Marcus Thornton Signed by Wizards, Gary Neal Released: Latest Comments, Reaction

The Washington Wizards are reportedly signing veteran guard Marcus Thornton, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical and Marc Stein of ESPN.

In a corresponding move, the team will release veteran guard Gary Neal, per Stein.    

Thornton, 28, averaged 10.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 18.8 minutes per game in his 47 appearances with the Houston Rockets this season before being bought out by Houston in late February. In Washington, he'll add valuable depth and scoring off the bench behind John Wall, Bradley Beal and Ramon Sessions.

Neal, meanwhile, has struggled with a leg injury and hasn't appeared in a game for the team since Feb. 6. He's expected to miss at least three more weeks with a quad and hip injuries, per Stein.

Neal, 31, averaged 9.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists with Washington this season.

The Wizards have been very active as they try to get back into playoff contention, also trading for forward Markieff Morris and signing J.J. Hickson. The team is currently in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 games back of the Chicago Bulls, and the team is banking on their recent additions helping to fuel a push to the postseason.

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