Wizards are champions again!

[Martti.]

Great job in the draft, you might get past Miami now.

[Lamrock]

Fantastic draft - getting swept by Miami stings less when you have a #1 pick coming. Love the demar trade, you should be a force for years to come if you can afford everybody.

[Phil89]

Great job in the draft, you might get past Miami now.

I think you are more right than you know. You may want to avoid the free agency summary when I post it.

Fantastic draft - getting swept by Miami stings less when you have a #1 pick coming. Love the demar trade, you should be a force for years to come if you can afford everybody.

I want to manoeuvre somewhere between doing a "Harden" trade and simply paying all of my guys and being way over the cap. Maybe I'll end up having Wall and Cousins be my main guys for a few years and then ditch them to have a big three of Noel, Wiggins and Beal. Either way I'm predicting a lot of cheap veteran guys on my roster for the next few years.

[Phil89]

30/9/14

2014 Free Agency Summary

Atlanta
Re-Signed
Kawhi Leonard - 23 - SF - $3.05m - 1 year (TO)
Marquis Teague - 21 - PG - $1.12m - 1 year (2TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Jordan Aboudou (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Al Horford - Jeff Green - Kawhi Leonard - Louis Williams - Devin Harris

Boston
Re-Signed
Avery Bradley - 23 - SG - $28.37m - 4 years
Jared Sullinger - 22 - PF - $1.42m - 1 year (2TO)
Kris Joseph - 25 - SF - $7.07m - 3 years

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Aziz N'Diaye (Free Agent)
Kevin Garnett (Retired)
Paul Pierce (Retired)

Projected line-up: Willie Cauley-Stein - Jared Sullinger - Courtney Lee - Avery Bradley - Rajon Rondo

Brooklyn
Re-Signed
Kyle O'Quinn - 24 - C - $1.65m - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
Ramon Sessions - 28 - PG - $1.59m - 3 years
Shawn Marion - 36 - SF - $1.16m - 1 year
Chauncey Billups - 38 - PG - $1.81m - 1 year

Released
TyShaun Taylor (Free Agent)
CJ Watson (Free Agent)
Jackie Carmichael (Free Agent)
Tornike Shengalia (Free Agent)
Josh Selby (Free Agent)
Reggie Evans (Retired)

Projected line-up: Brook Lopez - Zach Randolph - Gerald Wallace - Joe Johnson - Deron Williams

Charlotte
Re-Signed
Kemba Walker - 24 - PG - $3.45m - 1 year (TO)
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 21 - SF - $5.02m - 1 year (2TO)
Dario Saric - 22 - SF - $767k - 1 year (TO)
Bismack Biyombo - 22 - C - $4.09m - 1 year (TO)
Jeff Taylor - 25- SF - $915k - 1 year (TO)
Vlacheslav Kravtsov - 27 - C - $2.49m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
Carmelo Anthony - 30 - SF - $84.27m - 4 years

Released
Ramon Sessions (Brooklyn)
Jonas Jerebko (San Antonio)

Projected line-up: Andray Blatche - Carmelo Anthony - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - Victor Oladipo - Kemba Walker

Chicago
Re-Signed
Jimmy Butler - 25 - SF - $2.12m - 1 year (TO)
Fab Melo - 24 - C - $1.37m - 1 year (2TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Kevin Seraphin (Dallas)
Stephen Jackson (Free Agent)
Richard Hamilton (Retired)

Projected line-up: Joakim Noah - Taj Gibson - Jabari Parker - Xavier Henry - Derrick Rose

Cleveland
Re-Signed
Kyrie Irving - 22 - PG - $7.46m - 1 year (TO)
Dion Waiters - 22 - SG - $4.06m - 1 year (2TO)
Tristan Thompson - 23 - PF - $5.42m - 1 year (TO)
Alonzo Gee - 27 - SF - $3.25m - 1 year (TO)
Adonis Thomas - 21 - SF - $756k - 1 year (TO)
Tyler Zeller - 24 - C - $1.70m - 1 year (2TO)
Isaiah Canaan - 23 - PG - $9.40m - 4 years

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
CJ Miles (Free Agent)
Austin Daye (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: JaVale McGee - Tristan Thompson - Danilo Gallinari - Dion Waiters - Kyrie Irving

Dallas
Re-Signed
Royce White - 23 - PF - $1.79m - 1 year (2TO)
Jared Cunningham - 23 - SG - $1.26m - 1 year (2TO)
Dominique Jones - 26 - PG - $3.38m - 1 year

Free Agents Signed
Brandon Roy - 30 - SG - $26.02m - 3 years
Kevin Seraphin - 24 - C - $18.81m - 3 years

Released
Vince Carter (San Antonio)
Greg Smith (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Kevin Seraphin - Dirk Nowitzki - Danny Granger - Brandon Roy - Darren Collison

Denver
Re-Signed
Kenneth Faried - 24 - PF - $2.37m - 1 year (TO)
Jordan Hamilton - 24 - SF - $2.22m - 1 year (TO)
Evan Fournier - 22 - SG - $1.48m - 1 year (2TO)
Michael Snaer - 23 - SG - $585k - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
Paul Millsap - 29 - PF - $41.45m - 4 years

