Thad Young set to join Phoenix after being waived by Brooklyn

Why did the Nets waive Young?

The Nets haven't been able to hammer out a reunion with Young as they faced a needed cutting move to continue moving this season.

Upon the acquisition of Young in a package sent by the Toronto Raptors in last week's trade deadline, the Nets opted to release him to clear roster space. The waiving was urgent to materialize another Nets trade that saw the landing of Keita Bates-Diop and Jordan Goodwin, who completed Brooklyn's 15-man roster.

Upon the waiving, the Nets are still required to complete the $8M salary of Young's expiring contract this season. The availability of the veteran in the market drew immediate interest from several contending teams, and the big man ultimately decided to join the Suns.

A solid signing for the Suns

As one of the well-regarded players in the Association, Young is expected to bring his leadership and versatility to the Suns' team that is gunning for a championship led by Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. He is slated to play as an important bench contributor for Phoenix.

Young, 35, averaged 5.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 62.1% field goal shooting in 15 minutes a game for the Raptors this year.