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Washington Wizards: Gary Neal Agrees To Terms For 1-Year Deal

By Josh Wilson

Mar 7, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Gary Neal (12) looks on during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center. The Timberwolves won 121-113. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Gary Neal (12) looks on during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center. The Timberwolves won 121-113. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Washington Wizards offseason has already sent a blow to fans’ guts after news came out that Paul Pierce has agreed to terms on a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. His one year with the team brought everyone a lot of joy, and it’s sad to see free agency victimize the team.

Today, however, they’re bouncing back in the market, making moves to acquire new players. Among their deals being discussed, recent reports have come out announcing that shooting guard Gary Neal, formerly of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets will join the team once he can sign and add to their depth.

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Can you ever have too many guards? Bradley Beal works the starting shooting guard spot now, in conjunction with his backcourt mate, John Wall. They do a great job, but can’t play 48 minutes every night.

The deal is for a single year, rated at $2.1 million dollars, as Woj reported first for Yahoo! Sports. It’s short and sweet, but for the time being, he can add a lot to the Wizards bench that is certainly valuable.

He has five years of experience under his belt, and has played on five different teams over the course of his career, moving around this past season from Charlotte’s defensive-minded squad to the Timberwolves.

This move ended up working out well for Neal, as he was able to up his points per game from 9.6 with the Hornets to more than 11 with the Timberwolves. Some have credited this jump to the defensive gameplan that Hornets head coach Steve Clifford likes to apply to his team.

Without a doubt, if an offensive minded game plan catalyzed Neal’s spike in points, Washington is a great place for him to be successful. The team needs offense, and will be lacking a shooter without Pierce around. They’re looking for players who have more range, and Neal brings exactly that to the table.

Sixty-two percent of his shots were past 16 feet last year, showing us that he has some decent range, and is able to help in stretching the offense to allow Wall to work with more space.

All in all, it’s a good move, and some good news for Wizards fans following the sad news of likely losing Pierce to the Clippers.

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