Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has re-signed forward Andray Blatche. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Blatche (6-11, 248) averaged 3.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 56 games last season. In 13 games started, he posted 6.9 points (on 50% shooting from the field), 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 23.1 minutes per game. He also scored in double figures six times and had three games with 10 or more rebounds.

“We are encouraged with Andray’s development and we feel he has a very good upside,” Grunfeld said. “He stepped into the starting lineup on a number of occasions last season and did a solid job in filling in for the injured Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison. He is a young and promising talent who has shown that he can be a solid contributor to our team.”

NOTE: This is my final post as Managing Editor for the Wizards website/blog as I pursue new career opportunities outside the NBA. I’d like to thank you all for supporting the team and our websites (particularly this blog) the past season(s). I look forward to running into you online as I make the transition from blog-master to blog-member. The blog will continue to run alive and well and in the coming months new people will be introduced as bloggers. In the meantime, Will (aka FantasticWiz) is going to take over blogging duties.

Best wishes to you all - Eric

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has acquired a future first round draft pick from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the rights to Juan Carlos Navarro.

“We’re pleased to acquire a first round pick, which gives us an additional asset,” said Grunfeld. “Our backcourt, led by Gilbert Arenas, DeShawn Stevenson, Antonio Daniels and our recent draft pick Nick Young, is deep and versatile. By trading the rights to Juan Carlos Navarro – a former second round pick of the Wizards – we have greater flexibility to build our team.”

Navarro was originally drafted by the Wizards with the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft.

According to several reports, Barcelona, Navarro’s current team, has imposed a deadline of Aug. 3 for the Wizards to complete a deal. That means the Wizards will have to decide until the end of next week whether to sign guard Juan Carlos Navarro or trade his NBA rights to another team.

In today’s Washington Post’s report, eight teams have contacted with the Wizards with interest in acquiring Navarro, including the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies, so far, no offers have been to the liking of Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld.

Now that Mo Williams chose Bew City over South Beach, the Heat has more reasons to pursue Navarro. Accorrding to Navarro’s agent, Alex Saratsis, the Heat remains “a solid possibility” for the point guard if the Washington Wizards trade his rights. The two teams are in active negotiations, according to a report from South Florida Sun-Sentinel. According to the official press release from the Miami Heat, they have signed free agent guard Smush Parker.

The Spanish team that Navarro played for has dropped his buyout number from $14 million to $3 million. However, if no deal is done between the Wizards and a team pursuing him, Barcelona will sign him to a new contract, and his buyout number will be prohibitive, at least $14 million again.

The bottomline is that he will not be playing in Washington. The Wizards are over the cap and only could have signed Navarro with money from their mid-level exception. Most of that money has now been given to DeShawn Stevenson, and the team still has to sign Andray Blatche.

So if Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld does not see a reasonable deal from teams like Memphis and Miami before Aug. 3, it might end up with Navarro playing his professional ball in Spain for a forseeable future.

Now with the clock ticking down and a complicated decision to make involving Barcelona, Navarro (and his agent), the Wizards and the team pursuing him, what do you think the Wizards will get before the deadline? Is the pressure on Navarro or Grunfeld?

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced Monday that the team has re-signed guard DeShawn Stevenson. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

In his first season with Washington, Stevenson averaged 11.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and a career-high 2.7 assists in 82 games played. He also registered career-highs in field goal percentage (.461) and three-point field goal percentage (.404), and made a career-best 74 three-pointers.

As the only Wizards player to have started all 82 regular season games in 2006-07, Stevenson extended his streak to 168 consecutive game started; the third-longest active streak in the NBA behind only San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen and Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS PRESIDENT ERNIE GRUNFELD
On re-signing DeShawn Stevenson:
“We really wanted to keep this team together. DeShawn is one of our starters and an important part of our team. We plan to have a very successful year with him as our starting shooting guard.”

On Stevenson’s importance to the Wizards:
“We felt that last year when our season was going very well, he was a big part of that. He is a tough, hard-nosed competitor; he gets along well with his teammates and is a great asset to the team.”

On Stevenson’s role with the Wizards last season:
“I think his toughness and his professionalism were outstanding. He never took a day off and he competed every day, not only in games, but also in practice situations. He accepted the role that the coaching staff had for him, and he never complained about anything, and the only thing that he was interested in was winning.”

HEAD COACH EDDIE JORDAN
On Stevenson re-signing with the Wizards:
“We are all very happy; he is certainly one of the most coachable players I have ever been involved with. He practices every day, plays every game and he helps as many of his teammates as he can.”

On bringing back last year’s starting five players:
“It will be beneficial for our starting five to be familiar with our offense. DeShawn brings a lot of different things to our team and is a great complement to Gilbert (Arenas).”

GUARD DESHAWN STEVENSON
On re-signing with the Wizards:
“I think I made a good decision. I am happy to be back and I think Washington is a good fit for me. I really wanted to stay here because I believe we have a strong starting five, I have great teammates, and this was an easy choice.”

On where he is now compared to last year:
“I did not get the contract I wanted last year and it was tough. I kept my head up and kept playing and it has all worked out. Eddie Jordan gave me a chance to come here and play the way I play, and Ernie did a great job in giving me the opportunity to join the Wizards. Everything we talked about happened, and I had a great year as a part of this team.”

Ivan Carter (Washington Post) and John Mitchell (Washington Times) have reported that the Wizards and DeShawn Stevenson have agreed in principle to a contract.

“DeShawn is excited to be back,” said Stevenson rep Mark Bartelstein to Carter. “He appreciated the way Ernie Grunfeld and the Wizards gave him an opportunity to come in and play last year and he’s looking forward to the future.”

Once anything official comes through the pipelines I’ll be sure to post it. In the meantime, feel free to head to the comments section and post your thoughts.