Throughout last season, Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard said Washington would do what was necessary to keep sharpshooter Davis Bertans in the District for the foreseeable future.
And when free agency opened Friday, he did just that.
The Wizards and Bertans agreed on a five-year, $80 million contract, according to multiple reports — a massive deal for the 28-year-old. Washington acquired Bertans in the summer of 2019 from the San Antonio Spurs, a trade that’s now seen as a steal for Washington.
After arriving in Washington, Bertans enjoyed a career-year in which he averaged 15.4 points per game to be the Wizards’ second-leading scorer behind Bradley Beal. His marquee skill is shooting from beyond the arc, where he made 42.4% of his attempts — sixth-best in the NBA.
Bertans re-joins a crowded Wizards front-court with Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija, the latter of whom was the ninth pick in this year’s draft. Coach Scott Brooks used Bertans in a sixth-man role, though the Wizards often closed games with the Latvian on the floor.
Washington originally gave up the draft rights to forward Aaron White in a three-team trade to get Bertans — who San Antonio moved to create cap space for forward Marcus Morris, who later backed out of a verbal agreement with the Spurs to sign with the New York Knicks instead.
ESPN first reported the news of Bertans’ contract.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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