Ishmail Carzell Wainright, called “Ish,” is an American-Ugandan basketball player with a two-way deal with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.
Ish’s grandpa was a professional basketball player who spent the 1959–60 season with the Boston Celtics.
Ish has played his last game for the Suns as a player who can play both forwards and guard. What does this mean in real life? Is he leaving the team?
He could still return to the team if they changed his deal to normal. The unit needs a team in the G League where he could go to get better, though.
Kevin Durant joined a strong team right before the NBA trade deadline in 2023. As of this writing, the Suns are fourth in the Western Conference with 32 wins and 27 losses.
Quick Facts
|
Full Name |
Ishmain Carzell Wainright |
|
Known As |
Ish Wainright |
|
Nickname |
Ish |
|
Birthdate |
September 12, 1994 |
|
Age |
28 Years Old |
|
Birthplace |
Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
|
Current Residence |
Phoenix, Arizona, United States |
|
Father’s Name |
Calvin Wainright |
|
Mother’s Name |
Mary Collins |
|
Siblings |
Amaad Wainright |
|
Nationality |
American-Ugandan |
|
Relationship Status |
N/A |
|
Baby Momma |
Ariana Andrea |
|
Children |
Two: Kai & Isabella |
|
Built |
Athletic |
|
Sexual Orientation |
Straight |
|
Eye Color |
Brown |
|
Hair Color |
Black |
|
Height |
6 ft. 6 in/1.98 m/198 cm |
|
Weight |
250 lb/113 kg |
|
Ethnicity |
Afro-American |
|
Zodiac Sign |
Virgo |
|
Religion |
Christianity |
|
Profession |
Professional Basketball Player |
|
Education |
|
|
NBA Draft |
2017 Undrafted |
|
Awards & Achievements |
Big 12 All-Defensive Team (2017) |
|
Playing Career |
2018-Present |
|
Association |
|
|
Position |
Power Forward |
|
Jersey Number |
12 |
|
Salary |
Not Known |
|
Net Worth |
$200k-$1 Million |
|
Social Media |
Early Life & Education
Ishmail Carzell Wainright was born to Calvin and Mary Collins on September 12, 1994, in Kansas City, Missouri, United States.
Wainright’s father, Calvin, a pastor and youth basketball teacher in Kansas City, Missouri, died on October 31, 2022. In 2020, he received the Humanitarian Award from the Kansas City People’s Choice Awards for his work in the city.
As was already said, Ish found out from his mother’s side of the family that his grandpa, Maurice King, had played in the NBA.
Amaad is the name of Ish’s younger brother, who plays basketball just like him. Amaad played basketball for Kansas State University, part of the NCAA.
When it came to school, Ish played for two years at Montrose Christian School, where Stu Vetter was the head coach. He started his prep career at Raytown South High School.
ESPN put Ish at No. 28, and Rivals.com put him at No. 52 in the top 75 recruits for the 2013 class.
He promised to play football for the Baylor Bears at Baylor University when he graduated from high school.
He played hoops for the Bears for four years and was a tight end for one season, during which he caught four passes for 34 yards and scored two touchdowns.
He loved football so much that he joined the NFL’s Buffalo Bills as a free agent who wasn’t picked. But when he didn’t make the final team, he quit football and focused on hoops.
Career
Wainright was not chosen in the 2017 NBA Draft. On September 3, 2018, he signed with the German basketball team Nürnberg Falcons BC.
After a season, on July 2, 2019, he joined another German team called Rasta Vechta, where he scored 10.5 points per game.
In 2020, he signed with the French team SIG Strasbourg.
Ish’s dream of making it to the NBA came true on August 8, 2021, when he signed a two-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Raptors. Before that, he had played basketball in Germany and France.
Still, on October 16, the Raptors let him go.
Six days later, he signed a two-way deal with the Suns. His first game was on November 19, when the Suns beat the Mavericks.
On April 6, 2022, Wainright got 20 points against the LA Clippers. This was near the end of the 2021-22 season.
Wainright signed another two-way deal with the Suns on August 4, 2022. This one was for the 2022-23 season.
