Wizards Guard Barely Escapes Final Preseason Cuts

The young group of guys not only represented the team's rebuilding focus, but also answered one long-lingering question. They've been stuck over the maximum at 16 NBA contracts for two months, and after a long period of speculation as to who'd get the axe, Dillon Jones was announced to have drawn the short straw.

The rising sophomore had only been in D.C. for the summer, having been traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder shortly before the NBA Summer League. He showed some of his first-round intrigue there, offering a point forward niche that the Wizards could benefit from, but it evidently wasn't enough to last at his new home.

Among the survivors were Justin Champagnie, one of the few non-guaranteed contracts on the books, but he's compiled a strong enough resume to have secured a firm rotational role on this upcoming Wizards team. Malaki Branham also made the cut, and his making it to opening day was much more of a surprise.

He and Jones have occupied the chopping block since mid-summer, victims of the Wizards' glut of young talent. They, unlike their fellow recent draftees, had no prior experience on the team, having each been dealt to Washington after last season's conclusions, and didn't have much chance to prove themselves on the court to team management.

But now that Jones is gone, Branham can look ahead to attempting to crack the roster's guard rotation. He's several years younger than Jones despite having two more seasons in the NBA under his belt, and his potential $4 million cap hit would have been more burdensome than Jones' $2 million bruise, but there's just about as much to like about his player profile than there was about him as a numerical asset.

Branham made a name for himself with the San Antonio Spurs as a three-level scoring prospect, a comfortable midrange creative and willing 3-point shooting archetype that isn't easy to find in the NBA's aggregate. The 20th overall pick in the 2022 Draft has good touch, but didn't broadcast enough ancillary skills to stick it out as his team transitioned to the Victor Wembanyama era.

He'll have less brand-name competition to back up as he did in Texas, where he comfortably sat behind De'Aaron Fox, Chris Paul, Stephon Castle and Keldon Johnson on the depth chart, but Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington each offer considerably more upside to the franchise that drafted them, and perennial 20-point scorer CJ McCollum won't be an easy player to lap.

AJ Johnson and Cam Whitmore will also get the leg up in head coach Brian Keefe's rotations, but Branham will be closely monitored for his ability to heat up in a minute and space the floor for his few reps. The team doesn't have many non-monetary attachments to him as a player entering this week, and it's up to him to remind the fans why he took the 15th and final roster spot.