Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Free agency

The Wizards have eight free agents, including starting shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson and veteran guard-forward Jarvis Hayes. Second-year forward Andray Blatche is a restricted free agent, meaning the Wizards will have every opportunity to keep him.

Free agents who could make sense for the Wizards include: F Gerald Wallace (Charlotte), C DeSagana Diop (Dallas), F Ruben Patterson (Milwaukee), G-F James Posey (Miami) and C Mikki Moore (New Jersey).

Etan Thomas, left, and Brendan Haywood are under contract but either or both players could be moved if the right deal comes along. The issue: Thomas's injury history and contract ($20.5 million remaining through the 2009-10 season) make him tough to trade, while Haywood's relatively small contract ($16.5 million through 2009-10) makes it difficult to receive equal value in a trade.

All-stars Gilbert Arenas, right, and Caron Butler are recovering, respectively, from the knee and hand injuries that ended their seasons early, but they are expected to fully recover in time for training camp. F Darius Songaila will have a full offseason to regain conditioning and strength after undergoing back surgery in November, and F Antawn Jamison will not play with the U.S. national team so he can be fresh for next season.