Wizards’ Jamir Watkins Receives Promotion, Two-Year Deal
3:45 pm: Watkins’ new standard contract will pay him $1,131,970 for the rest of the season, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic (via Twitter). The second season of Watkins’ deal — 2026/27 — features a non-guaranteed minimum-salary team option, two league sources tell Robbins.
12:35 pm: The Wizards have officially signed Watkins to a standard contract, the team confirmed today in a press release.
10:46 am: The Wizards are promoting two-way player Jamir Watkins to their 15-man roster and will sign him to a new two-year contract, his agents at CAA Sports tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Watkins, 24, was the 43rd overall pick in the 2025 draft. The Wizards selected him using one of the three second-rounders they received from Utah when they traded down from No. 18 to No. 21 in the first round.
Watkins, who signed a two-way contract last July, played a limited role at the NBA level during the first half of the 2025/26 season but has emerged in recent weeks as a regular contributor for the Wizards. In 16 appearances since January 16, the 6’6″ wing has averaged 8.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 24.8 minutes per game.
As Charania points out, Watkins has been playing his best basketball of the season as of late, having scored double-digit points in six consecutive outings after doing so just twice through the trade deadline. The rookie guard/forward is also considered a strong perimeter defender.
Watkins is the second Wizards two-way player to earn a promotion to the standard roster in the past week, joining big man Tristan Vukcevic. As we noted earlier today, Washington used a portion of its mid-level exception to give Vukcevic more than a minimum salary for the rest of the season. It’s unclear if the team will do the same with Watkins or whether he’ll receive any guaranteed money beyond 2025/26 on his new contract.
The Wizards have an open spot on their 15-man roster after Alondes Williams‘ 10-day contract expired on Wednesday night, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Watkins. The signing will open up a two-way slot in D.C. alongside Sharife Cooper and Leaky Black.
Wizards Sign Alondes Williams To 10-Day Deal
5:00 pm: Williams’ 10-day deal is official, according to the Wizards. It will run through next Wednesday, covering the team’s next four games.
4:17 pm: The Wizards are signing guard Alondes Williams to a 10-day contract, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter).
Williams, a 6’4″ guard, has played games for the Nets, Heat, and Pistons since going undrafted in 2022, with a seven-game stint for Miami in 2023/24 representing his most playing time in a single season.
Williams, 26, has been productive with the Wizards’ G League team, the Capital City Go-Go, averaging 20.2 points, 4.5 assists, and 5.2 rebounds in 13 regular season games while knocking down a career-high 43.0% of his threes.
The explosive guard has improved his outside shot since his time in college. A 27.0% shooter over his three-year collegiate career, he holds a lifetime G League three-point percentage of 37.0% on 5.4 attempts per game.
Washington has an open spot on its 15-man roster after Keshon Gilbert‘s 10-day deal expired.
Wizards Waive Kadary Richmond, Alondes Williams
The Wizards have waived guards Kadary Richmond and Alondes Williams, the team’s PR department tweets. Both players were signed to non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts earlier this week.
Richmond, a 6’5″ guard, played at St. John’s last year after spending one season with Syracuse and three with Seton Hall. He earned second team All-Big East honors last season after averaging 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.0 steals in 36 games.
Williams has appeared in nine total games over the past three seasons while on two-way contracts with Brooklyn, Miami and Detroit.
Both players will likely end up with the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League affiliate — their Exhibit 10 contracts make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with the team.
Wizards Sign Kadary Richmond, Alondes Williams; Waive Leaky Black, Skal Labissiere
The Wizards have finalized the signings of guards Kadary Richmond and Alondes Williams to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced (via Twitter). Forward Leaky Black and big man Skal Labissiere, who were also on Exhibit 10 deals, were both waived to make room on the training camp roster.
Washington’s agreement with Richmond was first reported following the draft in late June. The 6’5″ guard played at St. John’s last year after spending one season with Syracuse and three with Seton Hall. He earned second team All-Big East honors last season after averaging 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.0 steals in 36 games.
