Raptors waive DeAndre' Bembry, Rodney Hood, Paul Watson

The Raptors have waived DeAndre’ Bembry, Rodney Hood, and Paul Watson, according to a team press release.

All three players had non-guaranteed contracts for the 2021-22 season. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports, the team had always planned to waive Hood, who was acquired as part of the team’s trade of Gary Trent for Norman Powell, unless they could use his contract as filler in another trade. Lewenberg also writes that the move to waive Watson and Bembry indicates that the team is either looking to free up cap space or go elsewhere with their end-of-bench decisions.

Hood has been a productive player since being drafted 23rd in the 2014 draft by the Jazz, but staying healthy has been a challenge for the 6’7 lefty. Hood fractured his hand after coming over to Toronto, putting an early end on the least productive season of his career.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Hood already has a deal lined up with the Bucks, who are looking to add more shooting for next year’s playoff run.

In a separate tweet, Lewenberg reports that the team plans to waive backup center Aron Baynes before his guarantee deadline tomorrow unless his money is needed in trades, and to guarantee the money on Chris Boucher‘s contract by his Sunday guarantee date.

Baynes came over as a free agent in the hopes that he would help stabilize the center position upon the departure of Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, but his lone year with the Raptors was a disappointment, with the 34-year-old Australian unable to carve out a role for himself. Boucher, meanwhile, has been a massive development success for the Raptors, turning into a solid rim-protector and three-point shooter in his fourth season.