Former Blazers First-Round Pick Involved in Blockbuster Trade Waived By West Rival

Ricardo Klein | Aug 21, 2024

Jan 25, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) is congratulated by teammate forward Nassir Little (10) after scoring 60 points at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports / Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Former Portland Trail Blazers first-round pick Nassir Little has been waived by a Western Conference rival in the Phoneix Suns.

The Athletic's Shams Charania was among the first to report the news via Twitter/X.

The Phoenix Suns are waiving forwards Nassir Little and EJ Liddell, per sources. By releasing both, the Suns open up a roster spot and create flexibility for signings and trades during the season. Suns will stretch the three years and $22 million remaining on Little’s deal. pic.twitter.com/UTsuimA2yX

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 21, 2024

Little, along with EJ Liddell, were waived by the Suns. Charania said the move was to open up a roster spot and create flexibility for signings and trades during the season.

Little was a former first-round pick by the Trail Blazers in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Trail Blazers selected him out of the University of North Carolina with the No. 25 overall pick.

The 24-year-old spent the first four years of his career with the Trail Blazers, where he averaged 6.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 0.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from beyond the arc. He appeared in 192 games (34 starts) and averaged 17.1 minutes per contest.

Little's best season as a Trail Blazer came in 2021-22 when he averaged 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 42 games and 23 starts. However, due to injuries, Little has never been able to play for more than 55 games in a season.

In Jan. 2022, Little suffered a left shoulder labral tear. Four days after suffering the injury, the Trail Blazers announced that he would undergo surgery and miss the rest of the season. Months later, he underwent abdominal surgery on his left side.

Before the start of the 2022 season, Little and the Trail Blazers agreed on a four-year, $28 million contract extension. In April 2023, he underwent abdominal surgery on his right side.

The 2023 season was the last he donned a Blazer uniform.

The Trail Blazers traded Little a little over a month before the start of the 2023-24 season to the Suns alongside Grayson Allen, Jusuf Nurkić, and Keon Johnson as a part of a three-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks and Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, Deandre Ayton, and a 2029 first-round draft pick to the Trail Blazers.

Little was once a standout player from Orange Park, Florida. Coming out of high school, he was a five-star recruit, ranked No. 2 overall according to 247Sports. He took his talents to North Carolina after a solid freshman season, where he averaged 9.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game while shootkng 47.8 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from deep in 36 games.

Now, he'll look for his next NBA home.

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