Top Stories of the Week: Otto Porter returns as NBA Summer League action starts

Hope everyone enjoyed the Fourth of July last Tuesday! Now that the major story of the offseason has resolved itself,. let’s go through the stories from the week that was:

Otto Porter is back with the Wizards

It took a little longer than we would have liked, but Otto Porter is back with the Wizards, and he’s on a max contract.

Unlike Bradley Beal and John Wall, however, Porter got his max deal by signing an offer sheet with the Brooklyn Nets as a restricted free agent. He also only has a four year deal worth $106 million, with a player option on the fourth year. Given that the Wizards have intended on keeping their well-performing young players since the beginning, this shouldn’t be a surprise.

There are certainly many folks who have chimed in whether Porter is really a max player or not in the past week.

Kevin Broom and Ben Becker gave their analysis last Tuesday detailing why Porter deserves the contract. In a nutshell, Porter is a very efficient shooter, skilled on both ends of the ball, and stays out of drama. He is also able to make a positive impact despite not having a high usage rate.

When Porter signed his offer with Brooklyn, there were some community members who suggested that the Wizards should just let him go to New York City. After all, there’s always a chance that the Wizards may just say, “Hey, that max deal isn’t worth the long term cap hit.” And some folks were wondering why Porter wouldn’t agree to take less money for the sake of salary cap space.

gavalon55 wrote a FanPost that detailed why we can’t blame Porter for wanting a max salary. There are teams who will take a gamble on an up and coming player like Porter and hope he grows into the role. The Nets are an example of such a team. However, the Nets — like the Wizards — have no first round draft picks to bring on their team. But unlike the Wizards, the Nets are devoid of a legitimate franchise star and playoff-caliber talent. This is is the only tool they have to accelerate, or even start, their rebuild.

At the end of the day, I’m happy that Otto Porter is back. He’s a low-drama guy, but also very effective within the Wizards’ system. Once again, welcome back!

Wizards Summer League action begins

Now that July 4 has come and gone, that means Summer League is upon us. The Wizards announced their Summer League roster last Wednesday, but they cut Max Hooper, Jake Whitacre’s cult favorite before their first game on Saturday:

You’d think that the “Summer Wizards” would try to win one for the Hooper. But they lost, 91-88. They’ll face the Summer League Miami Heat on Monday.

That said, even though the Wizards cut Max Hooper the basketball player, they did make Otto Porter a max hooper. So things have a way of even-ing themselves out.

Elena Delle Donne calls out on Lonzo Ball’s shoes in Summer League

The Mystics’ franchise player made light of Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Lonzo Ball’s shoes on Friday night:

That ultimately caused some social media controversy for the Mystics star, since you can interpret it as EDD wanting to see Ball get injured out on the court. If you aren’t totally aware already, Delle Donne has Lyme Disease, and periodic flare ups cause her to miss a week or two of game action at a time when they happen. Since EDD herself is prone to missing games, I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt on this issue.

Jamal Crawford considered the Wizards but signed with the Timberwolves anyway

John Wall is known for helping deliver players big contracts because they find open looks when he’s on the floor. Perhaps he used this pitch to prospective free agents, including Jamal Crawford who was waived by the Hawks after the Clippers traded him there.

That said, he signed with the Timberwolves anyway, where he can continue his legacy as a Wiz-Killer extraordinaire. Maybe the summer prospect of seeing Maya Moore and the Lynx beat Elena Delle Donne, Emma Meesseman and the Mystics. That hurt man. :(

Bye Bye, Bogey

Bojan Bogdanovic did get a qualifying offer from the Wizards when free agency started last week. However, the Wizards rescinded their qualifying offer last week, paving the way for him to sign a lucrative two year deal with the Pacers. We will always remember him for his early mid season success in Washington, and for giving John Wall a head rub as a sign of thanks for his new deal:

And some more links

• Kelly Oubre has adjusted his shooting form for next year, according to his trainer Drew Hanlen:

• Neil Greenberg of The Washington Post writes that Otto Porter is still underpaid with a max extension.
• Jen Smith of Wiz of Awes writes about the Wizards’ new dilemma in the luxury tax now that Otto’s back.
• And John Wall’s giving us updates on his work at the gym this summer:

Alright, that’s enough from me after a big week of Wizards news. Have another link you’d like to share? Feel free to do so as a FanPost or in the comments.

Enjoy the dog days of summer!