With the season opener approaching on Oct. 24, the Washington Wizards have waived guard Kira Lewis Jr., the NBA team announced on Saturday.

A former Hazel Green High School star who played two seasons at Alabama, Lewis entered the NBA with the New Orleans Pelicans as the 13th pick in the 2020 draft. Through four NBA seasons, Lewis has averaged 5.2 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest.

Lewis appeared in one of Washington’s first three preseason games. Lewis played 4:10, missed his only shot and recorded one rebound in a 113-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

Because Lewis signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Wizards, the guard could be headed for Washington’s affiliate in the NBA Gatorade League, the Capital City Go-Go.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year, minimum-salary, non-guaranteed deal. If the player doesn’t make the NBA team’s roster, the contract includes a provision that will pay the player a bonus of up to $77,500 if he spends at least 60 days with the team’s NBA Gatorade League affiliate.

Lewis signed with Washington after playing for the Houston Rockets in the NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas.

Also waived this weekend was former UAB guard Nate Darling by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Darling played in two of Los Angeles’ first three preseason games. In 26:39 on the court, he had 13 points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Darling played in four games for the Ontario Clippers of the NBA G League last season.

In the 2023-24 season, Lewis was traded twice, going from New Orleans to the Toronto Raptors to the Utah Jazz as he played in 28 games, as well as 10 games in the NBA G League. Lewis became an unrestricted free agent when Utah did not make him a contract offer by June 29.

Lewis’ NBA career was sidetracked on Dec. 8, 2021, when he sustained an anterior cruciate ligament tear and medial collateral ligament sprain in his right knee against the Denver Nuggets. To that point in his NBA career, Lewis had played in 78 games. Since the injury, he’s played in 53 in the NBA.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.