Ish Wainright posted a goodbye to the Phoenix Suns’ faithful on Instagram today after signing with the Blazers this weekend.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Wainright was waived by the Suns on Thursday and picked up by the Blazers on Saturday.
Ish Wainright says his goodbye to the Phoenix #Suns after being picked up off waivers by the Blazers this weekend #ComingInHot
Full post: https://t.co/vn6gGexMAb pic.twitter.com/KGJwCuUkCr
— Burn City Suns Talk 🎙️ (@BurnCitySuns) October 24, 2023
Between coach Frank Vogel saying he wanted to bring Wainright back, and Wainright attending the last two D-backs’ home games, all signs pointed to the fan-favorite returning to Phoenix if he cleared waivers. The Suns even deleted a post thanking him for his time in the Valley. However, that did not end up being the case.
Wainright had not played in a game for the Suns this preseason, as he has been nursing a right calf strain.
Even though he didn’t play many minutes per game during his time with the Suns, Wainright, a former NFL player, became a fan-favorite in Phoenix since joining the team in 2021-22 season. The Suns exercised their team option on him this summer for the 2023-24 season. However, Wainright’s $1.9 million salary for this season was non-guaranteed until Jan. 2024. The 29-year-old, 6-foot-5 forward averaged 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in just over 15 minutes per game last season. He played in 60 games total for the year.
Now, he gets a new opportunity alongside Deandre Ayton in Portland.
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
