Title: Why Raptors waived Sam Dekker: Explaining the luxury tax implications
Date: November 6, 2021
Original Source: Sportsnet
Synopsis: In my latest at Sportsnet, I explained why the Raptors waived Sam Dekker and all of the considerations that go into a decision like that early in the season.
As it turns out, 54 seconds aren’t enough to change much.
That’s how much playing time Sam Dekker received over the course of the three-week extension of his tryout with the Raptors on which he was playing. Dekker and Isaac Bonga had beaten out Ishmail Wainright, Freddie Gillespie and Reggie Perry in the battle for the team’s final two roster spots, but the team was unsure about a Dekker-or-Bonga-or-both decision. Both players agreed to bump their contract guarantee dates from Oct. 19 to Nov. 6, extending their battle 10 games into the season.
On Saturday, the Raptors waived Dekker.
He played just shy of a minute at the end of a blowout victory against the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 27, enough for people to remember he was an official part of the team on his stats ledger or basketball card (K.J. McDaniels, you might remember, didn’t get that concession in 2017-18 , when he spent two games with the team before being released in a near-identical battle with Alfonzo McKinnie).
It’s a disappointing end for an intriguing player who has put a lot of work in on and off the court.
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 