And by the middle of the season, the player had already played as a two-way player in all of the Suns’ games.
So, is he leaving the team?
He could still play for the team if the Suns changed his deal to a standard one. But they need a team in the G League to send him to.
Wife & Kid
Regarding his relationship and personal life, Ish Wainright is very private.
But in April 2022, Ish’s baby momma Ariana Andrea took to social media to say that he is not as good a dad as he acts.
She said he was pretending to help their son Kai, who has special needs, to get something for himself.
She also said that Ish doesn’t help pay for his son Kai’s expenses and has never asked for an official visit.
Ariana wrote “divorce” on her now-deleted Instagram stories, which made it sound like she and the NBA player might have been secretly married.
After she got everything off her chest, she made her account private and hasn’t been in the news since.
We can’t judge from just one side of the story, and Ish hasn’t said anything about what happened, so it’s hard to say she was wrong to act out.
Ish is said to have a daughter called Isabella, clear from the tattoos on both sides of his shoulders.
But it needs to be clarified whether Andrea is Isabella’s mother.
Contracts and Net Worth
Net Worth
Ish Wainright’s projected net worth in April 2023 is between $200,000 and $1 million.
He is one of the league’s rising stars, but a team still needs to give him a real deal.
Several websites say his net worth is around $2.5 million, which is hard to believe since he has only made about $383,000 so far from the NBA.
We know that NBA stars make a lot of money from shoe and clothing deals, but Ish has yet to sign any contracts with companies like that.
Contracts
Ish signed a two-year, $2.49 million deal with the Raptors on August 8, 2021. He could make up to $1.24 million each year.
But on October 16 of the same year, he was let off.
Ish signed a two-way deal with the Suns just six days later, on October 22.
On April 10, 2022, he signed a contract with the team for the rest of the season. This turned the two-way deal into a regular one, allowing him to play for the Suns in the 2022 NBA playoffs.
Ish Wainright made $258,588 in the 2021–22 season. The Raptors paid him $250,000, and the Phoenix Suns spent the rest.
The Suns turned down his $1.82 million qualification offer on June 29, 2022, because he could have been a better player. This means that he will be a free agent in 2023.
Wainright signed a two-way deal with the Suns on August 4, 2022. This type of contract lets a player get paid half of the league’s minimum salary, which is $1 million.
The Suns gave Duane Washington Jr. another two-way deal the day before, on August 3.
According to the new rules for two-way contracts, a player could play in 50 games and makeup to $449,155.
Ish Wainright Has Dual Nationality
Ish was born in the United States, in Kansas City, Missouri. But the leaders of the Uganda men’s national basketball team, Mike Schmitz and George Galanopolous, tried to get him to become a naturalized Ugandan citizen.
They also got him to get an African card so he could help put together the team.
And that’s how the U.S. citizen became a Ugandan-American. Ish plays basketball for Uganda’s national team.
Things you may not know about Ish Wainright
-
In January 2018, U.S. Marshals arrested Ish’s brother Amaad Wainright after he got into a fight with another driver on the road.
-
Wainright’s first game with the U.S. national team was a win over Cape Verde in November 2020. He scored 36 points and grabbed 13 boards.
-
He was on the team for the 2021 AfroBasket.
-
Wainright’s father, Calvin, was the real son of Maurice King, who used to play in the NBA. But his mum, Marvine Wainright, and his dad, Alvin Joe, raised him.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Ish Wainright played in the NFL?
After college, Ish wanted to try out for a football team. He went to Kansas City Chiefs rookie camp because he wasn’t picked in the draught but didn’t make the team.
Is Wainright married?
Wainright has two kids, Isabella and Kai, but he never asked if he got married. Even though his baby mama, Andrea, put him down by saying “divorce” in April 2020.
How much does Ishmail Wainright make?
In the 2021-22 season, Ish Wainright was paid $125,000. Though no one knows how much he will make in 2022.
Phoenix Suns WAGs
Phoenix Suns news
| Best Highest odds betting site in the World 2022 | |||
 |
1x_86570 |
|
|
| Best Highest odds betting site in the World 2022 | ||
|
1x_86570 | |
