The Wizards had already committed to power forward Andray Blatche and center JaVale McGee last year, opening the door for each of them when the roster was dismantled at the trade deadline and in particular, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood were both dealt to Dallas.
But with labor uncertainty looming over the 2011-12 season, the Wizards have committed to the frontcourt pair even further by signing Blatche to a contract extension and picking up a team option on McGee’s contract.
Blatche, 24, had previously been signed through the end of next season, earning $3.26 million this year and $3.52 million next year. The expectations for him are high for him heading into his sixth NBA season after he averaged 22.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals after the All-Star break last year. It was the first time in his career that he was truly the starting power forward, having essentially been Jamison’s backup for the first four and a half years of his pro career. It remains to be seen how much Blatche has been set back, if at all, by the broken foot he suffered in June.
McGee, 22, gets another year on his original rookie year. He’s had two good summers in a row, getting invites to the USA Basketball setup twice in a row after starring in Las Vegas Summer League. McGee’s production also increased after the All-Star break last season, jumping to 10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. His overall production has been about the same over his first two seasons: 6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.0 block as a rookie and 6.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in his sophomore campaign.
From the official release: “Andray and JaVale are two pieces that we feel can solidify our frontcourt for years to come and extending their contracts certainly fits in with our long-term plan of rebuilding this team with a core of young, talented players,” said Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld. “Both players performed very well over the second half of last season and we’re confident that they will continue to develop and build on the potential and promise that they have shown throughout the beginning stages of their careers.”
