The move clears Baker’s non-guaranteed deal ahead of the January 10 deadline at which point all contracts are guaranteed for the rest of the season. Washington had to make the move today so that Baker could go through the customary 48-hour waiver period ahead of Wednesday’s 5 pm deadline.
With Baker gone, the Wizards are back down to 13 players, which means they will have two weeks to sign another player to get back up to the NBA roster minimum. Once they get to that point, Washington will have the option to sign someone to a 10-day contract instead of the non-guaranteed deals they’ve used throughout the season for players like Baker, Okaro White, and Chasson Randle.