Steve Blake of the Washington Wizards will miss 10-12 weeks after injuring his ankle in a pickup game.

Blake underwent surgery Wednesday to remove a chipped bone from his right ankle, and will be out the first 13 games of the regular season.

"It is an uncommon injury, but we expect Steve to make a full recovery," president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld said.

As a rookie last season, Blake played in 75 games, started 14 and averaged 5.9 points and 2.8 assists. He was a second-round draft pick after leaving Maryland as the school's all-time leader in assists.

Juan Dixon, who led Maryland to a National Championship and was drafted in the first round by the local Washington Wizards, is unsure if he'll remain the local boy beyond this season.

The 6-foot-3 shooting guard was left unprotected in the expansion draft for the Charlotte Bobcats. The team was allowed to protect eight players, and point guard Steve Blake, a former Terrapins teammate, was one player the Wizards protected.

If the club does not commit to Dixon for a fourth season, at $2.1 million, he will become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

The Wizards face the same decision with Jared Jeffries, but the team is expected to waste little time locking up the 6-11 forward for a fourth season, just as it did before last season with centers Kwame Brown and Brendan Haywood.

The Miami Herald reported that the Heat have reached an agreement in principle with free-agent power forward Christian Laettner, completing an active offseason for the former Duke product.

Laettner was released by the Golden State Warriors soon after coming to Oakland in the Erick Dampier sign and trade deal.  Before that he was traded by to the Mavericks by the Wizards, as part of the Jerry Stackhouse/Antwawn Jamison trade.

The Heat expect Laettner to fill out their frontcourt with his crafty veteran play.

The Washington Wizards elevated scout Tom Connelly to assistant director of player personnel today, Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld announced.

Prior to the promotion, Connelly was responsible for identifying collegiate talent in the United States as well as scouting international leagues in Europe. The Baltimore native began working for the Wizards as an intern in the basketball operations department in 1996. After graduating from Catholic University in 1999, Connelly was named to the Wizards scouting staff as assistant video coordinator, then became a full-time scout for the Wizards in 2000.

The Washington Wizards hired Chicago Bulls assistant athletic trainer Eric Waters as their new head athletic trainer, Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld announced Tuesday. Waters replaces Steven Stricker, who was fired in April.

Additionally, the Wizards named Drew Cleary strength & conditioning coach. Cleary returns to Washington after spending time with the Portland Trail Blazers as an assistant strength & conditioning coach and a personal trainer for Scottie Pippen. Cleary previously served as the Wizards strength & conditioning coach from 1999-2001, as well  as the assistant strength & conditioning coach with the Orlando Magic from 1997-98 and the Portland Trail Blazers from 1996-97.

Cleary replaces the husband-and-wife duo of James and Debi Hughes, who also were fired in April from their dual positions with the Wizards and WNBA Washington Mystics.

?We are extremely pleased to bring both Eric and Drew on board,? said Grunfeld. ?Both of them have outstanding experience and are highly regarded in their respective fields. They have already begun working with our players in preparation for the upcoming season.?

With the hirings, the Wizards' medical staff is complete.