The “day after” has been an eventful one for the Brooklyn Nets, as they have already followed up their series loss to the Miami Heat with the revelation that point guard Deron Williams may need surgery on both of his ankles. In addition to that, though, Nets big man Andray Blatche has stated that he will be opting out of his contract to become a free agent this off-season.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports Blatche’s choice, and this one makes complete sense for the 27-year-old big man. After being amnestied by the Washington Wizards with more than $23 million remaining on his contract (yikes), Blatche inked a deal with the Nets, and he has certainly outperformed the $1.4 million salary that would await him for 2014-2015 if he “opted in” with Brooklyn.
As noted above, Blatche did state a public willingness to resign with the Nets, but his market will likely dictate his next move. The talented but enigmatic big man averaged 11.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and even 1.0 steals per game this season as a reserve, and his per-minute averages are in line with a contract much larger than the $1.4 million he’s leaving on the table. Still, teams would be (rightfully) concerned about the temperament he displayed while in Washington, and that would seemingly keep his value down.