Blake Wesley Should Get Another Shot At Making An NBA Roster
After getting traded to the Washington Wizards via way of the San Antonio Spurs, Blake Wesley has been waived, and is now a free agent.
The 6'5 combo guard has three years of NBA experience, but is only 22 years old which means teams should be giving him a look.
Athletic firecracker
While Wesley never carved out a real role in San Antonio, there's no questioning his athletic ability, or aggressive playing style.
The Notre Dame product is relentless in attacking the rim, and putting pressure on defenders who are back-peddling to get in position.
One would think the Wizards, who are rebuilding, could use a player like him, but given how they're committed to the development of Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson, clearly the organization felt as though they couldn't juggle more projects.
Because at the end of the day, Wesley is a project, three years of experience or not. He's yet to string together long stretches of consistent production, even despite his aforementioned athletic prowess.
Finding a new home
Given the 22-year-old's pressing need for development minutes, he and his representation should clearly seek opportunities with teams that are both young, and somewhat low on guards.
The Charlotte Hornets would make some sense, especially as LaMelo Ball is often injured, and recently-acquired Collin Sexton is more of a scorer.
The Phoenix Suns, while not a team that's rebuilding, is short on point guards - and plenty heavy on off-guards - which could be another interesting situation, assuming Wesley can even crack the rotation on a team that's clearly trying to be competitive.
Finally, there are the Brooklyn Nets. The organization is currently relying on two international rookie point guards, so to have Wesley around in their back pocket wouldn't be the worst idea in the world.
Wesley does offer 156 games of experience, and on the Nets he should be able to get minutes. The team is clearly rebuilding, meaning a 22-year-old should be right within their wheelhouse.
Regardless of the destination, Wesley is too intriguing to not get one more crack at the big stage.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New Raiders coach Pete Carroll confident they are 'gonna win a bunch' this season after recent struggles
Pete Carroll isn't holding back on how great he thinks the Raiders are going to be this fall. The longtime coach is now leading the way in Las Vegas, and he's extremely confident that he'll turn the franchise around, and quickly. 'We gotta win a ton. We've gotta win a bunch of games … I've been winning 10 games a year for 20 years or something now,' Carroll said on Tuesday. 'What are my expectations? We're gonna win bunch, and I don't care who hears that. It doesn't matter to me.' Now, it's easy to want to ignore a coach speaking this way at the start of training camp. Honestly, it'd be way more surprising if a coach wasn't exuding confidence at this point of the season. Advertisement [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] But Carroll is taking over a franchise that has been in, well, turmoil for years now. After 14 seasons and a Super Bowl win with the Seattle Seahawks, Carroll split with the franchise after the 2023 campaign. He was then hired to replace Antonio Pierce in Las Vegas in January, which makes him the team's fifth head coach over the last five seasons. They also parted with general manager Tom Telesco after just one season, too. The Raiders went just 4-13 last season and finished last in their division. They've made the playoffs just once over the last eight years, and they haven't won a postseason game since their run to the Super Bowl during the 2002 campaign. So the Raiders opted to bring in Carroll to try and right the ship. Based on his track record — he had a stretch where the Seahawks won double-digit games eight times over nine seasons, and he missed the playoffs just four times in Seattle — it's a decent strategy. Carroll brought in Chip Kelly to be his offensive coordinator, too. The pair will start to build an offense around quarterback Geno Smith and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, among others. The Raiders struck deals with veteran safety Jamal Adams and cornerback J.T. Woods on Tuesday afternoon, too, which should only bolster their defense. Advertisement The Raiders have plenty of work to do to legitimately turn things around. But, at least at the start of camp, there's reason to believe they are on the right path. And Carroll has no doubt that he'll get his new group there.
