{"id":702103,"date":"2026-04-06T22:11:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T22:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/702103\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T22:11:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T22:11:18","slug":"anthony-gill-and-the-soul-of-the-wizards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/702103\/","title":{"rendered":"Anthony Gill and the Soul of the Wizards"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2025-26 Washington Wizards may not have put forth the most viewer-friendly on-court nightly product, but no depleted fan or cynical outsider can diminish the strange beauty of their full, season-long roundup<\/a> of contributing players.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve welcomed 26 different men to the court since October, fielding different roster quirks that have included Cam Whitmore<\/a>\u2019s foiled comeback bid, Sharife Cooper<\/a>\u2019s surge into productive NBA minutes and D.C. swan songs out of the likes of CJ McCollum<\/a>, Khris Middleton<\/a>, Corey Kispert<\/a> and Marvin Bagley III<\/a>. D\u2019Angelo Russell<\/a>, another big name, remains on the books amidst his continued lack of interest as an All-Star-turned-buyout candidate.<\/p>\n

But amidst all of the trades, cuts and near-constant roster turnover, Anthony Gill sustains. <\/p>\n

The one-time 28-year-old rookie has outlasted every other member of the 2020-21 Wizards crew by miles in clinging onto his place within the organization, an especially-tough road to manage considering the belabored rebuild<\/a> that\u2019s spanned the majority of his NBA career.<\/p>\n

The 5.2 points<\/a> that the stocky veteran\u2019s averaging over 50 games may register as a career-high for the relatively-undersized forward, but neither his post defense nor his willingness to space the floor on offense ever featured as his meal ticket. Gill knows everyone- and everyone loves Gill.<\/p>\n

Gill’s Unparalleled Importance to D.C.<\/p>\n

Just ask around anyone who\u2019s crossed paths with the Wizards\u2019 lifer, whether that be one of the numerous pregame trainers whom he takes the time to shake hands with or an up-and-coming teammate who\u2019s gotten to watch how Gill conducts his business.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like AG helps more off the court than on the court,\u201d star rookie Tre Johnson<\/a> remarked<\/a> earlier this season. \u201cNobody sees it, but AG\u2019s probably the best dressed in the morning to practice. Lives the farthest, gets the outfit prepared the night before. He wants to come to the gym first so he can do his workout and help with other guys. That\u2019s the type of person he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

ICYMI: I asked Tre about his relationship with pro vet Gill, and he gave some spirited props to his off-court nurturing after co-signing his recent minutes surge.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou seen his defense lately?\u2026He\u2019s causing turnovers and stuff like that, that\u2019s [from] guarding me a lot.\u201d https:\/\/t.co\/2jruoTt4Jc<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/K8yHM2B0DJ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Henry J. Brown (@henryjbr_sports) January 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Gill\u2019s insistence on lending a helpful hand any time he can is no gimmick, either. He values \u201corganic\u201d relationship-building as much as anyone, having seen enough turnover to understand how important it is that all of the pieces who make up the Wizards\u2019 roster gel with and understand each other between tipoffs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to cultivate real relationships long-term,\u201d he told On SI. \u201cI don\u2019t want you to come to this organization and never feel like \u2018this is it, I\u2019m never going to see this group of people again, I\u2019m never going to have a friend like that.\u2019 I\u2019m with you for life.\u201d<\/p>\n

His knack for sticking around D.C. hasn\u2019t gone unnoticed, as six admittedly-fragmented seasons with the same team that gave the forward his first shot at the NBA is unheard-of for a player who went undrafted back in 2016 before spending the majority of his 20s in Europe. And the Wizards, as he\u2019s seen firsthand, haven\u2019t cherished many constants since his debut.<\/p>\n

The pride of the University of Virginia made his first big-league appearance as the final man on the bench of the 2020-21 Wizards, a group that\u2019s remembered fondly for Russell Westbrook<\/a>\u2019s undeniable one-and-done impact. They tasted the playoffs that year before embracing a mercifully-quick death by suffering a gentleman\u2019s sweep to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round, but ever since then, Gill\u2019s seen nothing but early offseasons and a teardown from that middling Bradley Beal<\/a>-led core through one of the game\u2019s most thorough rebuilds. <\/p>\n

\"Washington<\/p>\n

Dec 26, 2020; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (L) and Wizards guard Russell Westbrook (R) shake hands during warmups prior to their game against the Orlando Magic at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The keys to Washington\u2019s front office even changed hands, but Gill\u2019s remained through it all in trusting the men at the controls. \u201cI want the guys who are in the locker room to be with me here forever,\u201d he said in reminiscing on the change he\u2019s witnessed. \u201cI love the group of guys that we have right now. Obviously I wish that I had the same group that I had before, but these guys are amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Appreciating Gill from Up Close<\/p>\n

