Second-year guard R.J. Hunter has been waived for the second time in the last three months, with the Bulls issuing a press release today announcing that the team has parted ways with Hunter. The move reduces Chicago’s roster count to 14.
Hunter, 23, was the 28th overall pick in the 2015 draft, but only lasted one year with the Celtics, becoming the victim of a roster crunch in Boston this October. The Bulls snapped up Hunter shortly after he cleared waivers, but he saw very limited action in his two months with the team, appearing in just three games.
In 36 games last season with the C’s, Hunter averaged 2.7 PPG and 1.0 RPG in 8.8 minutes per contest. The Georgia State product has been more productive in the D-League, averaging 15.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 1.9 SPG in 13 total NBADL contests for the Maine Red Claws and Windy City Bulls.
Assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, Hunter will become an unrestricted free agent again this weekend. The Bulls, meanwhile, will carry only a partial cap hit for him, since he had been on a non-guaranteed salary. Hunter’s deal would have become fully guaranteed if the club hadn’t waived him by January 9.
Love to see him go to Maine if he can’t get an NBA look. Or maybe the Celtics have had enough of James Young and cut him to bring back Hunter.