The Washington Wizards have waived Melvin Ely.

Ely was acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason to help facilitate the Trevor Ariza to the Houston Rockets deal.

Ely spent most of the 13-14 season in the D-League before signing with the Pelicans in April to finish the campaign on a non-guaranteed contract.

Kevin Durant spoke extensively on Tuesday about his 2016 free agency for the first time.

Durant made it clear that he will put himself first when choosing his future.

“I’m going to do what’s best for me,” Durant told reporters in Las Vegas. “It’s hard to talk about that right now when I’ve got two years left in Oklahoma City. I’m just going to focus on that. I’m not going to make a decision based on what anybody else does.”

Durant is focused on the present, yet refused to rule out anything in the future.

Durant has been linked to the Washington Wizards in 2016.

“Look, we going to put it out on tape. It’s been talked about,” Durant said when asked about signing with his hometown Wizards. “Everybody’s asked me about it every time I go on Instagram or Twitter. All my friends ask me about it. So I’m not going to sit here and act like I’m naïve to the fact that people think about that stuff. But I just tell everybody that I’m here in Oklahoma City. I love it here. Who knows what will happen. I never close the door on anything. But I like where I’m at right now. So I can’t answer that question.”

Durant signed a full five-year extension in 2010 rather than insisting on a player option that would have allowed him to become a free agent earlier in his career.

“To be honest, I just didn’t know. I was 21. I didn’t know,” Durant said. “Obviously, when you sign a deal you want to have the best options for yourself, the best flexibility for yourself. But I loved Oklahoma City so much I just wanted to dedicate and show them that I’m all about the team."

DeJuan Blair has agreed upon a three-year, $6 million deal with the Washington Wizards.

The third season on Blair's deal will be a team option.

Blair spent last season with the Dallas Mavericks.

The Washington Wizards recently hired David Adkins as a player development assistant. Adkns will fill the vacancy created by the departure of Ryan Saunders.

Adkins was an assistant for Brenda Frese with the University of Maryland's women's basketball team for the past five seasons.

Adkins was a longtime high school boys' basketball assistant coach at DeMatha and Montrose Christian. Adkins has worked with Kevin Durant, Greivis Vasquez and Victor Oladipo.

Stephen A. Smith said recently on the radio that he's heard that the Wizards are the only team Durant would consider leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder to join. Marc Stein also reports that the decision to hire Adkins is another sign that the Wizards may be preparing a run at Durant in 2016.

Kevin Durant will be a free agent in 2016 and appears unlikely to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Stephen A. Smith believes the Washington Wizards would be the only team that is strongly considered.

Durant grew up in the Washington D.C. area and they have an interesting core in John Wall, Bradley Beal, Nene and Marcin Gortat.

“I don’t think anybody, to be quite honest with you,” Smith said. “Obviously the New York Knicks would be in the mix and what have you. But there are folks that I’ve spoken to that are relatively close to Kevin Durant that tell me if he were to decide to leave Oklahoma City, it would be for the nation’s capital. That’s the kind of dude he is. That’s a place that he would consider.

“I certainly don’t want to sit here as a reporter and insider and try to give indications that he’s planning on leaving Oklahoma City,” Smith said. “I don’t know that to be sure. I don’t know that to be the case. But I was told that if there is a team that would be strongly considered, it is the Washington Wizards, and him returning home.”

Kris Humphries has agreed upon a three-year, $13 million deal with the Washington Wizards.

Humphries spent last season with the Boston Celtics.

Trevor Booker has agreed upon a deal with the Utah Jazz.

Booker averaged 21.6 minutes in 72 games (45 starts) last season with the Washington Wizards, averaging 6.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

Booker was the 23rd overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft.

Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the deal is worth $10 million over two seasons.

Paul Pierce became an option for the Washington Wizards in free agency following the surprising departure of Jason Kidd, according to sources.

The Wizards sent Sam Cassell to meet with Pierce in Las Vegas, as the two were formerly teammates with the Boston Celtics. Cassell is an assistant coach for the Wizards.

Marcin Gortat, John Wall and other Wizards sent Pierce texts and also placed calls.

The Wizards turned to Pierce when they stood firm on their price for Trevor Ariza.

Paul Pierce will sign with the Washington Wizards on a two-year deal at the mid-level exception for $10 million. The second season will be a player option.

The Wizards were on the market for a small forward following the departure of Trevor Ariza.

Pierce spent last season with the Brooklyn Nets.

Tim Bontemps of the New York Post reports that the Nets were given the opportunity to re-sign Pierce, but passed. The Nets would have had to pay upwards of $20 million in luxury taxes to re-sign Pierce.

The Houston Rockets have agreed upon terms with Trevor Ariza on a four-year, $32 million deal.

Ariza's contract contains declining salaries of $8.6 million, $8.2 million, $7.8 million and $7.4 million, which helps the Rockets' flexibility for the summer of 2016.

Ariza was most recently with the Washington Wizards and was previously a member of the Rockets.