NBA Trade Rumors: Dion Waiters Wants to Play for Philadelphia 76ers Next Season
Oklahoma City Thunder reserve guard Dion Waiters failed to reach an agreement regarding a contract extension the led to some speculations that he wants to play elsewhere next season. According to Keith Pompey of Philly.com, the 23-year-old scorer wants to play for his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
"He wants to come home. Plus, he knows that he could be the missing shooting guard they need. And he could possibly get a very lucrative contract with the Sixers. He really would like that, to come home. He talked about getting a place downtown not too far from the arena so playing at home would be less of a distraction," a source told Pompey.
The player already refuted the report via a post on his Twitter account. Thunder general manager Sam Presti told ESPN earlier this month that Waiters has found a home in Oklahoma City and both parties are committed to each other.
Dnt Believe everything y'all hear lol I guess this what the world coming to smh especially if it didn't come from me.
— Dionwaiters3 (@dionwaiters3) November 15, 2015
"Dion has made it clear that he feels he has found a basketball home in Oklahoma City and is committed to being a part of the culture that exists, and the team sees him as someone who has his best basketball in front of him and has the potential to be a contributor for years to come," Presti said.
However, the two sides have failed to agree on a contract extension during the Nov. 2 deadline, making him a restricted free agent next season, per NBC Sports. The report adds that the Thunder will prioritize Kevin Durant than Waiters, but he will be a valuable player if Durant decides to leave Oklahoma City.
It is noted that Waiters still has a lot of ways to go to becoming a top-scoring threat in the game because of holes in his game. The 23-year-old still hogs the ball, takes poor shots and is a very bad defensive player, but he is full of upside considering he was a fourth overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He played two and a half seasons with the Cavaliers until he was traded last season to the Thunder in a three-team deal that also involved the New York Knicks. In a report by Yahoo! Sports, Cleveland received Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith while the Knicks got a first-round pick from the Thunder, a second-round pick from the Cavaliers plus Lou Amundson and Alex Kirk. The Thunder got Waiters and swingman Lance Thomas.
The Thunder could also trade Waiters before the deadline in February once his situation becomes an issue. He has a career average of 13.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists, per Basketball Reference.
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