Toronto Raptors castoff Champagnie signs new NBA deal
Former Toronto Raptors forward Justin Champagnie is back in the NBA once again, although it could end up being a pretty quick stint.
As per a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Champagnie is signing a contract with the Washington Wizards on a 10-day deal.
The Washington Wizards are signing forward Justin Champagnie to a 10-day contract out of NBA G League, his agent Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports Management tells @TheAthletic @Stadium. Champagnie has played parts of two NBA seasons and is averaging 22.3 PPG/8.9 RPG for Sioux Falls.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 20, 2024
The move is likely to be made official shortly, with teams returning to action this Thursday following the NBA All-Star break.
Champagnie is currently averaging 22.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the G League affiliate of the Miami Heat.
He’s currently sixth in the NBA’s top development league in the points-per-game category, playing 38.5 minutes a night in 19 games for Sioux Falls this season.
The 22-year-old forward originally signed with Toronto on a two-way contract as an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh back in 2021. He spent parts of two seasons with the franchise before being waived in December 2022.
Champagnie averaged 2.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.3 assists in 39 games for the Raptors in his career before also suiting up for two regular season games and four playoff contests with the Boston Celtics last spring. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Heat last summer before eventually being waived in order to end up with the Skyforce.
Champagnie joins a Washington squad that’s quite far removed from the playoff rosters he was used to in his past seasons in the NBA.
Washington, who currently sit 14th in the Eastern Conference and 29th in the NBA with a record of 9-45, doesn’t exactly have an easy stretch of games to come out of the All-Star break.
On Thursday, they visit the defending champions the Denver Nuggets before facing off against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Lakers over the duration of Champagnie’s contract.
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