The Wizards, Thornton believed, matched the criteria. Washington was in need of bench scoring, and playing with Garrett Temple, who grew up in the same Baton Rouge neighborhood as Thornton and played for two years with him at LSU, was a huge plus. So when Thornton got the call from the organization, he suspended his workouts in Houston to sign a minimum contract Wednesday for the remainder of the regular season. He hopes the marriage can extend beyond a short-term rental.

“Hopefully I could find a home here,” Thornton said.

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Thornton spent extra time after practicing going through plays with assistant coach Don Zierden and other players, including other recent acquisition J.J. Hickson, and will be available Friday against the Utah Jazz.

A seven-year veteran, Thornton is replacing Gary Neal in more ways than one. Not only is he taking his roster spot — Neal was waived Wednesday — but Thornton and Neal have similar skill sets and roles: Both have made a nomadic career of providing a scoring punch off the bench.

Thornton, 28, averaged 10 points on 40 percent shooting in 18.8 minutes in 47 games with the Rockets this season. Neal, 31, averaged 9.8 points on 46.5 percent shooting in 20.2 minutes in 40 games this season.

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“We need healthy bodies,” Wizards Coach Randy Wittman said. “That’s why he’s here. In addition to being able to score and help us score off the bench. A lot like Gary did.”

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Neal was waived because the Wizards believed he needed at least a couple weeks to return from the right leg injury that had sidelined him for their previous 14 games. Last week, Neal said the injury was neurological. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the injury was rooted in his right hip and irritated his quadriceps.