The Indiana Pacers waived former second-round pick Ike Anigbogu to create the roster room needed to complete the Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin trade.
Ike Anigbogu is no longer with the Indiana Pacers. The former second-round pick was waived today to make room for Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin, who the team plans on waiving as well after trading for them earlier today.
ESPN’s Chris Haynes first reported the news of Anigbogu’s departure while Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Stauskas and Baldwin trade. The Pacers ultimately get a second-round pick out of the deal and do the Houston Rockets a favor in the process.
There isn’t any word if the Pacers will bring back Anigbogu to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Indiana’s G-League affiliate. He is averaging 11.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks a game with the Mad Ants, but only played in about half of their games.
Anigbogu only saw garbage time with the Pacers over the past two seasons, totaling 13 points,12 rebounds, and 4 blocks over that time.
Unfortunately for Anigbogu, injuries have defined most of his professional career. Like Edmond Sumner, his draft stock fell when he was injured in college, but unlike Sumner, it doesn’t appear Ike ever shook off the injury bug. Even before this season, Ike missed the Summer League due to an injury.
Like many second round picks, the Pacers saw the raw potential of Anigbogu. His defense was solid and he had the body to create matchup problems if his offensive game came along. In a way, he had been the counterpart to fellow UCLA Bruin T.J. Leaf’s offensive game. However, unlike Leaf, he never showed enough of it to earn himself NBA minutes,
It remains to be seen what the Pacers will do with the roster spot opened up. Will they be players in the buyout market or will they simply stand pat.