maluach are all talented players with warts that keep them from being either as pro-ready or as high-ceiling as Flagg or Harper, and a couple of them are neither. While it’s sensible to divide players based on both their potential and the odds of them fully reaching it, it’s also important to distinguish one or two of the best targets.</p><p>Washington should rank this group in the following way:</p><p><b>Tier A</b></p><ol><li>Ace Bailey</li><li>VJ Edgecombe</li><li>Tre Johnson</li></ol><p><b>Tier B</b></p><ol><li>Jeremiah Fears</li><li>Kon Knueppel</li></ol><p><b>Tier C</b></p><ol><li>Khaman Maluach</li></ol><p>While the Wizards are two years into their rebuild, they still have a long way to go. Coulibaly, George, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and AJ Johnson have all shown flashes of being productive players, but that group won’t be enough to take the team to the promised land. However, Bailey’s difficult shot-making talent, Edgecombe’s three-and-D capabilities, and Johnson’s jump shooting would all elevate the squad.</p><p>Bailey shows the most tantalizing flashes of this entire “Tier Three” group. The 6-foot-8-inch forward can not only make heavily contested looks regularly, but he’s <a href="https://twitter.com/HinkieBrown/status/1923183743478411483" rel="noopener">explosive at the rim</a> and can dunk on anybody.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ace Bailey handles and first step highlights</p><p>Excited to see him with NBA spacing <a href="https://t.co/0oCm7Z1Ohb">pic.twitter.com/0oCm7Z1Ohb</a></p><p>— Brett Browns burner (@HinkieBrown) <a href="https://twitter.com/HinkieBrown/status/1923183743478411483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>However, Bailey’s shoddy shot selection, inconsistent defensive effort, and average handles keep him from the Flagg/Harper tiers.</p><p>Meanwhile, Edgecombe is a 6-foot-4-inch guard/wing with less flashy tape, but is a reliable defender and an efficient shooter. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year notched a 55.4 true shooting (field goals, three-pointers, and free throws) percentage and was one of only two freshmen to average at least two steals per game. That was on top of totaling 20 blocks in just 33 games, which is rare for a non-big man.</p><p>Rounding out Tier A is Johnson, who shot a blistering 39.7 percent from deep with the Longhorns but had just a 1.5/1 assist-to-turnover ratio as a point guard (2/1 is respectable, 3/1 is elite). Additionally, the 6-foot-5-inch, 190-pounder only took 20 percent of his shots at the rim, which would make him too predictable at the next level. He will need to improve his playmaking and rim pressure, but his shooting gives him a reliable baseline.</p><p>Fears must get better at shooting, which is why he’s in Tier B. The 6-foot-3-inch point guard shot a ghastly 28.4 percent from downtown for the Sooners, but he did notch a 57 true shooting percentage. That was aided by his 85-percent free-throw clip on 215 attempts, the latter of which ranked 30th in the country. Still, the free throws are a good perk considering that his calling card is rim pressure, which will help him draw fouls and collapse the defense.</p><p>Knueppel might be the best pure shooter in the entire class, as he shot 47.9 percent (40.6 percent) for the Blue Devils and carried their offense while Flagg was injured. That gives the 6-foot-6-inch forward a high floor, but his lack of explosiveness and quickness caps his potential at a high-level role player. There’s nothing wrong with that, but he’s unlikely to move the needle in Washington’s rebuild.</p><p>Finally, the 7-foot-1-inch Maluach would create a “Twin Towers” lineup with the seven-foot Sarr, but his lack of outside shooting (4-16 3 PT on the season) could be disastrous for floor-spacing. Sarr is still just 20 years old, but his 30.8 percent clip from deep this past season shows that he also has a long way to go as a stretch big. The rim protection would be elite (Maluach averaged 1.3 blocks while Sarr had 1.5 for the Wizards), but it’s hard to compete in today’s NBA without prioritizing shooting.</p><p>Whether Washington acquires an on-ball playmaker, an off-ball wing, or a big man, there will be encouraging traits about the prospect. However, they’re not all created equally, so the front office will have a difficult decision to make no matter how the board falls on June 25.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: Team insider hints at Washington’s draft board

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-marcus-smart-trade-market-details-surface');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: Marcus Smart trade market details surface');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Wizards-Marcus-Smart.jpg"><figcaption>© Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: Marcus Smart trade market details surface</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-18T16:17:27-07:00">June 18th, 4:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-18T17:29:27-07:00">June 18th, 5:29pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/still-hope-wizards-drawing-no-6-pick-draft-lottery">Wizards didn’t luck out in the draft lottery</a> this year, but they struck gold in their trade deadline deal with the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings. They flipped Marvin Bagley III, Johnny Davis, and a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/grizzlies-news-memphis-makes-marcus-smart-deal-wizards-beat-trade-deadline-buzzer">2025 second-round pick for Marcus Smart</a>, Colby Jones, Alex Len, and a 2025 first-rounder that turned into pick No. 18.