Phoenix Suns to Waive Former First-Round Pick

The Phoenix Suns are expected to waive former Clipper Keon Johnson

Not too long ago, Keon Johnson was a hopeful prospective first-round pick of the LA Clippers. Less than three seasons later, he's now being waived by the Phoenix Suns in a move to trim the roster before the regular season begins.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Phoenix Suns are planning to waive Keon Johnson to trim their opening night roster to 15 players. 

The Phoenix Suns are planning to waive guard Keon Johnson to get the roster to 15 for opening night, sources tell ESPN. Johnson, 21, landed with Phoenix from Portland as part of the three-team trade with Milwaukee. He was the 21st overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 23, 2023

Johnson was drafted as the 21st pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the LA Clippers. They valued him for his athleticism and defense, but unfortunately, he didn't receive much of a chance with the Clippers. Johnson only played 15 games with the LA Clippers, where he averaged 3.5 points and 1.4 rebounds in 9 minutes a game. The same season, he was then traded with Justise Winslow to the Portland Trail Blazers in a package for Norman Powell.

Once Johnson became a member of the Trail Blazers, he started to find himself a bit more. In the 2021-22 season with the Trail Blazers, he averaged 9.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 25.5 minutes a game.

While Keon Johnson's career isn't over by any stretch, it's certainly not a good sign to be waived by the Phoenix Suns for a roster-trimming move. Despite that, Johnson is only 21 years old and has a ton of room for improvement to find himself in the league.

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