Rui Hachimura just wrapped up his rookie year -- and it was a rough one for his Washington Wizards, who yet again missed the playoffs -- but he knows enough to recognize the biggest two reasons to have at least a modicum of hope looking ahead.“When John and Brad return,” said the first Japanese player to be taken in the NBA draft’s first round, “it’s going to be a fun team.”That could be. Not really anywhere to go but up, after all, given that the Wizards went 25-47 overall this season without point guard John Wall, including just 1-7 during the league’s coronavirus pandemic restart in Florida without shooting guard Bradley Beal, who cited a bum shoulder in opting out. Only seven of the NBA’s 30 clubs finished the regular season with a worse winning percentage, so it is hard to know exactly what Washington is capable of becoming as it moves forward.Much will depend on how this offseason unfolds. “We have some decisions to make,” coach Scott Brooks said.Without their two All-Stars and far-and-away... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Irene Pollin, who co-owned the NBA's Washington Wizards and NHL's Capitals along with late husband Abe, has died. She was 96.Monumental Sports and Entertainment said Pollin died Tuesday at her home in Amherst, Massachusetts.“Much like her husband, Abe Pollin, she was an icon in the sports world and beloved throughout the Greater Washington communities who have benefited from her generosity over the course of her lifetime," Monumental chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis said. “Irene will always be remembered and truly missed.”The Pollins owned the Wizards, who were known as the Bullets until the mid-1990s, for 46 years. They were the NBA’s longest-tenured owners when they sold the franchise to Leonsis in 2010.Irene Pollin is perhaps best remembered for her excited reaction to the Wizards winning the 2010 NBA draft lottery for the opportunity to select John Wall. She also played a role in the construction and operation of two arenas in the Washington area.Outside of sports, Pollin was a psychotherapist and philanthropist and a pioneer of women's health causes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wizards leading scorer Bradley Beal and Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie won't take part in the restart of the NBA season, two significant absences in the Eastern Conference playoff race.Beal is out because of a right rotator cuff injury; Dinwiddie announced that he is still testing positive for coronavirus and won’t participate.Washington, Orlando and Brooklyn are the three teams left in the chase for the final two playoff spots in the East. If the Wizards finish within four games of whichever club finishes eighth, then two games will be played to determine the No. 8 seed."He’s worked religiously to get this thing back to where it feels right, and it just hasn’t felt right," said Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard, who doesn't believe Beal's injury will linger long term or require surgery. “To hear him say himself that he’s just not right right now, ‘I’ve got to keep working, I’ve got more work to do,’ made that decision much easier.”Washington will also be without forward... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wizards leading scorer Bradley Beal and Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie won't take part in the restart of the NBA season, two significant absences in the Eastern Conference playoff race.Beal is out because of a right rotator cuff injury; Dinwiddie announced that he is still testing positive for coronavirus and won’t participate.Washington, Orlando and Brooklyn are the three teams left in the chase for the final two playoff spots in the East. If the Wizards finish within four games of whichever club finishes eighth, then two games will be played to determine the No. 8 seed.“Bradley did everything possible to be ready to play, but after closely monitoring his individual workouts, we came to the conclusion that it was best for him to sit out the upcoming games in Orlando and avoid the risk of further injury,” general manager Tommy Sheppard said. Washington will also be without forward Davis Bertans, who decided to opt out of playing as a pending free agent, and injured guard... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wizards leading scorer Bradley Beal and Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie won't take part in the restart of the NBA season, two significant absences in the Eastern Conference playoff race.Beal is out because of a right rotator cuff injury; Dinwiddie announced that he is still testing positive for coronavirus and won’t participate.Washington, Orlando and Brooklyn are the three teams left in the chase for the final two playoff spots in the East. If the Wizards finish within four games of whichever club finishes eighth, then two games will be played to determine the No. 8 seed.