Following the news that first-year Wizard Cam Whitmore would be sidelined for the season due to a blood clot issue, Washington's front office quickly applied for a Disabled Player Exception.
With an open roster spot, and the team in a situation where taking swings could still prove beneficial, the Wizards began to scan the market for potential additions to fill their 15th and final roster spot.
Despite several intriguing options on the free agent market, the Wizards search started internally awarding a local standout that's been turning heads on the team's G-League affiliate.
Wizards sign Skal Labissiere to 10-day contract
Skal Labissiere was originally drafted No. 28 overall in the first-round of the 2016 NBA Draft after one season at Kentucky.
The 6-foot-10 big man began his professional career with the Sacramento Kings, where he showed flashes of his upside but failed to make the strides the team hoped he could.
Part of his lack of development stemmed from a poor situational fit, but in reality the biggest reason for his derailed career came courtesy of the forward's constant injury setbacks.
Following his time in Sac-Town, Labissiere was given the chance at a fresh start with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he struggled just as much, if not more to carve out a sizable role.
After bouncing around between the stints in Sacramento and Portland, the 29-year-old spent this past offseason as part of the Washington Wizards training camp roster before eventually signing with the Capital City Go-Go.
Now, he finds his next opportunity with the Wizards' active roster after an impressive G-League start.
The Washington Wizards are signing center Skal Labissiere to a 10-day contract out of their Capital City affiliate, agent Daniel Hazan tells ESPN. Labissiere enters a sixth NBA season after being a first-round pick in 2016. He has shot 55% from field and 44% from 3 in G League.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 27, 2026
In 12 games with the Go-Go, Labissiere has proven to be too good for the G-League, averaging 19.0 points and 7.4 rebounds, while shooting 52.8% from field goal range and 43.2% from beyond the arc in his 29.9 minutes per game through 12 games.
Not only has the SEC product flashed offensive upside and the ability to crash the boards, but he's also proven to be a difference-maker on the defensive side of the court, averaging 2.8 blocks per contest.
Obviously, every prospect develops at different rates and while his G-League stint doesn't mean he's completely turned things around, he's given the Wizards' enough confidence to begin their search to fill their open roster spot with the 29-year-old veteran.
With the NBA trade deadline looming, signing Labissiere to a 10-day contract will give the Wizards the opportunity to see if the big man can fill the void on the roster, or if another potential move will be the appropriate route.
Not to mention, if the team does find themselves moving on from veterans on the roster like Marvin Bagley III, who's widely expected to garner plenty of interest on the trade market, Labissiere could prove that he's more than capable of filling that void too.