Bucks waive center Larry Sanders, will use stretch provision to buy him out
Larry Sanders' tumultuous tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks has come to an official end.
The Bucks announced they've requested waivers on Sanders, who's currently suspended indefinitely for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy. He's now no longer a member of the team that selected him in the first round of 2010 draft.
Nearly half of the four-year, $44-million contract extension he signed with Milwaukee in 2013 will be forfeited, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, after the two sides agreed to a buyout.
"We believe this decision is in the best interest of our team," Bucks general manager John Hammond said in a statement Saturday.
Sanders is apparently taking time to resolve some personal issues and has no immediate plans to play in the NBA.
If he has a change of heart, he'd be eligible to suit up for the playoffs provided he signs with another team by March 1, according to a previous report from Wojnarowski.
ESPN's Marc Stein reports the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks are among teams already interested in Sanders.
The breakup with the Bucks is a tough pill for both sides to swallow.
For Sanders - who's most recent violation was reportedly for marijuana use, one of numerous such prior violations - he's leaving considerable money on the table and having the prime of his career interrupted over a drug habit.
As for the Bucks, they're now without what looked to be their center of the future - a promising young defender whose best days appeared to be ahead of him. Sanders played just 50 games the last two seasons, and struggled, but had a career year the season before at 24 years old.
The 6-foot-11 big man averaged career highs of 9.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks over 27.3 minutes during the 2012-13 season.
According to NBA.com's David Aldridge, the Bucks will use the stretch provision, spreading the buyout price across the next seven years, which, given the years remaining on his deal, is the maximum allowed under current CBA rules.
That's roughly an average of $2.17 million per year.