The Portland Trail Blazers have now waived center Brendan Haywood. The Portland Trail Blazers acquired Brendan Haywood, Mike Miller, and two future second round picks in a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers for cash considerations on July 27 but they have now waived Haywood and are also expected to buyout Mike Miller's 2.9 million contract for next season.
Haywood was set to make 10.5 million for next season but his contract was non-guaranteed. The Blazers get that amount of available cap space to their ledger by waiving him. After the Blazers lost four of their five starters from last season as of LaMarcus Aldridge, Robin Lopez, Nicolas Batum, and Wesley Matthews, they will now have more cap space they can use to build their team better for the future.
Now that Haywood is waived by the Blazers, he might be about done for his career in the NBA as he is now 35 years old and has played in the league for 13 seasons. Haywood last season for the Cleveland Cavaliers only averaged 1.6 points, and 1.3 rebounds per game in 22 games played.
The Cavaliers ultimately decided to put Haywood and Miller in this trade so they could add more cap space, but it was also indicated that Mike Miller wanted to part ways with the Cavaliers and play for a new team that will give him significant playing time. The Cavaliers have now already gone over the cap to sign LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Iman Shumpert, and are now looking to re-sign Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith.
The seven foot veteran averaged 6.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks a game for his career. Haywood has played for the Washington Wizards for most of his career, and also has played a few seasons for the Dallas Mavericks, and one season for the Charlotte Bobcats. Haywood played college four years at North Carolina, and was the 20th overall pick in the NBA draft back in 2001. The Cavaliers acquired Brendan Haywood from the Charlotte Bobcats in a trade last summer, but the Cavaliers never gave him significant playing time and now ended up trading him this summer.