Suns Solidify Two-Way Contract Spots; How do They Work?

The Suns signed both Ish Wainright and Duane Washington to deals this week. What are two-way contracts and how do they work?

Each NBA team is allowed two spots on their team to be occupied by two-way contracts, and the Phoenix Suns managed to fill both holes within 24 hours of each other. 

The first came on Wednesday when guard Duane Washington was signed by the Suns. 

Washington signed a two-way deal with the Indiana Pacers last year after going undrafted. He played 48 games and averaged 9.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per night. 

He was Indiana's third-best three-point shooter, converting 37.7% of his shots. 

The Suns wasted little time afterwards, bringing back forward Ish Wainright on a two-way contract as well. 

Last October, the Suns initially signed Wainright after he was waived by the Toronto Raptors. He played 45 games for Phoenix and recorded 2.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in eight minutes averaged per night. 

An impressive stint in the 2022 NBA Summer League left little doubt he would return to Phoenix. 

There's been a lot of talk of two-way deals recently in the Valley, but what exactly are they? 

What are Two-Way Contracts in the NBA?

A two-way deal is a special contract in the NBA that allows the player to play in both the G League and their NBA affiliate. 

There are a few stipulations, however: 

• These contracts can only be for either one or two seasons. 

• Players only with four years of experience or less qualify for these. 

• Two-way players can only play up to 50 of the 82 regular season games. They are not allowed to participate in the postseason on those deals. In order to be eligible for the playoffs, players need to be converted to a standard contract.

• These players used to have their salaries weighed by the amount of time they spent in each league, but now they'll receive 50% of the rookie minimum in the NBA ($508,891 for this season)

• These spots do not count towards the 15-man roster. Their salaries also do not count towards cap allocations. 

The Suns no longer have a G League team after selling the Northern Arizona Suns to the Detroit Pistons. They relocated in 2021. 

According to HoopsRumors, at least 18 teams have both of their two-way spots filled for the upcoming season. 

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