Released
Anderson Varejao (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Kenneth Faried - Paul Millsap - Wilson Chandler - JR Smith - Ty Lawson

Detroit
Re-Signed
Greg Monroe - 24 - C - $61.45m - 4 years
Rodney Stuckey - 28 - SG - $26.49m - 4 years
Brandon Knight - 22 - PG - $3.75m - 1 year (TO)
Andre Drummond - 21 - C - $2.57m - 1 year (2TO)
Jan Vesely - 24 - PF - $4.47m - 1 year (TO)
Khris Middleton - 23 - SF - $854k - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Chauncey Billups (Brooklyn)
Kim English (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Greg Monroe - Andre Drummond - Andre Iguodala - DeMar DeRozan - Brandon Knight

Golden State
Re-Signed
Harrison Barnes - 22 - SF - $3.05m - 1 year (2TO)
Klay Thompson - 24 - SG - $4.47m - 1 year (TO)
Darius Morris - 23 - PG - $2.64m - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Spencer Hawes (Toronto)
JaJuan Johnson (Free Agent)
Luke Babbitt (Free Agent)
Festus Ezeli (Free Agent)
Andris Biedrins (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: DeAndre Jordan - James McAdoo - Harrison Barnes - Klay Thompson - Stephen Curry

Houston
Re-Signed
Thomas Robinson - 23 - PF - $3.68m - 1 year (2TO)
Chandler Parsons - 26 - SF - $954k - 1 year (TO)
Jordan Crawford - 26 - SG - $30.86m - 4 years
Doug McDermott - 22 - SF - $2.76m - 1 year
Donatas Montiejunas - 24 - PF - $1.48m - 1 year (2TO)
Terrence Jones - 22 - PF - $1.79m - 1 year (2TO)
Solomon Hill - 23 - SF - $597k - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Patrick Mills (Free Agent)
James Johnson (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Omer Asik - Thomas Robinson - Chandler Parsons - James Harden - Jeremy Lin

Indiana
Re-Signed
Paul George - 24 - SF - $4.47m - 1 year
OJ Mayo - 26 - SG - $45.09m - 4 years
Gordon Hayward - 24 - SG - $21.54m - 3 years
Orlando Johnson - 25 - SG - $915k - 1 year (TO)
Marcus Morris - 25 - PF - $3.11m - 1 year (TO)
Christian Watford - 23 - SF - $3.21m - 3 years

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Shawn Marion (Brooklyn)
Kenyon Martin (Free Agent)
Channing Frye (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Roy Hibbert - Marcus Morris - Paul George - OJ Mayo - Rodrigue Beaubois

LA Clippers
Re-Signed
Caron Butler - 34 - SF - $7.20m - 2 years
Drew Crawford - 23 - SG - $517k - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Trey Thompkins (Free Agent)
Malcolm Lee (Free Agent)
Timofey Mozgov (Free Agent)
Grant Hill (Retired)

Projected line-up: Andrew Bogut - Blake Griffin - Caron Butler - Manu Ginobili - Eric Bledsoe

LA Lakers
Re-Signed
Jordan Hill - 27 - C - $11.33m - 3 years
Mike Moser - 23 - SF - $540k - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
Patrick Patterson - 25 - PF - $34.27m - 3 years
Shannon Brown - 28 - SG - $16.96m - 3 years

Released
Antawn Jamison (Washington)
Andrei Kirilenko (New York)
Steve Blake (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Kevin Love - Patrick Patterson - Chase Budinger - Kobe Bryant - Jose Calderon

Memphis
Re-Signed
Marreese Speights - 27 - PF - $21.07m - 4 years
Tony Wroten - 21 - PG - $1.21m - 1 year (2TO)
Quincy Pondexter - 26 - SF - $3.28m - 1 year
Oleksandr Lupovyy - 23 - SF - $631k - 1 year (TO)
MarShon Brooks - 25 - SG - $2.30m - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Jerryd Bayless (Phoenix)
Samardo Samuels (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Marc Gasol - Pau Gasol - MarShon Brooks - Kentavius Caldwell-Pope - Mike Conley

Miami
Re-Signed
Dwyane Wade - 32 - SG - $20.16m- 1 year (PO)
Chris Bosh - 30 - C - $51.72m- 4 years
Norris Cole - 26 - PG - $2.15m - 1 year (TO)
Udonis Haslem - 34 - PF - $4.62m - 1 year (PO)
Mike Miller - 34 - SF - $6.60m - 1 year (PO)
Erick Green - 23 - PG - $494k - 1 year (TO)
Joel Anthony - 32 - C - $3.80m - 1 year (PO)

Free Agents Signed
Aaron Brooks - 29 - PG - $19.00 - 4 years

Released
LeBron James (Orlando)
Shane Battier (Free Agent)
James Jones (Free Agent)
Ray Allen (Retired)

Projected line-up: Chris Bosh - Udonis Haslem - Alex Poythress - Dwyane Wade - Mario Chalmers

Milwaukee
Re-Signed
Larry Sanders - 25 - C - $24.00m - 4 years
Ekpe Udoh - 27 - C - $10.48m - 3 years
Armon Johnson - 25 - PG - $2.48m - 1 year (TO)
Chris Singleton - 24 - PF - $2.63m - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
-

