The Portland Trail Blazers have waived guard Skylar Mays and forward Ish Wainright.

In 21 games (five starts) during the 2023-24 season, Mays averaged 6.3 points (38.4% FG, 28.6% 3-PT, 76.5% FT), 1.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 17.0 minutes per game for the Blazers.

Wainright appeared in seven games this season for the Blazers and averaged 2.9 points (33.3% FG, 37.5% 3-PT, 2-2 FT), 1.9 rebounds and 6.4 minutes per game.

The timing behind the moves makes sense. Jan. 10 is the NBA's cutoff date for non-guaranteed contracts to become fully guaranteed for the rest of the season.

Wainright’s $1.9 million salary was fully non-guaranteed until Jan. 10, while Mays’ $1.7 million salary was guaranteed $850,000.

Mays was one of the Blazers’ late-season signings last year once they decided to pack it in and increase their lottery odds. He played well enough to come back this year on a two-way deal, which they converted to a standard NBA contract early in the season. Mays started five games at point guard for the Blazers during the stretch when three of the team's top four guards – Anfernee Simons, Malcolm Brogdon, and rookie Scoot Henderson – were all out with various injuries.

Wainright missed the beginning of the season with a calf injury and has seldom played, mostly in garbage time, since returning.

The Blazers’ other partial guarantee is center Moses Brown, whose $2 million salary is guaranteed for $500,000 and will become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived before the Wednesday deadline.

The Blazers now have two open roster spots. The team could look to keep a spot open up to the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline, so they wouldn’t have to waive somebody if they traded someone like Jerami Grant or Malcolm Brogdon in exchange for multiple players. Grant and Brogdon aren't exactly underpaid, and the team is likely to prefer multiple younger guys on lower priced deals in return in any hypothetical deal.