The only peer who\u2019d approached Gill\u2019s in-house longevity was Kispert, the shooting prospect drafted mere months after that predictable postseason exit. The highly-touted<\/a> role player and leader fell to the same fate that\u2019s taken countless Wizards throughout the 2020s earlier this year when he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks as a member of the Trae Young exchange.<\/p>\n

\"Atlanta<\/p>\n

Feb 26, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Corey Kispert (24) dribbles towards the basket against the Washington Wizards during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

That loss hurt for Gill, a cost of his self-imposed emphasis on transformational over transactional relationships. For each teammate he practices and laces sneakers alongside, there’s the expanded risk that he’ll have to bid goodbye to someone important to him.<\/p>\n

And with Kispert went one of Gill\u2019s most vocal supporters, someone who saw him beyond the friendly driver willing to carpool with his squadmates to and from matchups.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s always ready. Like always, always ready to play,\u201d the guard commented<\/a> during their first season of the committed rebuild. \u201cWhen you see a guy like that do well in a game, you want to run through a wall for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Corey Kispert on Anthony Gill, who he says \u201cchanged the game\u201d with his minutes tonight: \u201cWhen you see a guy like that do well in a game, you want to run through a wall for him.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/uPDUvKqwni<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) March 9, 2024<\/a>Numbers Falling Short of Impact<\/p>\n

The traits that Kispert outlined in that interview snippet – availability, defense, energy – sum up what most casual fans miss about Gill\u2019s viability as a backup forward. Most players who fall into the \u201cmascot\u201d niche either can\u2019t really play or are well past their prime, i.e. a Udonis Haslem. But Gill, still mobile and deft communicating, is no charity case. He can fit into competent lineups, having spent the latter half of this ongoing season reminding others of his quiet versatility.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s enjoyed a 25+ minute per night<\/a> workload since the start of February, when the Wizards took their interest in losing up another notch. They\u2019ve won just four of the 31 games played over that span, and Gill\u2019s been in attendance for all but three of those outings. Still, he\u2019s done his role at the rim and from around the arc, having averaged 12.9 points on an astonishing 73.2\/41.7\/87.5% slashline over his last nine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Though he isn’t expected to raise the Wizards’ ceiling on a regular basis, his head coach continues to remind all that Gill’s not done improving as a day-to-day player.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis game has improved since I\u2019ve been here,\u201d Brian Keefe<\/a> commented following Gill\u2019s career-high 21-point showing against the Philadelphia 76ers last week. \u201c…Obviously, he had the scoring, but he had six assists also when we were playing through him on the elbows and we were getting some cuts off him. But this is what AG does. He always produces. He\u2019s always going to be ready to play, not surprisingly.\u201d<\/p>\n

That unselfishness reflected in Gill\u2019s chance to speak at the podium following the career achievement, where he immediately swooped down on the chance to divert attention towards his off-court strides. When asked where he believes he\u2019s jumped over the last month, a stretch that\u2019s included plenty of productive ball, he was quick to jump towards the job he\u2019s done maintaining his home as a husband and father of three.<\/p>\n

Despite all the praise that\u2019s been heaped onto him as the unofficial guardian of the Wizards\u2019 locker room, Gill is still a professional basketball player, clarifying that he appreciates being credited as such on occasion. As he succinctly put it, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be here if I wasn\u2019t good at basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Washington<\/p>\n

Feb 1, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (16) takes a shot during the first half against the Sacramento Kings at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

His verbal statement pairs well with his strong close to this campaign, where he\u2019s never looked more ready to actually factor into the nightly operation that the Wizards hope to field in the coming months. Their final premium draft picks will ideally provide the final helpful pieces to supplement the rising and proven stars atop the depth chart, and Gill\u2019s late heat check should still be ringing out when Washington\u2019s deciding who\u2019ll stay and go over the summer.<\/p>\n

Players don’t get much more outwardly sentimental than Gill, but professional sports leagues like the NBA and its fleet of franchises often struggle to financially measure glue guys. <\/p>\n

Gill\u2019s been just one of 26 across this loss-filled season, and the raw, unflinching numbers game of the offseason certainly opens the door for his re-entry to free agency should the Wizards be unable to ink him to yet another one-year deal<\/a>. But as far as behind-the-scenes connectors go, few in the building, let alone around the league, can match the veteran\u2019s blend of helpful in-game approach and off-court team-consolidating initiative, and his willingness to venture deeper into the general understanding of \u201cvalue\u201d promises to test Washington come decision-making time.<\/p>\n

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!<\/a><\/p>\n