After the Detroit Pistons rescinded their trade with the Rockets, Donatas Motiejunas returned to Houston. Marcus Thornton, however, ended up getting waived. There were rumors Thornton was heading to another playoff team like the Miami Heat, but according to ESPN's Marc Stein, he will instead be heading to a team that's trying to make the postseason in the Washington Wizards.
To make room for Thornton, Stein reports that the Wizards will reportedly waive Gary Neal, who appeared in 40 games for Washington and averaged 9.8 points in 20.2 minutes a game. Neal has been dealing with a nagging leg injury that has limited him all season, and forced him out of the Wizards' lineup for the last 14 games. So with Neal continuously out and Bradley Beal being injured, the Wizards have signed Thornton for the rest of the season to provide some depth at the shooting guard spot.
Thornton is a streaky shooter who is able to catch fire in an instant and quickly put up points. He averaged 10 points in 18.8 minutes in Houston and should be just fine with the Wizards. Thornton is not a game changer though and is not a real upgrade over Neal. Still, Thornton will help the Wizards weather the absence of Beal as they try to make the postseason for the third straight season.