Projected line-up: Emeka Okafor - Ersan Ilyasova - Trevor Ariza - Monta Ellis - Brandon Jennings

Minnesota
Re-Signed
Derrick Williams - 23 - PF - $6.68m - 1 year (TO)
Martell Webster - 27 - SF - $9.60m - 4 years
Alec Brown - 22 - C - $710k - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Kyle Lowry (Toronto)
Brandon Roy (Dallas)
Kirk Hinrich (Washington)
Greg Stiemsma (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Carlos Boozer - Derrick Williams - Landry Fields - Alexey Shved - Ricky Rubio

New Orleans
Re-Signed
Anthony Davis - 21 - C - $5.61m- 1 year (2TO)
Al-Farouq Aminu - 24 - SF - $5.07m - 1 year
Austin Rivers - 22 - SG - $2.44m - 1 year (2TO)
CJ Leslie - 23 - SF - $801k - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Ronnie Brewer (New York)
Brendan Haywood (Washington)
Jarrett Jack (Free Agent)
Beno Udrih (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Anthony Davis - Ryan Anderson - Luol Deng - Austin Rivers - DJ Augustin

New York
Re-Signed
Iman Shumpert - 24 - SG - $2.76m - 1 year (TO)
Pierre Jackson - 23 - PG - $665k - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
Andrei Kirilenko - 33- SF - $2.86m - 2 years

Released
Carmelo Anthony (Charlotte)
Raja Bell (Free Agent)
Marquis Daniels (Free Agent)
Jason Kidd (Retired)

Projected line-up: Tyson Chandler - Amare Stoudemire - Andrei Kirilenko - Iman Shumpert - Raymond Felton

Oklahoma City
Re-Signed
Jeremy Lamb - 22 - SG - $2.20m - 1 year (2TO)
Reggie Jackson - 24 - PG - $2.33m - 1 year (TO)
Perry Jones - 23 - PF - $1.13m - 1 year (2TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Hasheem Thabeet (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Kendrick Perkins - Serge Ibaka - Kevin Durant - Kevin Martin - Russell Westbrook

Orlando
Re-Signed
Nikola Vucevic - 24 - C - $2.90m - 1 year (TO)
Andrew Nicholson - 24 - PF - $1.55m - 1 year (2TO)
Maurice Harkless - 21 - SF - $1.89m - 1 year (2TO)
Tobias Harris - 22 - SF - $2.51m - 1 year (TO)
Doron Lamb - 22 - SG - $915k - 1 year (TO)
John Henson - 23 - PF - $1.99m - 1 year (2TO)
Jeff Withey - 24 - C - $824k - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
LeBron James - 29 - SF - $85.96m- 4 years

Released
Hedo Turkoglu (Free Agent)
E'Twaun Moore (Free Agent)
Al Harrington (Retired)

Projected line-up: Nikola Vucevic - Julius Randle - LeBron James - Shabazz Muhammad - Marcus Smart

Philadelphia
Re-Signed
Evan Turner - 26 - SF - $8.72m - 1 year
Otto Porter - 22 - SF - $779k - 1 year (TO)
Jason Richardson - 33 - SG - $6.60m - 1 year (PO)
Draymond Green - 24 - SF - $915k - 1 year (TO)
Arnett Moultrie - 23 - PF - $1.14m - 1 year (2TO)
Lavoy Allen - 25 - PF - $5.95m - 4 years
Kevin Parrom - 23 - SG- $529k - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Maalik Wayns (Free Agent)
Robert Sacre (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Andrew Bynum - David Lee - Thaddeus Young - Evan Turner - Jrue Holiday

Phoenix
Re-Signed
Marcin Gortat - 30 - C - $12.20m - 3 years
Markieff Morris - 25 - PF - $3.15m - 1 year (TO)
Kendall Marshall - 23 - PG - $2.09m - 1 year (2TO)
Augusto Lima - 23 - PF - $688k - 1 year (TO)
Durant Scott - 24 - SG - $563k - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
Jerryd Bayless - 26 - PG - $23.74 - 3 years

Released
Shannon Brown (LA Lakers)
PJ Tucker (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Marcin Gortat - Luis Scola - Michael Beasley - Jared Dudley - Goran Dragic

Portland
Re-Signed
Damian Lillard - 24 - PG - $3.34m - 1 year (2TO)
Nolan Smith - 26 - PG - $2.39m - 1 year (TO)
Victor Claver - 26 - SF - $1.37m - 1 year (2TO)
Meyers Leonard - 22 - C - $2.32m - 1 year (2TO)
Alex Len - 21 - C - $722k - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Joel Freeland (Free Agent)
Will Barton (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Alex Len - LaMarcus Aldridge - Nicolas Batum - Wesley Matthews - Damian Lillard

Sacramento
Re-Signed
Derrick Favors - 23 - PF - $44.65m - 3 years
Trevor Booker - 26 - PF - $3.42m - 1 year
Jimmer Fredette - 25 - PG - $3.28m - 1 year (TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
Aaron Brooks (Miami)
Matt Barnes (Free Agent)
Toney Douglas (Free Agent)
Cole Aldrich (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: JJ Hickson - Derrick Favors - Tyreke Evans - Marcus Thornton - Isaiah Thomas

