Wizards’ Two-Way Rookie Joins Elite Company with Recent Performance

Every player’s path to the NBA is different.

From the 2025 draft class alone, multiple rookies have already found a way to make an impact during their debut campaign despite starting from different points.

Many of the top picks entered this season with high expectations and have been granted many opportunities to showcase their talents on the court, while most players chosen later or not selected at all have had to work their way into the lineup during the 2025-26 campaign.

A few undrafted players from the class have transitioned from the G League to an NBA court early in their careers, though, which has produced a few notable performances in recent few weeks.

One of those outings came on Thursday night, as first-year forward Julian Reese put up a team-high 18 points to go along with 20 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal for the Washington Wizards in a loss to the Jazz. Rookie wing and top-five pick Ace Bailey scored a game-high 32 points for Utah.

Reese’s big showing came in just his third NBA appearance, making the former Maryland standout just the third player in the last 40 years to record 20 rebounds in one of their first five NBA games, joining Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan.

In the last 40 years, only 3 NBA players have had a 20-rebound game within the first 5 games of their career.

Those 3 players are Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan & Julian Reese. pic.twitter.com/jXyA7e0J2b
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) March 6, 2026

Reese’s other appearances came in the two games prior to his record-setting performance, with the undrafted rookie playing more than 27 minutes in each of his first three outings.

Reese was part of the Los Angeles Lakers’ summer league team, then inked a deal with Toronto in October before joining the Wizards in February on a two-way contract. Over his three games at the NBA level, the brother of WNBA All-Star Angel Reese is averaging 9.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 62.5% from the field.

In the G League, Reese put up 8.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 62.1% in 24 contests.

Listed at 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds, the Washington forward has the size to offer a solid interior presence and has shown flashes of potential during his initial experiences at the highest level.

The Wizards have an intriguing roster compiled of multiple young players and a few All-Star veterans, which could make it more difficult for Reese to find a long-term spot in the organization.

For the rest of this season, though, the rookie forward should get an opportunity to showcase his skill set to the entire NBA, meaning he could land with another organization if Washington doesn’t keep Reese around long term.

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