Following the blockbuster trade between the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, the Nets had to cut someone to make room for the new arrivals.
The Nets’ choice of who to cut came as a bit of a surprise.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Nets waived forward DeAndre’ Bembry to make room for the three players set to join Brooklyn.
Bembry had to be waived due to the trade between the Nets and Philadelphia 76ers that sent James Harden and Paul Millsap to Philadelphia in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round draft picks.
With the Nets acquiring one more player than they sent to the 76ers, a roster cut had to be made, with Bembry being the odd man out.
Bembry was a bit of an odd choice, as he has been a regular contributor to Brooklyn throughout the season, and the reactions to the news reflected that.
Bembry has played in 48 games for the Nets this season, starting 20 of them, and in 19.8 minutes per game, he’s averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.
The ’21-22 campaign is Bembry’s sixth season in the League, spending his first four years with the Atlanta Hawks before joining the Toronto Raptors last season and the Nets last summer.
NBA teams will now have the opportunity to claim Bembry off waivers before hitting free agency if he is not claimed. It’s doubtful that Bembry will be without a team for long, as several contenders will likely be looking to add Bembry in the coming days.
