When Wes Unseld Jr. returned to Denver in December for the first time since becoming Washington Wizards coach, Monte Morris was there to greet him. The Nuggets point guard was one of the few players who went to Washington’s side before the game to embrace the former Denver top assistant. Morris approached Unseld with a wide smile and an outstretched hand before embracing him and making him double in laughter. The couple can have more good moments on the front side. In the team’s first major off-season move, the Wizards agreed to swap Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith for Morris and veteran wing Will Barton, according to two people familiar with the deal. The move will not be official until July 6, when the league finalizes the salary cap and luxury tax numbers for the 2022-23 season. The attitude and the need for a place for the plan, the Magi bring Johnny Davis to No. 10 The deal comes the day before the free dealership launches and confirms one of the Wizards’ two top priorities for the summer: finding a credible point guard solution. The other priority is to re-sign the Bradley Beal cornerstone in a long-term contract. Beal has until 5 p.m. Wednesday to pursue the $ 36.4 million player selection for the 2022-23 season or to be excluded as expected. If he rejects his choice, Beal can re-sign with the Wizards for a maximum contract worth about $ 250 million over five years or join a different team, either through a free dealership or through a signing and transaction agreement. Staying in the Wizards is financially prudent for the guard, who turned 29 on Tuesday. The biggest contract any other team could offer Beal is worth about $ 185 million in four years. If Bill returns, he will find a steady point guard who will check many Washington boxes. Athletic first mentioned the trade. Bradley Bill is recovering from a wrist injury at a local basketball court Morris, 27, is not the missing piece to compete with a hypothetical “big three” with Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. But he has three strengths that make him ideal for the Wizards: He is a capable defender. is more about keeping the team organized and assisting than scoring. and owes him just over $ 18.9 million over the next two seasons. For a team that could soon be tied to a huge contract for Beal and owe Porzingis almost $ 70 million over the next two years, that’s a friendly salary. People in the Washington bureau also like Morris’ leadership skills and value his career. The guard signed a two-way contract with Denver in 2017 and paved the way until he started 74 games last year, while Jamal Murray recovered from an ACL injury. Morris averaged 12.6 points and 4.4 assists per game last season. And although he is not considered a first guard, he can put the ball in the hoop – his 58.3 true shooting percentage was eighth among all point guards last season, tying with Dallas’ Jalen Brunson. As a bonus, he and Washington striker Kyle Kuzma have bonds that extend to elementary school. Barton, a 31-year-old winger who could be behind the Beal in the depth chart, is a Baltimore native who also has experience with Unseld since his days in Denver. He averaged 14.7 points in more than 30 minutes in a game last season and shot 43.8 percent from the floor and 36.5 percent from three-pointers. Wizards front office members like its flexibility. Burton can create his own goal opportunities or set up others, and get off the bench or start as needed. Washington still has to find depth behind Morris in the point guard, as Raul Neto and Thomas Satoranski are both ready for a free agent. The team hosted a pair of potential prospects at a three-day minicamp weekend at Kris Dunn, the fifth pick in the 2016 NBA draft, and Pierria Henry, an American guard who has stood out in the EuroLeague in recent years. . Veteran point guard Smith, meanwhile, heads to his 13th team, an NBA record.
