The Washington Wizards have narrowed down their roster to size ahead of the team's regular season opener.
Washington was forced to make several tough decisions over the last couple of weeks after both the front office and coaching staff were forced to slowly but surely make the roster decision necessary in order to cut the team to the desired size.
The Wizards have an abundance of young talent on the roster, and that was prior to the team's moves to bring in several other intriguing prospects such as Cam Whitmore and Malaki Branham this offseason.
Not to mention the loaded rookie class headlined by No. 6 overall pick Tre Johnson and the veteran addition of CJ McCollum.
All that to say, Washington had their hands full this offseason when it came to narrowing down their roster, but considering the abundance of moves made by the Wizards over the last couple of months, it became clear that the team knew what they were signing up for.
In fact, general manager Will Dawkins made it clear that the culture in D.C. would be shifting this offseason with nothing given, but instead earned.
Any player who made the opening night roster earned the opportunity and any player that found themselves seeking a fresh start simply didn't earn it.
For Dillon Jones, he was forced to learn that the hard way.
Wizards waive Dillon Jones
Dillon Jones was originally selected iby the Wizards n the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft with the 26th overall pick before being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder on draft night.
The Weber State product would find his NBA journey running full circle after being traded back to Washington earlier this offseason, giving him the opportunity to prove he was worth a spot on the roster to scrap for minutes in the team's loaded backcourt.
Unfortunately, in three preseason games with the Wizards, the guard failed to beat out fromer Auburn star Sharife Cooper for the team's final two-way spot, which now leads to him being placed on waivers ahead of the regular season opener.
Considering his size and scoring ability flashed during his collegiate career, it comes as a bit of a surprise seeing that Washington elected to take a swing on an undersized guard in Cooper, rather than a playmaker like Jones, who has NBA size and intangibles to develop into a solid role player.
Regardless, Jones now finds himself seeking a new opportunity, while the Wizards move on with their selected group of young talent.