Williams, whose deal was reported in August, has appeared in nine total games over the past three seasons while on two-way contracts with Brooklyn, Miami and Detroit. He’s eligible to sign another two-way deal with the Wizards, but the team currently has all three of its slots filled.
Black signed with Washington on October 2, while Labissiere has been with the team since October 6. Neither of them was used in the Wizards’ lone preseason game so far.
All four players could end up with the Capital City Go-Go, Washington’s G League affiliate, where the Exhibit 10 contracts will make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with the team.
The moves leave the Wizards’ roster at the preseason limit of 21 players.
Wizards To Add Alondes Williams To Camp Roster
Free agent guard Alondes Williams has reached an agreement with the Wizards, NBA insider Chris Haynes tweets.
Considering the Wizards already have 15 players under guaranteed contracts, it’s safe to assume Williams is receiving a training camp deal. The addition of Williams would push the Wizards’ roster count to 19 players, two shy of the offseason limit.
Williams has nine games of NBA experience — he made his debut with the Nets in 2022/23, saw action in seven games with the Heat the following season, then appeared in one game with the Pistons last season.
Detroit signed Williams to a two-way deal in October but waived him in early January. Williams was a member of the Magic’s Summer League squad in July.
Last season, Williams appeared in 45 G League games with the Sioux Falls SkyForce and Motor City Cruise. He averaged 18.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 32.9 minutes per contest.
If Williams received an Exhibit 10 contract and gets waived before opening night, he could join the Capital City Go-Go, who acquired his returning rights in a trade earlier this month. Spending at least 60 days with the Go-Go- would make him eligible to earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $85,300.
Dennis Smith Jr. Among Players At Sixers’ Minicamp
Dennis Smith Jr. is participating in the Sixers‘ two-day veterans minicamp this week, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
The 27-year-old guard is hoping to return to the NBA after a one-year absence. After failing to catch on with anyone prior to the start of the season, Smith signed a G League contract in mid-December. He was hoping to be claimed by the Austin Spurs, but wound up with the Wisconsin Herd and never played for them.
Smith headed to Europe in mid-January, signing with Real Madrid for the rest of the season. He reportedly wasn’t in top condition when he arrived in Spain and only appeared in two games. He left after about a month in hopes of being picked up by an NBA team with a roster opening, but that didn’t happen so now he’s hoping to work his way back into the league through offseason auditions.
Smith spent time with six teams during his seven NBA seasons. He was selected by Dallas with the ninth pick in 2017, but was traded to New York midway through his second season. He was sent to Detroit two years later and then had one-year stints with Portland, Charlotte and Brooklyn.
Smith was an extremely explosive and athletic guard coming into the league, but shooting issues prevented him from ever reaching stardom. He’s averaging 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 326 NBA games with career shooting splits of .407/.298/.674.
Other minicamp participants include Eugene Omoruyi, Malcolm Hill, Adama Sanogo, Alondes Williams, Malik Williams, Armando Bacot, Javonte Cooke, Judah Mintz and Leaky Black, Pompey adds (Twitter link).
NBA G League Announces Participants For 2025 Up Next Event
The NBA G League announced today that 27 players have been selected to participate in the 2025 Up Next event at the NBA’s All-Star weekend next month in San Francisco.
The event – which highlights standout players at the G League level and essentially serves as the NBAGL All-Star Game – features a tournament-style format with four teams made up of seven players apiece. Those clubs face one another in semifinals (first team to 30 points), with the winners meeting in the final. All three games will be played on the afternoon of Sunday, February 16, ahead of the NBA’s All-Star Game.
Ten players for the next Up Next pool are selected by fan votes, while the other 18 are selected by the league. Here are the players who have been named as participants for the 2025 event:
Fan voting
Note: Players are listed in order of votes received. Players marked with an asterisk (*) are on two-way contracts with an NBA team.
