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Bobby
Posts: 22094
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 5/18/2003
Member: #408
USA
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Wednesday, Jul 4, 2007
Posted on Tue, Jul. 03, 2007
Knight stunned by release
RICK BONNELL
Former Charlotte Bobcats point guard Brevin Knight says the team's decision to waive him last week was not just a money-saving move.
Knight told the Observer Monday that he offered to take less money to remain a Bobcat. Instead, the Bobcats bought out the final $4.2 million season on his contract by paying him $1.5 million.
"If it was a money issue, we could have done something about that," Knight said in an exclusive interview with the Observer. "I expressed that through my agent. What was their reasoning? I don't know."
Knight said he was prepared to void his contract, then sign anew with the Bobcats, to avoid changing teams and potentially uprooting his family.
He added he wouldn't have undermined Raymond Felton's ascension as this team's primary point guard.
"I was willing to do whatever they wanted me to do," Knight said. "I was not demanding anything."
Knight, who turns 32 in November, said he's baffled, rather than bitter, about the team's decision. He anticipates that whatever the Bobcats pay his replacement, combined with what they owe Knight as a buy-out, is roughly what they would have paid to keep him.
Bobcats executive vice president Bernie Bickerstaff declined to discuss the team's reasoning on waiving Knight. However, he said it's not out of the question the team could re-sign Knight.
"Obviously that's someone to be considered going forward," Bickerstaff said, "because we do need a backup point guard."
Knight said Felton's North Carolina pedigree complicated Knight's relationship with local fans.
"Obviously a lot that goes on in Charlotte relates to their love of the University of North Carolina," Knight said. "That affected me, Bernie and Raymond, too -- there's a lot of pressure on him to be great" as an ex-Tar Heel.
Knight missed 36 games with several injuries last season, but says there's no doubt he'll sign with another NBA team. He said the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons have expressed interest.
He anticipates his family living in Charlotte next winter, regardless of where he plays. Observer Exclusive
Knight's numbers
Year G Min FG% Ast Stls TO Pts
2005-06 69 34:06 39.9 8.8 2.3 2.4 12.6
2006-07 45 28:18 41.9 6.6 1.5 2.1 9.1
"Like they always say, New York is the Mecca of basketball,"I read that in Michael Jordan books my whole life and I played here in the Big East tournament, so it's always fun to play in the Mecca of basketball."---Rip Hamilton
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7/5/2007 3:17 PM