Charlot Bobcats waived center Erick Dampier

Charlot Bobcats waived center Erick Dampier

Local time September 14 afternoon, Charlot Bobcats released Erick Dampier in nba jersey officially, saving the last year contract worth $13 million Charlot Bobcats. Dampier's expiring contract was seen as a very desirable trade chip. The veteran center in nba jerseys should have no shortage of suitors once he clears waivers.

Dampier in basketball jersey was in the last year of a seven-year, $73 million deal, but the $13 million for this season wasn't guaranteed because he failed to meet playing time requirements. The Michael Jordan-owned Bobcats, desperate to get their payroll under the luxury tax threshold of $70.3 million, traded center Tyson Chandler in atlanta hawks jersey to Dallas in July in a five-player trade that included Dampier's contract. At first, Charlotte in hawks jerseys wasn't content in just waiving Dampier in joe johnson jersey to clear cap room. Starting Monday, they could've packaged Dampier's contract in a multiplayer deal, possibly for a needed point guard in boston celtics jersey. But the Bobcats found no takers in a deal that also would have kept Charlotte in celtics jerseys below the luxury tax.

Waiving Dampier in bill russell jersey leaves the Bobcats about $5 million shy of the luxury tax, a dollar-for-dollar tax Jordan has said the team wouldn't exceed. "We explored several trade possibilities involving Erick, but ultimately we have been unable to find a viable option that we felt made our team better," general manager Rod Higgins in larry bird jersey said. "Out of respect to Erick in rajon rondo jersey, we have decided to release him at this time so he may pursue opportunities with other teams prior to training camp." Once he clears waivers, the 35-year-old Dampier will be free to sign for any team for any salary. Miami, looking for help in the middle to round out its superstar lineup, could be a possibility.

It leaves the Bobcats with uncertainty at center and point guard. Chandler, who was acquired last year from New Orleans for Emeka Okafor in kevin garnett jersey, had an injury-plagued season with Charlotte and the Bobcats used Theo Ratliff as the starting center in the playoffs. Ratliff is gone, leaving Nazr Mohammed the likely starter going into training camp. The Bobcats also lost starting point guard Raymond Felton to New York in free agency. D.J. Augustin, last season's backup, and newly signed Shaun Livingston will contend for the job unless Charlotte makes anther move. Dampier has been linked in media reports to the Miami Heat, who catapulted into title contention by acquiring LeBron James and Chris Bosh in the off-season. Apparently, he'd be willing to play for the veteran minimum to be part of a potential championship team.

Much as the Bobcats needed to trim their payroll - owner Michael Jordan has said repeatedly it makes no sense to be a tax-payer with a team on the fringes of the playoffs - this move gave up a strong trade commodity. Salaries as large as $13 million are usually guaranteed in the NBA. Dampier's would have been guaranteed had he reached a minutes-played threshold last season. In the absence of that, his contract became such a commodity that Higgins called it one of the most valuable in the league. Over the course of two off-season trades in consecutive summers, the Bobcats have effectively traded center Emeka Okafor - the franchise's first-ever draft pick and the No. 2 overall selection in the 2004 draft - for little but payroll relief. Striking as that sounds, it's consistent with what Jordan said the day he was formally introduced as majority owner. In an interview that day with Charlotte-area print media, Jordan predicted they had little choice but to make a trade that would be counter-productive basketball-wise but constructive in managing the payroll. Jordan had warned Coach Larry Brown of just that possibility when the season concluded.