Jun 30, 2008 9:18 pm US/Pacific
Warriors' Davis Opts Out Of Deal, Now A Free Agent
OAKLAND (CBS 5 / AP) ―
Golden State Warriors star guard Baron Davis, in a surprise move Monday night, opted out of the final year of his contract and elected to become a free agent, the team told CBS 5.
Team officials confirmed that Davis notified them in writing that he was exercising the opt out clause of the final year of his six year, $17.8 million contract with the team.
The Warriors had not expected him to opt out of the deal for next season, despite little progress in the parties' long-term contract negotiation.
Davis, like many other NBA players, faced a midnight deadline to signal his intent to seek free agency.
Davis still could return to Golden State as a free agent, but his opt-out clause was his only bit of leverage in forcing contract talks with the Warriors before next summer. The two-time All-Star is also now free to negotiate with other clubs, possibly facilitating a sign-and-trade deal with the Warriors.
Davis averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds while playing in all 82 games last season for the Warriors last season. The team posted a 48-34 record, but failed to make the playoffs.
The 29-year-old team veteran led Golden State to the second round of the playoffs in 2007, breaking a 12-year postseason drought for the franchise. He added to that achievement by leading the Warriors' first-round upset of top-seeded Dallas.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
