WASHINGTON (AP) – Etan Thomas will remain with the Washington Wizards.

General manager Ernie Grunfeld said Wednesday the Wizards will match the six-year, $36.6 million offer sheet Thomas signed with the Milwaukee Bucks on July 14.

The Wizards had until Thursday to match the offer.

“We said all along that we wanted to keep him,” Grunfeld said. “He’s an important part of what we intend to do.”

Thomas has started 15 games in his NBA career, but the demand for physical big men made him attractive on the restricted free agent market. Thomas, 6-foot-10, plays both forward and center, and his work ethic stands out in a Wizards franchise plagued in recent years by locker room squabbles.

Thomas was the 12th overall pick in 2000 by the Dallas Mavericks, but he didn’t play that season because of a broken toe and was dealt to Washington at the trading deadline.

He was limited to a total of 85 games over the next two years with the Wizards, but last season he stayed healthy and played in 79 games. He started 15, averaging career highs of 8.9 points and 6.7 rebounds.

AP-ES-07-28-04 1133EDT