Wizards Center Placing Pressure on Financial Decision-Makers

The Washington Wizards kept their summer signings quiet, as has been the norm throughout the first few years of their ongoing rebuild.

They've taken on a certain pattern; they pick up an experienced veteran with size like Marvin Bagley III or Jonas Valančiūnas to keep Washington afloat on the boards, sign a few young undrafted pieces to pad their G League depth, and they ink Tristan Vukcevic to his annual two-way deal.

The 7-foot shooting Serb hasn't been a waste of a second-round pick, which is more than the Wizards can say of any such selection they'd made in that portion of the NBA over their previous decade of decisions, but he's yet to earn a full-time big-league deal.

Washington Wizards Forward Tristan Vukcevic — Dec 14, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Washington Wizards forward Tristan Vukcevic (00) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff (32) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Washington's been perfectly happy capping his availability at 50 games per season under the restrictions of the two-way contract he's now signed in three consecutive summers, usually turning to the scoring specialist late in the season when they're comfortable letting the kids run the show. As Vukcevic continues running up his appearance count, though, his team grows ever-closer to bringing him aboard as a full-time contributor.

Forcing the Wizards' Hand

Two-way agreements are restricted to young players still attempting to prove themselves in the NBA, which is why a player with three or more years of experience in the league has to come on on a standard deal.

Vukcevic has also spent plenty of time with the Capital City Go-Go through his first two seasons in the Wizards' pipeline, more or less exhausting the contract's use as a way to balance G League and top-level opportunities for contributors on the fringe. And he's had plenty of chances to demonstrate his game, having been in DC for longer than any of Washington's prospects outside of Bilal Coulibaly as a 2023 draftee.

Washington Wizards Forwards Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly — Dec 1, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) celebrates with Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) after scoring while being fouled by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (not pictured) in the final seconds of the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

While other players like AJ Johnson and Will Riley have made trips to Capital City amidst their own struggles in cracking the rotation, Vukcevic has checked into 23 of the Wizards' 27 games, the fifth-most of anyone on the books. And tbough he's streaky, his value as a stretch big has not gone lost on Washington's coaching staff.

He's scored in double-figures in six of his last eight games, most recently tying his season-high of 18 with a sudden weekend start against the San Antonio Spurs. The 3-ball isn't falling like it has in the past, now sitting at a paltry 21.6% on the season, but he's one of the most comfortable of anyone on the roster at catching and shooting from anywhere on the court. And though the defensive foot speed leave some to be desired, he can still get in his fair share of blocks with that expansive wingspan.

Tristan Vukcevic 18 Points, 9 Rebs, 3 Blocks full highlight vs Spurs I 25-26 NBA Season pic.twitter.com/PKYAiI0CTV
— Hoops Showtime (@HoopsShowtime12) December 22, 2025

He's still far from a finished product as a margin contributor, with his value as a big floor-spacer still doing all of the heavy lifting in clarifying his place in the center rotation alongside Bagley and Alex Sarr. But with every game he plays and scores in, the Wizards' decision-makers grow one day closer to having to decide whether to convert him to a full-time deal or go in a different direction.

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