OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors have reached
agreement on a buyout with center Adonal Foyle, parting ways Monday
with the 10-year veteran and the team's longest-tenured player.
Foyle signed a six-year deal worth nearly $42 million in July
2004 and had spent his entire career with Golden State, but he
rarely played last season in Don Nelson's guard-oriented lineups.
"We will certainly miss Adonal's presence, both on and off the
court," Chris Mullin, the Warriors' executive vice president of
basketball operations, said in a statement announcing that Foyle
had been placed on waivers.
"However, we think this move is in the best interest of both
parties as we move forward," Mullin said. "Adonal was a true
professional in every sense of the word during his decade-long
tenure with the Warriors. We wish him the best as he begins the
next phase of his career."
A phone message left for Foyle was not immediately returned
Monday night. He had been traveling back home in his native
Caribbean and the voicemail of his agent, Lon Babby, said Babby was
out of the country this week as well. The Warriors did not provide
any details on the buyout.
The 32-year-old Foyle appeared to have interest in joining the
Orlando Magic, which would be much closer to his homeland of tiny
Canouan, in the cluster of Caribbean islands called St. Vincent and
the Grenadines.
This is the latest move for a Warriors team that traded guard
Jason Richardson to Charlotte in a deal on draft night. Richardson
is due about $51 million over the next four seasons.
Golden State got rookie forward Brandan Wright in the deal after
he was picked eighth overall.
In March, Foyle became a U.S. citizen, taking part in a
naturalization ceremony in San Francisco as part of a group of
1,150 people from 94 countries who received Americans citizenship.
"It's a really big deal," Foyle said at the time. "It's been
in the works for almost 10 years. It's pretty amazing that it's
finally here and that I can do that -- I can get a passport and get
in and out of Canada a lot easier than before."
The 6-foot-10 Foyle underwent an emergency laparoscopy
appendectomy last month while in the Bay Area hosting one of the
several basketball camps he runs during the offseason.
Foyle averaged 2.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in limited play last
season. He appeared briefly in two playoff games for the Warriors,
who were eliminated in the second round by the Utah Jazz after
reaching the postseason for the first time since 1994.
Foyle was chosen eighth overall by the Warriors in the 1997
draft. He appeared in 48 games last season, averaging 10 minutes
per contest.