Andray Blatche was a serviceable reserve for the Nets this past season, and though his offensive possessions were adventurous at times, his skill set overall was beneficial to the Brooklyn bench.
It was expected that Blatche would seek a higher-dollar deal this summer, after signing on for a minimum contract following his being amnestied by the Wizards two seasons ago.
Blatche’s agent made his opt-out official on friday.
From Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York:Blatche had told reporters on breakup day that he intended to opt out, so the move comes as no surprise.
The 27-year-old held a player option with Brooklyn for 2014-15 for just $1.4 million.
Blatche is now free to sign with any team.
The Nets have Blatche’s early Bird rights, meaning they’d be able to offer him a new deal for as much as four years, $25 million.
It’s more than likely that Blatche will be able to get a better deal elsewhere than what the Nets would be willing to offer, considering there’s a logjam of sorts in the frontcourt with Brook Lopez, Mirza Teletovic and Mason Plumlee all locked in for next year -- and that’s before we even add Kevin Garnett to the mix in the event he chooses to return for a 20th NBA season.
Blatche will easily command a multi-year deal on the open market for the mid-level exception or more. He averaged 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game for the Nets last season.