Wizards at Magic
Where » Amway Arena, Orlando
When » Friday, 7 p.m.
TV » Comcast SportsNet +
14 Days to go » With the Wizards (16-32) again spiraling downward on the back of consecutive losses thanks to another abysmal fourth quarter Wednesday at New York, the one date Washington now has circled on the calendar is Feb. 18, the NBA’s trade deadline. Antawn Jamison said last week that he did not expect to get moved, but Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood increasingly have surfaced in trade reports.
Tuff Juice back in action » Butler missed the Knicks game as a precaution with a left knee injury but is expected to play Friday against the Magic (33-16). It was another blow for the former All-Star, who has struggled all season to fit in offensively under the system of new Wizards head coach Flip Saunders. According to a source, Butler is most attractive as a trade option only if he is paired with Haywood, whose contract expires this season. Butler has one year remaining on his current deal.
Watching for the weather » Despite the heavy snow expected this weekend, the Wizards game Saturday vs. Atlanta is expected to go ahead as scheduled, with Verizon Center operations personnel expected to spend the night at downtown hotels on Friday. Both the Wizards and the Hawks will fly into Washington late Friday night after their respective games in Orlando and Atlanta.
