The Wizards -- despite dropping three straight and falling 2.5 games out of playoff position -- continue their second-half effort to care about this season.
After trading for Markieff Morris just before the trade trade deadline, Washington is waiving Gary Neal and upgrading to Marcus Thornton.
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports:
The Wizards and free agent Marcus Thornton have reached agreement on a deal for the rest of the season, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 9, 2016
Marc Stein of ESPN:
ESPN sources say that the Wizards are in the process of waiving veteran guard Gary Neal, who has been plagued by a leg injury
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 9, 2016
The Wizards still have the $2,806,750 Martell Webster disabled-player exception available until tomorrow. But they’re just $581,094 below the the luxury-tax line. I doubt they’ll eclipse the tax for Thornton.
But Thornton should help Washington, which has needed more wings all season to play its desired spread style. That’s especially true now with Neal and Bradley Beal banged up.
Thornton, whom the Rockets waived seemingly as a favor after the Pistons voided the trade that would’ve sent him to Detroit, adds a little scoring punch. I’m not sure how much he can serve as a lead ball-handler anymore, but he’s still a solid outside shooter. That skill should prove useful when he plays with John Wall and other top Wizards.