San Antonio
Re-Signed
Cory Joseph - 23 - PG - $2.13m - 1 year (TO)
Robert Covington - 23 - SF - $699k - 1 year (TO)
John Jenkins - 23 - SG - $1.31m - 1 year (2TO)

Free Agents Signed
Jonas Jerebko - 27 - PF - $9.10m - 3 years
Vince Carter - 37 - SG - $1.62mm - 1 year

Released
Corey Maggette (Free Agent)
Nando De Colo (Free Agent)
Kenny Kadji (Free Agent)

Projected line-up: Dwight Howard - Josh Smith - Vince Carter - Nick Young - Chris Paul

Toronto
Re-Signed
Terrence Ross - 23 - SG - $2.79m - 1 year (2TO)
Ed Davis - 25 - PF - $22.19m - 4 years
Jonas Valanciunas - 22 - C - $3.68m - 1 year (2TO)

Free Agents Signed
Kyle Lowry - 28 - PG - $39.94m - 4 years
Spencer Hawes - 26 - C - $25.84m - 4 years

Released
Patrick Patterson (LA Lakers)
Tony Allen (Free Agent)
Damion James (Free Agent)
John Lucas (Free Agent)
Aaron Gray (Free Agent)
Chris Duhon (Free Agent)
Steve Nash (Retired)

Projected line-up: Spencer Hawes - Ed Davis - Rudy Gay - Terrence Ross - Kyle Lowry

Utah
Re-Signed
Enes Kanter - 22 - C - $6.01m - 1 year (TO)
Alec Burks - 23 - SG - $3.20m - 1 years (TO)

Free Agents Signed
-

Released
-

Projected line-up: Enes Kanter - Al Jefferson - Gerald Green - Eric Gordon - Nate Robinson

Washington
Re-Signed
John Wall - 24 - PG - $70.00m - 4 years
DeMarcus Cousins - 24 - C - $62.00m - 4 years
Bradley Beal - 21 - SG - $4.51m - 1 year (2TO)
Greivis Vasquez - 27 - PG - $10.20m - 3 years
Kosta Koufos - 25 - C - $2.00m - 2 years

Free Agents Signed
Kirk Hinrich - 33 - PG - $1.00m - 1 year
Antawn Jamison - 38 - PF - $1.00m - 1 year
Brendan Haywood - 34 - C - $507k - 1 year

Released
Kyle Korver (Free Agent)
Kris Humphries (Free Agent)
Mike Bibby (Free Agent)
John Salmons (Free Agent)
Chris Andersen (Retired)

Projected line-up: DeMarcus Cousins - Nerlens Noel - Andrew Wiggins - Bradley Beal - John Wall

Major off-season trades




When Carmelo Anthony signed for the Bobcats it triggered the Bobcats' management to look for some more quality players to put around him. It was apparently part of the sales pitch the team made to attract Melo. Giving him a supporting cast to compete for championships was second on his list after financial security.

Charlotte decided to upgrade their frontcourt by acquiring experienced center Al Jefferson from the Jazz. They also added veteran Mo Williams to be backup to all-star point guard Kemba Walker. In return Utah received rebounding big man Tyrus Thomas, Gerald Henderson, Dario Saric and Bismack Biyombo. The Jazz get out of two large contracts and acquire four solid bench players. Thomas is a big expiring contract, but will give them handy rebounding and defense off the bench. The combination of Carmelo Anthony and Jefferson in the frontcourt should help the younger members of the Bobcats' line-up in pressure situations.

The second big deal of the Summer saw the Rockets make a big statement by acquiring all-star big man LaMarcus Aldridge from Portland. Pairing Aldridge with James Harden could push Houston into contention out west with a supporting cast of Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons and Nene. The Blazers apparently decided to cash in on Aldridge as he only had a year left on his contract and had been making noises about wanting a trade. Aldridge is a Texas native and will likely re-sign with the Rockets next season. Portland add several young pieces to compliment Damian Lillard, Nicolas Batum and recently drafted James Young. The future should be pretty bright for them, injuries permitting.

The last major transaction saw beaten finalists Oklahoma City send Kendrick Perkins, Tony Mitchell and their 2015 first round pick to the Bucks for Larry Sanders and Luc Mbah a Moute. Sanders had requested a sign-and-trade deal to a contender and the Bucks agreed a deal that landed them an experienced big man, with an expiring contract, and a young small forward to solidify the weakest point of their roster. They should be looking to reach the playoffs once again now that they have decent depth in their roster. The likes of Emeka Okafor, JJ Redick, LeBryan Nash, Tony Mitchell, Ishmael Smith and Chris Singleton coming off the bench should give them enough depth. Perkins' ability to guard big men should help the Bucks against eastern conference giants like Andrew Bynum, DeMarcus Cousins, Brook Lopez and Roy Hibbert.

