Wesley Johnson Waived by Wizards After 12 Games with Washington

The Washington Wizards announced that they waived veteran swingman Wesley Johnson on Friday.

Johnson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2010 draft, made 12 appearances for the Wizards, averaging 2.8 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. He opened the 2018-19 season with the New Orleans Pelicans, who traded him to the Wizards in February.

Friday's transaction is particularly notable since it's Washington's first move since firing longtime team president Ernie Grunfeld on Tuesday.

As the Wizards' playoff window started closing, Johnson's playing time fell dramatically in the nation's capital. He made just three appearances over what proved to be his final 16 games with the team. With little left to play for, giving the 31-year-old Johnson minutes over a younger player didn't make much sense.

With the regular season ending Wednesday, Johnson's chances of landing on his feet immediately seem slim.

Players waived after March 1 are ineligible to suit up for a new team in the postseason, which eliminates one of the few reasons why another squad might take a flier on him at this stage of the year.