Nuggets Release Julian Reese

A 6’9″ forward/center who was signed to a two-way contract, Reese was traded from Washington to Denver last week as part of the Peyton Watson deal. The Nuggets were able to acquire Reese despite being over the second tax apron because two-way contracts don’t count against the salary cap.

A four-year college player for the University of Maryland, Reese went undrafted in 2025 and spent most of the 2025/26 campaign in the G League with Toronto’s affiliate team, the Raptors 905. He signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Wizards at the end of February and was reportedly viewed as expendable this summer after the team drafted Felix Okpara.

Reese played an unusually sizeable role for the tanking Wizards at the end of last season, having averaged 11.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 13 games, including 10 starts (30.9 minutes per contest). The 23-year-old also made 41 combined NBAGL appearances (38 with the Raptors 905, three with the Capital City Go-Go) in 2025/26, averaging 8.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 1.0 BPG in 18.3 MPG.

Reporting at the time of that trade indicated that Reese would be waived by the Nuggets, so the transaction doesn’t come as a surprise. Denver now has one two-way opening, with guard KJ Simpson and 2026 second-rounder Bryce Hopkins occupying the other two slots.