For the Thunder this move was made due to the lack of production from Perkins for most of last season. He especially came up short in the finals against the Heat. GM Sam Presti felt that Sanders would be a better fit next to Serge Ibaka due to his excellent rebounding ability. He won't need to do much offensively either with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook running the show in Oklahoma City. Presti was criticised for trading away superstar James Harden, but two consecutive finals appearances (including one championship), and the progression of Jeremy Lamb into a solid sixth man of the year candidate shows that it wasn't a completely horrible trade.

Charlotte receive
Al Jefferson - 29 - C - $40.44m - 3 years (85)
Mo Williams - 31 - PG - $32.02 - 4 years (74)

Projected line-up:
Al Jefferson - Carmelo Anthony - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - Victor Oladipo - Kemba Walker
Bench:
Andray Blatche, Mo Williams, Ben Gordon, Rakeem Christmas, Allen Crabbe, Vlacheslav Kravtsov, Jeff Taylor

-----



Utah receive
Tyrus Thomas - 28 - PF - $9.39m - 1 year (78)
Gerald Henderson - 26 - SG - $6.53m - 2 years (74)
Dario Saric - 22 - SF - $767k - 1 year (70)
Bismack Biyombo - 22 - C - $4.09m - 1 year (69)

Projected line-up:
Enes Kanter - David West - Gerald Green - Eric Gordon - Nate Robinson
Bench:
Tyrus Thomas, Alec Burks, Gerald Henderson, Mario Hezonja, Dario Saric, Bismack Biyombo, Elton Brand

----------

Houston receive
LaMarcus Aldridge - 29 - PF - $15.20m - 1 year (87)
Wesley Matthews - 28 - SG - $7.25m - 1 year (85)

Projected line-up:
Nene - LaMarcus Aldridge - Chandler Parsons - James Harden - Jeremy Lin
Bench:
Jordan Crawford, Tyler Hansbrough, Wesley Matthews, Doug McDermott, Chris Kaman, Terrence Jones, Donatas Montiejunas

-----



Portland receive
Thomas Robinson - 23 - PF - $3.68m - 1 year (83)
Omer Asik - 28 - C - $14.90m - 1 year (78)
Anthony Bennett - 21 - PF - $2.31m - 2 years (76)
Rockets' 2015 first round pick

Projected line-up:
Omer Asik - Thomas Robinson - Nicolas Batum - James Young - Damian Lillard
Bench:
Anthony Bennett, Nolan Smith, Archie Goodwin, Elliot Williams, Alex Len, Richard Jefferson, Eric Maynor

----------

Milwaukee receive
Tony Mitchell - 22 - SF - $1.19m - 1 year (77)
Kendrick Perkins - 29 - C - $9.16m - 1 year (74)
Thunder's 2015 first round pick

Projected line-up:
Kendrick Perkins - Ersan Ilyasova - Trevor Ariza - Monta Ellis - Brandon Jennings
Bench:
Tony Mitchell, Ishmael Smith, Emeka Okafor, Chris Singleton, Armon Johnson, JJ Redick, LeBryan Nash

-----



Oklahoma City receive
Larry Sanders - 25 - C - $24.00m - 4 years (80)
Luc Mbah a Moute - 28 - SF - $4.38m - 1 year (71)

Projected line-up:
Larry Sanders - Serge Ibaka - Kevin Durant - Kevin Martin - Russell Westbrook
Bench:
Jeremy Lamb, Reggie Jackson, Robin Lopez, Luc Mbah a Moute, Perry Jones, Nick Collison, Joshua Smith

[Solaris Phase Two]

San Antonio;....Oh My god

[Axel The Great]

Wow, LeBron took his talents to Disney World.

Nice move acquiring Sanders; he's definitely an upgrade over Perkins, and not to mention you also got a great defender in Mbah a Moute. I also like the move the Rockets made, a Harden-Aldridge tandem would be very entertaining to watch.

[Martti.]

Axel., he's the Wizards, not the Thunder.

Damn LeBron, the Heat still good without him.

[Vespasian92]

Wow, Orlando snagging Lebron... not what you see everyday. Nice job dealing Derozan for a young prospect, also keeps your finances more workable.
My Kings don't seem much better, stuck playing small-ball too with Hickson at C and Tyreke at SF

[Phil89]

San Antonio;....Oh My god

They've been like that for a year now. They still only made the conference finals though..

Wow, LeBron took his talents to Disney World.

Nice move acquiring Sanders; he's definitely an upgrade over Perkins, and not to mention you also got a great defender in Mbah a Moute. I also like the move the Rockets made, a Harden-Aldridge tandem would be very entertaining to watch.

It was quite a shock to see him leave Miami. And then to see where he landed was a bigger shock.

The Perkins move was probably overdue, but I didn't want to mess with my old team. They just lost in the finals though so the time seemed right. The Aldridge trade came out of Houston getting Dwight in real life and Aldridge supposedly wanting out of Portland.

Axel., he's the Wizards, not the Thunder.

Damn LeBron, the Heat still good without him.

I think the eastern conference just got a lot tougher. Miami and Philadelphia are still top teams. Orlando, Chicago, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit and Charlotte should all be pushing for top eight seeds this season too.

