Dion Waiters hasn’t exactly found his NBA niche since he was made the fourth overall pick of the 2012 draft. After two and a half tumultuous seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder last January in a three-team trade with the New York Knicks that netted the wine and gold Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith.
Of the three talented but mostly disappointing wings involved in the deal, it was Waiters who lagged behind for the duration of 2014-15. He averaged 12.7 points per game with the Thunder last season, but sported a dismal true shooting percentage of 45.5 – below his already underwhelming career-long marks. Sam Presti and company opted against affording the 23-year-old a contract extension before the early November deadline as a result, ensuring that he’d become a restricted free agent next summer.
And according to one source, Waiters already has eyes on his next NBA destination. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey reports that the City of Brotherly Love native wants to sign with his downtrodden hometown club.
Dion Waiters wants to play for the 76ers next season, says a source close to the Oklahoma City Thunder reserve guard.
“He wants to come home,” said the source, noting that Waiters is from South Philly. “Plus, he knows that he could be the missing shooting guard they need. And he could possibility get a [very lucrative] contract with the Sixers.”
[…]
The source said that Waiters won’t acknowledge publically his desire to play for the Sixers because he’s still under contract with the Thunder.
Mere minutes after this story broke, Waiters bemoaned the media’s frequent use of unnamed sources and insisted winning a title is his utmost priority.
Dnt Believe everything y'all hear lol I guess this what the world coming to smh especially if it didn't come from me.
— Philly Cheese 🧀 (@dionwaiters3) November 15, 2015
I dnt need or want the attention I never been that guy… I'm not worrying about money I'm chasing a championship wit my bros… #thunderUP
— Philly Cheese 🧀 (@dionwaiters3) November 15, 2015
It’s unclear what type of contract the 6’4 shooting guard will command in free agency come July. He’s quietly enjoyed a banner season with the Thunder thus far, notching personal bests in efficiency across the board – including 50 percent shooting from beyond the arc – and emerging as a frequent member of Billy Donovan’s crunch-time lineups.
The chance of Oklahoma City matching any offer sheet Waiters signs would certainly be increased if he proves this performance sustainable over the season’s remainder. If Kevin Durant re-signs with the Thunder, the team will likely be capped-out yet again and thus have little means of adding meaningful, expensive talent. Retaining Waiters with Bird Rights almost no matter the price – as Presti did with Enes Kanter following the big man’s signature with the Portland Trail Blazers – is a realistic possibility for Oklahoma City.
As with all coming personnel decisions for the Thunder, though, his future hinges on Durant’s as much as anything else. But Waiters’ next few months will greatly influence his market value, too, and there’s still no telling how they’ll unfold given his track record of inconsistency – despite promise gleaned from the first three weeks of the season.
