Former G League All-Star Waived by NBA Contender

This former NBAGL standout is now a free agent once again.

lOct 4, 2024; Palm Desert, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard PJ Dozier (35) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Max Christie (12) watch the free throw during the first half at Acrisure Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Former 2019 G League All-Star PJ Dozier has been waived by the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team announced in a press statement Saturday.

Dozier agreed to a one-season, partially guaranteed $2.6 million deal with Minnesota, at the time fresh off a Western Conference Finals appearance in the playoffs that spring. With only $1 million of that contract guaranteed and Dozier having cameoed in just nine games for Minnesota this year, the team clearly wanted to cut him before being on the hook for his entire salary. All such deals were set to be guaranteed on January 7.

ESPN's Bobby Marks observes that the capped-out Timberwolves will save $5 million on their luxury tax bill this year. Across 3.9 minutes a game, the 28-year-old Dozier has compiled just seven cumulative points, five boards and five dimes across his nine healthy bouts.

The 6-foot-6 swingman out of South Carolina had been striving to make a permanent NBA return following a year abroad with Serbian club Partizan Belgrade in 2023-24.

Dozier went undrafted in 2017, and ultimately inked a two-way deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017-18. After spending much of his first pro season with the Thunder's G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, he made his debut for the Thunder proper in February, ultimately appearing in just two games that year.

He then inked a two-way agreement with the Boston Celtics for the 2018-19 season. He performed so well for Boston's NBAGL affiliate, now known as the Maine Celtics, that was honored as an All-NBA G League Teamer, an All-Star in G League terms. he then inked a deal with the Denver Nuggets, where he would ultimately stay until midway through the 2022-23 season, when he was flipped not once, but twice. He first landed with the Boston Celtics once again, then was moved a few weeks later to the Orlando Magic. He didn't play a single game for either of the clubs, and was quickly waived. He played for the Minnesota Timberwolves' G League squad, the Iowa Wolves, to start off the 2022-23 season. Impressing in the G League once again, Dozier joined the Sacramento Kings on a pair of 10-day deals, briefly returned to Iowa, and then rejoined the Kings.

Across 130 career regular season games in seven years with the Thunder, Celtics, Nuggets, Kings and now Timberwolves, Dozier boasts averages of 5.4 points on .403/.311/.647 shooting splits, 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 0.5 steals a night.

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