Wizards Have Several Options to Fill Open Roster Space

Although those two were obviously the headliners of the packages, they weren’t the only players included in the deals. Due to the Wizards having to offload a lot of assets in order to acquire those players, they were gifted some talent in return, some of whom they chose to release.

The result is three open roster spots that they can choose to fill over the course of the season. As of recent, Washington has chosen to fill those spots with 10-day contracts, acting almost as auditions for some of the promising G-League talent they have to prove themselves at the NBA level. The Wizards could continue to use this strategy over the rest of the season, filling roster spots with temporary patches, but there are definitely better ways to go about it.

Convert Two-Way Players

Washington has proven to have one of the more underrated two-way groupings in the entire NBA this season, with each of Jamir Watkins , Tristan Vukcevic, and Sharife Cooper giving the team valuable minutes at one point or another. If the Wizards choose to, they could in theory convert all three of Watkins, Vukcevic, and Cooper to standard deals for the remainder of the year, but that would mean removing the option of having two-way players on the team for the rest of the season.

More than likely, Washington will convert just one or two of the three to a standard deal, with Watkins jumping out as the most likely because of the impressive defensive ability he has flashed throughout the season. Watkins has appeared in just 26 games this season, meaning that he can only play 24 more games before he is forced to return to the G-League for the rest of the year.

The Wizards could remain strategic with how they utilize him for the remainder of the season — having him split time with the Capital City Go-Go — but it seems unlikely considering the recent influx of opportunity he has received.

Sign Young Talent

With Washington fully committing to the rebuild for the remainder of the season, it is likely that they will turn completely to their youth for the final stretch of games in hopes of weeding out the guys they want to keep around long term. If the Wizards choose to exercise this strategy, it seems only right that they would continue to bring in more talent, increasing the chances of finding a hidden gem.

More than likely, Washington will stay in-house, continuing to call up guys from the G-League who have flashed impressive play. However, if the Wizards choose to branch out in search of more talent, there are plenty of young players waiting for their next chance to prove themselves on an NBA stage.