Tristan Vukcevic

wasmsqueri

Tristan Vukcevic recorded a career-high 19 points in Friday night's matchup against the Chicago Bulls at Capital One Arena.

highlights-tristan-vukcevic-records-career-high-19-points-vs-chicago-bulls-04-12-24

Highlights: Tristan Vukcevic records career-high 19 points vs. Chicago Bulls | 04/12/24

Interim head coach Brian Keefe, Kyle Kuzma, and Tristan Vukcevic spoke to the media following Thursday night's matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers at Capital One Arena.

media-availability-brian-keefe-kyle-kuzma-and-tristan-vukcevic-04-04-24

Media Availability: Brian Keefe, Kyle Kuzma, and Tristan Vukcevic | 04/04/24

Interim head coach Brian Keefe, Corey Kispert, Deni Avdija, and Tristan Vukcevic spoke to the media following Tuesday night's win over the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena.

media-availability-brian-keefe-corey-kispert-deni-avdija-and-tristan-vukcevic-04-02-24

Media Availability: Brian Keefe, Corey Kispert, Deni Avdija, and Tristan Vukcevic | 04/02/24

Interim head coach Brian Keefe, Deni Avdija, and Tristan Vukcevic spoke to the media following the Wizards' victory over the Toronto Raptors at Capital One Arena on Saturday night.

media-availability-brian-keefe-deni-avdija-and-tristan-vukcevic-03-23-24

Media Availability: Brian Keefe, Deni Avdija, and Tristan Vukcevic | 03/23/24

none

wasatemperly

WASHINGTON, D.C. –&nbsp;The Washington Wizards announced today that they have signed forward/center Tristan Vukcevic to a multi-year deal.&nbsp;

The Wizards selected Vukcevic (7-0, 225 lbs.) with the 42nd&nbsp;overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.&nbsp; He has spent this season with KK Partizan Belgrade of the Adriatic League (Liga ABA), averaging 7.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 30 games while shooting .540 from the field and .432 from three-point range. The 21-year-old played with Washington in the 2023 NBA Summer League, averaging 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in four games.&nbsp;

Vukcevic (pronounced VOOK-cheh-vitch) has previously played overseas for Real Madrid in the Spanish ACB (2020-21) and KK Partizan Belgrade (2022-24). In 2022-23 with KK Partizan Belgrade, he averaged 8.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game in 22 Adriatic League games.

wizards-sign-vukcevic

Wizards Sign Vukcevic

Luke Askew

The Wizards wrapped up their 2023 Summer League campaign with a Saturday afternoon game against the Bulls. Jules Bernard led the way for Washington off the bench, but they couldn't find enough firepower to overcome hot shooting performances from Dalen Terry and Javon Freeman-Liberty. Final score: Bulls 90, Wizards 85.

With Ryan Rollins, Johnny Davis, Bilal Coulibaly, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Xavier Cooks all sitting out, the door of opportunity was open for the entire Wizards Summer League roster. Bernard wasted no time taking advantage.

The Wizards' offense got off to a slow start, but when Bernard checked in midway through the first quarter, he made it rain buckets. He scored 10 first-quarter points in only five minutes of action and helped Washington get their offense back on track.

Bernard even sparked an 18-0 extended run for the Wizards that lasted from the end of the first quarter into the beginning of the second quarter.

The Bulls responded in a major way. Terry and Freeman-Liberty led the way for Chicago and refused to let them lose. Terry scored 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 shooting from deep to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Freeman-Liberty was somehow even better, pouring in 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point territory. He also added seven boards, five assists, two blocks and one steal.

Washington didn't go down without a fight, but ultimately, Chicago executed at a higher level down the stretch and came away with a 90-85 win. Bernard finished with a team-high 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. Tristan Vukcevic had a slow start but finished nicely, dropping 15 points and hauling in eight boards.

recap-wizards-lose-90-85-to-bulls-in-final-game-of-2023-summer-league

Recap: Wizards lose 90-85 to Bulls in final game of 2023 Summer League

On the second night of a Summer League back-to-back, the Washington Wizards used defensive intensity and transition offense to outpace the Boston Celtics 103-98.

The first half of Sunday night's game was tightly contested. Both teams were getting up and down the floor and you could tell it would be a competitive game from start to finish. At halftime, the Celtics held a slight 52-51 lead.

The third quarter is where the momentum shifted in the Wizards' direction as they forced turnover after turnover and piled on the points in transition (more on this soon). At one point in the second half, the Wizards built their lead up to 14 points and looked ready to run away with the game, but the Celtics never quit.