</p><p>Now, Washington could trade Smart <a href="https://hardwoodparoxysm.substack.com/p/nba-drafttrade-rumors-hearsay-hints?utm_campaign=email-half-post&amp;r=39f60&amp;utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">for more capital</a> as he enters the final year of his contract, via The Action Network HQ’s Matt Moore.</p><p>“The Wizards would like to move Marcus Smart to a contender, but there’s been little interest so far,” he reported on Monday. “He might be one of the guys moved in the latter days of free agency after teams strike out on other targets.”</p><p>A perk of being a rebuilding team is having the cap space to receive unwanted contracts in return for draft capital. That’s what happened with the Smart trade, as Washington dealt disposable assets to take on the last year-and-a-half of his deal. The 31-year-old, who will make $21.6 million next season, played just 34 games in an injury-riddled campaign this year. However, the former Defensive Player of the Year still has plenty left in the tank as a bench piece for a contending team, as he averaged nine points on 39.3 percent shooting (34.8 percent 3 PT) with 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 steals across 20 minutes.</p><p>Getting the No. 18 pick was a godsend for the Wizards, as they can now use it to either draft another first-round player or to trade up. But flipping Smart for more assets would be the icing on the cake.</p><p>What could Washington get for the former Boston Celtic?</p><h2><b>Wizards could package Marcus Smart with other veterans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Wizards-Marcus-Smart.jpg"><figcaption>© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Smart alone won’t command much more than a second-round pick and/or a bench player, but Washington could kill multiple birds with one stone by including him in the same trade as other expendable veterans, such as Corey Kispert and Richaun Holmes.</p><p>A destination that would make sense for Smart is the Orlando Magic, who sent a package including four first-round picks to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-magic-grizzlies-desmond-bane-trade-5-1st-round-picks">Memphis Grizzlies for Desmond Bane</a> on Sunday. They’re trying to take advantage of Jayson Tatum’s absence next season and rise the ranks in a wide-open Eastern Conference. Smart would aid with that mission as a backcourt veteran presence off the bench who can still give quality minutes when needed.</p><p>Here’s a <a href="https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine" rel="noopener">trade that works</a> for both parties, via FanSpo’s NBA Trade Machine.</p><p><b>Magic get:</b></p><ul><li>G Marcus Smart (21.5 million salary next season, expiring contract)</li><li>F Saddiq Bey ($6.1 million next season, two years left on contract)</li></ul><p><b>Wizards get:</b></p><ul><li>2026 second-round pick (via DET and/or MIL)</li><li>2026 second-round pick</li><li>2027 secound-round pick</li><li>F Jonathan Isaac ($15 million next season, four years)</li><li>C Goga Bitadze ($8.3 million, two years)</li></ul><p>Washington could give Bey, who spent the entirety of this season rehabbing his ACL injury, minutes next season to increase his trade value. However, that would take crucial reps from the team’s rookie contract players, so it’s sensible to trade him now. The 26-year-old would boost Orlando’s bench, as he averaged 13.7 points on 41.6 percent shooting (31.6 percent 3 PT) with 6.5 rebounds for the Atlanta Hawks in 2023-24.</p><p>Meanwhile, Washington would add to its war chest of draft picks, which it could use to trade up for future first-rounders. Taking Isaac and Bitadze’s salaries would make the deal work for Orlando financially as a first-apron team.</p><p>Whatever trade the Wizards make involving Smart, it’s an extension of their deadline win from February.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: Marcus Smart trade market details surface

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-star-draft-prospect-washington-targeting-trade-up');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: The star draft prospect Washington is targeting for trade up');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Wizards-rumors-The-star-draft-prospect-Washington-is-targeting-for-trade-up.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: The star draft prospect Washington is targeting for trade up</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-12T10:18:31-07:00">June 12th, 10:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-12T10:18:31-07:00">June 12th, 10:18am</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/still-hope-wizards-drawing-no-6-pick-draft-lottery">Wizards got stuck with the No. 6 pick</a> in May’s NBA Draft Lottery, but they have plenty of capital to move up from that spot. However, who they get might be surprising to some.</p><p>Washington is reportedly <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/tons-of-new-around-the-nba-intel?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=165711005&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">interested in trading up for</a> Baylor wing VJ Edgecombe, via NBA insider Jake Fischer.</p><p>“One team that league executives increasingly mention as interested in trading up for Edgecombe: Washington,” he reported on Wednesday. “And only adding to the intrigue surrounding the Wizards: They hold No. 6 and No. 18 selections in the first round, which has rival teams eyeing them as a potential trade-up partner for both Philadelphia and Charlotte.