Wall’s status iffy, so team seeks relief

Wizards have applied for disabled player exception

WASHINGTON — In a clear signal that five-time all-star John Wall could miss the entire 2019-20 season due to his Achilles’ rehabilitation, the Washington Wizards have requested a disabled player exception from the NBA, according to a person familiar with the team’s plans.

When teams apply for the exception, which provides financial flexibility to either sign a free agent, claim a player off waivers or trade for one, the purpose is to replace the roster player who is likely to be sidelined for the season. If a league-appointed doctor deems it’s possible that Wall will miss the full year, Washington will receive about $9 million to use at its discretion.

Receiving the exception doesn’t mean Wall will definitely miss the 2019-20 season. Even if he is ruled eligible to play late into the 82-game season, the Wizards can still keep the player signed with the exception. If the Wizards don’t apply and Wall does not play, however, the team would have squandered an opportunity to help its roster.

Although the Wizards and Wall’s camp have long considered that sitting out the season could be a possibility — and it has not yet been determined that he will be inactive for the entire 82-game schedule — by setting into motion a response for the worst-case scenario, Washington appears to be bracing for a year without Wall.

The move indicates the Wizards are remaining business-minded even as Wall progresses in his rehabilitation. Wall has consistently worked this offseason with Jesse Phillips, the team’s director of rehabilitation. People close to Wall describe the 28-year-old point guard as being in shape and motivated to return to his old form. Wall even recently worked out with Tommy Sheppard, the Wizards’ interim president of basketball operations, in Miami.

Last season, Wall showed glimpses of his aggressive playing style during his ninth season as the team’s franchise player. He was on pace to post his second-best season scoring average at 20.4 points per game. But Wall also sputtered through a game in which he scored a career-low one point and at times, he looked a beat slower while guarding in man-on-man defense.

A quarter into the season, Wall revealed he had been playing with painful bone spurs in his left heel. Eventually, he opted to have surgery. In January, the Wizards petitioned for and received the disabled player exception after Wall underwent the season-ending procedure. A month later, his recovery turned into a nightmare scenario.

The surgery to remove the bone spurs had loosened ligaments in his foot and while walking in his residence, the team said Wall slipped. Though Wall was not aware of it at the time, the fall was significant enough to injure his left Achilles’ tendon.

On Feb. 12, Wall needed a second major surgery and the timeline to return to full activity stretched as long as 15 months, according to orthopedist Wiemi Douoguih, who serves as the Wizards’ director of medical services.

Over the last week, the Wizards have addressed the vacancy at the point guard position. On Monday, the team agreed to terms with two-time all-star Isaiah Thomas, as well as veteran backup Ish Smith. Washington had also expressed interest in Cory Joseph, according to a person with knowledge of the team’s free agency inquiries, but due to limited money and space, the Wizards lost out on Joseph. He committed to a threeyear, $37 million contract with the Sacramento Kings.

Restricted free agent Tomas Satoransky, who started 54 games for the Wizards last season, proved to be too costly. Washington agreed to execute a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls so that the team would receive two future second-round picks while Satoransky gets a three-year, $30 million contract.

With cost-effective veterans now plugged in at the lead guard spot, the Wizards also have rookie Justin Robinson on the depth chart.