Boston Celtics waive former Kentucky forward Wenyen Gabriel

Wenyen Gabriel was a member of the Boston Celtics for less than a month.

After the Celtics signed Gabriel to a training camp deal on Oct. 1, the franchise waived him on Friday morning, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Gabriel appeared in three of Boston’s five preseason games this month after agreeing to his non-guaranteed deal. The former Kentucky Wildcat averaged just 2.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per outing. Gabriel was passed up in the backup center rotation by Neemias Queta, who is on a two-way contract with the Celtics.

Gabriel, 26, went undrafted after spending two seasons at Kentucky (2016-18). Not counting the Celtics, he has been a member of six different NBA teams, including regular season stints with the Sacramento Kings (’18-20), Portland Trail Blazers (’20), New Orleans Pelicans (’20-21), Brooklyn Nets (’21), Los Angeles Clippers (’21-22), and Los Angeles Lakers (’22-23).

The Boston Celtics are waiving F/C Wenyen Gabriel, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 20, 2023

Gabriel is coming off an impressive performance for South Sudan at the FIBA World Cup over the summer. He averaged 9.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while leading the event in blocks. The 6-foot-9 stretch big man was a key piece in helping lead his home country to its first-ever spot in the Olympics. Gabriel and South Sudan will participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics next summer.

Despite having his best season as a pro in 2022-23 with the Lakers, Gabriel is once again back on the open market. Alongside the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Gabriel was a serviceable role player for the Lakers last season. He averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game for Los Angeles, shooting just a hair under 60 percent from the field. He appeared in 68 games, easily surpassing his previous career-best of 30 in the 2019-20 season.

More Wildcats cut by NBA teams

Unfortunately, Wenyen Gabriel wasn’t the only former Kentucky player to receive bad news. Both Reid Travis (Pacers) and Kahlil Whitney (Bulls) were waived this week by their respective franchises. Neither player lasted more than 48 hours between the time they were signed and waived.

Travis was picked up by the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, only to get waived on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Whitney was signed by the Chicago Bulls on Monday to a training camp deal, although he was cut by Wednesday morning. To rub salt into the wound, the Bulls’ social media post announcing the move spelled Whitney’s last name as “Whitley“.

With Travis, he’s yet to stick in the NBA after going undrafted in 2019. He was part of the Atlanta Hawks Summer League roster in 2019, but never made the final roster. Travis, who was at Kentucky during the 2018-19 season after transferring from Stanford, spent the last three years playing for Japan’s Shimane Susanoo Magic.

As for Whitney, he’s also struggled to finally land an NBA roster spot. Undrafted in 2020 after leaving midway through his freshman season at Kentucky in 2019-20, the former McDonald’s All-American has been a regular member of the NBA’s G League. Whitney spent last season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (the Houston Rockets affiliate) where he averaged 6.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game.

Gabriel, Travis, and Whitney are now all free agents and can be signed by any team. The NBA regular season begins on Tuesday, Oct. 24.