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-vj-edgecombe-2025-draft-floor-emerges">Edgecombe has the skillset</a> to thrive as a “three-and-D” player in the NBA. The 6-foot-5-inch, 185-pound freshman averaged 15 points on 43.6 percent shooting (34 percent 3 PT) and totaled 20 blocks with 68 steals in 33 games for the Bears. He and fellow wing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-jordan-poole-bilal-coulibaly-elite-defender">Bilal Coulibaly could form a lockdown defensive</a> duo on the perimeter if Washington acquired him.</p><p>However, should the Wizards target Edgecombe over Rutgers wing Ace Bailey or Texas guard Tre Johnson? What’s a sensible trade package to send out?</p><h2><b>VJ Edgecombe should be Wizards’ second priority </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/VJ-Edgecombe.jpg"><figcaption>Chris Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At this point, Washington has several young players who can develop into starters/role players, but likely not stars. Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington, and AJ Johnson have all shown flashes, but not at the level that Cade Cunningham or Luka Doncic showed as rookies, for example.</p><p>That’s why Bailey should be the Wizards’ priority in a trade-up scenario. The 6-foot-7.5-inch (in socks), 200-pound wing boasts a 7.5-foot wingspan, a nearly nine-foot standing reach, and elite athleticism, which helped him put together one of the <a href="https://twitter.com/realLatifLove/status/1932940330829066358" rel="noopener">most explosive highlight reels</a> in college basketball this past season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The ideal role for Ace Bailey in the NBA is an off-ball weapon </p><p>1.054 PPP off of screens (40.7% from 3)<br>1.400 PPP on cuts. </p><p>Limit the decision-making, limit the dribbles. <a href="https://t.co/7ccJOD4T6O">pic.twitter.com/7ccJOD4T6O</a></p><p>— Latif Love (@realLatifLove) <a href="https://twitter.com/realLatifLove/status/1932940330829066358?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Edgecombe doesn’t have Bailey’s size or contested shot-making ability, which is why the latter prospect has a higher upside. However, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year could form a deep, long-term wing rotation with Coulibaly and George thanks to his high motor and two-way talents.</p><p>Edgecombe is an explosive athlete in his own right, as his <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-strength-agility?dir=D&amp;sort=MAX_VERTICAL_LEAP" rel="noopener">38.5-inch vertical leap</a> topped all of the projected top-five picks at the Draft Combine, per NBA.com. The Bahamian international’s verticality and quickness help him get to the rim at ease, which Washington could use to make the defense collapse and open up looks outside for players like Carrington who don’t have the same driving ability.</p><p>Meanwhile, Johnson is an excellent shooter both off the dribble and catch (39.7 percent 3 PT), but only 20 percent of his total shots came at the rim for the Longhorns this past season. The 6-foot-6-inch, 190-pound guard has the talent to be Washington’s playmaker of the future, but he won’t realize his full potential without improving his drive game. That’s why Edgecombe is the better option.</p><p>That said, the best trade-up for Edgecombe would be with the Charlotte Hornets, who own the No. 4 selection. If the Wizards acquire the No. 3 pick from the Philadelphia 76ers, it should be for Bailey.</p><p>The Hornets <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/tons-of-new-around-the-nba-intel?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=165711005&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">are interested in</a> Edgcombe, per Fischer, but perhaps Washington could woo them with draft capital. Here’s a sensible deal for both teams:</p><p><b>Wizards get:</b></p><p>2025 No. 4 overall pick</p><p><b>Hornets get:</b></p><p>2025 No. 6 overall pick</p><p>2025 No. 18 overall pick (via MEM)</p><p>2026 second-round pick</p><p>Charlotte would get to double-dip in the first round and likely have a high second-rounder next season while possibly still getting to draft Duke guard Kon Kneuppel, Duke center Khaman Maluach, Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears, or another prospect of its choice at No. 6. Meanwhile, the Wizards would get another long-term supporting piece for whoever their star will be, which could be whoever they take with their top-eight protected pick in 2026.</p><p>Washington’s accumulation of draft capital over the last couple of seasons has given it flexibility this summer, which will help add to its young core one way or another.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: The star draft prospect Washington is targeting for trade up

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-jordan-poole-mentioned-trade-candidate-ahead-nba-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: Jordan Poole mentioned as trade candidate ahead of NBA Draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Wizards-Jordan-Poole-2.jpg"><figcaption>© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: Jordan Poole mentioned as trade candidate ahead of NBA Draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-11T21:47:20-07:00">June 11th, 9:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-12T07:19:57-07:00">June 12th, 7:19am</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Washington Wizards general manager Will Dawkins and team president Michael Winger had just taken over when they flipped <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/warriors-news-golden-state-agrees-jordan-poole-chris-paul-trade-with-wizards">Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors</a> for a package including Jordan Poole in July 2023. Almost two years later, Poole’s name is <a href="https://www.nbabigboard.com/p/front-office-intel-player-buzz-and?utm_content=buffer9f31f&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=email-post&amp;r=3shtjf" rel="noopener">swirling in trade rumors</a>, via NBA Big Board’s Rafael Barlowe.