In a move that had been anticipated the entire preseason, the Wolves have waived big man Chris Johnson, reaching the opening night league limit of 15 players.
Johnson appeared in just two of the Wolves seven preseason games, scoring four points in those two games, and appeared in 30 regular season games for Minnesota last year, averaging under 10 minutes per game in those contests.
The only thing keeping this move from being an absolute certainty was Johnson’s guaranteed $916,099 salary. The Wolves will have to pay Johnson that money, a sum they’re willing give Johnson in order to keep Robbie Hummel and A.J. Price, who they would’ve had to pay nothing if they were cut. Head coach Rick Adelman said Hummel and Price “have done a really good job.”
Hummel, who battled multiple knee surgeries at Purdue, is a 2012 second-round pick of the Wolves, having appeared in four preseason games.
Price, who spent three years with Indiana and one with Washington while starting 22 games for the Wizards last season, reached double figures in three of the five preseason games he appeared in for Minnesota.
While the Wolves could still make a roster move before the season opener Wednesday, Adelman said of his current roster “these guys have all earned their spots.”
