HoopsHype.com Rumors

Al Thornton will definitely be a restricted free agent after this season. Billy Duffy, Thorton's agent, said on Tuesday that his client would not sign an extension by next Monday's deadline. "I think Al's about to go to a whole other level and I think the way he's perceived right now, I think there is going to be an ability to enhance his reputation around the league and within that organization," Duffy said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. "I don't think he's had enough time there to really demonstrate what his new value will be moving forward. I think he has a huge upside and will have a huge role on that team." Duffy added, "It's worth our while to wait." Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Free Agency, Al Thornton 

According to a league source with knowledge of the situation, the Wizards were never interested in engaging in negotiations for extensions for any of their fourth-year players and intent on letting Thornton, Nick Young and Yi Jianlian become restricted free agents next summer. The representatives for Yi and Young did not pursue extensions for their clients, either. The news isn't surprising since none of the players has established a solid identity within the league and the Wizards' youth movement providing opportunities for the players to possibly breakout. Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Free Agency, Yi Jianlian, Nick Young, Al Thornton 

One source with knowledge of Washington’s thinking said recently that extensions for No. 6 Yi Jianlian and No. 14 Al Thornton would definitely be discussed, but that’s as far as it’s gone to this point. (Although I tend to believe that the Wiz, having watched Yi follow up his strong play in the World Championships in China with a good start in DC, could still try to sell him on an Andray Blatche-type deal.) ESPN.com

Washington Wizards, Yi Jianlian, Al Thornton 

Thornton hobbled up the stairs afterward with an ice pack covering his sprained left ankle. He doesn't expect the injury to keep him from playing against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, but Thornton isn't quite sure what his role will be whenever he is back on the court. He entered training camp as the favorite to emerge as starting small forward, with Josh Howard still recovering from left knee surgery. "Supposedly. That's the plan," Thornton said, when asked near the end of training camp if the starting job was his. "I want to say, 'Yeah.' " Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Josh Howard, Al Thornton 

Nick Young also was expected to contend for the starting job, but he has played mostly shooting guard off the bench this preseason. After struggling the first two games, Young bounced back to score a team-high 18 points in the 107-96 loss in Chicago, but he was most proud about taking a charge on Bulls reserve center Omer Asik. "Got my confidence back more, just showed I can't be limited to being a spot-up shooter. There is more to me than that," Young said. "Coming off the bench, I've got to bring energy and score. I can't be anybody else out there, just be myself." Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Josh Howard, Nick Young, Al Thornton 

Al Thornton had a brief encounter with the woman who hit him with a car on Thursday evening. He hopped on the hood, wrapped his arms around a side to hold on, then looked at her through the windshield. Thornton had an understandable reaction when the woman told him that she didn't see the 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward. "I was looking directly in the window," Thornton said. "I was like 'You didn't see me? What are you doing? A tall black guy walking and you didn't see me?' " Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Al Thornton 

Thornton said the car was traveling at about 20 miles per hour when it nicked his right knee. If the woman had been driving faster or his natural instinct to just jump out of the way hadn't snapped in, Thornton possibly could've been seriously injured. "Seriously, that could have been my career," Thornton said. "Neither one of us got hurt, so that was a blessing." Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Al Thornton 

Al Thornton was back at practice and hitting jumpers during the three-man weave the day after he was hit by a car walking up a hill on the George Mason campus. Thornton tweeted on Thursday night, "This may sound crazy but I just literally got hit by a car walking ... I thought I was in heaven already for real. Thank God. " Thornton was okay, but his tweets and lack of immediate response to teammates calls afterward led to some panic. "It's crazy. I didn't know nothing like that was going to happen" John Wall said. "He was on Twitter, like 'I just got hit by a car. I don't believe it.' We had to call him, like, 'You alright?' His phone was off, so we think he was in the hospital or something. It was funny." Thornton told his teammates that the car was traveling around 15 to 20 miles an hour, but the driver never noticed the 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward crossing the street. "She nipped his leg and he jumped," Wall said. "He had to jump on the car. If he didn't jump on the car, he might be injured." Now that he's back in action and feeling okay, Thornton has been getting a nice ribbing from his teammates. Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Al Thornton 

"He seems upbeat to me," Al Thornton said. "We've been playing pickup and everything, [and] he seems friendly, smiles, joking, the usual Gil." Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Gilbert Arenas, Al Thornton 

WW.com: We talked to Andray Blatche a few days ago and he closed the interview by saying “We are going to shock a lot of people.” What are your expectations for this team regarding the upcoming season? Al Thornton: I agree with Dray. I definitely agree with him. We have a young talented group and once we get on the same page we will (shock a lot of people). NBA.com

Washington Wizards, Andray Blatche, Al Thornton