The depleted Washington Wizards have applied for a hardship exception due to the fact that they have five different players with separate injuries, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic:
The Wizards have applied for a hardship exception, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA. Exception would allow the team to go over the max of 15 players to sign someone for temporary help, since they now have 5 guys hurt. Need 4 players to miss 3-plus games to apply for hardship.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) December 11, 2019
Katz added that the Wizards will have 48 hours to sign any given player if the application is approved.
The Wizards are readying their application now. If they get granted it, they will have 48 hours to sign someone. Once they narrow down someone to sign, they’ll make it official.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) December 11, 2019
The Wizards have been increasingly desperate to navigate roster restrictions since the summer.
They filed for a Disabled Player Exception with respect to John Wall back in July, citing the notion that he very well could miss the entire 2019-20 season (via Keely Diven of NBC Sports Washington):
Wall underwent surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon on January 8, 2019.
At the NBA Awards, he told NBC Sports Washington's Chris Miller that he expected to begin jogging in two weeks, but the recovery timeline for a ruptured Achilles could hold Wall out all of next season.
Wizards owner Ted Leonsis insisted in May that no one would rush Wall back onto the court, whether that would cost him a whole NBA season or not.
That was the second time that the Wizards have applied for a DPE with respect to Wall, though the said request was almost immediately denied by the NBA.
Washington has a better case this time around. Wall is on the shelf for the foreseeable future. The same can be said for C.J. Miles. Meanwhile, Isaiah Thomas, Jordan McRae and Thomas Bryant will all miss at least another week with separate maladies.
The Wizards have dug deep into their reserves, with both Moritz Wagner and Isaac Bonga earning starts. However, if the application is accepted, help will soon be on the way.
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