Josh Howard

The Wizards will re-sign forward Josh Howard, according to a source.

Washington acquired Howard along with Drew Gooden, James Singleton and Quinton Ross in a February trade with Dallas.

Howard will sign a one-year worth close to $4 million deal with the Wizards.

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Gilbert Arenas

Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas still wants to change his jersey number, but he wants something other than No. 6.

“He would like a different number than new number 6 – more as it develops,” new Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said.

Arenas has worn No. 0 since college, but the NBA said in March that he had filed paperwork ahead a league deadline to switch to No. 6 for the 2010-11 season.

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Yi Jianlian

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has acquired Yi Jianlian and cash considerations from the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Quinton Ross.

“This trade is a good opportunity to add a skilled seven-footer with significant NBA experience who was the sixth overall pick in the draft just three years ago,” said Grunfeld.

“Yi fits in very well with our ongoing plan of building towards the future with a core of young, talented players.”

Inside Hoops

Gilbert Arenas

A person with knowledge of the Magic’s plans said a trade for Gilbert Arenas, the one-time superstar whose reputation took a massive hit with his gun suspension last season, remains a “definite possibility.”

Smith has a good relationship with Arenas, but a stumbling block could be the fact that Dwight Howard is not sure whether Arenas would fit in.

If Howard gets the answers he is looking for, there could be legs to the Arenas-to-Orlando scenario.

CBS Sports

Kirk Hinrich

The Chicago Bulls have a deal in place that would move Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick to the Washington Wizards, freeing up enough cap space to pursue two maximum-salary players in this summer’s free-agent market.

The Bulls would receive a future second-round pick, The Associated Press reported, citing a person familiar with the negotiations.

The deal can not officially be consummated until July 8, when the Wizards will have room under the salary cap to absorb Hinrich’s $9 million contract without having to send back anything of similar value.

ESPN.com

David Stern, John Wall

John Wall is heading to Washington, and a record number of Kentucky teammates are following him to the NBA.

Wall went to the Wizards with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Thursday and four more Wildcats were among the top 30 selections, making them the first school ever to put five players in the first round.

After falling short of the Final Four even with all that talent around him, Wall is ready to help Washington bounce back from a season that was embarrassing on the court and in the locker room.

ESPN.com

Flip Saunders

Wizards coach Flip Saunders believes his team will hold onto the No. 1 overall pick and select Kentucky’s John Wall.

“Dwight Howard comes along only once every 10 years,” Saunders said Tuesday.

“You can have good big men, but if you don’t have guard play, it doesn’t help you. Point guards keep you in games.”

Saunders added that he and his staff see Wall as a pure point guard, perhaps one that could change the position.

“He might revolutionize the point guard position because of his athleticism, but he has an extremely intelligent mind-set as far as running a team,” he said.

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Gilbert Arenas

According to sources, the Wizards are committed to removing Gilbert Arenas from the roster before next season.

Another source added that the team will “definitely consider buying out” Arenas’ contract if he cannot be traded.

The Wizards will select John Wall with the first overall pick the team will do everything in their power to make sure that Wall is never in the same locker room as Arenas.

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Mike Miller

The Wizards used the fifth pick to trade for Mike Miller and Randy Foye last offseason, but they have no plans to move their lottery pick this year.

Washington has the fifth-best chance (10.3%) of landing the No. 1 overall pick at the NBA’s Draft Lottery on Tuesday night.

“Absolutely, this year’s pick is going to be with us for quite some time. It’s one of the building blocks,” general manager Ernie Grunfeld said.

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