</p><p>“Also worth noting — around the league, there’s growing belief that Jordan Poole could be moved, either on draft night or later this summer,” he reported on Wednesday. “That potential shake-up adds another layer to Washington’s draft strategy and could open up a path for a new backcourt face.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-jordan-poole-honest-dc-three-point-record">Poole’s Washington tenure</a> has been a mutually beneficial partnership. After coming off the bench for the Warriors, the Wizards converted the Michigan alum into a full-time starter for the first time in his NBA career, which helped him develop into a more efficient shooter (career-high 37.8 percent clip from deep this season). In return, he mentored the team’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-jordan-poole-bilal-coulibaly-elite-defender">young core of Bilal Coulibaly</a>, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George.</p><p>However, the timelines don’t match up for a long-term marriage. Poole has two years left on his contract, and Washington still isn’t close to contending. The soon-to-be-26-year-old is just entering his prime, and would fit better as a starter or sixth man on a contender.</p><p>Whether a deal happens this offseason, at the February trade deadline, or next summer depends on if the Wizards get a valuable enough offer to deal him. What would that look like?</p><h2><b>Wizards-Magic Jordan Poole trade makes sense for right price</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jordan-Poole-13-handles-the-ball-against-Orlando-Magic-guard-Cory-Joseph-10.jpg"><figcaption>© Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Fans on social media have pointed out that Poole would fit in well with the Orlando Magic. They have a budding frontcourt duo of Paolo Banchero (25.9 points per game this season) and Franz Wagner (24.1 PPG) to go with shooting guard Jalen Suggs (16.2 PPG), all aged 24 or younger. However, their offense needs help, as they ranked 28th with 105.4 points per game and 27th with a 108.9 offensive rating. An athletic scorer/playmaker like Poole could give them the jolt they need.</p><p>Additionally, the 2019 first-round pick has <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/orlando-magic/magic-news-jordan-poole-details-close-ties-with-paolo-banchero-orlando-roster">worked out with Banchero</a> and has a relationship with several Magic players. In March, he referred to the team as “Michigan University,” as Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner, Caleb Houstan, and Jett Howard are all fellow alumni. Therefore, he could be a good locker-room fit as well.</p><p>Meanwhile, Orlando has draft capital that Washington could use to accelerate its rebuild. Here’s a <a href="https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine" rel="noopener">sensible deal for both sides</a> using the Fanspo NBA Trade Machine.</p><p><b>Magic receive:</b></p><p>Jordan Poole</p><p>2025 No. 40 overall pick (via PHX)</p><p><b>Wizards receive:</b></p><p>2025 No. 16 overall pick</p><p>Kentavious Caldwell-Pope</p><p>Jonathan Isaac</p><p>It won’t be easy for Washington to land the No. 16 pick for Poole, but his contract gives it leverage. There’s no urgent need to deal him right now other than the possibility of landing another 2025 first, which it could use to either select a player or trade up in the draft. However, the club is far from desperate, as it owns the Nos. 6 and 18 picks. If it doesn’t get a worthy offer this summer, it can simply wait another year.</p><p>On the other hand, Orlando would add a career 16.8 PPG scorer (20.5 this season) to a young core that has made the playoffs twice in a row without him, and could at least become a second-round team with him next year. Shedding Caldwell-Pope and Isaac’s salaries would also save it $4.8 million in cap space, putting it just $2.3 million over the first apron.</p><p>The Wizards are still searching for a star, but Poole is an appreciating asset they can use to help them draft one sometime over the next year-and-a-half.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: Jordan Poole mentioned as trade candidate ahead of NBA Draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-rumors-brandin-podziemski-trade-proponents-want-player-like-jordan-poole');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors rumors: Brandin Podziemski trade proponents want a player more like Jordan Poole');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Brandin-Podziemski-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Warriors rumors: Brandin Podziemski trade proponents want a player more like Jordan Poole</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-15T09:17:32-07:00">May 15th, 9:17am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-15T09:32:31-07:00">May 15th, 9:32am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Following the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-joe-lacob-stephen-curry-injury-timberwolves">Golden State Warriors’ elimination from the 2025 NBA Playoffs</a> in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-defiant-message-haters-think-dubs-too-old">121-110 Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves</a>, internal discussions surrounding the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6358151/2025/05/15/warriors-steph-curry-jimmy-butler-future/" rel="noopener">future</a> of second-year guard Brandin Podziemski have resurfaced.