The Washington Wizards have made their move on Jamir Watkins, and it leaves the second-round wing in a familiar but important spot: still in the picture, but no longer under that cheap team option.
Watkins had already pushed his way past the limits of a two-way deal, using all 50 games he was allowed to play and then earning a full NBA contract because of the impact he made on defense. Washington signed him through the rest of the regular season, then had the chance to keep him around this summer at a $2.15 million price tag. Instead, the Wizards declined the option.
That decision does not mean the door is shut. Washington also tendered Watkins a qualifying offer, which makes him a restricted free agent. From here, the possibilities are clear: the Wizards can bring him back on another two-way deal, work out a multi-year contract, or let the market take its shot.
For a team that struggled to find reliable defensive resistance, Watkins mattered. He averaged 1.1 steals and half a block in about 20 minutes per night, which translated to 2.8 stocks per 36 minutes. His work disrupting passes and crashing the offensive glass helped him finish as one of the few Wizards with a positive on/off swing, and databallr’s defensive impact estimators had him consistently near the top of the league’s defensive groupings.
That kind of profile stands out even more on a 17-65 team that didn’t get much love anywhere else. Watkins wasn’t a polished offensive piece, but he brought the kind of edge Washington was short on.
The offense is still the hurdle. His jumper remains rough, the results have been below par, and he is only a week away from turning 25. That limits how much natural growth the Wizards can realistically expect on that side of the ball.
Still, the case for keeping him is obvious. Watkins may not have the upside appeal of an Alex Sarr or a Kyshawn George, but he fits a roster that is about to lean on an offensively tilted backcourt rotation of Trae Young, Tre Johnson Bub Carrington and, soon, AJ Dybantsa. If Washington is serious about rewarding players who earn real minutes, Watkins should be in line for another deal.
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Rui Hachimura is one of the more intriguing forward possibilities because of how his game has reemerged in Los Angeles, while the center market points to familiar stopgap types such as Sandro Mamukelashvili, Marvin Bagley and Andre Drummond. The broader challenge is clear: Washington does not have the cap room to play in the deep end of free agency, so the real debate may be which veteran makes the most sense for a team trying to fill out the roster without locking itself into anything long term. [Read more 🡒]