Raptors convert Nate Bittle to two-way contract, waive five players
The undrafted rookie centre from Oregon averaged 16.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in his final NCAA season.
TORONTO · The Toronto Raptors converted centre Nate Bittle to a two-way contract and waived five other players on Saturday. Guards Nimari Burnett, Jalen Celestine and Tyreke Key, forward Tyson Degenhart and centre Jamarion Sharp were all cut, the NBA team said in a news release.
"They could land back with the organization at the G League level with Raptors 905," the team said.
Who is Nate Bittle?
The seven-foot, 250-pound centre is a native of Central Point, Ore. He spent all five of his NCAA seasons playing for his native Oregon Ducks. He averaged a career-best and team-high 16.8 points and 6.9 rebounds over 25 games last season as a fifth-year senior. Bittle also averaged 2.6 assists and 1.8 blocks through those 25 games.
He attempted 4.5 three-point shots per game, converting at a 31.9 per cent clip. The 23-year-old is a former All-Big Ten selection and was a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Centre of the Year award. Two-way contracts allow players to split time between an NBA team and its G League affiliate. Bittle joins Malachi Smith as Raptors two-way players, leaving one spot available on the roster for such a deal.
The five waived players are now free agents, though the Raptors noted they could rejoin the organization with their G League team, Raptors 905. Garbutt Disposal reported in October that Degenhart, a 6-foot-8 forward, had been signed after averaging 8.5 points for Raptors 905 last season after a standout college career at Boise State. The Raptors' next game is their home opener, set for Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. The Raptors will begin their regular season on Wednesday night against the visiting Chicago Bulls.
With files from The Canadian Press, Sportsnet and Yahoo News