</p><p>While Podziemski closed the season on a high note — leading the Warriors with 28 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals on 11-of-19 shooting in the team’s final game — not everyone in the organization is reportedly aligned on his long-term fit. According to a report by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II, there were differing opinions about retaining Podziemski at the trade deadline, with some voices favoring a player with a more aggressive offensive style — specifically referencing a Jordan Poole-type playmaker.</p><p>The report notes that Golden State received “appealing” trade offers for Podziemski prior to the deadline. However, the front office ultimately chose to keep the 22-year-old guard while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-stephen-curry-urgent-front-office-jimmy-butler-pairing">acquiring Jimmy Butler III from the Miami Heat in a separate deal</a>. The midseason addition of Butler helped catalyze a Warriors turnaround, as the team finished the regular season 48-34 after a 25-27 start.</p><h2><b>Brandin Podziemski shows promise, but some in Warriors camp still seek a Jordan Poole-like player</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Steve-Kerr-right-chats-with-Washington-Wizards-guard-Jordan-Poole-13-after-the-game.jpg"><figcaption>© Robert Edwards-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Podziemski, selected 19th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, showed considerable promise in his second year. He averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 44.5% shooting from the field and 37.2% from beyond the arc across 64 games. However, his impact in the playoffs was more inconsistent. Across 12 postseason appearances, he averaged 11.3 points, five rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting just 36.4% from the field and 32.8% from three.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-steve-kerr-message-to-brandin-podziemski-viral-moment">Podziemski’s Game 5 performance stood out as a reminder of his potential</a>, though the Warriors’ exit once again brought roster questions into focus. While Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards prior to the 2023-24 season, his scoring instincts and ability to create off the dribble were seen as key in Golden State’s 2022 title run. Some within the Warriors’ orbit reportedly believe the current roster lacks a similar dynamic shot creator off the bench — a gap they feel Podziemski does not yet fill.</p><p>Still, the Warriors appear positioned to retain the former Santa Clara standout heading into next season. With both Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler expected to manage age-related workloads — turning 38 and 36 respectively next season — Podziemski is expected to see an expanded role. He is under contract at $3.6 million for the 2025-26 campaign.</p><p>Golden State will enter the offseason balancing development with urgency, as their championship window remains open but narrowing. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have advanced to the Western Conference Finals for a second consecutive year. They await the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder–Denver Nuggets series, with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/denver-nuggets/nuggets-news-nikola-jokic-game-6-warning-thunder">Thunder holding a 3-2 advantage heading into Game 6</a> on Thursday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors rumors: Brandin Podziemski trade proponents want a player more like Jordan Poole

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-washington-front-office-fans-non-cooper-flagg-star-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards rumors: Washington front office ‘fans’ of this non-Cooper Flagg star in draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Washington-front-office-fans-of-this-non-Cooper-Flagg-star-in-draft.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards rumors: Washington front office ‘fans’ of this non-Cooper Flagg star in draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-12T12:52:33-07:00">May 12th, 12:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-12T13:41:49-07:00">May 12th, 1:41pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/wizards-news-washington-rebuilding-lucky-draft-lottery">Wizards will find out which lottery pick</a> they’ll receive for the 2025 NBA Draft in a few hours. At this point, everyone knows they’ll take <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/cooper-flagg-nba-draft-prospects-all-time-rankings">Duke superstar Cooper Flagg</a> if they draw the No. 1 pick, but there’s another prominent prospect that’s caught their attention.</p><p>The Wizards view Rutgers guard Dylan Harper <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45001731/2025-nba-draft-lottery-odds-every-team-potential-picks-buzz-jazz-wizards-hornets-pelicans" rel="noopener">as a franchise player</a> as well, via ESPN’s Jeremy Woo.</p><p>“There are also big fans of Harper in this front office, and the Rutgers guard would give the Wizards a lead playmaker worth building their offense around,” he reported. “Washington remains committed to its long-haul process and will likely play the lottery again next year, positioning the Wizards to keep taking big swings atop the draft.