Three Moves the Wizards Need to Make Before Training Camp

Even though the Washington Wizards still have another game to go before they've officially wrapped up the NBA Summer League-centric portion of their offseason schedule, most outsiders have already begun looking ahead to the next phases of their preparatory approach.

With the NBA Draft, free agency's opening window and the height of the prospects' summertime festivities now fading into the rearview mirror, the most grueling portion of the league's news calendar looms larger than ever. The majority of the organization's big decisions have already been made, with the Wizards' re-commitment to Trae Young, their selection of AJ Dybantsa at the top of the draft and their aggressive roster additions each individually impacting the upcoming season's record more than any remaining holdup.

But if we look past those franchise faces, there are still a few final calls that Washington's shot-callers have to make between now and team-wide training camp this fall. Here are three of the most lingering questions still buzzing around D.C. hoops, in order from least to most pressing:

The Wizards' 15th Roster Spot: Too Packed to the Gills?

The Wizards' loaded rotation of up-and-coming prospects and hungry veterans can make it easy to forget that their arsenal of fully-rostered contributors remains incomplete. Deandre Ayton and Khris Middleton may take on much more ready-made roles than the players they directly cost in Jaden Hardy and D'Angelo Russell, respectively, but the amount of players along the current bench remains unchanged.

The only piece the 2025-26 Wizards technically "lost" to free agency was Anthony Gill, who's only signed short-term contracts with this one team since making his NBA debut six years ago. And while he wasn't waived this time around like he was last year, he remains out there in the open market for anyone looking to hone his services.

Washington Wizards Forward Anthony Gill — Mar 25, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (16) looks to get past Utah Jazz guard John Konchar (55) during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Except everyone inside and around Washington knows that the organization with the most to gain from his affable, experienced presence is the Wizards, who've grown a soft spot for his consummate professionalism as a locker room constant. Even if he didn't provide much in the way of nightly on-court value, which he surprisingly did last season as a physical frontcourt reserve, he'd still be serving his big-picture purpose as a popular personality hire.

And judging by Washington's clear prioritization of the young wings' on-ball development, it's fair to assume that whoever the squad snags with their final remaining contract will take on a less obtrusive playing role, something Gill's grown to expect. He's only started 23 times over 285 appearances, only making eight such starting-five sightings over the course of his career-year at 33 years old.

This offseason question isn't anything close to a major concern for now; just look at last summer, when the Wizards waited until Aug. 7 to bring Gill back for go-around No. 6. No one's in any rush at the moment, giving Washington plenty of time to sort out other housekeeping questions.

Is Any Shuffling of the Two-Way Contracts Necessary?

Now, we move on to a portion of the roster that looks more complete than the standard big-league lineup, at least on the surface.

But anyone who's forced themselves to sit through the Wizards' Dybantsa, Tre Johnson and Will Riley-less Summer League games can see just how hard their former teammates are fighting for a spot on the organization's fringes, and some of them have made compelling cases to upseat more prominent pieces of the group's extensive young corps.

Jamir Watkins is the most exciting member of this second-tier group to most fans, especially if we include his odds to factor into the group's nightly rotational equation. His defense can ruin a high-end assignment's night at the snap of his coaching staff's fingers, a skill he reminded the public of in the job he did on Darryn Peterson last week, and the front office already demonstrated their understanding of his quiet value in re-signing him to another two-way bargain.

I really like the fact Darryn Peterson is getting hounded by Jamir Watkins, very promising young defender he’s getting a real matchup tonight Watkins is denying almost everything, this is where tough shots need to made and Peterson does exactly that with this fade he hits so many… pic.twitter.com/56OvPzJGVl
— BKS Sports (@BKSecretsports) July 10, 2026

Felix Okpara, too, has made a case of his own to factor in as a spot option in the event of Washington's burly center rotation falling victim to injury. Dybantsa's draft classmate still has a long way to go before he can replicate someone like Anthony Davis' dominance on the boards, but he's a good-enough theoretical fit within Young's preferred pick-and-roll style to earn a few opportunities in real minutes.

After those two long-shot difference-makers, though, things start to get hazy. Julian Reese seems like the obvious next man up to fill that final two-way hole, having just signed a two-year contract in Washington as an undrafted big this past spring. Very little of that money was guaranteed, and Reese hasn't done much to build on his in-house hype with a tentative Summer League approach that's reflected very little of his previous rebounding excellence.

Reese remains the likely favorite to seize that two-way vacancy, though the Wizards may take their time in evaluating other options before making that official call. Current teammates like Kadary Richmond and Reece Beekman still have one more games to complete their own bids as 18th men of the future, and who knows which upcoming outside options will further disrupt the present race.

Finding a Bilal Coulibaly Extension Resolution

The lanky Wizards guard's most intriguing stretch of NBA-caliber performances also served as his timeliest; he, along with all of his fellow rising-fourth-year former 2023 first round draftees, is up for rookie extension talks this summer, and he looked as decisive as ever in closing out the contract year.

The negotiation window is already open, evidenced in Victor Wembanyama having already accepted a pay-cut in his attempt to aid the San Antonio Spurs' contention goals, and the two sides still have until the start of the 2026-27 regular season to come to an official agreement on the matter.

The only question remains whether the Wizards will agree to re-up on their Coulibaly investment, and how much he'll sign for. His front office has already asserted their faith in the oft-inconsistent wing during rocky years past, constantly reminding the media of their patience along their own rebuilding timeline, and if Young's own hefty contract tells us anything, we know that they're happy to dole out money if it fits their long-term vision.

Washington Wizards Guards Bilal Coulibaly and Trae Young — Oct 28, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) dribbles past Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Odds are that he'll return on a three-to-four year deal similar to that of Young's, somewhere in the neighborhood of the ~$15 million range. It's what previous first-rounders like Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert once signed for at similar junctions, and despite Coulibaly's past struggles to combine health with efficient offensive stretches, he finished last season well-enough as an aggressive play-finisher and defender to inspire hope that he can fit in alongside Young's passing and Dybantsa's own above-the-rim athleticism.

Whether he's signed tomorrow or next month, he's not worth a maximum rookie extension, and that fact alone should help some of the Wizards' more finance-obsessed fans breathe a little easier. The perseverance that the rebuild's first major prospect has demonstrated in his own supplementary role will likely go rewarded to reflect the role he's played over three years of service, as well as how much he stands to gain from more composed on-court structure.

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

Add us as a preferred source on Google