The Washington Wizards continued to fill out their roster Tuesday with the signing of veteran free-agent big man Jason Smith to a three-year contract worth $16 million, according to league sources.
The deal includes a player option after the second year.
Smith, 30, spent last season with the Orlando Magic, where he averaged 7.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in 76 games in what was almost exclusively a reserve role.
A jump-shooting 7-footer, Smith will give the Wizards further depth in their frontcourt after Washington signed Ian Mahinmi and Andrew Nicholson over the weekend to fill in behind incumbent starters Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris.
—Tim Bontemps, The Washington Post
More Wizards: First-year coach Scott Brooks has filled out his staff with assistants Tony Brown, Sidney Lowe, Chad Iske, Mike Terpstra and Maz Trakh. Also joining the staff are Eric Sebastian as director of coaching operations and Kamran Sufi as advance scout. David Adkins (Maryland) remains on staff from the previous administration as the team's director of player personnel. Brown becomes the Wizards' top assistant after spending the past two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, including taking over for Lionel Hollins as interim head coach Jan. 11. Lowe, who starred at DeMatha, comes home after two years as an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves. From 2006 through 2011, Lowe served as head coach at North Carolina State, where he won the national championship in 1983 over Houston in one of the most memorable upsets in college basketball history.
—Gene Wang, The Washington Post
NHL: Restricted free-agent forward Marcus Johansson filed for player-elected arbitration for his next contract with the Washington Capitals before Tuesday's 5 p.m. deadline, while defenseman Dmitry Orlov chose not to do so. Hearings will take place between July 20 and Aug. 4 in Toronto, but in many cases, they're not necessary. Negotiations will typically continue after filing for arbitration; there were 25 arbitration filings last summer, but just eight arbitration hearings were actually held.
—Isabelle Khurshudyan, The Washington Post
College football: Maryland senior cornerback Will Likely was named to the Bednarik Award Watch List, the school announced Tuesday. The Bednarik Award, which is named for former Penn and Philadelphia Eagles standout Chuck Bednarik, is presented annually to college football's defensive player of the year. Last fall, Likely had 44 tackles, four tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and 11 pass breakups. Former Maryland linebacker E.J. Henderson won the Bednarik Award in 2002.
—Daniel Gallen, Baltimore Sun Media Group
College track and field: Robert Etheridge has been named men's and women's coach at Howard Community College. In 2013, Etheridge coached the short sprinters and jumpers on the HCC men's team, which won the National Junior College Athletic Association's Division III national championship. He also has coached at Hammond, winning two Howard and two regional championships, and at his alma mater, Bolton High, in Louisiana.
Paralympic track and field: Markeith Price of Baltimore was among several local athletes named to the U.S. team Sunday. Price, a 2008 graduate of Mount Saint Joseph, won 100-meter dash for the T-13 visually impaired (VI) classification Friday. He was a member of the 2012 U.S. team, for which he placed sixth in the long jump and eighth in the 400 meters. This year he will be competing in the 100 and 400.
Minor league baseball: Frederick Keys outfielder Conor Bierfeldt was named the Carolina League Player of the Week. … Former UMBC first baseman-outfielder Anthony Gatto and pitcher Conrad Wozniak signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League and the Gary (Ind.) Railcats of the independent American Association, respectively.
Ravens: Mississippi rock band 3 Doors Down will headline the Ravens Countdown to Kickoff Party at the Maryland State Fairgrounds on Sept. 9, beginning at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $10 and are available at baltimoreravens.com/CTK.