Juancho Hernangomez quickly became an NBA fan favourite after starring alongside Adam Sandler in Netflix’s Hustle. The film chronicled the highs and lows of an international basketball talent’s journey towards getting drafted in the NBA. The story of Hernangomez’s Bo Cruz, however, ended before we got to see the struggles of a career plagued with injuries and an inability to get consistent time on the floor.
According to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter), the Toronto Raptors are making adjustments to their 15-man roster. The Raptors recently reached an agreement with veteran swingman Will Barton, which of course meant a player needed to be cut to create an opening in the lineup.
Hernangomez was seeing regular minutes for the Raptors earlier this season, but struggled to produce consistently and had fallen out of the rotation in recent weeks. Although the 6’9″ forward has been effective as a stretch four in past years, he’s been making a career-low 25.4% of his three-point attempts in Toronto, averaging just 2.9 PPG and 2.9 RPG across 42 appearances (14.6 MPG).
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For the Raptors, a team that currently ranks 27th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage (33.5%), this meant choosing another inconsistent player in Barton over Hernangomez. Barton only became a free agent last week after reaching a buyout agreement with the Wizards. Despite only averaging 7.7 points per game for his hometown DC, the Raptors are optimistic that Barton’s 38.7% from 3-point range this season will add the necessary depth to their roster.
Although all is not lost for Juancho “Bo Cruz” Hernangomez. He’ll now enter free agency and, since he’ll clear waivers by March 1st, the Spaniard will retain playoff eligibility if another NBA team decides to sign him before the end of the season.
Prior to the 2022-23 NBA season, Hernangomez registered his top performance in Spain’s EuroBasket Final against France. He scored 27 points on 7-9 3-pointers, leading his country to the gold medal. A fresh start with a new team could very well be a blessing in disguise.
