OKC Thunder waive former Kentucky guard TyTy Washington

Last June, TyTy Washington was a first-round NBA Draft selection. A little over a year later, he’ll look to land on his fourth NBA team.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Friday afternoon that Washington, who was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2022 during his lone season at Kentucky, has been waived by the franchise.

Washington had only been with the Thunder for about a month since he was officially traded from the Atlanta Hawks on July 12, which came four days after he was officially traded from the Houston Rockets — the team that originally picked him (via a trade from the Memphis Grizzlies) at No. 29 in the 2022 Draft — in a massive five-team deal.

OKC is in the process of trimming down its roster to meet the maximum number of players allowed come the season opener. Washington was long expected to be one of the pieces cut, so this news doesn’t come as much of a shock. Still just 21 years old, the former Wildcat will now enter free agency and is able to sign with any team in the league ahead of the upcoming 2023-24 season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder has waived guard TyTy Washington Jr.

— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) August 18, 2023

As a rookie with the Rockets in 2022-23, which finished the season 22-60 and tied for last place in the Western Conference, Washington saw limited action. Most of the 6-foot-3 guard’s playing time came through the G League with Rio Grande Valley Vipers, as he appeared in just 31 games for Houston, including two starts.

During his stretch with the Rockets, Washington averaged 4.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 14.0 minutes per contest. His shooting splits were less than ideal: 36.3 percent overall, 23.8 percent from distance, and 55.6 percent from the free throw line. Washington was clearly too good to waste away in the G League — evidenced by averages of 23.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.6 rebounds across 18 games, including a 53-point scoring explosion — but he might still need some time adjusting to the NBA level.

Don’t be surprised if a team scoops up Washington in the coming weeks/months.

Washington was a “late” addition to John Calipari’s 2021 recruiting class, committing to the Wildcats in May of that year. The five-star freshman would waste little time making an immediate impact as a starting guard, highlighted by a 17-point, 17-assist performance during a game against Georgia in Jan. 2022 — the most assists by one player during a single game in school history. He then dropped a season-high 28 points just two games after that in a win over Tennessee. Washington went on to average 12.5 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.5 rebounds at UK en route to making Second-Team All-SEC and the All-SEC Freshman Team.