The Brooklyn Nets officially announced they have waived Iman Shumpert on Thursday. The wing was with the team for 13 games, in which he helped them win nine contests.
His time in Brooklyn was cut short with Wilson Chandler’s suspension set to end on Sunday. Though Shumpert was the mid-season add, he wasn’t expected to be the odd man out given the way Kenny Atkinson utilized him.
David Nwaba’s emergence as not only a defensive option off the bench, but also as an occasional offensive contributor night-to-night hurt Shumpert’s case. Also, Nwaba is 26 and Shumpert is 29.
Which brings the conversation to Dzanan Musa and Theo Pinson. Pinson has had to play out of position all season and continues to show progress. He also just turned 24, and Musa is only 20.
Shumpert is more inclined to contribute in the present, but Musa and Pinson could help the Nets down the road. Waiving one of them to then transfer their NBA contract into a two-way deal — after waiving one of Brooklyn’s two two-way players — might’ve worked, but the Nets would have run the risk of losing either Pinson or Musa.
In the end, losing either proved to be too great a risk.
But Shumpert did not leave without making his mark. The timing of his signing with the Nets worked out perfectly for the team — and not solely because Chandler was suspended.
Shumpert set the tone for Brooklyn’s defense when there was none. Chandler could slip right in and help maintain that identity, but the Nets might still be scuffling defensively if not for Shumpert.
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