.jpg) Wainright with theToronto Raptors in the 2021 preseason | |
| No. 24 – Hapoel Tel Aviv | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward /Power forward |
| League | Israeli Premier League EuroCup |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1994-09-12)September 12, 1994 (age 30) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Nationality | American / Ugandan |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | Baylor (2013–2017) |
| NBA draft | 2017:undrafted |
| Playing career | 2018–2025 |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2019 | Nürnberg Falcons |
| 2019–2020 | Rasta Vechta |
| 2020–2021 | SIG Strasbourg |
| 2021–2023 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2023–2024 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2023 | →Rip City Remix |
| 2024 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2024–present | Hapoel Tel Aviv |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Ishmail Carzell Wainright (born September 12, 1994) is an American professionalbasketball player forHapoel Tel Aviv of theIsraeli Premier League and theEuroCup. He also represents the seniorUgandan national team. He playedcollege basketball for theBaylor Bears, as well as playedfootball as atight end. Wainright is the grandson of former NBA playerMaurice King.
Wainright played two seasons for head coach Stu Vetter atMontrose Christian School inRockville, Maryland, helping the team to 19–5 record as senior in 2012–13. He earned 2013 All-MET honors after averaging 8.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists for Mustangs. He began his prep career atRaytown South High School in suburban Kansas City, where he averaged 13.6 points and 9.8 rebounds as a sophomore in 2010–11. A consensus top-75 recruit, he was ranked No. 28 in 2013 class by ESPN.com,[1] No. 51 by Scout.com, No. 52 by Rivals.com, and No. 62 by 247Sports.com.
Wainright played four seasons of basketball for theBaylor Bears. He averaged 5.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game as a junior.[2] As a senior, Wainright averaged 5.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He was named to theBig 12 All-Defensive Team. He played one season of football after his basketball career, playing tight end. Wainright had four catches for 34 yards and two touchdowns.[3]
After finishing his career at Baylor, Wainright joined theBuffalo Bills of theNFL as an undrafted free agent, but he did not make the final roster.[4][5]
Wainright returned to basketball and signed withNürnberg Falcons BC on September 3, 2018.[6] He averaged 12.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
On July 2, 2019, Wainright signed withRasta Vechta.[7] Wainright averaged 10.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assist and 1.8 steals per game.
On June 17, 2020, he signed withSIG Strasbourg.[8] He averaged 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.[9]
On August 7, 2021, Wainright signed a two-year, non-guaranteed deal with theToronto Raptors,[10] but was waived by the Raptors on October 17.[11] Five days later, he signed atwo-way contract with thePhoenix Suns.[12] Wainright later made his NBA debut on November 19 near the end of a win against theDallas Mavericks, with him recording his first official points, rebounds, and assist two days later in a blowout win over theDenver Nuggets. On January 30, 2022, Wainright scored a then-season-high 10 points and put up two blocks in 20 minutes of action (including the entirety of the fourth quarter) in a 115–110 win over theSan Antonio Spurs.[13] On April 6, he surpassed his season bests with career highs of 20 points and 8 rebounds in a close loss to theLos Angeles Clippers.[14] On April 10, the Suns converted his deal into a standard contract.[15]
Wainright joined the Suns'2022 NBA Summer League roster.[16] On August 4, 2022, Wainright signed a two-way contract with the Suns.[17] After dealing with lower back pain and then the death of his father,pastor Calvin Wainright, Ishmail Wainright returned to action with the Suns on November 16, hitting a three-pointer in a 130–119 win over the defending championGolden State Warriors.
