Skal Labissiere
It has not exactly been an eventful NBA career for Skal Labissiere, but it is a delight tto see him back in the association. Originally a 2016 1st-round pick by the Sacramento Kings, he also played a few seasons with the Trail Blazers.
He had a five-year hiatus from the association after the 2019-20 campaign where he finished in Portland, joining the Kings again in 2024-25. And now one year later, the Washington Wizards have announced they will be signing him to a 10-day contract.
Shams Charania broke the news on Tuesday morning, as the center-needy team will get a little bit of relief. With Marvin Bagley and Tristan Vukcevic on the shelf, they have been relying on Anthony Gill to fill the void behind Alex Sarr.
With the deal just being a 10-day, he will have the chance to likely jump in right away. Labissiere will be joining his third team.
Wizards Take Flier on Skal Labissiere
There isn’t much to lose for the Wizards in signing Skal Labissiere. Giving the big man a 10-day means he will have a chance to provide some interim value with other guys out. An undersized squad that was greatly in need of some size liked what they saw, and now here we are.
The big fella has re-invented his game with the Capital-City Go-Go this year. Labissiere has been averaging 19 points, eight rebounds, and nearly three blocks per night this season. In addition, he’s sinking a career-high 2.7 threes a night, at an impressive 43.2% clip no less.
Big men spacing the floor and shooting threes has become a significant trend in recent years. We even see Andre Drummond splashing triples now. All of the centers have started doing it, in an effort to keep the driving lanes open for the guards and wings.
Short-handed as they are now, it would be surprising to not see Labissiere get on the court right away in D.C. Since they have been playing smaller and giving up a lot of size, this one should provide some instant relief.
The team has a game with the Trail Blazers tonight, who are on the second end of a back-to-back. Perfect opportunity to let him get out there.
Expectations for Skal Labissiere with the Wizards
Alex Sarr has looked fantastic in his second year in Washington. The problem is though, he can’t play all 48 minutes out there. As strong as Justin Champagnie has been of late, he’s not somebody you can just throw at the center position. Enter Skal Labissiere.
The big man should be able to log some minutes right off the bat. How effective he will be remains to be seen, but is Christian Koloko is any example here, staying ready will keep you ready.
The big man has thrived during three appearances with the center-needy Hawks since joining, and may even be creating a long-term opportunity for himself.
Labissiere will likely be facing off with Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen during his minutes. Two players that both pose a threat in the low-post with their size, it should be a good challenge for him during his projected Wizards debut.
Perhaps he’ll get a few threes up, too. In his NBA career, he has shot 31-86 from beyond the arc, though he is of course a re-invented stretch big this time.
It’s hard not to root for G-League players finding their way (back) into the association. We’ll check back on Skal in a week.