The Washington Wizards have used their last roster spot on a familiar veteran, bringing back Anthony Gill on a one-year deal. That keeps Gill in Washington for a seventh season, and it also makes him the longest-tenured player on the roster.
Gill’s return gives the Wizards a rare constant in a room that has already changed plenty. He has been around for two front office regimes and is now stepping into a third chapter of his run with the team. He came through the end of the Tommy Shepard years, stayed through the Will Dawkins rebuild, and now finds himself on a club that is hoping for more wins ahead.
His first season in Washington came in 2020-21, when he joined a middling team as a rookie at age 28. That group finished 8th and then lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the first round of the playoffs. Gill has not been back to the postseason since.
Even with that, he kept coming back to Washington. The source of his value was never about chasing a bigger scoring load or a larger role somewhere else. Time after time, when it was decision time, he stuck with the Wizards.
When Will Dawkins took over, Gill’s place in the organization looked far from guaranteed. With players such as Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert moved out, the shift away from the old roster suggested a full reset. Gill stayed anyway, and in some ways he came out of that transition looking more secure than before.
The numbers are modest: 3.8 points and 1.9 rebounds for his career. He has also averaged just 10.9 minutes per game.
But those figures miss what the Wizards have clearly valued in him. Gill has been a steady voice for younger players, offering leadership, guidance and support in a role that does not always show up in the box score.
Now nearly 34, he gets another year in Washington. If this ends up being his final season with the franchise, the Wizards appear to be recognizing the work he has done behind the scenes and in the community. The stat sheet may stay quiet, but Gill’s presence has mattered to this team all the same.
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Anthony Gill May Be Key To Keeping The Wizards Together
Anthony Gill has settled into one of the more important jobs on the Wizards roster, even if it does not always show up in the box score. After seven seasons in Washington, he is now viewed as a steady veteran presence who can help set the tone for younger players, reinforce defensive habits and provide some needed continuity in a locker room that has seen plenty of turnover.
Gills value also comes from the perspective he has built inside the organization. He knows the system, understands the expectations and has already navigated multiple coaching changes, which gives him a useful role as a voice between different groups in the room. As the Wizards try to take a step forward, that kind of glue player can matter just as much as the more visible names on the floor. [Read more 🡒]