Phoenix Suns Cut Frank Kaminsky to Make Playoff Roster Addition

The Tank has finally run out of gas. Yesterday afternoon, the Phoenix Suns announced their plans to cut veteran forward Frank Kaminsky, who has not played since November 15th after suffering a stress reaction.

The former lottery pick came to the Suns ahead of the 2019-20 season. But although he never played a pivotal role for the team during any of his years in The Valley, ironically enough, he looked to be playing the best ball of his career before going down.

Matter of fact, Kaminsky even dropped a career-high 31 points on the Portland Trail Blazers just before injuring himself. He helped a shorthanded Phoenix team take that game and maintain what would become a franchise record-breaking win streak.

Kaminsky enjoyed a solid run in Phoenix though with all things considered. Gaining confidence and playing important rotation minutes, he looked more like the Wooden Award-winning version of himself just prior to his injury. Frank the Tank did see some playoff minutes as well last year, mainly in the NBA Finals following Dario Saric‘s injury.

But regardless, he signed a one-year deal with the team last summer, setting himself up to hit the market within the next few months regardless, making his early departure this season a minimal loss from a monetary standpoint.

So with that, why should we care about this move? Well, this means the Suns can bring in a free agent for the playoffs, or elevate a two-way contract player for that final roster spot.

But for as exciting as a late-season acquisition might sound, Ish Wainright might have made the decision for Phoenix already, arguing for the team to convert him to a full-deal by way of a career-high, 20-point performance vs the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this week.

Wainright has been with the Suns all season, averaging only seven minutes a game, usually playing only during garbage time minutes. He did see the floor for 25 minutes against the Clippers though, opening the door for him to drop those 20 points and nearly complete a 45-point comeback.

With his persistence and grit, Wainright earned himself that final playoff spot and should get the call up this week.  As for Kaminsky, he can sign with any team, potentially healing up soon, and should be ready to rock next year at the very least.

Being a fan favorite and an active teammate, this goodbye for the Tank does not feel easy by any means. If you disagree, check out his Twitter bio. Feel free to break out a box of tissues while doing so.