- Yuki Kawamura (Memphis Hustle) *
- Justin Champagnie (Capital City Go-Go) *
- Jahlil Okafor (Indiana Mad Ants)
- Adama Sanogo (Windy City Bulls) *
- Skal Labissiere (Stockton Kings)
- Kevon Harris (College Park Skyhawks)
- Maozinha Pereira (Memphis Hustle)
- Trevelin Queen (Osceola Magic) *
- Armando Bacot (Memphis Hustle)
- Keisei Tominaga (Indiana Mad Ants)
G League selections
Note: Players are listed in alphabetical order. Players marked with an asterisk (*) are on two-way contracts with an NBA team.
- Moses Brown (Westchester Knicks)
- Josh Christopher (Sioux Falls Skyforce) *
- Jeff Dowtin (Delaware Blue Coats) *
- PJ Hall (Grand Rapids Gold) *
- Elijah Harkless (Salt Lake City Stars) *
- Isaac Jones (Stockton Kings) *
- A.J. Lawson (Raptors 905) *
- Isaiah Miller (Austin Spurs)
- Jaylen Nowell (Capital City Go-Go)
- Dink Pate (Mexico City Capitanes)
- Daeqwon Plowden (College Park Skyhawks) *
- Quinten Post (Santa Cruz Warriors) *
- Lester Quinones (Birmingham Squadron)
- DJ Steward (Memphis Hustle)
- TyTy Washington Jr. (Valley Suns) *
- Alondes Williams (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
- Jahmir Young (Grand Rapids Gold)
The G League announced 27 names today, leaving the pool one player shy of the 28 required for four seven-player teams. However, the NBAGL’s announcement says two more participants will be named at a later date to round out the player pool.
It’s unclear if there’s a math error happening here or if Pate will need to be replaced since he’s also participating in the Rising Stars event. Further confusing matters is the fact that Williams’ name shows up in the graphic released by the G League but not in the press release.
However it happens, the Up Next player pool will eventually increase to 28 names, with those players drafted into four teams by a quartet of “influencer” general managers and then coached by G League coaches at All-Star weekend.
Pistons Sign Ron Harper Jr., Tolu Smith To Two-Way Deals
JANUARY 6, 4:03pm: The Pistons have officially signed Smith and Harper and placed Williams and Swider on waivers, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).
JANUARY 5, 8:30pm: The Pistons are also signing Tolu Smith to a two-way deal, according to Jake Fischer (Twitter link).
Smith, a 6’11” rookie forward, was waived by Detroit in training camp and has been playing for the G League’s Motor City Cruise. He’s averaging 20.2 points and 14.8 rebounds in four regular season NBAGL games and also made five appearances with the Cruise in the G League Showcase Cup.
Smith spent his freshman season at Western Kentucky before transferring and playing the final four years of his collegiate career at Mississippi State. He went undrafted in 2024 and made three preseason appearances with Detroit.
To make room for Harper and Smith, the Pistons are waiving Alondes Williams and Cole Swider, according to Fischer.
Detroit signed Williams to a two-way deal just before the start of the season after he was cut loose by the Clippers. Similarly, the Pistons signed Swider after he was waived during the latter stages of training camp by the Pacers.
JANUARY 5, 7:17pm: The Pistons have agreed to a two-way deal with Ron Harper Jr., ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets.
Harper was waived in training camp by the Celtics and has been playing for the Maine Celtics in the G League. He has averaged 22.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in four regular season G League games and also played 11 games in the NBAGL’s Tip-Off Tournament.
Harper went undrafted out of Rutgers in 2022 and signed to a two-way deal shortly after the draft by the Raptors. He only appeared in six games in the G League last season. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after playing in just one NBA game in ’23/24 and was waived by the Raptors in December of last year.
Detroit has all of its two-way spots filled, so it will have to make a corresponding move to bring in Harper.
With Jaden Ivey sidelined indefinitely with a fractured fibula, Harper will give Detroit more depth at the guard spots.