Wow, Orlando snagging Lebron... not what you see everyday. Nice job dealing Derozan for a young prospect, also keeps your finances more workable.
My Kings don't seem much better, stuck playing small-ball too with Hickson at C and Tyreke at SF

Sacramento just keep drafting point guards. Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle or Anthony Bennett would have been better fits.

[Phil89]

22/6/14

Wizards looking strong for the future after productive off-season



Washington fans have been on an emotional roller-coaster for the past couple of years. First there were the celebrations as JaVale McGee was dispatched to Denver, then more excitement as Bradley Beal arrived. Next came the crushing disappointment of being one of the bottom teams in the league for a season. Spirits picked up though as they selected Nerlens Noel with pick two last season and looked to have a promising young team. Several trades followed and they became one of the better teams in the league and eventually finished with 61 wins. They won their first playoff series in several years and life was good for Wizards fans. Things went downhill soon after though as they were sent crashing out of the playoffs by LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Spirits and expectations were raised again though after an exciting off-season by the team.

Staff
General manager Steve Kerr shocked a lot of people by opting not to offer coach Randy Wittman a new contract after his deal expired. The reigning coach of the year led the Wizards to an amazing 61 win season and their first playoff series win in nearly a decade. It wasn't enough to keep him in the job though as Kerr decided that he just wasn't the right man to nurture the young talent on the team into future superstars. Assistant manager Sam Cassell was also told that he would not be returning to the team.

Media reports suggested that Celtics coach Doc Rivers was in the lead to replace Wittman, but that was quickly ruled out after he announced his retirement from coaching. Next it was speculated that Erik Spoelstra, the recent championship winning coach who had bizarrely been fired, was top of Kerr's list. This also came to nothing though and fans were starting to get worried.

Eventually it was confirmed that former Dallas and Brooklyn coach Avery Johnson had signed a 3-year $11 million deal to become the new head coach of the Wizards. He brought Brian Shaw in as his assistant manager, also on a three year deal. Kerr is hoping that Johnson can establish the Wizards as a solid defensive team around rookie Nerlens Noel. Johnson led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2006 and was named coach of the year.

-----

Team Options
Kerr wasted no time in exercising the two year team option on hotshot guard Bradley Beal. Surprisingly veteran John Salmons declined to activate a $7 million player option in his contract. It's a move that helps the Wizards keep the cap space needed to re-sign stars DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall.

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Free Agent Offers
Kerr got to work as soon as the July 1st deadline passed. He offered MVP John Wall a 4-year $70 million contract and DeMarcus Cousins a 4-year $63 million contract only hours into the free agency signing period. Reserve point guard Greivis Vasquez (4yr/$13m) and center Kosta Koufos (3yr/$3m) also received offers. Kris Humphries, Kyle Korver, Mike Bibby and John Salmons were all released by the Wizards. Veteran Chris Andersen retired from basketball.

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Draft
Going into the draft lottery Washington were in best position to get the top pick with a 25% chance. Luck was on their side that night as the ping pong balls fell in the right order and they indeed received the number one pick in the 2014 draft and had first shot at Kansas prospect Andrew Wiggins.

As draft night approached general manager Steve Kerr remained tight-lipped about what his plans were. Some commentators were suggesting he may trade the top pick for a couple of first rounders or possibly even several future picks to ensure the sustained success of his franchise. Most experts and fans expected him to draft Wiggins though.

As David Stern approached the podium with a cheesy grin on his face, he announced.. "With the first pick of the 2014 NBA draft, the Washington Wizards select.." *pause* ... *crowd boos* ... "Andrew Wiggins from Canada and the university of Kansas". Kerr had ultimately decided that he just couldn't pass on the player hyped as the next LeBron James. He later said "After watching first hand how hard to stop LeBron is, we felt that we would be stupid to not get a guy like that onto our team".

Kerr made another surprising move shortly afterwards. Given that Wiggins couldn't really be anything but a starter, he decided that DeMar DeRozan would have to be traded. Chicago reported offered the expiring contract of Andrea Bargnani and picks 12 and 17, but he ultimately accepted Detroit's offer. They got the expiring contract of Tayshaun Prince, pick 15 and a 2015 first round pick in exchange for DeRozan. Prince would be a good veteran backup to Wiggins and his defensive attributes would suit him to Johnson's game style. The Pistons had lacked a wing scorer and now DeRozan can fill that hole for them. He should fit in well next to Greg Monroe, Andre Drummond, Andre Iguodala and Brandon Knight. With Cody Zeller and Byron Mullens coming off the bench the Pistons will feel that making the playoffs is a realistic aim next season.

Kerr clearly had another target in mind when he made that deal and it was revealed when pick fifteen came along. "With the fifteenth pick of the NBA draft, the Washington Wizards select Noah Vonleh from the university of Indiana". Kerr had been impressed with Vonleh's athleticism for a guy standing 6 feet 9 inches tall. His ability to shoot the three point shot also made him an attractive prospect. The pick shocked most experts as guys like Anthony Bennett, Julius Randle and Glen Robinson were all still available. Kerr though was pleased to have gotten his man "We were looking to add an athletic big man whether [DeMarcus] Cousins re-signs or not. Noah looked good in his workouts and we feel that he can play a big part in the future success of this franchise".