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-cooper-flagg-dylan-harper-headline-2025-nba-draft-combine-invite-list">Harper is the consensus No. 2 overall pick</a> among most analysts, and for good reason. The 2025 Big Ten All-Freshman honoree is a shot creator and playmaker who can finish at all three levels. He averaged 19.4 points on 48.4 percent shooting (33.3 percent 3 PT) with 4.6 rebounds, four assists, and 1.4 steals across 32.6 minutes as a combo guard for the Scarlet Knights last season.</p><p>“If their 2024 draft class was any indicator, the Wizards are highly valuing positional size and targeting young players with strong feel,” Woo continued. “If they don’t end up with a top-two pick, those criteria will still guide what direction they go.”</p><p>Harper brings size at 6-foot-6-inches, 215 pounds, which is partially why Cade Cunningham is a sensible pro comparison. The latter player is the same height, is five pounds heavier, and had a similar draft profile coming out of Oklahoma State in 2021.</p><h2><b>Wizards could become next Pistons with No. 2 pick</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Dylan-Harper_a2b2f8.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>For reference, here’s Cunningham’s <a href="https://www.nbadraft.net/players/cade-cunningham/" rel="noopener">draft scouting report</a>, via nbadraft.net.</p><p>“A prized 6’8 220+ lb lead guard prospect who has the skill set and physical gifts to double as a matchup nightmare for smaller guards, while also being able to match up well with the bigger wings and ‘point forwards’ the NBA has to offer.”</p><p><b>Note: ESPN lists Cunningham <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4432166/cade-cunningham" rel="noopener">at 6-foot-6 inches</a>.</b></p><p>“Has shown throughout his amateur career that he has no issue using his size to his advantage, whether its simply by overpowering guards on his forays to the hoop with his strong frame, getting to his spots and rising up above defenders to score, not being shy about mixing it up with front line players in the paint, or being able to see over the top of the defense and creating different angles or make cross court dimes … An unselfish player who can make timely passes on the move, his 3.5 apg as a Fr. doesn’t speak to his willingness or ability as a playmaker.”</p><p><a href="https://www.nbadraft.net/players/dylan-harper/" rel="noopener">Meanwhile, here is</a> Harper’s report:</p><p>“Harper is a 6’6 210 PG/SG with good length (reportedly has a 6’10 wingspan), a prototype ‘big guard’ frame and strength, as well as smooth athletic ability on the perimeter … Displays high quality body control and footwork … Southpaw with a really high skill level; has good shot-creation ability and shows the excellent ball-handling skills needed to pressure defense and give himself space to operate.”</p><p>“Makes good use of head fakes and misdirection moves when looking to attack the defense, which allows him to draw fouls at a solid rate … Handles, passes, and scores with both hands comfortably, and leaves defenders at his mercy with his ability to score the ball at all 3 levels.”</p><p>Harper’s report emphasized his smoothness, while Cunningham’s centered on his strength. However, both players were considered versatile and smart with the basketball as freshmen, and Harper’s profile compared him to Cunningham.</p><p>The latter star just finished his fourth campaign with the Detroit Pistons and led them to their first playoff appearance since 2019. The 23-year-old was seventh in the NBA with 26.1 points per game in the regular season and was ninth with 9.1 assists.</p><p>Harper might not follow the same career arc as Cunningham, but the comparison gives insight into how Washington could fare with him leading the roster over the next few years.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards rumors: Washington front office ‘fans’ of this non-Cooper Flagg star in draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-rumors-how-giannis-antetokounmpo-really-felt-about-khris-middleton-kyle-kuzma-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks rumors: How Giannis Antetokounmpo really felt about Khris Middleton-Kyle Kuzma trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Milwaukee-Bucks-forward-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-and-Washington-Wizards-forward-Khris-Middleton-hug.jpg"><figcaption>© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bucks rumors: How Giannis Antetokounmpo really felt about Khris Middleton-Kyle Kuzma trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-25T10:22:23-07:00">April 25th, 10:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-25T10:22:23-07:00">April 25th, 10:22am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-khris-middleton-wizards-kyle-kuzma-trade">Milwaukee Bucks made one of the more surprising moves ahead of the 2024-25 trade deadline</a> by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-trade-grade-khris-middleton-kyle-kuzma-wizards-deal">sending longtime forward Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards</a> in exchange for Kyle Kuzma. While the trade raised eyebrows around the league, new reporting from NBA insider Brett Siegel has shed light on how Giannis Antetokounmpo truly felt about the decision.</p><p>According to Siegel’s report, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-speculation-bucks-future-in-doubt-siegel-scoop">Antetokounmpo approved of the Middleton-Kuzma trade</a>, but sources suggest it was not a move he expected the team to actually make. The two-time MVP shared a close relationship with Middleton, whom many around the NBA described as “family” to Giannis. That personal connection played a significant role in his reaction.