One Quiet Wizards Signing That Could Complicate Roster's Two-Way Contract Balance

When the Washington Wizards picked Jamir Watkins back up on a two-way deal this summer, only a certain sub-sect of in-the-know fans could appreciate the financial finagling that the franchise had just pulled off.

Despite lasting until the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft as a 24-year-old prospect, the defensive disruptor successfully managed to extend the Wizards' rookie roundup into a threesome alongside first-round talents in Tre Johnson and Will Riley. After working his way into Washington's springtime rotation, he entered the offseason with a real shot to continue thriving as a professional hustler.

Watkins' recent NBA Summer League debut seemed to reinforce his subtle value, this time in front of a captivated audience outside of D.C. Utah Jazz fans took note of the wing's suffocating defense on Darryn Peterson, an effort that looked even more impressive following the Wizards' later reveal. He'd apparently torn his ACL mere minutes into the outing and toughed it out through the remainder of the outing- an unthinkably-taxing contribution to provide on an effectively-unusable knee, but he'd still be ruled out of the regular season to come all the same.

PLAYED ON A TORN ACL! Washington Wizards 2025 No. 43 pick Jamir Watkins played 17 MINUTES with a torn ACL after getting crossed by Darryn Peterson! 😳

Shortly after the injury, Watkins got two rebounds (one offensive) & even threw down a dunk.

Watkins is TOUGH — get well soon!… pic.twitter.com/Bi61k9Wcca
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) August 1, 2026

Suddenly, that nifty bargain deal that the Wizards stole him on didn't look like such a bargain, especially following another team-wide development last week. Fellow two-way talent Julian Reese, similarly on the books for the season to come, was shipped off as collateral in Washington's Tre Mann acquisition, but only the outgoing rebounder can be truly replaced.

Since such a specific agreement can only be waived if not completely upheld, the shelved Watkins will remain as a technical-member of the squad while he repairs his ligaments. The team's evaluators still have some scouting work left ahead of them- just not quite as much as some may have initially assumed when memorializing Watkins' time with the squad.

Replacing Watkins with the Reese-Shaped Hole

Even if Watkins' ceiling heading into the 2026-27 season seemed capped at 12th-13th man, he still leaves behind an unignorable void in the backcourt rotation to come.

Johnson, Mann and Bub Carrington are expected to fill most of the Wizards' Trae Young-less minutes as complementary ball-handlers, but none of those guards can hold a candle to the defense that Watkins would have injected into that position group. As handy as remaining wing deterrents Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, Justin Champagnie and, potentially, AJ Dybantsa will be, teams will never say no to more floor-diving effort-providers.

Washington Wizards Guard Jamir Watkins — Apr 12, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jamir Watkins (5) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. (9) during the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Reese, on the other hand, was growing redundant amidst a rapidly-expanding assortment of Wizards bigs.

Looking past how dramatically his flat Summer League showing contradicted Reese's gaudy end-of-season counting stats, he was still destined to buried on the local depth chart behind usual minute-eaters such as Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr and Deandre Ayton. Even Felix Okpara and Tristan Vukcevic, third-string centers without much long-term potential, seemed like worthier investments to slot into the lineup's margins compared to the smaller, more limited Reese.

Washington Wizards Forward Julian Reese — Mar 3, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Washington Wizards forward Julian Reese (15) takes a shot as Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) tries to defend in the first half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

His future remains a question after he was waived by the Denver Nuggets upon the trade's announcement, but the Wizards have a chance to salvage what they lost in Watkins with the two-way slot he now leaves vacant.

Reece Beekman was a popular pick to force his way into Washington's locker room out of Summer League, a similarly-acclaimed defensive guard who bounced around the league during his rookie campaign two seasons ago. He's yet to find his way back into the bigs since, but the Wizards, having already witnessed his disruptive impact and impressive collegiate assist work as a career-point guard have reasons to extend him one more invitation.

Beekman worked well at Dybantsa's side in limited appearances, helping to set a defensive tone while running the floor hard next to the fastbreak creator.

One Reese is out 😢
But another Reece could be be last 2 way 😀

Do you want him in DC this season?

Here is a Reece Beekman breakdown with SL highlights pic.twitter.com/X6CqHt74Do
— Jared (@Free_Thinking1) August 20, 2026

They've already begun opening up the doors for training camp participants, signing returning Wizard Alondes Williams to an Exhibit-10 deal earlier this month as a sign of their early intentions to keep preseason festivities competitive. There are other names they'll consider roping in with the two-way spots, let alone that still-bare 15th man position, but Washington can at least focus on making the most of the Reese-born opportunity in making up for the Watkins dilemma.

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