While this season won’t go down as one of the most notable for the Washington Wizards, it will go down as the beginning of a fresh era in D.C. Washington’s front office completed a rare roster flip in the middle of the season. In turn, the team has gone from a rebuilding to a contending team in just a season. While we wait for the next era to begin, let’s break down the five biggest moves the Washington Wizards made this season.
The 5 Biggest Moves The Washington Wizards Made This Season
From the beginning of last offseason, the Wizards have made major roster decisions in quick flashes. Washington made the majority of roster moves to fill out the bench and build depth while searching for its future star. Every move seemed to prepare the Wizards for winning basketball next season. With the 2025 NBA Draft, signings, and trades, Washington’s front office continuously flipped the roster this season. All while being able to keep the young core intact, even when replacing veterans and draft capital for star talent.
Five of Washington’s many moves stand out as far bigger than others. So let’s jump into them, working our way from least to most influential in the future.
5. Signing Maryland Product To A Two-Way Deal
To start the list off, what didn’t Julian Reese do in his 13 games as a Wizard? Washington took advantage of G-League talent all season, and Reese is the best example of that. The Maryland product would play 24 games this season for the Toronto Raptors’ affiliate team, Raptors 905, before the Wizards would sign him to a two-year two-way contract.
After securing his rights, the big man dominated on the NBA floors. Reese would own the majority of front-court minutes with multiple injuries coming to fruition. In just his third game at the NBA level, Reese would destroy the Utah Jazz, scoring 18 points and grabbing 20 rebounds. The big man would finish the season with six double-doubles and became the fastest player to reach 10 rebounds since Shaquille O’Neal did it over 30 years ago in 1992.
While he’ll most likely start the season in the G-League next year, Reese has cemented himself as a primary pick-up option for Washington in the future. If the Wizards get hit with another injury plague across the roster, Reese will no doubt be brought up to secure the frontcourt.
4. Wizards Prove To Have G-League Level Depth This Season
While not one particular move in general, Washington proved to have one of the deepest units this season. So much so that their G-League talent stole headlines all season long. As mentioned, Washington’s injuries this season severely impacted the roster, so what did the front office do? Jumped to the Capital City Go-Go, and seemingly pulled names out of a hat.
Leaky Black, Skal Labissiere, Keshon Gilbert, Kadary Richmond, and Alondes Williams all made notable impacts in their time with the Wizards this season. After being called up, they put NBA executives on notice. These guys hit the court attempting to prove they had what it takes to play in the NBA, and didn’t disappoint.
Williams had a 25-point, 10-rebound performance in his stint with the Wizards. Labissiere scored 10+ points in the NBA for the first time since the 2019-2020 season. Black provided steady production in his 15 games with the Wizards, and Richmond and Gilbert both proved to be able to hold their own against NBA-level competition.
Are the Wizards the deepest team in the league? Not by any means. However, Washington’s depth goes far beyond the Wizards’ roster and deep into the G-League. While the majority of these guys will stay with the Go-Go, they earned an opportunity to be called upon if needed next season.
