Washington Wizards release Shelvin Mack, Brian Cook

The Washington Wizards have made their final two cuts, and they certainly aren't the names I expected. The team has announced that Shelvin Mack and Brian Cook will be released, which means that Jannero Pargo and Earl Barron, barring any additional cuts, have made the final roster.

The release of Mack seems especially surprising on the surface, but it seemed like the Wizards have been phasing him out for the last few months. After he struggled in Summer League, they moved quickly to sign A.J. Price. Once John Wall went down, the Wizards moved quickly to sign Pargo as insurance. It seemed pretty clear that Mack was being phased out in favor of veteran players. Mack's contract was partially-guaranteed for $300,000, according to StoryTeller's contracts site, so that's how much the Wizards will be eating.

Barron, meanwhile, earned the final spot on the roster with a strong performance against the Spurs. He probably has a little more upside than Cook at this point, so I understand the decision.

Here is your final 15-man roster.

1. John Wall
2. Nene
3. Emeka Okafor
4. Trevor Ariza
5. Bradley Beal
6. Kevin Seraphin
7. Trevor Booker
8. Jordan Crawford
9. Jan Vesely
10. Chris Singleton
11. Martell Webster
12. A.J. Price
13. Cartier Martin
14. Jannero Pargo
15. Earl Barron