With 27 seconds left in the game, Jordan Walsh capped off a 7-0 run by the Celtics with a rim-rattling three to cut the D.C. lead to just three points. The Celtics opted not to foul, playing the possession straight up and hoping to force a turnover or a miss. Only, Wizards rookie Bilal Coulibaly had other plans.

Coulibaly caught the ball on the right wing with 10 seconds left in the game (seven on the shot clock) and took two power dribbles toward the baseline before stepping back for a mid-range pull-up jumper. Nothing but net. Onions.

The rookie from France finished the game with 11 points and five boards. He also had a slick no-look pass that led to an easy dunk.

Here are five takeaways from the Wizards' first win of the 2023 NBA Summer League.

Throughout Sunday night's game, the Celtics would switch in and out of a zone defense, which can be tricky for any team to conquer, let alone a Summer League squad without much shared experience. Of course, one surefire way to beat a solid half-court defense is to never let it get set.

The Wizards' best offense in this game was their defense. They had active hands and pressured the opposing ball handlers relentlessly, doing everything they could to force turnovers. In turn, that led to easy opportunities for the offense.

The Celtics turned the ball over 23 times (15 came by way of steals from the Wizards) and Washington was masterful in transition, scoring 28 fastbreak points.

In Saturday night's loss to the Pacers, the Wizards looked disjointed at times, which is completely normal for a team of youngsters playing together for the first time. As the game wore on, it looked like the chemistry was improving, but the real test was always going to come 24 hours later on Sunday night against Boston.

Right from the jump, guys were moving off the ball and the rock was zipping around, finding the open man. Washington finished the game with 25 assists on 37 made shots -- an impressive number for a 40-minute Summer League game. This helped lead to seven Wizards players scoring in double figures.

A big part of the Wizards' offensive success tonight was point guard Ryan Rollins, who came over via trade from the Golden State Warriors on July 6.

In 27 minutes of playing time, Rollins scored a team-high 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting from the field while dishing out nine assists and only turning the ball over one time. Oh, and remember how defense was the Wizards' best offense tonight? Well, Rollins was also taking cookies on Sunday, coming away with five steals.

Tristan Vukcevic, the Wizards' second-round pick out of Serbia, had some positive moments in the Wizards' first Summer League game (the loss to Indiana). But on Sunday, he was a huge difference-maker in just 23 minutes of action.

Whether it was running in transition, popping out beyond the three-point line or nimbly moving through the paint, Vukcevic looked awesome, scoring 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field. He also hauled in eight rebounds, dropped one dime, blocked one shot and grabbed one assist.

In just two Summer League games, Johnny Davis has looked ultra comfortable and played consistent basketball. In the first game, he scored a team-high 17 points while adding five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Tonight, he followed that performance with another good one.

In 30 minutes of playing time, Davis scored 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting from the field to go along with four rebounds, three assists, three steals and only two turnovers. Once again, a steady showing from the second-year guard.

The Wizards are now 1-1 in the 2023 NBA Summer League. Their next game is on Tuesday night against the Spurs.

washington-wizards-five-takeaways-from-the-first-summer-league-win

Washington Wizards: Five takeaways from the first Summer League win

NBA Summer League provides a unique look at talented players looking to make their mark on the league. Over the course of an 11-day event in Las Vegas, NBA teams will trot out their Summer League squads in a competitive, national setting.

Like many teams, the Washington Wizards have loads of unique young talent on their Summer League roster. Here's a detailed look at some of the key guys to keep an eye on.

The Wizards made a big draft night trade with the Indiana Pacers, getting the draft rights to the seventh overall pick, Bilal Coulibaly from the Metropolitans 92. Coulibaly spent a good chunk of last season with the Mets 92 junior team before being called up to the senior squad where he and his teammates, including no. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama, made a run to the LNB Pro A championship game.

Having played professionally overseas, Wizards fans may not be familiar with Coulibaly's game. Summer League is the perfect opportunity for fans in the DMV to learn what Coulibaly can do on the court before the 2023-24 season tips off.

At 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Coulibaly has elite length that will serve him well on defense in Las Vegas. He can blow up ball screens, contest shots from anywhere on the court and is extremely difficult to get around. Offensively, he'll be looking to showcase his skills with the ball.

"As best we can, we're gonna try to put Bilal in a lot of different situations," said Wizards Summer League head coach Landon Tatum. "Since he's been here, he's been great on the floor, asks questions, does everything with patience. You can see why he was drafted. He's gonna give us great length and a lot of versatility on offense to handle the ball, come off of DHO's -- things like that. But defensively, we're gonna challenge him. He's gonna be able to get after some of the best guys, and we're gonna see what he can do."

