NBA free agency: Toronto Raptors waive Diante Garrett
By Brian Spaen
Former Iowa State guard Diante Garrett was waived by the Toronto Raptors on Saturday after being acquired from the Utah Jazz.
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Garrett was shipped to Toronto in the Steve Novak trade during free agency. The move was originally announced on July 4th and it wasn’t official until July 10th, the first day that movement could be made in free agency.
It was news that was fully expected and it was official once the Raptors’ media relations account revealed the news.
Nobody expected the Raptors to keep Garrett with the $915,243 price tag this year, instead moving him and Dwight Buycks to lose $1.7 million and get further away from the luxury tax.
Last year, the Jazz essentially moved out a former Iowa State player for another one, releasing Jamaal Tinsley and signing Garrett from the D-League.
What’s next for Garrett? Due to the trade, he lost out in playing in the NBA Summer League, which is a real bummer. But he had a lot of playing time with the Jazz last season (despite no one even knowing because, well, it’s the Jazz).
I would think that some teams would check him out, or at least sign them to a D-League Team. He’s certainly a solid backup with veteran experience to have. There was praise and hope for Garrett when he was on the Phoenix Suns and Jazz, but he didn’t last on those squads.
However, it’s hard to gauge how many chances Garrett will have. Especially since there’s another former Iowa State guard that is 25 years old and will likely be looked at more if he isn’t picked up by the Los Angeles Lakers — DeAndre Kane.