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If you thought the Wizards' roster set after the trading for Markieff Morris and signing J.J. Hickson, think again. The Wizards are reportedly set to waive Gary Neal (who hasn't played since February 6), and bring in Marcus Thornton, who the Rockets waived last month.
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 (@ESPNSteinLine) March 9, 2016
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
Thornton's deal is for the minimum and for the remainder of the season.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgeccastillo) March 9, 2016
Simply put, this is Wizards replacing an injured, shoot-first guard who struggles defensively with a healthy shoot-first guard who struggles defensively. If you take a look at their numbers this season, they're very, very similar.
Thornton won't move the needle any more than Neal did during his time as a Wizard. That said, given the team's injuries on the wing and Anderson's minutes restriction, they desperately needed another healthy body to come in and take some minutes to help the Wizards stay in the hunt for the playoffs.