After agreeing to trade for the draft rights to Bilal Coulibaly in the first round, the Wizards weren't done on draft night. They were on the clock with the 42nd overall pick and selected Tristan Vukcevic from KK Partizan Belgrade of the Adriatic Basketball Association.

The 7-footer had a wild draft night experience as his KK Partizan team had just won the ABA Championship a couple of hours before receiving the phone call that the Wizards had drafted him.

"I expected to win and to be drafted," said a smiling Vukcevic. "It probably will be the best night of my life... It's been crazy, [but] not really exhausting. It's part of the job. I get paid to do what I love. I'm just embracing everything."

When asked what he's looking forward to showcasing in Summer League, Vukcevic emphasized that he wants to show a little bit of everything on both ends of the court.

"I just want to show what I can do," said Vukcevic. "I'm from Europe. People haven't really seen me play, so I just want to show people my abilities and how I can help the team win and just make my teammates look better and make my team look better. On offense, I can space the floor as a five-man. I can shoot the ball. Give the extra pass to my teammates. And on defense, just being the help guy. I'm long, so I'm willing to use my size and block shots [and] steal some balls."

The magic of the NBA Summer League is guys with one year of professional experience are all of a sudden veterans of the process. For the Wizards this summer, Johnny Davis is one of those guys. After going through an entire NBA/G League season in 2022-23, Davis is ready to take strides in Vegas.

"Just being a little more comfortable in knowing the stuff," said Davis when asked about the biggest differences between last year's preparation and this year's preparation. "Offense, defense, strategies, techniques, plays. I would say just going in, I think I'm way more prepared."

In the final 10 games of the 2022-23 regular season, Davis came on strong and showed that he has the ability to get into the paint and create plays for himself and his teammates, averaging 12.6 points and 2.4 assists in just under 30 minutes per game. In that same stretch, however, he struggled from behind the arc, shooting 26.2% from deep. Since the season has ended, improving his shooting has been a major point of emphasis for Davis, and he's excited to display that in Summer League.

When asked what he's added to his game over the summer, Davis responded confidently, saying, "Shooting." He went on to say, "Just being more confident in my shot. Getting it off quicker. Having my feet squared before I catch the ball... I think the shooting is going pretty well. That's something I've been focusing on a lot."

Another guy who's considered a veteran in the Summer League ranks is Wizards two-way guard Quenton Jackson.

"I'm coming in this year with a lot more confidence," said Jackson when asked about being a Summer League vet. "Not just in my game, but in the team and how I know things should flow. It comes with a lot more wisdom, a lot more knowledge... I  feel like the coaches and everybody have a lot more trust in me and so it makes it easier to kind of go out there and play with a free mind and a free spirit."

Jackson has only played in nine NBA games (6.2 PPG on 45.2% shooting), but his impressive G League accomplishments show why he commands a certain level of respect at Summer League. In 29 games with the Capital City Go-Go, he averaged 15.6 points on efficient .538/.400/.778 shooting splits to go along with 4.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds. That level of experience goes a long way during Summer League.

"Just being kind of a general on the floor," said Jackson when asked what he's ready to show in Las Vegas. "We got a lot of young guys this year. Me coming back, it's only my second year. So I'm kind of new to it, but I'm more advanced than some of the other guys. You know, just kind of being that floor general for the young guys. Making reads, getting them involved in the game, making sure everything flows smoothly... A lot of decision-making, a lot of ball handling."

Patrick Baldwin Jr. is one of the newest additions to the Wizards' Summer League roster. He joined the Wizards on July 6 via trade from the Golden State Warriors.

Baldwin was drafted by the Warriors with the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft. He played in 31 games for the Warriors and averaged nearly four points per game. He also spent some time with the Warriors' G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. In 11 games in Santa Cruz, Baldwin averaged 14.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

At 6-foot-9, Baldwin will give the Wizards' Summer League squad some extra length and playmaking on the perimeter.

Ryan Rollins is another new addition to the Wizards' Summer League squad. He joined Baldwin in the trade with the Warriors that was announced on July 6.

Rollins was selected with the 44th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and similar to Baldwin, spent limited time with the Warriors' NBA club while excelling with their G League affiliate.

In 12 games at the NBA level, Rollins averaged 1.9 points in only 5.2 minutes per contest. In the G League, however, he put up prolific numbers, including 19.5 points per game to go along with 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

A 6-foot-4 point guard, Rollins will look to add additional ball handling and playmaking to the Wizards' Summer League squad.