The Wizards have re-shuffled their roster a bit, acquiring Tre Mann in a four-team deal that also exits Cam Whitmore and two-way player Julian Reese from DC.
The deal, which includes Washington, Denver, Cleveland, and the Clippers, has the Wizards acquiring Mann, a 2027 second-round pick (from Cleveland, via the Clippers, originally from the Sixers), and cash from Cleveland, while sending Whitmore to L.A. and Reese to the Nuggets.
The centerpiece of the deal was Denver sending Peyton Watson to Cleveland, where he will sign a four-year, $88 million extension.
Mann, 25, was the No. 18 overall pick in 2021, made by the Thunder when Will Dawkins was one of their front office lieutenants. He spent 2 ½ seasons in OKC before being sent to the Hornets, who signed him to a three-year, $24 million deal ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Charlotte dealt Mann to Cleveland for Dennis Schroder earlier this offseason, and Mann will now play the final year of that original deal in DC, reunited with Dawkins. The combo guard has averaged 8.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 234 career contests, and will give Washington another ball-handling backcourt option on a roster that was stacked with wings.
That roster crunch is in part what led to the departure of Whitmore, who was acquired from Houston last summer but played just 21 games – averaging 9.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per – before being taken out of the rotation amidst some Wizards roster shuffles.
Whitmore was later diagnosed with blood clots in his right shoulder, which cost him the remainder of the season, and per Josh Robbins of The Athletic on BMitch & Finlay Thursday, that lost development time combined with the current roster construction meant Whitmore would not get much playing time this season, so ‘it made sense to move him now.’
Reese, whose claim to fame is being the brother of WNBA star Angel Reese, was signed to a two-way deal in February, and the Maryland product averaged an impressive 11.8 points and 10.5 rebounds in 13 games for the Wiz as they went without several key players down the stretch.
The Wiz will add just over $2.5 million in salary going from Whitmore’s $5.45 million to Mann’s $8 million, and now have another two-way roster spot open as well – which could go right back to Reese, as Denver is expected to waive him off of his two-way deal.
