Wizards re-sign Anthony Gill to one-year deal, creating roster squeeze

WASHINGTON — The Washington Wizards have re-signed veteran forward Anthony Gill to a one-year deal, a move first reported Aug. 7, 2025. (RealGM, Aug. 7, 2025). The contract is expected to be a veteran-minimum type signing and — beyond its modest cap hit — it matters most because it puts the club over the 15-player regular-season limit and forces a late-summer roster decision. (Sports Illustrated, Aug. 7, 2025). citeturn0search4turn5search4

Gill’s value to the Wizards is largely intangible. He’s long been regarded inside the building as a locker-room glue guy who mentors younger teammates and brings physical, low-minute frontcourt depth when needed — a profile detailed in a Washington Post feature on Gill’s role in D.C. (Apr. 8, 2025). Expect Gill to be a camp veteran, occasional end-of-bench minutes option and an off-court leader rather than a regular rotation piece. citeturn5search0

Why the signing creates a crunch: NBA teams can carry expanded offseason rosters but must be down to 15 standard (full) NBA contracts by opening night; teams may also hold additional two-way players (teams are permitted three two-way contracts as of the current CBA updates), and two-way salaries don’t count the same way against team payroll. That means a small veteran-minimum signing like Gill usually matters for roster slots more than salary cap math, because a team cannot exceed 15 standard contracts once the regular season begins. (HoopsRumors, July 17, 2024; HoopsRumors two-way tracker, July 4, 2025). citeturn1search4turn2search1

Practical implications for Washington: with Gill added the Wizards sit one standard contract over the regular-season limit (16), so the front office will need to cut, trade or convert a player’s deal (to a two-way or an Exhibit 10 conversion) before the roster deadline. Multiple local and national outlets note the signing flips the pressure to the fringes of Washington’s young, crowded roster. (SI, Aug. 7, 2025; Last Word on Basketball, Aug. 8, 2025). citeturn5search4turn3search0

Who is most vulnerable? The likeliest casualties are the younger, recently acquired or fringe players who occupy the bottom of the standard roster and carry little guaranteed money or who profile as camp/competition pieces. Local coverage and roster-tracking sites have pointed at a few names that could be at risk — particularly wing/forward types and recent mid‑offseason additions who don’t have established roles. Candidates mentioned in coverage include Dillon Jones (a young wing acquired in offseason trade scenarios), Malaki Branham (recently added in the Kelly Olynyk flip) and other fringe perimeter players; those write-ups say the team could either waive one outright, convert someone to a two-way, or pursue a small trade to clear a slot. (Last Word on Basketball, WizOfAwes, July–Aug. 2025). Because guarantees and contract structures vary, the front office’s decision will balance playing upside, trade value and how much guaranteed money would accelerate if a player remains on the roster past a guarantee date. citeturn9search0turn6search0

Bottom line: Gill’s deal is a low-cost, chemistry-first re-signing that gives Washington a veteran presence in camp and the season, but it also forces a short-term administrative choice: which fringe player to cut, trade or convert before the regular season. Expect the Wizards to use training camp and preseason to decide whether to keep Gill as the veteran mentor and to shop or waive one of the younger, expendable roster pieces. (SI; HoopsRumors). citeturn5search4turn1search4