Kofi Inkoom
The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired forward Ish Wainright through waivers, a move reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Simultaneously, the Blazers are releasing forward Kevin Knox and big man Duop Reath, as noted by Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report.
Wainright was let go by the Suns due to their roster constraints; they had 17 players on standard contracts but could only retain 15 for the regular season.
Wainright’s 2023/24 salary wasn’t guaranteed, making him the logical choice to be released.
While the Suns had expressed interest in bringing Wainright back, potentially on a two-way contract, the Trail Blazers have swooped in to take on his non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract.
His salary won’t become fully guaranteed until January 7, giving Portland some time to assess his fit before making a final decision on retaining him for the season.
Wainright previously played in 60 games for the Suns last season, where he averaged 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game.
As for Kevin Knox, the ninth overall pick in the 2018 draft, he ended the 2022/23 season with the Blazers, averaging 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 21 games (17.1 minutes per game).
However, when he re-signed with the team in the summer, he only received a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, leaving his regular season roster spot uncertain.
Duop Reath, who was part of Portland’s Summer League team and represented Australia in the 2023 World Cup, has played internationally since going undrafted from LSU in 2018, spending time in Serbia, Australia, and China.
Sean Highkin suggests that both Knox and Reath might still have roles within the organization, potentially with the Blazers’ G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix.
Notably, Reath’s contract lacks an Exhibit 10 clause, making Knox the more likely candidate to join the Remix.
Following these moves, the Blazers have 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.
They could potentially add one more player before the regular season roster deadline on Monday or start the season with an open spot on their standard 15-man roster.