On February 24, 2023, Wainwright signed a two-year, $2.5 million deal with the Suns, including a team option for the 2023–24 season. Wainwright previously operated under a two-way contract and was nearing the 50-game limit.[18] On March 5 against theDallas Mavericks, coachMonty Williams made a decision late in the third quarter to substitute starterJosh Okogie, who had missed all of his eight three-point attempts, with Wainright. Although he had not played in the game up until that point, Wainwright made a significant impact, hitting four of his five three-point attempts, helping the Suns secure a 130–126 victory.[19]
On October 19, 2023, Wainwright was waived shortly before the2023–24 season.[20]
On October 21, 2023, Wainwright was claimed off waivers by thePortland Trail Blazers.[21] Wainright made his debut with the Trail Blazers on November 14 in a loss to theUtah Jazz during the2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. On January 6, 2024, after playing seven games with the team, he was waived by Portland.[22]
On March 4, 2024, Wainwright returned to thePhoenix Suns on atwo-way contract.[23] In his third season with the Suns, he only played four total games with the team due to him being a late return for the franchise.
On July 10, 2024, Wainright signed with theHapoel Tel Aviv of theIsraeli Basketball Premier League.[24]
Wainright plays for theUganda men's national basketball team. As an American born inKansas City, Missouri, he was convinced by Uganda coaches George Galanopoulous and Mike Schmitz to become anaturalized Ugandan to help build the team and increase employment opportunities.[25] Wainright scored 36 points and collected 13 rebounds in his national team debut in a win overCape Verde in November 2020.[26] He was on the roster duringAfroBasket 2021.[27]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Phoenix | 45 | 0 | 8.0 | .394 | .322 | .583 | 1.2 | .3 | .4 | .1 | 2.4 |
| 2022–23 | Phoenix | 60 | 2 | 15.3 | .370 | .329 | .839 | 2.3 | .9 | .6 | .4 | 4.2 |
| 2023–24 | Portland | 7 | 0 | 6.6 | .333 | .375 | 1.000 | 1.3 | .0 | .3 | .1 | 2.9 |
| Phoenix | 4 | 0 | 4.1 | .167 | .250 | — | 1.3 | .3 | .5 | .0 | .8 | |
| Career | 116 | 2 | 11.5 | .372 | .329 | .778 | 1.8 | .6 | .5 | .3 | 3.3 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Phoenix | 7 | 0 | 3.8 | .417 | .500 | — | 1.6 | .1 | .1 | .1 | 1.9 |
| 2023 | Phoenix | 6 | 0 | 3.5 | .250 | .250 | — | .2 | .0 | .0 | .2 | .5 |
| Career | 13 | 0 | 3.6 | .375 | .400 | — | .9 | .1 | .1 | .2 | 1.2 | |
Wainright's father, Calvin Wainright, was raised by his mother Marvine Wainright and stepfather Alvin Joe; his biological father was former NBA playerMaurice King. Calvin was a pastor and youth basketball coach inKansas City, Missouri, until his death on October 31, 2022.[28][29][30] In 2020, Calvin received the Kansas City People's Choice Awards Humanitarian Award for his work in the city.[29][31] Wainright was told about his grandfather by his mother's side of the family while he was playing for Baylor. He honored King during a match againstKansas University by using the name Ishmail King-Wainright throughout the game.[32]
Wainright also has a younger brother named Amaad that also previously played college basketball. Amaad played basketball collegiately atTrinity Valley Community College in theNJCAA,Kansas State University in theNCAA, andLouisiana State University Shreveport in theNAIA. During his only season in Kansas State, Amaad and theWildcats made it to the2018 NCAA tournament, going as far as the Elite 8 in their tournament run that season.[33]
Wainright is also the cousin of currentGrand Canyon basketball playerTyon Grant-Foster, who went toGrand Canyon University after a recommendation from Wainright and a relationship from Baylor with Grand Canyon's coach,Bryce Drew.[34] Grant-Foster previously played forIndian Hills Community College in the NJCAA, theUniversity of Kansas, andDePaul University before a health scare in a season opener during his only game with DePaul againstCoppin State University had him risk not playing basketball altogether at one point. During his only season at Grand Canyon, Grant-Foster would win theWAC Player of the Year award and reach the All-WAC First Team in 2024,[35] as well as lead the university to their first ever victory in the NCAA tournament by defeatingSt. Mary's College.