</p><p>Siegel reports that Antetokounmpo’s approval of the trade has been described internally as an acknowledgment of the “inevitable.” While Giannis ultimately sided with the front office and general manager Jon Horst on the direction of the team, league sources told ClutchPoints that if the final decision were left to him, the trade may not have gone through in its current form.</p><h2><b>Giannis Antetokounmpo backed Bucks’ front office on Khris Middleton trade, but playoff results will test the decision</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Giannis-Antetokounmpo-in-the-first-half-against-the-Indiana-Pacers-at-Gainbridge-Fieldhouse.jpg"><figcaption>© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite the emotional weight of parting ways with Middleton, there is no reported friction between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks’ leadership. The relationship between the franchise cornerstone and the front office remains strong, according to those familiar with the situation.</p><p>Siegel also noted that while Antetokounmpo is not given full control over roster decisions, Horst and the Bucks’ executive team routinely consult with him on significant organizational moves. A similar example came in 2023, when Antetokounmpo advocated for retaining then-head coach Mike Budenholzer. Despite his input, ownership ultimately chose to move in a new direction.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-warns-pacers-poking-him-despite-series-hole">Bucks now face pressure to deliver results in the postseason</a>, entering Game 3 of their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers down 0-2. Milwaukee was eliminated by Indiana in the first round of last year’s playoffs as well, making this matchup a critical test for the franchise’s current core.</p><p>Kuzma, who arrived in Milwaukee as part of the deadline deal, s<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-kyle-kuzma-clowned-fans-brutal-tony-snell-statline-game-1-pacers">truggled in Game 1 with no points or stats other than two fouls in 22 minutes</a>. He rebounded in Game 2, finishing with 12 points, three rebounds, and one assist while shooting 5-for-10 from the field. His ability to fill Middleton’s former role on both ends of the floor will remain a key storyline as the series continues.</p><p>While Middleton was a core piece of Milwaukee’s 2021 championship run, the Bucks made a calculated decision to move in a different direction. Antetokounmpo’s reaction — one of reluctant acceptance — offers a glimpse into the delicate balance between loyalty and the pursuit of sustained success in today’s NBA.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks rumors: How Giannis Antetokounmpo really felt about Khris Middleton-Kyle Kuzma trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/nba-rumors-wizards-gave-real-consideration-bradley-beal-reunion-trade-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Wizards gave ‘real consideration’ to Bradley Beal reunion at trade deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NBA-rumors-Wizards-gave-real-consideration-to-Bradley-Beal-reunion-at-trade-deadline.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Wizards gave ‘real consideration’ to Bradley Beal reunion at trade deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-03T06:41:08-08:00">March 3rd, 6:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-03T06:41:08-08:00">March 3rd, 6:41am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s been just over a year and a half since the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/why-wizards-were-ultimate-winners-bradley-beal-trade-suns">Phoenix Suns gave the Washington Wizards a metaphorical <i>Get Out of Jail Free </i>card</a>, taking on the majority of Bradley Beal’s quarter-<i>billion </i>dollar contract in exchange for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/warriors-news-chris-paul-jordan-poole-trade-draws-strong-take-from-mike-dunleavy-jr">Chris Paul — who was traded to Golden State just 12 days later</a> — Landry Shamet, and whopping ten picks swaps between 2023 and 2030. But apparently, as the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, because at the trade deadline, it turns out the Wizards were sniffing around about potentially <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/nearly-a-month-removed-from-the-nba?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=158244571&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">re-acquiring their former star</a>.</p><p>“It turns out that the Washington Wizards, stunning as it sounds, gave real consideration to bringing Beal to the nation’s capital. The Wizards, of course, are the team that gave Beal that monster five-year, $251 million contract adorned with a full no-trade clause in the first place,” writes longtime NBA insider Marc Stein. “While there continues to be no indication that Beal would have blessed such a trade to go through, league sources say Washington gave the concept legitimate contemplation.”</p><p>At first glance, the idea of bringing Bradley Beal back to D.C. might seem like a curious one. The Wizards have no present worth talking about, and a future that isn’t particularly bright, but there is no reason for Washington to be inclined to want to re-live their very modest past either. Then again, any team willing to saddle themselves with Beal’s monstrosity of a contract would be given a decent amount of draft compensation to take on that kind of money. And that, for the Wizards, could’ve been intriguing.</p><p>“The extent of the draft compensation sweeteners that would have been furnished to the Wizards as inducement for reacquiring Beal — had the talks gained any real traction — is not precisely known,” Stein stated.