Photo: Washington Wizards/X

The Washington Wizards are bringing back free agent big man Marvin Bagley III on a one-year contract, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The move follows the team’s recent trade of Kelly Olynyk, leaving them with limited frontcourt depth – only second-year center Alex Sarr stands taller than 6’9″.

Interestingly, Washington just traded Bagley away at the 2024 deadline in a multi-team deal that helped them acquire Marcus Smart and eventually draft Will Riley.

Before that, Bagley had joined the Wizards from Detroit along with Isaiah Livers and a second-rounder. He played in 43 games (16 starts) for Washington, averaging 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds.

While Bagley’s return fills a positional need, his spot on the roster is far from secure. The Wizards already have 15 standard contracts, with Richaun Holmes and Justin Champagnie potentially on the bubble.

Holmes’s deal is only partially guaranteed, and Champagnie’s contract is fully non-guaranteed, though he started 31 games last season and shot efficiently from the field and three.

If Bagley’s new deal is non-guaranteed, Washington could cut him alongside Holmes and Champagnie to ease the roster crunch.

If it is guaranteed, the Wizards may need to release players with secured contracts.

Regardless, the team’s lack of size beyond Sarr – especially if Bagley doesn’t make the final roster – remains a concern, as only Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly are taller than 6’8″.

Bagley, the former No. 2 overall pick, struggled after being traded to Memphis, averaging just 3.6 points in 12 games.

Over his career, he holds averages of 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in 238 appearances.

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