Hooped Up

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced Thursday that the team has signed swingman Alonzo Gee to a second 10-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

“He’s been good. We have to play him some more, who knows, he might start tomorrow, I don’t know,” Saunders said. “We’ve got to play him. He’s playing hard, he creates and he competes.”

Gee originally signed with Washington on March 7. In five games for the Wizards, Gee has averaged 7.6 points (.609 fg%) and 4.2 assists in 13.2 minutes per game.

See the ridiculous work of Gee, after the jump.

Read More »

Washington Wizards forward Josh Howard could miss the start of next season after having surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left knee.

Howard’s operation was Tuesday in New York, and the Wizards said he is expected to make a full recovery in six to eight months.

Howard was injured in a game against the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 22, when he collided with an opponent. That was only his fourth game with Washington after coming over in a seven-player trade with the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 13.

He had operations on his left ankle and left wrist last off-season. Howard was an all-star in 2007, when he averaged 18.9 points in 70 games. He had his best season a year later, when he averaged 19.9 points.

Press Release

Goodbye, “Agent Zero.” Gilbert Arenas is switching his uniform number.

The suspended guard submitted paperwork to go from No. 0 to No. 6, and the NBA approved the change, league spokesman Tim Frank confirmed in an email to The Associated Press on Thursday.

Arenas has worn zero since college, saying he picked that number because that’s how many minutes people expected him to play at Arizona.

Last Friday was the deadline for NBA players to file paperwork seeking a new number. Cavaliers star LeBron James asked to switch from No. 23 to No. 6 next season. Read More »

Slumping Nick Young struggles to find a place with the new-look Washington Wizards
Nick Young is starting to feel left behind. A Halloween mask of Gilbert Arenas hangs in his locker room stall, a symbol of the friend and mentor who has been banished for the remainder of the season. His closest friend on the team, Dominic McGuire, is no longer sitting two stalls down after McGuire was traded to Sacramento.

And Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee — who used to share spots near Young on the bench, hoping for more playing time — have suddenly moved into prominent roles as starters. Young, however, continues to sit and ponder his place with the team as the Wizards prepare to host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.

Read More »

The Washington Wizards bought out the contract of guard Mike James on Monday and waived him.

James, who was in his second season with Washington, sought a buyout after he wasn’t traded last month. He left the team by mutual agreement after the Feb. 18 trading deadline.

He had played in only four games with the Wizards this season, his second with the club, averaging 4.5 points.

The 34-year-old James has played for nine NBA teams in nine seasons. He played in 57 games with Washington, averaging 9.3 points since being acquired in Dec. 2008.

Press Release

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed guard Shaun Livingston to a ten-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

A former “Mr. Basketball” in Illinois (2003-04), Livingston led Peoria Central High (Peoria, IL) to Class AA state titles in 2003 and 2004 before jumping straight to the NBA as the L.A. Clippers’ first-round pick (fourth overall) in the 2004 NBA Draft. Livingston has appeared in 167 games (61 starts) in parts of five seasons in the NBA, compiling career averages of 6.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Read More »

Great ghost of Gilberts guns! If it wasn’t for bad luck, the Washington Wizards would have no luck at all. Enter the season ending knee injury of newly acquired Josh Howard.

Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that guard/forward Josh Howard has a torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the remainder of the 2010-11 season. Howard suffered the injury in last night’s game vs. Chicago at the 4:23 mark of the first quarter. In four games (three starts) for Washington this season, Howard averaged 14.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.No timetable has been announced for Howard’s recovery.

I never thought I’d say this, but the Washington Wizards at this point look like they need College phenom John Wall way more than the (5 and awful) New Jersey Nets. That’s just how bad things look right now for the Wiz.

H/N Press Release

A three-way trade between Washington, Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers has officially gone  down with Antawn Jamison as the centerpiece.

Jamison will be heading to the Cavaliers along with Sebastien Telfair. Drew Gooden recently acquired by the Wizards, will head to the Los Angeles Clippers and Zyundras Ilgauskas, a first-round draft choice from Cleveland, Al Thornton and Brian Skinner will join the Wizards.

Washington will also receive the draft rights to Emir Preldzic.

H/N The Plain Dealer + Washington Post

The Dallas Mavericks acquired Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood from Washington on Saturday, a seven-player deal that strengthens them for a playoff run and signals the breakup of a disappointing Wizards team.

The Mavericks dealt forwards Josh Howard and Drew Gooden, and two other players to the Wizards. Dallas also got guard DeShawn Stevenson and cash considerations. Read More »

The glimmer in the eye Knicks GM Donnie Walsh aka Tracy McGrady, is still bright and with the mid-season trade deadline fast approaching the Knicks are kicking the tires on a complex, three-team deal that would send T-Mac to the New York Knicks, according to Yahoo! Sports.

The deal would have the Washington Wizards moving Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to the Houston Rockets. The Knicks sending  Al Harrington to the Wizards, plus another player, possible draft picks and cash to make this deal fly.

This season Tracy McGrady is the highest paid player in the NBA earning an estimated $23 million per year.