Second-year forward Jamir Watkins could miss the 2026-27 season for the Washington Wizards after undergoing surgery to reconstruct his torn left ACL.
The Wizards said Watkins underwent surgery on Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. It was performed by Dr. Riley J. Williams III, the chief of the hospital’s Sports Medicine Institute.
The 6-foot-6 Watkins was a second-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Florida State, and he signed a two-way contract with the Wizards before the 2025-26 season.
He appeared in 50 games as a rookie, starting seven. He averaged 7.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 20.6 minutes per game.
Watkins, 25, suffered the knee injury on July 9 in the Wizards’ first game of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Playing against the Utah Jazz and guarding No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson, Watkins slipped and fell to the court, clutching his left knee, at the 8:40 mark of the first game. He returned to play almost 20 total minutes but did not appear in another Summer League game.
The Wizards added 2026 No. 1 draft pick AJ Dybantsa from BYU as well as a former first overall selection, Deandre Ayton. They also will look for injury-free seasons from veterans Trae Young and Anthony Davis, acquired last season in trades.
Davis played in just 20 games last season with the Dallas Mavericks due to hand and groin injuries. He did not play with the Wizards after the trade. Young appeared in 10 games for the Atlanta Hawks and five for the Wizards, limited by lower back and right quad ailments.
