Continuing to make changes to their roster this summer, the Chicago Bulls have claimed former Los Angeles Lakers guard David Nwaba off of waivers.
Another day, another roster change in the NBA, this time by way of the Chicago Bulls.
As announced last Friday, the Bulls claimed guard David Nwaba off of waivers, just two days after he was let go of by the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers, who were making room for new addition Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, waived Nwaba after just one season of play.
He will be granted the $1.3 million minimum, with Jan. 10, 2018 as the deal’s guarantee date.
So what did Chicago gain from their latest move?
In a nutshell: an athletic 6’4″ baller, who specializes in defense.
Having started off his professional basketball career via the Reno Bigheads, a Developmental League team out in Nevada, he ended up on the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the fall of 2016. Nwaba averaged 14.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks a game with the D-Fenders, ultimately being named to the D-League All-Defensive and All-Rookie Teams.
He then made his way to the Lakers, first through two 10-day contracts, and eventually a multi-year deal.
The Los Angeles native may have only averaged 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in 2016-17, but the potential was there.
Take his 14-point game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Nwaba not only put up 14 points in 28 minutes on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, but finished with two rebounds, one assist and one steal as well.
Now obviously, the guard still has a ways to go.
For example, while his athleticism allows him to score inside pretty efficiently, he does struggle with his shot.
Probably nothing some intensive practice cannot fix, however. Plus in the meantime, he can keep doing what he does best: flushing them in.
His 2017 Summer League success went beyond a quick dunk too. The 24-year-old had two 13-point games in a row, versus the Boston Celtics and Sacramento Kings.
And while Nwaba showed excitement to play alongside Los Angeles rookie Lonzo Ball, he is ready for a new beginning with the Bulls.
Chicago can certainly use the young buck’s defensive chops, especially given how offense-minded head coach Fred Hoiberg is. He also fits in nicely with the youth movement the organization is trying to work towards, Dwyane Wade aside.
Yes, in a strange turn of events, the front office actually made a wise decision regarding Nwaba — something that has unfortunately become a rarity lately.
Although the Bulls’ roster is still somewhat of a mess, there is something to be said about rounding up guys with raw talent who are still developing their skill-sets like Nwaba, Lauri Markkanen and Justin Holiday. The challenge will be making sure Chicago’s player development is strong enough to produce success stories.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
The Chicago Bulls are fortunate to have you aboard, David Nwaba. Here is to a flourishing 2017-18.