4:54 pm: The Wizards announced Vukcevic’s multi-year contract and Black’s two-way deal in a press release.
11:52 am: The Wizards are promoting two-way center Tristan Vukcevic on a three-year, $9MM standard contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. The third year of the deal will be a team option.
Washington had just 13 players on standard contracts, along with Alondes Williams, whose 10-day contract expires on Wednesday. Thus, no corresponding move needs to be made on the 15-man roster.
To fill the two-way spot that will open up when Vukcevic is promoted, the Wizards are signing wing Leaky Black, Charania adds in another tweet.
Vukcevic, a 2023 second-round pick, has appeared in 35 games this season (five starts). He’s averaging 7.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.7 blocks in 12.3 minutes per game. He entered the All-Star break with nine games remaining before his NBA eligibility for a two-way player this season reached the 50-game limit.
Vukcevic originally signed a standard contract with the organization as a rookie. Washington held a team option on his 2024/25 contract and declined it, then re-signed him to a two-way deal in the summer of 2024. He remained with the Wizards by signing another two-way contract last offseason.
Black, who went undrafted out of North Carolina in 2023, spent his rookie season on a two-way contract with the Hornets, then played last season for the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League affiliate. He made 26 NBA appearances for Charlotte in 2023/24, averaging 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.9 minutes per game.
In 44 games last season for the Go-Go, Black averaged 7.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals in 26.7 minutes per contest. He participated in Wizards training camp but was waived in mid-October. He returned to the Go-Go and has averaged 10.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 35.2 minutes per game over 35 contests.
The Wizards will use a portion of their mid-level exception to sign Vukcevic to a three-year deal. Black, meanwhile, will be eligible to be active for up to 15 regular season games on his new two-way contract.