Al Thornton always had plenty working against him with the Washington Wizards ever since he arrived last winter, whether it was injuries, the rotation at small forward or simply his fit versus what Wizards head coach Flip Saunders wanted from the position.
Which is why it was no surprise to see Thornton and the Wizards agree on a buyout Tuesday afternoon. Thornton gave up $400k to get out of his deal, according to a league source.
Take Monday night against Chicago. With Thornton (8.0 points, 3.2 rebounds per game this season) coming off a sprained ankle, Saunders said during his pregame media session that Thornton would be inactive because he hadn’t practiced. When I checked with Thornton five minutes later in the locker room, he still thought he was going to play and sort of cocked his head when told what Flip had said. Sure enough, when starters and inactives were announced a short time later, Thornton was among the latter group once again even though he’d started the season among the former, making 23 starts this season – but only one since the calendar turned to 2011.
“We were just moving in a different direction,” said Thornton. “I figured something had to be done. It seemed like I really wasn’t going to be playing that much, now that we got five guys at the position. It wasn’t going to be the minutes that I needed. I think the Golden State situation, it’s a great opportunity for me.”
“The additions of Rashard Lewis and Mo Evans combined with Josh Howard’s return from injury gave us a logjam at the small forward spot,” said Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld in a release. “Coming to terms on a contract buyout with Al was mutually beneficial, as it allows us to clear space in the rotation and allows him the chance to pursue an opportunity with another team.”
With how the waiver process works, Thornton said he won’t be available in time to suit up against his new former team when the Warriors visit Verizon Center on Wednesday.
“I was hoping so, but no,” said Thornton. “That would’ve been crazy. At the end of the day, it was something that I wanted done. It was an agreement on both parties, the Wizards and myself. It’s been frustrating, kind of difficult, and the injuries have played a big part in it. It happens. I’m not going to beat myself up with it, though.”
