Report: Nassir Little, E.J. Liddell will be waived by Suns
Aug 21, 2024, 2:54 PM | Updated: Sep 3, 2024, 1:56 pm
Nassir Little #25 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the net against Jaylen Nowell #24 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first quarter at Footprint Center on December 02, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Zac BonDurant/Getty Images)
(Photo by Zac BonDurant/Getty Images)
Wings Nassir Little and E.J. Liddell will be waived by the Phoenix Suns, opening a roster spot as they eye the start of camp in more than a month, reports The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
All-in-all, the moves illustrate the Suns’ interest in pursuing outside options as well as confidence in rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, as Charania adds.
Charania reports the Suns will stretch Little’s three years and $22 million left on his deal, opening up cap space on top of the roster spot immediately. That means the contract will be paid over twice the number of years left on the deal, plus one, thinning the amount owed.
While it moves millions to the salary cap table through the 2030-31 season, taking those small amounts off the books will save around $40 million in tax penalties over the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons as the Suns navigate the second apron, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger.
Dunn, plus re-signed wings Royce O’Neale and Josh Okogie, will take care of what Little could have provided as defense-first wing players, while Phoenix could rotate bigs Bol Bol and Ighodaro at the 4 alongside a center rotation of Jusuf Nurkic and Mason Plumlee.
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Little appeared in 45 games for Phoenix but struggled with a knee injury in the backend of the year.
He averaged 3.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game with a single start.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound wing was the 25th overall pick in 2019.
Still 24 years old, Little was viewed as a big piece to the Deandre Ayton-Damian Lillard blockbuster last offseason. Instead, it was fellow former Portland Trail Blazer Nurkic holding up as a starting center and former Milwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen putting together a career year that will define that move on the Suns’ end.
Phoenix in July traded wing David Roddy to the Atlanta Hawks for Liddell, whose career has not gotten off the ground in the NBA. Liddell had already been shipped this offseason from the Hawks to the Pelicans on July 6 as part of the Dejounte Murray trade.
Liddell was set to make $2.1 million next season with a club option for $2.3 million the following year.
The 6-foot-6, 240-pound scorer has appeared in eight NBA games for the Pelicans after a productive college career at Ohio State.
