ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Adrian Wojnarowski are reporting that Washington Wizards‘ forward Davis Bertans has chosen to sit out the NBA’s return next month in Orlando.
Washington Wizards’ Davis Bertans sitting out NBA Playoffs in Orlando
Davis Bertans is First to Announce he will Sit Out in Orlando
Bertans becomes the first NBA player to come out and say he will not be participating next month. The announcement comes after a season where Bertans posted career-highs in points and minutes. At 27-years old, Bertans is looking for his first big contract this offseason. He may view a return in Orlando as a potential injury risk. He previously has had two surgeries to repair torn ACLs.
The Wizards will certainly miss Bertans 15.9 points per game as they look to advance past the seeding games in Orlando. He proved to be one of the NBA’s most valuable sixth men this season. His growth as a player was due in part to his 42 percent three-point shooting this season.
Bertans was acquired via trade from the San Antonio Spurs before the 2019-20 season. The Wizards will certainly make a push to sign him as an unrestricted free agent this summer, especially given his recent improvement. The market for free agents this offseason will certainly look different than years past, due mainly to financial concerns surrounding coronavirus.
Players have until June 24th to opt-out of Orlando return
Bertans is the first NBA player to bow out of the league’s Orlando return. There is speculation however that he may not be the only one. There are several fears amongst those skeptical about the return. Those fears include the rising number of coronavirus cases in Florida, potential injury concerns, and impending free agency.
The league has given players until Wednesday, June 24th to notify their teams that they do not plan to take part in the restart. If a player chooses not to play in Orlando they will lose 1/92.6 of their season compensation for every game missed. Bertans will be losing approximately $604,752 this season if the Wizards do not advance out of the qualifying stages.
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