Whittington remained in Indy for much of last summer to work out.
The Pacers waived center Shayne Whittington on Friday, just four days before his minimum-level contract became guaranteed.
After Indiana signed free-agent point guard Aaron Brooks to a one-year deal last week, it had 16 players under contract. The league maximum is 15.
And two Pacers’ contracts are not guaranteed until after Aug. 1: Whittington and Glenn Robinson III, who’s entering his third season. Robinson III’s contract does promise him at least $275,000, a source informed VigilantSports.com.
For both Whittington ($980,431) and Robinson III ($1,050,500), if they weren’t waived on or before Aug. 1, their money became guaranteed for the 2016-17 season.
“Just want to thank the entire Pacers organization for the last two years,” Whittington posted on Instagram. “It’s been a pleasure working and getting to know everyone around Indy. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Thank you!”
Whittington signed with the Pacers in July, 2014 after he went undrafted likely due to a leg injury suffered during pre-draft workouts. The 6-foot-11 big man appeared in 20 games his rookie season.
This past year, however, he (and rookie Rakeem Christmas) spent the majority of the season up in Fort Wayne with the Mad Ants of the Developmental League. While earning $845,000 from the Pacers, Whittington played in 40 Mad Ants games and averaged 12.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. He shot 42.9 percent from the field and 81.6 percent at the free throw line.
“Shayne and Rakeem played extremely hard,” Mad Ants coach Steve Gansey told VigilantSports.com in April. “Christmas was an All-Star for us and him learning the pro game in his first year coming from Syracuse. Both of them played really well for us.”
[Mad Ants miss out on playoffs in foundational season]
Most recently, Whittington played on the Pacers’ Summer League team for the first time. Down in Orlando and playing the center position, he averaged 7.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in five games.
“I’m definitely broadening my skill set during the summer league,” he said then.
Robinson III, meanwhile, was Indiana’s most consistent player in Orlando. He led the team with 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.
In 27 career NBA games over two seasons, Whittington averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.