Deadline for decision is Tuesday
The Wizards are leaning toward designating Andray Blatche as their amnesty player if a last-minute trade doesn’t materialize before Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline, according to multiple reports.
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If Washington does not exercise the provision, then it must wait until next summer. The new collective bargaining agreement allows a team to waive a player and have his contract no longer count against the salary cap if the deal was signed before the CBA was instituted.
Blatche, who is owed approximately $23 million over the next three years, has not played for the Wizards since March, when he was given an indefinite absence from the team in order to work on conditioning. The team has been trying to trade him since. If amnestied, Blatche would become available to other teams who are under the salary cap via auction.
Even if he is not amnestied, Blatche is not expected to play for the team next season.
A second-round draft pick in 2005, Blatche moved into the starting lineup after the 2010 All-Star break following the departure of Antawn Jamison and averaged 19.8 points and 8.5 rebounds. He was rewarded with a five-year, $35 million contract extension before the 2010-11 season but hasn’t lived up to expectations since.
Blatche fell out of favor last year, in which his averages fell to 8.5 points and 5.8 rebounds and he was booed by home fans at Verizon Center.
