Report: Wizards sending group to Poland to try to re-sign Marcin Gortat
The Washington Wizards are moving quickly to re-sign their lovable 6-foot-11 center, sending a team contingent to Poland to try and convince Marcin Gortat to re-up with the team.
Their approach to Gortat is being called a "full-court press" by CSN Washington:
Now that the NBA draft is over, the full-court press is on to convince Marcin Gortat to remain with the Wizards, who are sending a contingent to Poland before the free-agent negotiation period opens July 1, CSNwashington.com has confirmed with multiple persons with knowledge of the situation.
Coach Randy Wittman and Tommy Sheppard, senior vice president of basketball operations, are leaving Friday to visit Gortat who has been coordinating basketball camps across his homeland. Wizards assistant coach Pat Sullivan already has been there assisting Gortat, who is coming off one of his best seasons as a pro -- and his first in Washington -- with 13.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Gortat was acquired on the eve of the 2013-14 NBA season as part of the return for Emeka Okafor and appeared in 81 games. He averaged 13.2 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 54.2 percent from the floor, representing a nice complement to power forward Nene.
The Wizards had more success this season than they've experienced in some time, reaching the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004-05. Gortat and Trevor Ariza are both unrestricted free agents, and while the Wizards have cap room, that may disappear if both players receive raises on the $7.7 million they earned this past season.
[Dap EOB]