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
49ers receiver Jauan Jennings reports to training camp seeking a new contract
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Jauan Jennings reported to training camp for the San Francisco 49ers as he seeks a new contract and the team expects him to be on the field when practice begins on Wednesday. General manager John Lynch said Tuesday that Jennings passed a physical when he reported for camp this week. Advertisement 'I anticipate him being out there,' Lynch said. 'You guys know our feelings on JJ. He embodies what we think a Niner is all about. He plays the right way and we love him. We're not going to get into the contract talks and all that. That takes care of itself. We love him and he's here.' Coach Kyle Shanahan said Jennings hasn't formally requested a trade. Jennings is entering the final season of a two-year, $15.4 million contract and is seeking a long-term extension before the season. Shanahan said he would like to be able to reach an extension with both Jennings and right tackle Colton McKivitz before the season. 'The way they feel about us is the same way we feel about them,' Shanahan said. 'That's the easy part. The hard part is the business side.' Advertisement The Niners were hoping to avoid the contract distractions this summer after dealing with disputes with Nick Bosa, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams the past two seasons that kept all of them out of training camp practices. They reached extensions early in the offseason with stars Brock Purdy, Fred Warner and George Kittle, but now have a potential issue with Jennings. The 2020 seventh-round pick has emerged as one of Purdy's most trusted options at wide receiver after having 77 catches for 975 yards and six TDs last season. With Deebo Samuel having been traded to Washington in March and Aiyuk working back from a knee injury, Jennings has a big role this season. 'It's extremely important obviously,' Purdy said about having Jennings at practice. 'I love JJ and what he brings to our team. Obviously we've had so much success together and anytime you see something like this going on, as a player let's figure out something so we can get back on the field.' Advertisement Injury updates The Niners have several players starting camp in injury lists with the only expected long-term absences coming from players dealing with ACL injuries: Aiyuk, safety Malik Mustapha, linebacker Curtis Robinson and rookie quarterback Kurtis Rourke. Lynch said those players will likely start the season on injured lists but is hopeful they can return some time during the first half of the season. Receiver Ricky Pearsall, defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos and offensive lineman Andre Dillard all will start camp on the physically unable to perform list but are expected back on the field soon. Advertisement Ben Bartch, who is in the mix to start at left guard, will also miss at least the first three days of camp on the non-football injury list after injuring his quadriceps working out on his own. Running back Christian McCaffrey and Williams are both 'here and healthy,' Shanahan said, but their work loads will be managed through camp after dealing with injuries last season. Roster move With questions at receiver, the Niners signed Equanimeous St. Brown to add depth at the position following a tryout on Monday that featured six receivers. St. Brown, the brother of Detroit star Amon-Ra St. Brown, has 63 catches for 928 yards in 62 career games for Green Bay, Chicago and New Orleans. ___ AP NFL:
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tyrann Mathieu announces retirement after standout NFL career
The Honey Badger is calling it quits. Tyrann Mathieu announced Tuesday that he's retiring from football at 33 years old. Mathieu played 12 seasons as a playmaking NFL safety following a standout college career at LSU. He played his last three NFL seasons with his hometown New Orleans Saints. Advertisement At his best, Mathieu was a dynamic defender and one of the best coverage safeties in football. He made three Pro Bowls and was a three-time first-team All-Pro. Mathieu announced his retirement on Instagram. "As I hang up my cleats, I'm filled with gratitude as I close this chapter of my life and officially retire from the game that's shaped me in every way," Mathieu wrote. "From my first snap in college to my final play in the NFL, this journey has been nothing short of a blessing. Football gave me purpose, discipline, and memories that will stay with me forever. But more than anything, it gave me a community." [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] It's unclear if anything specific prompted Mathieu's retirement or if he was just ready to call it a career after 12 NFL seasons. He restructured his contract with the Saints in March and was slated to play this season on what amounted to a one-year, $4 million deal. Tyrann Mathieu is retiring following a standout 12-season NFL career. (Chris Graythen via Getty Images) Mathieu was an All-American at LSU before being selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He dropped to the third round in part because of his dismissal from LSU for a violation of team rules. LSU head coach Les Miles later called his decision to dismiss Mathieu "one of the worst things I've ever done." Advertisement Mathieu quickly paid off on Arizona's investment in him. Mathieu finished fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2013. By his third NFL season, Mathieu was a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro. After five seasons with the Cardinals, Mathieu played a single season with the Houston Texans before a three-season stint with the Kansas City Chiefs in which he won a Super Bowl and was twice named first-team All-Pro. Mathieu then joined his hometown Saints in 2022 and played his final three NFL seasons in New Orleans. He finishes his career with 36 interceptions, 11 sacks, eight fumble recoveries, seven forced fumbles and 838 total tackles.
