RealGM Basketball Wiretap

24 April 2024

• Wizards Part Ways With Several Staff Members, Retain Brian Keefe, David Vanterpool

  The Washington Wizards have parted ways with a number of staff members, but have so far retained interim head coach Brian Keefe and assistant coach David Vanterpool.

  The Wizards are beginning a formal search for their next head coach, but Keefe remains a candidate for the job.

  Michael Winger inherited Wes Unseld Jr. as head coach when he assumed control of the front office during the 2023 offseason.

• Tyus Jones Hopes To Stay With Wizards, Wants To Start

  Washington Wizards point guard Tyus Jones will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He hopes to stay with the Wizards, but Jones always wants to be a starter next season.

  "Anything can happen," Jones said, "but [my family and I] love D.C., we want to be here, and I want to help this team continue to build and move in the right direction."

  Jones was a fulltime starter for the first time this season, by opening all 66 games he played. That's important to Jones moving forward.

  "The plan is to be a starter," Jones said when asked about his preferred role next season."

  Jones averaged a career-high in points and assists last season at 12 points and 7.3 assists per game. He also shot 48.9% from the field, including 41.4% on three-pointers.

• Jared Butler, Wizards Agree To Three-Year, Standard NBA Deal

  Jared Butler has agreed to a three-year standard NBA deal with the Washington Wizards. Butler was previously on a Two-Way with the Wizards.

  In 35 games with the Wizards this season, Butler is averaging 5.6 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 13.0 minutes. Butler also has appeared in 14 G League games with the Capital City Go-Go, averaging 18.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 32.7 minutes.

  Butler is represented by Mark Bartelstein and Kieran Piller.

• Brian Keefe Has 'Strong Candidacy' To Remain Head Coach Of Wizards

  While the Washington Wizards will conduct a search for a new head coach this offseason, interim head coach Brian Keefe is considered to have a "strong candidacy" to be hired on a permanent basis, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

  Keefe was elevated to interim head coach after the Wizards fired Wes Unseld Jr. in January.

  Keefe was a longtime assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder under Scott Brooks before a more itinerant stretch with the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and Wizards starting in 2015.

• Wizards Reach Deal With Washington D.C. To Stay At Capital One Arena Through 2050

  Ted Leonsis has reached a deal with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser to keep the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington DC through at least 2050.

  Leonsis signed a letter of intent late Wednesday afternoon formalizing an agreement between his parent company, Monumental Sports and Entertainment, and the city.

  The deal comes after attempts to build a new arena in Alexandria, Virginia failed to pass the state's legislature.

  "We made tons of mistakes," Leonsis said Wednesday night when asked whether Monumental had made errors since the December announcement about Potomac Yard. "But we manage to outcomes, and the outcome is exactly the right one."

  Bowser said: "We are the current home, and the future home, of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards."

  Monumental will receive $500 million in cash from the city to renovate Capital One Arena.

  Leonsis said on Wednesday that he had been surprised by the criticism of moving the Wizards les than four miles from Capital One Arena to Potomac Yard.

  Leonsis said he considers the District, suburban Maryland and suburban Virginia "one community" and noted that the Capitals and Wizards used to play in Landover, Md., at Capital Centre before the teams moved to downtown Washington.

• Ted Leonsis Meets With Maryland Governor About Relocating Wizards, Capitals To State

  Ted Leonsis met with Maryland Governor Wes Moore to discuss the possibility of relocating the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals to the state.

  Leonsis had planned to move the teams to a new arena and entertainment district in Virginia, but that plan has stalled after key lawmakers blocked it from the state's budget.

  Leonsis and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin released plans in December for a $2 billion, 12-acre mixed-use complex.

  Leonsis is attempting to move the teams out of downtown Washington D.C. D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser announced a late pushto keep the teams in the district in December with a deal that included $500 million in public funds.

  No incentive package or deal has been put on the table in Maryland to lure the Capitals and Wizards to the state.

  The Baltimore Banner's report also indicates a deal between Leonsis and Maryland is "not likely."

• Bilal Coulibaly Out For Season With Fractured Wrist

  Bilal Coulibaly will miss the remainder of the regular season after being diagnosed with a right wrist fracture.

  The injury, which will be treated conservatively, was suffered when Coulibaly fell during the team's game on March 16 at Chicago.

  The Washington Wizards selected Coulibaly with the seventh overall pick in the 2023 draft.

• Tristan Vukcevic To Join Wizards After Buyout With Partizan

  Partizan forward Tristan Vukcevic has reached a contract buyout agreement. Vukcevic, who turned 21 years old earlier this week, will continue his career in the NBA with the Washington Wizards, per Partizan team president Ostoja Mijailovic.

  Vukcevic has played for Partizan for the last three seasons, after beginning his career with Real Madrid. In 30 total games this season, the 6-foot-10 forward has averaged 7.7 points in 14.4 minutes, mostly off Partizan's bench. Vukcevic has 54/43/84 shooting splits this season.

  The Wizards drafted the Serbian/Italian dual-national with the 12th pick in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft. Vukcevic appeared in four Summer League games for Washington last year. He averaged 11.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Summer Wizards.

• Wizards Sign Justin Champagnie To Two-Way Contract

  The Washington Wizards signed Justin Champagnie to a Two-Way contract, sources told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

  The contract will extend over two years.

  Champagnie was converted to the contract after signing a 10-day deal.

• Wizards Convert Eugene Omoruyi From Two-Way To Standard NBA Contract

  The Washington Wizards have converted the Two-Way contract of forward Eugene Omoruyi to a standard NBA contract.

  In 27 games with Washington this season, Omoruyi is averaging 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 7.6 minutes while shooting a career-best .490 from the field. The 6-7 forward has also appeared in 12 games (all starts) for the Capital City Go-Go, the Wizards' NBA G League affiliate, averaging 20.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting .508 from the field.

  Omoruyi holds career averages of 5.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 71 games (six starts) over three seasons with Dallas, Oklahoma City, Detroit, and Washington.

  The Oregon product originally signed a two-way contract with Washington on July 12, 2023.