“Bradley did everything possible to be ready to play, but after closely monitoring his individual workouts, we came to the conclusion that it was best for him to sit out the upcoming games in Orlando and avoid the risk of further injury,” general manager Tommy Sheppard said. Washington will also be without forward Davis Bertans, who decided to opt out of playing as a pending free agent, and injured guard... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wizards leading scorer Bradley Beal won’t take part in the restart of the NBA season because of a right rotator cuff injury.The team announced Beal's status Tuesday before traveling to Orlando. Beal's absence makes it even more challenging for Washington to qualify for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference."Bradley did everything possible to be ready to play, but after closely monitoring his individual workouts, we came to the conclusion that it was best for him to sit out the upcoming games in Orlando and avoid the risk of further injury,” general manager Tommy Sheppard said. Washington will also be without forward Davis Bertans, who decided to opt out of playing as a pending free agent, and injured guard John Wall. The team ruled out Wall traveling to Orlando at the start of team workouts. Beal averaged 30.5 points a game this season, almost twice as much as Bertans, the Wizards' No. 2 scorer. The 27-year-old was preparing to play, even while the decision was up in... [More]

John Wall will not join the Washington Wizards for the resumption of the NBA season this summer, ending the chances of the five-time All-Star guard playing his first game since 2018.General manager Tommy Sheppard effectively ruled out Wall returning this season when he said Monday the 29-year-old wouldn't be part of the Wizards' traveling party to Central Florida. Among the factors in the decision was a cap of 35 people per team in the quarantined bubble at Walt Disney World. The COVID-19 pandemic also hindered Wall's progress in his rehab from multiple surgeries.“He definitely lost all the basketball gains that he had made,” Sheppard said on a video call with reporters. “He’s got to focus on what he’s got to do, but having somebody go into that bubble that’s not going to play, that’s just more people going into the bubble.”Wall hasn’t played an NBA game since December 2018. Surgery for bone spurs in his left heel ended that season; while he was working his way back from that, he tore his... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wes Unseld was an undersized NBA center known more for his bruising picks, tenacious rebounding and perfectly placed outlet passes than any points he produced.He thrived in his role as a workmanlike leader.“I never played pretty,” Unseld said when elected to the Hall of Fame in 1988. “I wasn’t flashy. My contributions were in the things most people don’t notice. They weren’t in high scoring or dunking or behind-the-back passes.”Unseld, who began his pro career as a rookie MVP, led Washington to its only NBA championship and was chosen one of the 50 greatest players in league history, died Tuesday after “lengthy health battles, most recently with pneumonia,” his family said in a statement released by the Wizards. He was 74.He spent his entire 13-season playing career with the Bullets-Wizards franchise, then was its coach and general manager. The team was based in Baltimore when he was drafted; he and his wife, Connie, opened Unselds’ School in that city in 1978.“Wes Unseld... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards point guard John Wall declared himself fully recovered after two operations that sidelined him for the past 1½ years and said he is “itching” to get back on the court next season.Speaking on a video call Tuesday to discuss his “202 Assist” program to help pay rent for people in the nation’s capital affected by the coronavirus pandemic, Wall said he is “still taking my time at the rehab” and working to get himself “in the best shape possible.”“I’m 110%,” the five-time All-Star said. “I’m healthy.”He has not played in an NBA game since December 2018. Surgery for bone spurs in his left heel ended that season; while he was working his way back from that, he tore his left Achilles tendon and needed another operation in 2019.That held Wall out for all of the current season, which was suspended in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.“I’m itching to get back out there,” he said Tuesday.When play was halted, the Wizards were 24-40 and ninth in the Eastern... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bradley Beal dished the ball to Washington Wizards teammate Davis Bertans for a 3-point attempt, then turned the other way with a trio of fingers in the air, prematurely celebrating. Turned out Bertans missed. Beal could joke about it afterward, saying, "He's got to make it next time, because I can't be walking back holding my hand up."It was a rare mistake lately for Beal, who emerged from his All-Star snub by playing like someone destined to be an all-NBA pick. He ranks second in the league in scoring with an average of 30.5 points after pouring in 39 on Tuesday night during Washington's 122-115 victory over the New York Knicks."It's kind of hard to contain a guy like that. He's not going to stop coming at you," said New York's Bobby Portis, who was with Washington last season. "Normally, when a guy misses two or three, he gets down on himself. With him, it doesn't matter if he misses four, five, six, seven or eight. He's going to keep coming."Asked what it would mean... [More]