</p><p>Talks never got that far. Stein and others have reported that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/suns-news-bradley-beals-agent-drops-honest-admission-on-trade-rumors">Beal never considered waving his no-trade clause</a> at any point leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline, which not only ensured that Beal would remain in Phoenix, but it also almost guaranteed that the Suns would be unable to make a meaningful trade to upgrade their roster in what is increasingly looking like a lost season.</p><p>Had Beal returned to Washington, or if that ever comes to be down the road, he <i>is </i>only 160 points behind Elvin Hayes as the leading scorer in franchise history. Whether that means anything to Beal, whose basketball intentions have been called into question going back to his time in Washington, is unclear.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Wizards gave ‘real consideration’ to Bradley Beal reunion at trade deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-2-surprising-teams-were-open-bradley-beal-trade-before-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: 2 surprising teams were open to Bradley Beal trade before deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2-surprising-teams-were-open-to-Bradley-Beal-trade-before-deadline.png"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: 2 surprising teams were open to Bradley Beal trade before deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-07T17:24:49-08:00">February 7th, 5:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-07T17:25:54-08:00">February 7th, 5:25pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Phoenix Suns (25-25) perplexed a number of fans ahead of Thursday’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kevin-durant-trae-young-futures-after-trade-deadline-siegels-scoop">NBA trade deadline</a>, as Kevin Durant became a surprise name on the rumor mill. How they decide to proceed going into the 2025-26 campaign is expected to hinge on how the team finishes this season. Though, even if owner Mat Ishbia agrees to rip up the current blueprint, which is looking a bit blotchy right now, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-bradley-beal-agent-nonsense-trade-reports">Bradley Beal wields considerable leverage</a>.</p><p>The three-time All-Star’s refusal to waive his no-trade clause prevented Phoenix from completing the Jimmy Butler move it had desired. He was not eager to relocate his family less than 20 months after transitioning from the Washington D.C. area to The Desert. The expectation is that Beal could change his mind under the right circumstances. Unfortunately for the Suns, though, their <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43735946/inside-messy-jimmy-butler-saga-how-all-came-kevin-durant-golden-state-warriors-phoenix-suns-miami-heat" rel="noopener">two most favorable trade partners</a> are nowhere close to title contention.</p><p>One of them is presently the worst squad in the league. That’s right, before the deadline there was a scenario in which the 31-year-old guard could have returned to his NBA roots.</p><p>“Of all the teams Phoenix canvassed, sources said only the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks would consider taking on Beal if he’d waive his no-trade clause to go there,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst reported.</p><p>“Phoenix clung to that hope for weeks, hoping that if they could somehow improve their package to incentivize these teams to participate, and other trades the Wizards and Hawks were working on fell through, then maybe there would be a path to a deal. Even then, there was still the matter of whether Beal would waive his no-trade clause and accept the trade.”</p><h2><b>Is there a perfect destination for Bradley Beal?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-guard-Bradley-Beal-reacts.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>That is quite the revelation. It makes sense for top teams to be concerned about Beal’s monster contract (owed $53.6 million next season and has a $57 million player option for 2026-27), but a rebuilding franchise like the Wizards is a befuddling fit, to say the least. The Hawks are also not a plausible landing spot, as their trio of Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels was engendering optimism when healthy.</p><p>Besides, even if Washington and Atlanta committed to this massive gamble, Beal might not have any interest in competing for either franchise. He spent 11 years with the Wizards and witnessed firsthand how far away they were from relevance. Unless he is the most nostalgic man on the planet, persuading the 2021 All-NBA Third-Team selection to reunite with his first NBA home might be an arduous chore.</p><p>The Suns made a huge Bradley Beal investment, and it has yet to pay off in the way they hoped. He has produced throughout his almost two-season tenure in Phoenix, scoring 17.8 points while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from 3-point range in 90 games, but the Suns did not win a playoff game last year and may not even make it that far in 2025.</p><p>They need Beal and Durant to put the trade rumors behind them and focus on pushing the team out of the NBA Play-In Tournament danger zone. Both men <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kevin-durant-bradley-beal-injury-updates-jazz-game">are listed questionable</a> for Friday night’s face-off with the Utah Jazz in the Footprint Center.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Washington
Wizards RUMORS

WASHINGTON

WIZARDS

WashingtonWizards RUMORS

WASHINGTON

WIZARDS

Washington
Wizards RUMORS