Contract Details: Gordon, Moody, Suggs, Green, Sengun, Murphy, More
The three-year veteran extension that Aaron Gordon signed with the Nuggets is worth $103,608,840 in total base salary, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. As expected, Gordon is getting the maximum 40% raise on his 2025/26 salary ($22,841,455), with 8% annual raises after that.
Gordon’s is also getting the maximum 40% bump (and 8% subsequent increases) on his $1.2MM in incentives for the ’25/26 season, so they’ll increase to $1.68MM in the first year of the extension and will be worth $5,443,200 in total across the three years of the deal. That means that if the Nuggets forward earns all his bonuses, he could make up to $109,052,040 over those three seasons.
The trade kicker on Gordon’s extension is for just 3%, which represents the lowest percentage of any active trade kicker around the NBA.
Here are more details on some of the contracts recently signed by players across the league:
- Moses Moody‘s three-year extension with the Warriors actually has a total base value of $37.5MM, rather than the $39MM initially reported. The deal includes $1.5MM in incentives that could push the total value up to $39MM.
- Jalen Suggs‘ five-year, $150MM extension with the Magic starts at $35MM in 2025/26 and has a descending structure. By the fifth year, in 2029/30, Suggs’ cap hit will be just $26.7MM.
- The exact value of Jalen Green‘s three-year extension with the Rockets is $105,333,333. It starts at $33,333,333, with matching $36MM cap hits in years two and three (the third year is a player option).
- Alperen Sengun‘s five-year, $185MM extension with the Rockets has an ascending structure, though it doesn’t increase by the maximum allowable 8% per year. It begins at $33,944,954 in 2025/26 and eventually gets as high as $39,036,697 in years four and five. The fifth year is a player option.
- Trey Murphy‘s four-year, $112MM extension with the Pelicans begins at $25MM and increases by $2MM annually, getting up to $31MM by year four.
- The new standard contract Alex Reese signed with the Thunder is a straightforward one-year, minimum-salary deal that is fully non-guaranteed. I’d be a little surprised if Reese lasts the whole season on that contract, but if he does, he’d be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2025.
- Alondes Williams‘ two-way contract with the Pistons is for two years. While it’s pretty rare for a player to play out a full two-year, two-way contract, Detroit could technically keep Williams on his current deal all the way through the end of the 2025/26 season.
Pistons Sign Alondes Williams To Two-Way Deal
The Pistons have officially filled their third and final two-way slot by signing free agent guard Alondes Williams to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
Reporting on Saturday indicated that Detroit planned to sign Williams. However, the team had to wait for him to clear waivers first. That happened on Monday, two days after he was cut by the Clippers.
Williams, who played college ball for Triton College, Oklahoma, and Wake Forest, went undrafted in 2022 and spent his rookie season with the Nets and their G League affiliate in Long Island. Last August, he signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Heat and opened the season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s G League affiliate, before signing a two-way contract with the Heat in February and finishing the season on their 18-man roster.
Although Williams has only played 21 total minutes across eight appearances for Brooklyn and Miami at the NBA level, he’s coming off a big year in the G League. In 43 Showcase Cup and regular season appearances for the Skyforce in 2023/24, he put up 20.3 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.3 rebounds in 37.4 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .499/.369/.742. The 25-year-old also helped the Heat win a Summer League title in July, averaging 12.0 PPG and 4.8 APG with a .480 3PT% in five games in Las Vegas.
Williams was in camp with the Clippers on a non-guaranteed deal, but didn’t secure a spot on L.A.’s regular season roster. The Pistons reached a deal with him immediately after he was waived and have now added a pair of former Heat youngsters in the past two days, having also inked Cole Swider to a two-way contract.
Now that the Pistons have all three of their two-way slots filled, the Magic are the only NBA team that still has a two-way opening. That means 89 of 90 two-way spots around the league are occupied, as our tracker shows.