RealGM Basketball Wiretap

22 February 2025

• Jalen McDaniels, Wizards Agree To 10 Day Contract

  The Washington Wizards and forward Jalen McDaniels have agreed to a 10 Day contract. McDaniels has been playing for the Wizards G League affiliate the Capital City Go-Go this season.

  In 26 games with the Go-Go, McDaniels has averaged 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

  McDaniels was waived ahead of the season after a salary-shedding trade from the Sacramento Kings to the San Antonio Spurs. The Toronto Raptors had traded McDaniels earlier in the offseason. McDaniels has played for the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers, in addition to the Raptors.

• Wizards Sign Erik Stevenson To 10-Day Contract, Waive Jaylen Nowell

  The Washington Wizards they have signed guard Erik Stevenson to a 10-day contract. In a related move, Washington released guard Jaylen Nowell from his 10-day contract.

  Stevenson (6-4, 205) is a 25-year-old guard in his second professional season out of West Virginia. He took part in training camp with San Antonio in 2023 and Washington in 2024, before playing with each team's NBA G League team. Stevenson also played in three games for Washington during 2024 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

  In 32 games this season, Stevenson is averaging 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game with the Capital City Go-Go. He currently ranks third in points per game off the bench for the full NBA G League season (min. 10 games) and has scored 20+ points 15 times. He was selected to the G League Up Next game on Feb. 7.

• Malcolm Brogdon Leaves Game With Left Leg Injury

  Malcolm Brogdon was helped off the floor in the fourth quarter of the Washington Wizards' 134-130 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers.

  Brogdon suffered the injury after being fouled by Pascal Siakam on a drive.

  Brogdon, who is averaging 12.7 points on the season, could not put weight on his left leg.

• Jaylen Nowell Named G League Player Of The Week

  Jaylen Nowell has been named NBA G League Player of the Week for his performances in games with the Capital City Go-Go the week of February 3-9.

  Nowell, who signed a 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards on February 8, averaged 33.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting .629 from the field and .729 from the three-point range during the week. His performances helped the Go-Go secure a win at Salt Lake City on February 4 and at home versus Oklahoma City on February 8.

  On February 4, Nowell had a historic night, becoming the third player in Go-Go history to score 40-plus points in a game, reaching a career-high 43 points.

• Jaylen Nowell, Wizards Sign 10-Day Contract

  The Washington Wizards have signed guard Jaylen Nowell to a 10 Day contract. Nowell fills the roster spot that was opened when Washington waived veteran center Alex Len.

  Nowell previously played in eight games for the New Orleans Pelicans this season. In eight games with the Pelicans, Nowell averaged 8.4 points per game.

  In 21 games with the Capital City Go-Go of the G League, Nowell has averaged 24.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

  Nowell previously played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons, in addition to the Pelicans.

• Jaylen Martin, Wizards Sign Two-Way Contract

  The Washington Wizards have signed forward Jaylen Martin to a two-way contract. Martin was previously with the Brooklyn Nets on a two-way contract this season.

  The 6-foot-6 forward has been playing for the Delaware Blue Coats since being waived by the Nets. In 10 games with Delaware, Martin has averaged 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

• Alex Len To Join Pacers After Wizards Waiver

  Center Alex Len will be waived by the Washington Wizards. Len then plans to sign with the Indiana Pacers for the remainder of the season.

  Len was acquired by the Wizards at the trade deadline from the Sacramento Kings. He had been a backup for Domantas Sabonis for the last few seasons, but Washington has other options at the center position.

  Indiana cleared a roster spot at the deadline by sending James Wiseman, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles' tendon, to the Toronto Raptors. That room created space under the luxury tax for the Pacers to fit in a veteran minimum signing. That spot will go to Len to provide depth, and a more physical option, behind Myles Turner and Thomas Bryant.

• Suns Would Have Received Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, Jonas Valanciunas, Two FRPs For Kevin Durant

  Kevin Durant and his business manager, Rich Kleiman, only learned of the Phoenix Suns' trade talks with the Golden State Warriors involving him on Friday, January 31. The Warriors played the Suns that evening in San Francisco. Talks had been ongoing for several days that week.

  Stephen Curry discussed with Durant the concept of him returning to the Warriors. Curry wanted to understand how Durant would feel about being traded back to the Warriors after leaving the team in 2019. Durant told Curry that it didn't "feel right" and that this "wasn't the time" to reunite, according to multiple sources. Durant also said he was happy in Phoenix and didn't want to leave the team.

  The Warriors interpreted it as a "soft 'no'", which discouraged the decision-makers, but it didn't completely end their pursuit of advancing talks. Golden State hoped Durant's feeling could change once he understood the extent in which the Suns discussed his name in trade talks with multiple teams.

  The Warriors viewed both the Suns and Miami Heat as teams desperate to make a trade, but incapable of doing so with a third team involved due to the immovable contract of Bradley Beal. The Warriors, who had their own sense of desperation as they pursued yet another star, hoped they could acquire Durant while helping the Suns finally get Butler to go with a more fleshed out roster.

  Phoenix would have received Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, Jonas Valanciunas, two first round picks (via Golden State), two second round picks (one from Warriors, one from Heat), plus pick swaps. The Warriors would have received Durant, while Andrew Wiggins, Cleveland's 2025 first round pick, Dennis Schroder and Kyle Anderson would have gone to the Heat. The Heat, however, wanted the Warriors' 2025 first round pick, not the Cavs' pick. The Warriors were uneasy with the Suns' ask for Durant. At one point, the Warriors considered moving forward with the Butler trade with Miami separately and the using him as leverage in their talks with the Suns for Durant.

  The Suns now concede they made a mistake not looping Durant into talks. Durant had to send final word on the eve of the trade deadline that he clearly didn't want to return to the Warriors.

  "Probably the same reasons he left," a Warriors' source conceded. "It would've been a f---ing circus."

• Wizards, Hawks Were Only Teams Willing To Acquire Bradley Beal

  The Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks were the only teams willing to consider acquiring Bradley Beal from the Phoenix Suns, sources tell Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN. The Suns attempted to trade Beal over the course of several weeks in hopes of acquiring Jimmy Butler and canvassed the entire league.

  The Suns had hoped they could improve their trade package to incentivize other teams to help them trade for Butler and thought a deal could materialize as other trades the Wizards and Hawks were working on fell through.

  Whatever deal the Suns put together was subject to Beal waiving his no-trade clause to approve it. Beal was said to prefer a warm weather destination.

  Windhorst said on his podcast following the trade deadline that the messaging the Suns received on a trade of Beal was that the draft compensation they could offer couldn't offset the cost for a team to take him on.

• Wizards Waive Reggie Jackson

  The Washington Wizards waived Reggie Jackson on Thursday.

  The Wizards acquired Jackson in a deal involving Jared Butler going to the Sixers.

  Jackson is averaging 4.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 12.4 minutes across 31 games this season for the Sixers.