A new summer always brings big news for us Former Washington Wizards Watchers. You already know some of the headlines: Paul Pierce off to LA, Kevin Seraphin shipping up to Madison Square Garden, Professor Andre Miller giving it yet another go out in Minnesota, Mike James taking his talents to Applebee’s.

But what of some of the other noted and notable names in Wizards history, still trying to carve out pro careers?

They’re still out here grinding, too.

Let’s start with the big one. Most people who know me are aware of my almost fanatical devotion to the star-crossed career of a young Airwolf named Jan Vesely, who, like Icarus, flew too close to the Washington sun and melted all his basketball skill.

We feared that his time as a Wizard was too traumatic, and Jan’s days as a star were done. After three years in the NBA, Vesely slinked back overseas, signing with Turkish power Fenerbahce.

But surprise, surprise. The Slammin’ Slav is back in the spotlight.

Vesely looked revitalized with Fenerbahce (he even made 62% of his free throws!) in helping them to the best record in the Turkish league, and he followed up that momentum in this summer’s Eurobasket tournament.

Teaming up with fellow Wizards draft pick Tomas Satoransky, Vesely was one of the undisputed stars of the tournament, leading the Czech Republic with 19 points and 9 rebounds a game as the Czechs finished 7th and earned the last spot in the Olympic qualifying tournament.

Now, the rumors are swirling that a return to the NBA might very well be in Vesely’s future.

Although the big man has committed the 2015-16 season to Fenerbahce (and, really, how much could his game have developed in just a year away), we may very well see Airwolf damaging rims stateside sometime soon.

Conspicuously absent from the Eurobasket tournament was another former Washington Wizards first round pick turned NBA washout.

Oleksiy Pecherov was not a member of Ukraine’s team during their unsuccessful run in Eurobasket – they could have used him, as the only notables they fielded on their team were immobile former Jazz center Kyrylo Fesenko and one-time Summer League darling Jerome Randle.

Instead, Pecherov was working to secure a more lucrative future.

The 2007 first round pick has been in European exile for the last five years, playing in Italy, Spain, Russia, Estonia and his native Ukraine, but he never gave up on his NBA dream.

Now, after an impressive turn in the Summer League with the Nuggets – including one insane game where he completely lit the Wizards up for 21 points off the bench – he’ll have his chance, as he’s signed a training camp tryout deal with Denver.

There are plenty of obstacles standing in Pech’s way.

He’s 29 years old, and his European career hasn’t exactly been stellar since he went back overseas in 2010. There are plenty of bigs above him on Denver’s depth chart. He still lacks athleticism. He’s also still the shortest 7-footer who ever lived – I have never seen anyone with more horrific posture – and he still only exists in the NBA annals as a humorous footnote on a doomed, more-entertaining-than-good mid-2000s Washington Wizards team.

But the man’s getting himself a look. What more can you ask for?

In the meantime, prayers up for Tuff Juice, Caron Butler, who will be spending next year as a member of the Sacramento Kings. He deserves better than having to spend the twilight years of his career with that clown car of a franchise.

Similar prayers go to Andre Miller, a man who deserves to play his last years with a title contender, and instead will be Professorizing for the friggin’ Timberwolves. They don’t deserve him.