Julian Reese’s stint with the Denver Nuggets lasted only a short while. The 23-year-old arrived from Washington as part of a five-team deal that sent Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers; nevertheless, his path with Colorado proved virtually nonexistent when the franchise opted to relinquish the two-way contract he had signed.
Undrafted in 2025, Reese spent the majority of the 2025-26 season in the G League with Toronto’s affiliate, Raptors 905. He remained there until February, when he signed a two-year contract with the Wizards (in the bidirectional two-way category), a move that did not stop him from being viewed as expendable in the end.
In the G League, Reese accumulated 41 appearances in total (38 with Raptors 905 and 3 with Capital City Go-Go), averaging 8.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1 block in 18.3 minutes per game.
The Nuggets’ decision should hardly come as a surprise, since from the outset it was signaled that the plan was to cut him. Denver now has a free two-way contract slot. The remaining two spots are filled by guard KJ Simpson and Bryce Hopkins, selected in the second round of the 2026 draft.
