There’s no telling when the lockout ends, but various reports say it’s all but certain than an amnesty clause in the new collective bargaining agreement will allow teams to jettison a player from their salary cap whenever it does — a move tailor-made for $30 million-guaranteed Wizards forward Rashard Lewis (Andray Blatche would be a decent choice, too). Here are the NBA’s other top 5 other amnesty candidates:
5. Baron Davis, Cleveland » As soon as Kyrie Irving was selected No. 1 overall in April, Davis and the nearly $29 million he has coming to him in the next two years became expendable.
4. Metta World Peace, Los Angeles Lakers » The former Ron Artest got his title in 2010. What’s left? Marketing, baby! No reason for the Lakers to fund his fun with nearly $22 million over the next three seasons.
3. Travis Outlaw, New Jersey » Like Blatche, it’s not the overall value of what’s left for a middling player like Outlaw ($28 million), but the length of his deal (four years remaining) that was a massive Nets mistake in the first place.
2. Brandon Roy, Portland » The lesson over and over in professional sports is that teams can’t afford to be emotional with star players. The Blazers can’t afford the $50 million they have left to pay Roy’s fragile knees over the next three years.
1. Gilbert Arenas, Orlando » If only there had been an amnesty option for the Wizards after the locker room gun incident in 2009. Then again, if only the Wizards hadn’t taken a $111 million plunge on a guy with a balky knee in 2008. There’s still $62 million left.
– Craig Stouffer
