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Update: NBA Amnesty Clause



Per the current NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, 14 teams still have the ability to exercise a one-time amnesty clause to terminate a player contract that existed with the team prior to July 1, 2011. They retain this option until July 2016 but can only exercise it during each year's July Moratorium (a period in which teams cannot make trades or sign free agents). Teams still have to pay the balance of the contract, but the amount owed does not count towards the salary cap.

As the Detroit Pistons bought out the contract of Rip Hamilton in 2011 rather than using the amnesty clause, the Boston Celtics would likely do the same with the contract of Paul Pierce. Here are additional details of eligible contracts for the amnesty provision.
Remaining Amnesty Clause Rights

Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz

 *New Orleans Pelicans (formerly Hornets): The Pelicans had abstained from using the amnesty clause and no longer have any eligible contracts.


 Atlanta Hawks

  • Al Horford
    • Projected Outcome: The Hawks abstain from using the amnesty clause. The Hawks enter the 2013 offseason with 3 contracts on the books (Horford, Lou Williams, John Jenkins), 2 young players needing qualifying offers/contract extensions (Jeff Teague, Ivan Johnson), and 2 players with team options for extensions (DeShawn Stevenson, Mike Scott). The team is expected to let Josh Smith leave as a free agent and pursue other free agents, including Dwight Howard.

Boston Celtics

  • Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley
    • Projected Outcome: The Celtics abstain from using the amnesty clause. Pierce will be bought out for $5 million per his contract's buyout clause. Meanwhile, the value of both Rondo and Bradley showed when each player missed time due to injury. Barring unforeseen trades, the team needs to build around Rondo, Bradley, and Jeff Green. 

Charlotte Bobcats

  • Tyrus Thomas
    • Projected Outcome: The Bobcats amnesty the contract of Tyrus Thomas in July 2013. Thomas has become injury-prone over the years. He has underachieved thus far in his career; despite being only 26 years old, he may have already gotten as good as he is going to get. As such, the team needs to play the other young post players.

Chicago Bulls

  • Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah
    • Projected Outcome: The Bulls abstain from using the amnesty clause. Deng has 1 year left on his current contract and is an All-Star to continue to pair with rising young swingman Jimmy Butler. The Bulls will have additional opportunities to reassess in July 2014 (Boozer, Noah) and July 2015 (Noah). While Boozer remains a workhorse on offense and on the boards, Noah has become the heart of the team.  

Detroit Pistons

  • Charlie Villanueva, Greg Monroe
    • Projected Outcome: The Pistons amnesty the contract of Charlie Villanueva in July 2013. It is strange that the Pistons have not yet used the amnesty option on Villanueva--he never seemed to play well in Detroit. He is not tradeable and the team has no need for his services for the final year of his contract. On the other hand, Greg Monroe has become one of the Pistons' cornerstones.

Los Angeles Lakers

  • Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Steve Blake
    • Projected Outcome: The Lakers abstain from using the amnesty clause. Although the team could re-sign an amnestied and recovered Kobe Bryant in July 2014, Bryant is preparing to return from injury as early as November/December 2013. The odds are better that Bryant takes a reduced contract next summer (similar to what Tim Duncan recently did with the Spurs) as he competes for more championships before retiring.

Memphis Grizzlies

  • Zach Randolph, Mike Conley
    • Projected Outcome: The Grizzlies abstain from using the amnesty clause. Randolph has 2 years left on his current contract--the 2nd of which is a player option--and remains one of the team's cornerstones as a versatile post player. Meanwhile, Conley continues to improve and has become one of the team's other cornerstones. Conley is now a solid starting point guard and one of the league's best defenders.

Miami Heat

  • LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony
    • Projected Outcome: The Heat abstain from using the amnesty clause. The defending champions will ride it out with their decided Big Three and have no intentions of losing any of the other role players who helped them rise back to championship-caliber play.

Milwaukee Bucks

  • Drew Gooden
    • Projected Outcome: The Bucks amnesty the contract of Drew Gooden in July 2013. Gooden only played in 16 games last season and posted career-low numbers. As a playoff team, the Bucks can acquire new rotation players with the remaining $13+ million for the last 2 years of his contract.

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Kevin Durant, Kendrick Perkins 
    • Projected Outcome: The Thunder abstain from using the amnesty clause. Kevin Durant is one of the best players in the NBA and will help the Thunder challenge for championships for the rest of his career. Although the team could remain a contender without Perkins, they already traded away James Harden, so they have no need for salary cap relief. Likewise, GM Sam Presti does not believe in the amnesty clause as it relates to the team's philosophy. However, the Thunder can reassess the option to amnesty the contract of Kendrick Perkins in July 2014.

Sacramento Kings

  • John Salmons, DeMarcus Cousins
    • Projected Outcome: The Kings amnesty the contract of John Salmons in July 2013. Although the team holds a team option on Salmons' contract for 2014-2015, $1 million is guaranteed and would also count against the salary cap. Salmons' veteran leadership and versatility are valuable, but the Kings' new ownership will likely keep the team younger and pay money over the next few years for the contract extensions of Cousins, Tyreke Evans, Jimmer Fredette, and others.

San Antonio Spurs

  • Tony Parker, Matt Bonner
    • Projected Outcome: The Spurs abstain from using the amnesty clause. Parker is the captain of the offense and Bonner is still a valuable role player with only one year left on his current contract. Bonner will probably re-sign for less money in July 2014.

Toronto Raptors

  • Andrea Bargnani, Amir Johnson, Linas Kleiza
    • Projected Outcome: The Raptors amnesty the contract of Andrea Bargnani in July 2013. The team would prefer to trade Bargnani, but other teams would rather acquire Bargnani through the waiver bidding process and get him at a lower salary than have to trade players and pay for all of Bargnani's remaining $23 million over 2 years. Meanwhile, Amir Johnson has 1 year remaining plus a team option for a 2nd year while Linas Kleiza will be on the last year of his current contract; both are tradeable if the Raptors want to take them off their roster.

Utah Jazz

  • Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward
    • Projected Outcome: The Jazz abstain from using the amnesty clause. Both Favors and Hayward have opportunities to become team cornerstones. If the Jazz opt to re-sign Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, they should be able to trade Favors for other key players.


 Previously Amnestied

Brooklyn Nets: Travis Outlaw
Cleveland Cavaliers: Baron Davis
Dallas Mavericks: Brendan Haywood
Denver Nuggets: Chris Andersen
Golden State Warriors: Charlie Bell
Houston Rockets: Luis Scola
Indiana Pacers: James Posey
Los Angeles Clippers: Ryan Gomes
Minnesota Timberwolves: Darko Milicic
New York Knicks: Chauncey Billups
Orlando Magic: Gilbert Arenas
Philadelphia 76ers: Elton Brand
Phoenix Suns: Josh Childress
Portland Trail Blazers: Brandon Roy
Washington Wizards: Andray Blatche

*special thanks to NBA.com, Wikipedia.com, CBAFAQ.com, HoopsHype.com, and Google.com
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