1999–2000 Washington Wizards season

The 1999–2000 Washington Wizards season was the 39th season for the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association, and their 27th season in Washington, D.C.^[1] The Wizards received the seventh overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, and selected shooting guard Richard Hamilton from the University of Connecticut.^[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team acquired Isaac Austin from the Orlando Magic,^[5][6][7] signed free agents Aaron Williams, Michael Smith and second-year forward Gerard King,^[8][9] and hired Gar Heard as their new head coach.^[10] In January, retired All-Star guard, and former Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan joined the Wizards as the team's vice president.^[11][12][13]

Under Heard and with the addition of Hamilton, Austin, Williams and Smith, the Wizards continued to struggle posting a seven-game losing streak in November, losing seven of their first eight games of the regular season, and later on holding a 15–34 record at the All-Star break.^[14] Heard was fired as head coach after a 14–30 start to the season, and was replaced with Darrell Walker,^[15] while the team signed free agent Don Reid, who was previously released by the Detroit Pistons.^[16] Despite posting a solid 10–7 record in March, the Wizards finished in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 29–53 record.^[17]

Mitch Richmond averaged 17.4 points and 1.5 steals per game, while Juwan Howard averaged 14.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, and Rod Strickland provided the team with 12.6 points, 7.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game. In addition, off the bench, sixth man Tracy Murray contributed 10.2 points per game and led the Wizards with 113 three-point field goals, while Hamilton contributed 9.0 points per game, and Chris Whitney provided with 7.8 points and 3.8 assists per game. On the defensive side, second-year center Jahidi White averaged 7.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while Williams provided with 7.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game off the bench, Smith contributed 6.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, but only played just 46 games due to an elbow injury,^[18] and King averaged 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.^[19]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at The Arena in Oakland in Oakland, California, Hamilton participated in the NBA 2Ball Competition, along with Chamique Holdsclaw of the WNBA's Washington Mystics.^[20][21] The Wizards finished 21st in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 616,593 at the MCI Center during the regular season.^[19][22]

Following the season, Austin was traded to the Vancouver Grizzlies,^[23][24] while Murray was traded to the Denver Nuggets,^[25][26] Williams signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Nets,^[27] Reid signed with the Orlando Magic,^[28] and Walker was fired as head coach.^[29]