Wenyen Gabriel experienced a few strong games last season with the Los Angeles Lakers and was hoping to continue that trend with the Boston Celtics.
But that won’t be happening.
Shams Charania is reporting that the Celtics are waiving Gabriel before he’s even played his first regular-season game with the team.
The Boston Celtics are waiving F/C Wenyen Gabriel, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 20, 2023
Gabriel’s time with the Celtics was short-lived; he completed a deal with them just a few weeks ago.
When he was signed, it was imagined that Gabriel would be a reserve big man for Boston and could assist coming off the bench.
Last season, the big man averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
He shot at 59.6% from the floor but only played for an average of 15.1 minutes.
Before his time with the Lakers, Gabriel played for the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, and Sacramento Kings.
He has moved around a lot during his four years in the league, and now he will be on the hunt for another team.
This decision from Boston shows that they are firming up their roster and cutting excessive contracts they don’t see a need for.
With the inclusion of Kristaps Porzingis, the team’s frontcourt seemingly got a lot stronger.
Porzingis has performed quite well during his preseason outings and appears to be healthy again.
Perhaps that influenced Boston’s decision to let Gabriel go.
Gabriel’s brief time in Boston could have been a heartwarming story because he actually got his start in New England.
A native of Sudan, Gabriel started playing in high school in Manchester, New Hampshire, before moving to Wilbraham, Massachusetts.
Perhaps he will return to the Celtics sometime in the future, but his time in Boston has come to an end before it even got started.
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