A pair of familiar faces will reportedly be joining the Washington Wizards for training camp. Point guards Toure' Murry and Ish Smith are said to have signed non-guaranteed contracts with training camp invites for the upcoming season.
There are about three weeks before the Wizards begin its 2015-16 season campaign and the team has started completing its attendee roster by signing Murry and Smith. This news comes from Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post who cited a source "familiar with the situation."
Toure' Murry got a 10-day contract last season with the Wizards. He then played for the team at the Las Vegas Summer League. The 25-year-old is seen as a player with the proper size (he is 6'5″ tall) and potential. However, he has yet to really show what he got as he has been repeatedly injured when with the Wizards.
In those two stints, Murry sustained an ankle sprain which derailed him from signing his second 10-day contract with Washington. He was then released prior to the postseason and Will Bynum was signed to take his place. Then in the summer league, he was sidelined due to a groin injury on the eve of the Las Vegas opener.
Ish Smith, the other player expected to show up for the Wizards' training camp, has bounced to and fro several teams for five years. He has played for the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, and most recently, for the Philadelphia 76ers.
In those five years, the 27-year-old plater has averaged a little under 4 points and 3 assists per game. Although those stats are relatively not exceptional, Smith does have some skills that the Wizards may find invaluable. The 6-foot player is said to be one of the fastest, if not the fastest, player in the NBA but he has not found a home in the league as of late. For him to get a spot on the team, he will have to perform impressively during the training camp and preseason.
The Wizards already have 15 guaranteed contracts slated for the upcoming season, so it will be hard for either Toure' Murry or Ish Smith to make the team. If nothing else, both players should help the Wizards maintain the energy and high-level of play throughout training camp.
On September 29, the Washington Wizards are scheduled to begin its training camp at Towson University. The team will spend three days there before completing the camp at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
