Washington Wizards general manager Will Dawkins updates when Trae Young could make his Wizards debut, while the team fills its 15th and final roster spot ahead of Tuesday's game.
An update on when Washington Wizards guard Trae Young could ultimately make his Wizards debut while the front office filled the 15th and final roster spot on Tuesday morning.
Dawkins on Trae Young's timeline to return...after acquiring the former Hawks star, all eyes turned to just how much new Wizards point guard Trae Young would play in 2025-26 with the focus still expected to be on retaining the top-eight protected pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. While the early feedback pointed to the Wizards staying patient with Trae Young until the All-Star break, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins expressed optimism in a return to play after next month's All Star break.
"He's trending towards coming back. He's doing some light one-on-[zero] stuff, and making sure he's getting his treatment, getting healthy. But you guys know where players health and safety is most important, so we'll make sure that he's 100% before we throw him out there," Dawkins said during an appearance on 106.7 on Tuesday morning.
Since arriving in the nation's capital, Young has remained inactive with both a quad contusion and right knee MCL strain with the front office expected to remain patient through the recovery process while remaining active and engaged on the sidelines in the meantime. Dawkins - who reiterated that "Trae fits what we're trying to do" - admitted his influence has paid early dividends on the young roster.
"He's in the huddle, he's talking to referees. He's trying to help us guys get through plays. When he's seeing the way a defense is guarding Kyshawn or guarding Bub, giving him maneuvers to kind of go through it and talking through it during the game, and then speaking up at halftime and things of that nature when he gets a chance. So he's fully invested. He's played a lot of high level basketball. He's very sharp and sees things," Dawkins added. "So he's been helpful for our players, but also sitting directly next to our coaches and giving them feedback during the game too."
With Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger reiterating Trae Young's impact on the young roster as the front office evaluates the roster talent through the second half of the season, attention will eventually shift to whether an extension comes to fruition this offseason.
Final roster spot filled...after acquiring Trae Young in a 2-for-1 trade, the Wizards have had a spot to fill on their roster, which officially came to fruition on Tuesday morning. The organization announced that center Skal Labissière has been signed to a ten-day contract.
A former first-round pick out of Kentucky, Labissière has played a big role in the Wizards' G-League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, where he's averaging over 19 points and nearly eight rebounds and over two blocks per game while shooting over 55% from the floor and 44% from three.
This will mark Labissière's first appearance with the Wizards after playing four games with the Kings last season, four years after his last appearance in the NBA. He initially signed with the team on a training camp deal ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Labissière will join the team for tonight's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers with Deni Avdija set to return to DC.