Bradley Beal signed a two-year extension worth nearly $72 million with Washington on Thursday, a major victory for the Wizards and a move that will keep the All-Star guard out of free agency for at least the next three summers.Beal still had two years left on his existing contract. The extension kicks in for the 2021-22 season, has a player option for the following year and means that Beal won't be part of what has been shaping up to be an NBA free-agent extravaganza in the summer of 2021."It's a blessing, man — for one, that they even consider me a franchise player, a piece of this organization in itself," Beal said at a news conference in Washington. "And I was prideful of that. You don't get that type of love and respect and responsibility from anywhere."The Wizards were willing to give Beal a three-year extension that would have been worth about $111 million. Beal went the two-year route and that protects his future options — he could opt out of the deal in the summer of 2022, coinciding... [More]

Bradley Beal has agreed on a two-year extension worth nearly $72 million with Washington, a major victory for the Wizards and a move that will keep the All-Star guard out of free agency for at least the next three summers.The agreement was confirmed Thursday by Beal's agent, Mark Bartelstein. ESPN first reported the details of the extension.Beal still had two years left on his existing contract. The extension kicks in for the 2021-22 season, has a player option for the following year and means that Beal won't be part of what has been shaping up to be an NBA free-agent extravaganza in the summer of 2021.The Wizards were willing to give Beal a three-year extension that would have been worth about $111 million over three years. Beal went the two-year route and that protects his future options — he could opt out of the deal in the summer of 2022, coinciding with his 10th year in the league.The 10-year milestone is significant: By having that many years of service, Beal would be eligible to... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards backup center Ian Mahinmi will miss the start of the regular season because of a strained right Achilles tendon, joining the team’s long list of injured players.The Wizards said Thursday that Mahinmi “will be treated conservatively” and will be re-evaluated in six weeks.Washington is currently holding training camp. Its first regular-season game is Oct. 23 at Dallas.Wizards point guard John Wall is expected to miss most, if not all, of the season because of a ruptured Achilles tendon.Other injured Wizards include Isaiah Thomas, Troy Brown Jr. and C.J. Miles.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Entering the preseason with backcourt mate John Wall sidelined due to injury, Bradley Beal insists most of the pressure to be the Washington Wizards' leader is coming from within."It's no problem," Beal said Monday at the team's media day. "I think I would probably say I force myself into that role versus maybe a coach or the team. It's definitely going to be harder. But John's still going to be around. He'll still have a voice. I'll have a voice."Beal already has spent much of the past two seasons without Wall while Wall dealt with numerous injuries. The most recent and serious was a ruptured Achilles, with recovery expected to keep the point guard out until at least February.Although the Wizards — who were hit with other injuries as well — fell short of the postseason last year, Beal thrived, averaging 25.6 points, 5.5 assists and 5 rebounds while playing all 82 games.Coach Scott Brooks believes the two-time All-Star is capable of even more as a distributor."I think... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, the Washington Wizards would head into a season with proclamations from players or management or ownership — if not all three — about how many wins they were hoping for or how deep a playoff run they thought possible.New general manager Tommy Sheppard outlined a different sort of definition of success Thursday, saying 2019-20 is "all about player development."After all, the club is coming off a 32-50 record, has a mostly reworked roster and will be without injured All-Star point guard John Wall for the foreseeable future. Sheppard took over the GM job on an interim basis when Ernie Grunfeld was fired late last season. After running free agency and the draft, Sheppard was given the permanent post in July.His task is to rebuild, although his word of choice is "revitalize."Sheppard said watching and measuring players, and helping them improve, over the course of the season is his chief aim for now."And it's not just by a stat sheet. It's all the things that you're... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Wizards forward Troy Brown Jr. has injured his left calf and is expected to miss about a month, the latest in a series of injuries the team is dealing with as the NBA season approaches.The Wizards said Tuesday that Brown strained his calf a day earlier during what the team called a routine workout.Washington opens the regular season a month from Monday.Brown averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 52 games as a rookie last season after getting drafted in the first round out of Oregon.Wizards point guard John Wall is expected to miss most, if not all, of next season because of a ruptured Achilles tendon. Another guard, Isaiah Thomas, had surgery on his left thumb last week and could miss two months.Forward C.J. Miles had surgery for a stress fracture in his left foot in July.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas underwent thumb surgery and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.The team says Thomas ruptured the radial collateral ligament in his left thumb during routine workouts Monday and had surgery Wednesday. General manager Tommy Sheppard says it is "an unfortunate setback" for Thomas but expects the 30-year-old to make a full recovery.Thomas signed with Washington as a free agent July 6 after spending last season with the Denver Nuggets. He has averaged 18.6 points and 5.1 assists a game during his eight-year NBA career.This injury is another blow to the Wizards, who are expected to be without guard John Wall for at least the first half of the season and perhaps all of it because of a ruptured Achilles tendon.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Point guards got paid.Much like the quarterback in football, the point guard is still a critical component in basketball, the on-court leader of a club in most cases — and in the opening two days of free agency, teams paid accordingly for that spot.Free agency wasn't even 24 hours old and more than $1 billion had been committed to point guards, led by the $196 million extension that Damian Lillard will be signing with Portland, the reported $170 million extension for Jamal Murray in Denver and the $141 million deals for Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker.There's never been an offseason in NBA history where point guards have gotten that much, and there's still plenty more left to be signed."I'm a leader in my own way," Walker wrote in an essay directed to his old fans in Charlotte and soon-to-be-new fans in Boston that was published by The Players Tribune. "I'm never going to shout anyone off the court, or get overly negative. It's not my style. But what I do is I take pride in making my teammates... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Wizards came into the season aiming for 50 wins. They finished with 50 losses.There was poor play. There was little defense. There was the embarrassing 10-31 road record, part of a 32-50 overall mark, the team's worst in six seasons. And the fallout from missing the playoffs already has begun, with team president Ernie Grunfeld's firing."I take the responsibility of I could have done better," coach Scott Brooks said Monday at the club's practice facility. "And going forward, I need to be better."He also said it was too soon for him to say in what ways he can improve.Now the Wizards head into a pivotal offseason, with very few certainties other than this: Bradley Beal is the key piece.He became Washington's unquestioned leader and best player as John Wall missed more than half of the season because of heel surgery. Wall will sit out most — and perhaps all — of next season, too, because of a later operation to repair a torn Achilles tendon."It's been a rocky... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — John Wall would not be bothered if the Washington Wizards pick a point guard in the first round of the upcoming NBA draft."You have to do what's best for the team and make sure that we have pieces," Wall told reporters Tuesday night at halftime of Washington's regular-season finale, then added with a smile: "And when I come back, he can be a great backup to me."Wall is not entirely sure whether he will be able to play at all next season as he recovers from a torn left Achilles tendon that was operated on in February."I have no idea just yet. That's my goal. ... That's my mindset, where I'm pushing toward," he said. "But whenever the doctors clear me and get to that point, then I will know."Wall appeared in only 32 games this season, averaging 20.7 points and 8.7 assists, before having surgery on his left heel in January. Then he ruptured his tendon in a fall at home, requiring an additional procedure."I think it was finally at the point when it was weaker and it was going... [More]