The Phoenix Suns can no longer sign former forward Ish Wainwright to a two-way contract.
Wainwright is signing with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania.
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Wainwright, who played his last two seasons with the Suns, will reunite with former Phoenix center Deandre Ayton in Portland. The Trail Blazers waived forward Kevin Knox to sign Wainwright, who is under a two-year deal he signed with the Suns this summer.
Phoenix is now down to 16 players on standard contracts and must waive one more before the NBA requires teams to be at 15 standard contracts one day before the regular season starts.
Wainwright was a fan-favorite in Phoenix. Known as “Strongman,” he weighed 250 pounds and was a former football player for Baylor, where he played college basketball and was a Big 12 all-defensive selection in 2017.
Wainwright was on the Suns’ bench and embraced Phoenix. He was often seen at games for the MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.
Suns coach Frank Vogel said before the team’s fifth and final preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers he hoped the team would bring Wainwright back after he was waived Thursday.
“We’re big on Ish Wainwright,” Vogel said. “Big believers in him.”
