With less than two months remaining before the 2025-26 NBA preseason, the Washington Wizards are continuing to add to the margins of their roster. This has resulted in the late offseason additions of G League standouts Skal Labissiere and Alondes Williams, who recently reached contract agreements with D.C.’s squad, per Haynes Briefs senior insider Chris Haynes.
In 2024-25, Labissiere averaged 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 blocks per game for the Stockton Kings. Though a skilled big man, he often focused on the basics of effecting the game around the rim. In March, the Haitian hooper signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings. Williams averaged 18.1 points, 6.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 2024-25 while playing for the Motor City Cruise and Sioux Falls Skyforce. The hybrid guard received a one-game call-up from the Detroit Pistons early in season, tallying five points and one assist in under four minutes.
Wizards Sign Free Agents Skal Labissiere, Alondes Williams
At the start of free agency, the Wizards signed 2018 No. 2 pick Marvin Bagley III to a one-year contract and 2023 No. 42 pick Tristan Vukcevic to a two-way contract. Two weeks ago, the Wizards signed NBL veteran Akoldah Gak to an Exhibit 10 contract after his Summer League showing (h/t ESPN’s Olgun Uluc). Washington had notably waived Overtime Elite product Jaylen Martin, who was on a two-way contract, in the days prior (h/t Wizards PR on X).
Martin would become the fifth player the Wizards released since the offseason began, joining: Anthony Gill (June 29); Richaun Holmes (July 14); Blake Wesley (July 19); and Marcus Smart (July 20). However, the Wizards eventually re-signed Gill, putting them at 16 standard contracts. Among those players, Justin Champagnie is the only one whose salary isn’t guaranteed next season.
Though they face an uphill battle, Williams and Labiessiere will still have a fair shot at making the roster.
How They Can Make The Roster
Washington only has two players on two-way contracts (Vukcevic and 2025 No. 43 pick Jamir Watkins), one short of the maximum. Thus, they could simply opt to sign Williams to a two-way contract. To that point, as Williams has fewer than four years of NBA service, he still qualifies to sign a two-way deal.
This doesn’t apply to Labiessiere, a five-year veteran. With that being said, the Wizards have several players on standard contracts who have yet to prove they’ll be more effective than Labiessiere at the professional level. Two of them, Malaki Branham and Dillon Jones, were acquired via trade this offseason.
It isn’t out of the realm of imagination that Washington waives or trades one or both of them.
Hot Flashes
Branham, the 20th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, got off to a decent start with the San Antonio Spurs in his rookie season. However, the Spurs have been adding star-caliber backcourt talent and are now playoff contenders. With Branham still unpolished in various facets of the game, he was expendable.
In 2024-25, he averaged 5.0 points in 9.1 minutes per game, shooting a career-high 40.5 percent from 3.
Jones, the 26th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, had some solid moments for the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. He raised brows in his three starts while averaging 10.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Yet, the panoramic view of his rookie campaign wasn’t quite as appealing.
In 2024-25, he averaged 2.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game on .383-.254-.607 shooting splits.
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