Under the tree, only coal: the list of NBA players cut for Christmas

The special list of HoopsHype.

Christmas day, in the common mirage for which it is distinguished, for many it often means joy or serenity, or even just a simple moment of celebration. For others, however, far from it, as for certain NBA players who HoopsHype has added to a list very special, neither good nor bad: that of cut yourself.

Or rather, those NBA players who, over the Christmas period, received a cut from the franchise they fought for. Not much of a present to find under the tree. Here they are:

During the year of the lockdown and the NBA Bubble, Jeff Green was cut by the Jazz, not too happy with the experience with the veteran. Cut on December 24, 2019, Green signed with the Rockets the following February, with whom he also finished the season averaging 28.4 minutes in the playoffs.

Via Brooklyn, first, and then Denver, at the ripe old age of 36 Jeff Green is one of the best role players around among veterans with so much experience and mileage. And, part of the credit, he also passes from that Christmas 2019.

• Tony Wroten (Philadelphia, 2015)

If the famous motto “Trust the Process” is a creature created by Sam Hinkie, its diffusion is thanks to Tony Wroten. Mistaken by Memphis for a second, the player and the three famous words appeared in an article by Pablo Torre on ESPN, who also claimed to have heard for the first time the expression spoken by Wroten in the Sixers locker room on January 5, 2015.

A little less than a year later, Tony was cut from Christmas Eve, not without criticism of the Philadelphia establishment for its timing. After a couple of tentative signings and cuts with the Knicks and (again) Grizzlies, Wroten failed to return to the NBA.

• Donald Sloan (Cleveland, 2012)

• Marcus Cousin (Houston, 2011)

• Ben Uzoh (Charlotte, 2011)

• Eddie House (Miami, 2011)

• Nate Robinson (Oklahoma City, 2011)

Arrived in OKC from Boston together with Kendrick Perkins in exchange for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic, he didn’t find much space in the Thunder of Westbrook, KD and Harden. Immediately experiencing many physical problems, he ended up playing only 4 games of the regular season and 3 of the playoffs, for a total of 41 minutes played. Due to the lockout, the restart schedule for the following season changed, moving the start to January 6, 2012: Nate Robinson was cut on December 24, 2011 by OKC, with his place being filled by Ryan Reid, who played the 5 games with the Thunder before being cut and disappearing from the NBA.

After that Christmas, however, Robinson found space in Golden State, Chicago and, to a lesser extent, Denver.

• Marko Jaric (Memphis, 2009)

• Sharrod Ford (Phoenix, 2005)

• Marcus Haislip (Indiana, 2004)

• Slavko Vranes (New York, 2003)

• Pat Cummings (Utah, 1990)

• Leon Wood (Sacramento, 1990)

• Mike Woodson (Cleveland, 1990)

• Dave Popson (Boston, 1990)

• Kelvin Upshaw (Dallas, 1990)

• Reggie Williams (San Antonio, 1990)

• Avery Johnson (Denver, 1990)

• Jim Farmer (Philadelphia, 1990)

• Pete Myers (San Antonio, 1990)