-----

Free Agency
There had been rumours that Wall and Cousins had been undecided on whether to remain in Washington or seek a move elsewhere (possibly through sign-and-trade deals), but after the drafting of Wiggins the pair quickly agreed to sign the contracts they had been offered. Many had expected Wall to sign on for the maximum of five years, but Kerr (perhaps wisely) only offered four years so that when Wiggins in due to come out of his rookie contract there will be more cap freedom to work with. Vasquez and Koufos returned shortly after and the Wizards roster was really taking shape. To round out the team Kerr brought in veterans Brendan Haywood, Antawn Jamison and Kirk Hinrich on 1-year deals. Interestingly all three have played for the franchise in the past. After finishing with his free agent spending he agreed to a small trade with Utah that saw versatile forward Marvin Williams join the Wizards in exchange for Earl Clark.

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Training Camp
Over the Summer Wizards players worked on various aspects of their individual games in an effort to improve the quality of the team. Number one pick Andrew Wiggins spent most of his time working on his rebounding, which is considered to be his greatest weakness on the court. MVP John Wall worked tirelessly on his outside and mid-range shooting. If he is able to add this string to his bow he could really become one of the hardest players to stop in the league. He already has seemingly limitless speed and athleticism. Bradley Beal worked on his ball handling, whilst rookie Nerlens Noel worked on his awareness on both ends of the court and his ability to catch the ball in the paint. DeMarcus Cousins and rookie Noah Vonleh worked together on improving their post defense. Greivis Vasquez, Kosta Koufos, Daequan Cook and Tayshaun Prince all focussed on improving their athleticism. The entire squad were also made to practice their free throws.

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Wizards Rotation

[Axel The Great]

Axel., he's the Wizards, not the Thunder.

Wow. Total screw up by me. It's what happens when you get so used to something

Anyways, that starting lineup looks very potent, surpassing 60 wins is a very realistic expectation. Looking forward to seeing what Wiggins can do.

[Phil89]

New coaching duo, same old terrible suits

[Linker.]

That is a lot of potential in a starting lineup. Wiggins has a great chance to deliver. Really want to see that Wiggins - LeBron matchup.

Also, I got a feeling the Heat won´t be a problem for you now.

[Martti.]

Wiggins for ROY and Wall for MVP!

[Phil89]

1/11/14

Blow for Wizards as Rookie is ruled out for a month



Washington suffered a setback today as rookie forward Noah Vonleh injured his hamstring in training and will miss between two and four weeks. The sixteenth overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft was earmarked to be the Wizards' main threat off the bench this season, but this news means that Greivis Vasquez and Tayshaun Prince will have to take over those duties. No team enjoys receiving injury news, but it is especially bad for the Wizards as it comes the day before they host the Portland Trail Blazers at the Verizon Center in their season opener.

[Phil89]

2/11/14

Washington Wizards [0-0] vs Portland Trail Blazers [0-1]

Wiggins stars on debut, but Blazers grab win in season opener



WAS - 24 33 19 22 98
POR - 20 27 27 32 106

Player of the Game: Thomas Robinson
(22pts, 14reb, 2ast, 4stl, 2blk)
(10-17 FG, 0-0 3PT, 2-2 FT)


Top Scorers
Andrew Wiggins - 27
Thomas Robinson - 22
John Wall - 20
Damian Lillard - 18
James Young - 17
Nicolas Batum - 16
Nolan Smith - 15
Bradley Beal - 15
DeMarcus Cousins - 11
Nerlens Noel - 10
Omer Asik - 10

Rebounds
Thomas Robinson - 14
DeMarcus Cousins - 10
Nerlens Noel - 6
Omer Asik - 5
Nicolas Batum - 5
James Young - 5

Assists
John Wall - 10
Greivis Vasquez - 5
Andrew Wiggins - 5

Steals
Thomas Robinson - 4
Damian Lillard - 4
Bradley Beal - 3

Blocks
Thomas Robinson - 2


Wiggins highlights


Wall highlights

Another one of those games where I was winning by 10+ and cruising, but probably took too many three pointers and they caught up.

Wiggins was great. 27pts, 1reb, 5ast, 1blk (11-11 FG, 1-1 3PT, 4-4 FT)

John Wall is a three point threat now as well. That should help me out this season.

[Linker.]

If you took too many 3s, how many did you take with Wall and how many did he make?

Wiggins really played well, you`ll bounce back from this one loss really strong.

[Phil89]

4/11/14

Washington Wizards [0-1] vs Sacramento Kings [1-1]

Noel leads Wizards to comfortable win against Kings



WAS - 27 33 24 27 111
SAC - 22 29 21 17 89

Player of the Game: Nerlens Noel
(25pts, 10reb, 2ast, 1blk)
(12-15 FG, 0-0 3PT, 1-1 FT)


Top Scorers
Nerlens Noel - 25
Marcus Thornton - 22
Andrew Wiggins - 21
Bradley Beal - 20
Tyreke Evans - 20
JJ Hickson - 15
John Wall - 13
Derrick Favors - 12
DeMarcus Cousins - 10

Rebounds
Nerlens Noel - 10
Andrew Wiggins - 7
Derrick Favors - 7
JJ Hickson - 6
Kosta Koufos - 5
Chuck Hayes - 5

Assists
John Wall - 11
Andrew Wiggins - 6
DeMarcus Cousins - 5
Bradley Beal - 5

Steals
JJ Hickson - 3
Marcus Thornton - 3
Derrick Favors - 2
Tyreke Evans - 2
Greivis Vasquez - 2


Noel highlights


Wiggins highlights

Wiggins contributed all around again. 21pts, 7reb, 6ast (7-12 FG, 3-3 3PT, 4-5 FT)

[Phil89]

If you took too many 3s, how many did you take with Wall and how many did he make?

