Anthony Gill Reveals Reasoning for Most Recent Wizards Return

The Washington Wizards' longest-tenured on-court contributor is back for season No. 7 in D.C., and he has no shortage of organizational ties to continue building off of.

Jan 27, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (16) looks on before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Anthony Gill's returning to the Washington Wizards in some form or another always felt like something of a given, even to those outside of the D.C. area.

Through thin and- what, thinner(?), he's stuck it out with the organization as a friendly presence manning the end of the Wizards' bench, and following his most recent minimum contract signing, only 10 other franchises can say they're currently rostering anyone who's been around their own respective situations for longer than Gill's remained in Washington.

BREAKING: The Wizards have re-signed PF Anthony Gill, filling their 15th roster spot ✅

📸: @WashWizards pic.twitter.com/3bXQO0VjBG

— SleeperWizards (@SleeperWizards) September 15, 2026

He's the rare lineup option who's perfectly okay slotting into the role of the humble 15th man, as he's proven himself to be at his most valuable spewing wisdom and guidance as a helpful adult within the Wizards' usually-youthful locker room. And he's capable of looking like a deserving NBA player whenever he's called upon, too, having just capped off a season of career-highs across the board.

Gill's been no stranger to having to wait until the depths of the offseason before renewing his usual Wizards deals, but this past offseason's wait was especially-drawn-out. The forward, always grateful to contribute to the team and the community in any way possible, is making sure to savor the NBA life for as long as he can now that he's officially back.

"Every day that I get to be in this organization is a blessing, honestly," he told On SI in an exclusive interview this week. "So whether it be last season or this season, I'm super thankful. It is a little bit more special, this is year seven for me, so we've been through a lot of ups and downs, so we're trying to trend on the up right now."

Analyzing the Wizards' Need for Gill

Unlike past iterations of the squad, though, the 2026-27 Wizards promise to fight on a nightly basis with high-end veteran talent and depth, weapons the group was unable- or at times, unwilling- to wield over previous rebuilding seasons. Gone are the Kyle Kuzmas, Jordan Pooles and CJ McCollums who "guided" the earlier iterations of the Wizards' reboot, but in come superior win-now options like Trae Young, Anthony Davis and a number of drafted prospects who've only grown with the years.

It’s Media Day! Here’s a glimpse of the Washington Wizards: pic.twitter.com/IVIE7RIXJY

— Skylar Nelson (@SkyMad03) September 28, 2026

That cramped reserve pool of playable options seemed to hinder Gill's chances of returning earlier in the offseason, with the front office exploring a litany of other veterans with more to give as backup scorers before finally turning back to Gill for that final roster spot.

Having never played anywhere else as a pro, few other organizations could have ever recreated his institutional importance to the Wizards' growing culture.

With evidence of Gill's continued association with the organization leaking into Wizards' social media, some fans started wondering if he'd take up a coaching role as an alternative means to simply keep him in their building. Gill wasn't previously aware of that campaign's existence, not actively participating in social media himself, but he was pleasantly surprised at the positive response to his elongated free agency bout.

Oct 13, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (16) warms up before the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He's unlikely to scratch the 50+ appearance mark he's routinely notched over the last few seasons assuming the Wizards' front court can avoid a slew of stacked injuries, but anything he's willing to provide as a still-effective interior play-finisher is simply icing atop his cake's worth of production as a glue guy. Gill has as high an approval rating as anyone in Washington, enough to the point that the squad's management team is bringing him back one more time for their long-awaited playoff push.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!