Wiggins really played well, you`ll bounce back from this one loss really strong.

Wall only took one thee pointer, but he made it. It got me excited because I couldn't remember him making any last season.

[Phil89]

6/11/14

Cleveland Cavaliers [2-1] vs Washington Wizards [1-1]

Deja vu in Cleveland as Wiggins puts on a show



CLE - 25 21 26 19 91
WAS - 26 22 25 29 102

Player of the Game: Andrew Wiggins
(30pts, 4reb, 8ast, 1stl, 2blk)
(12-18 FG, 2-4 3PT, 4-4 FT)


Top Scorers
Kyrie Irving - 31
Andrew Wiggins - 30
JaVale McGee - 20
Nerlens Noel - 18
Bradley Beal - 16
DeMarcus Cousins - 14
John Wall - 13
Danilo Gallinari - 13

Rebounds
Nerlens Noel - 12
JaVale McGee - 9
Kyrie Irving - 7
DeMarcus Cousins - 6

Assists
John Wall - 12
Andrew Wiggins - 8
Dion Waiters - 6
Kyrie Irving - 6
Bradley Beal - 5

Steals
Adonis Thomas - 2
Alonzo Gee - 2
JaVale McGee - 2
Dion Waiters - 2

Blocks
Andrew Wiggins - 2
Danilo Gallinari - 2


Wiggins highlights

[Phil89]

7/11/14

Minnesota Timberwolves [2-1] vs Washington Wizards [2-1]

Wall in MVP form in Wizards' blow-out win in Minnesota



MIN - 20 18 26 16 80
WAS - 29 24 27 37 117

Player of the Game: John Wall
(28pts, 8reb, 12ast, 3stl)
(12-16 FG, 1-3 3PT, 3-4 FT)


Top Scorers
John Wall - 28
Andrew Wiggins - 26
Bradley Beal - 20
Alexey Shved - 20
Martell Webster - 14
Derrick Williams - 12
Nerlens Noel - 12
DeMarcus Cousins - 10
Carlos Boozer - 10

Rebounds
DeMarcus Cousins - 10
John Wall - 8
Derrick Williams - 8
Kosta Koufos - 6
Nerlens Noel - 5
Andrew Wiggins - 5

Assists
John Wall - 12
Alexey Shved - 8
Bradley Beal - 7

Steals
John Wall - 3
Landry Fields - 2


Wall highlights


Wiggins highlights

[Phil89]

9/11/14

Washington Wizards [3-1] vs New York Knicks [4-0]

Wiggins and Wall hand the Knicks their first defeat of the season



WAS - 28 27 29 25 109
NYK - 34 19 23 27 103

Player of the Game: John Wall
(23pts, 4reb, 19ast, 1stl)
(9-15 FG, 0-3 3PT, 5-8 FT)


Top Scorers
Andrew Wiggins - 34
John Wall - 23
Bradley Beal - 21
Iman Shumpert - 21
Amare Stoudemire - 19
Raymond Felton - 12
Tyson Chandler - 11
Nerlens Noel - 10

Rebounds
Andrew Wiggins - 7
Iman Shumpert - 7
Ronnie Brewer - 5
Steven Adams - 5
Amare Stoudemire - 5
Antawn Jamison - 5

Assists
John Wall - 19
Raymond Felton - 9
Iman Shumpert - 6
Bradley Beal - 6
Amare Stoudemire - 5

Steals
Nerlens Noel - 2
Iman Shmupert - 2

Blocks
Tayshaun Prince - 2


Wiggins highlights


Wall highlights

[hova-]

So you got Wiggins after that tough Playoffs out ... I guess that can help you beating the Heat. Still following, just have been off due to exams. 4-1 is a decent start, Wiggins already delivering.

[Bella]

Nice job. Been very entertaining and has been an interesting read.

[Phil89]

So you got Wiggins after that tough Playoffs out ... I guess that can help you beating the Heat. Still following, just have been off due to exams. 4-1 is a decent start, Wiggins already delivering.

I got a favourable lottery draw and drafted Wiggins to help me stop LeBron and the Heat. Then LeBron moves to Orlando and suddenly the Heat don't look as scary. That said, the east actually looks a lot tougher on paper this year with several teams battling for top seed, instead of it just being Miami and then the rest

Wiggins has been a really nice fit for my team so far. I never expected him to be one of my top scorers (especially as I'm trying to turn Wall from a 15p/15a player to a 18p/12a player this year).

Nice job. Been very entertaining and has been an interesting read.

Thanks. I'm still enjoying it so it'll hopefully continue for many more seasons.