Making "Old news" Official I know this has been posted but here's the article: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday waived veteran guards Nick Van Exel and Derek Anderson. Anderson will be designated as the team's amnesty player under the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, allowing the Blazers to release him and remove his almost $19 million contract from the team's salary cap for purposes of calculating the luxury tax. The Blazers chose not to retain Van Exel for the last non-guaranteed year worth $12.8 million of his contract. Van Exel averaged 10.7 points and 4.3 assists and made 39 starts for the Blazers last season before going on the injured list on March 12 with left knee pain. The 12-year veteran was acquired in a 2004 offseason trade that sent forward Dale Davis and guard Dan Dickau to Golden State. Van Exel, 34, who has also played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks, has averaged 15 points and 6.9 assists in 821 career games. The Blazers will pay the final two years of Anderson's contract and he can sign with another team. "Given the direction of the team and Derek's limited availability in recent years we felt this was the best solution for all parties. This move gives us additional cap flexibility and minutes for our younger players," Blazers general manager John Nash said in a statement. The eight-year NBA veteran averaged 9.2 points three assists with 47 games with the Blazers last season but had a variety of injuries, including back spasms. Anderson, 31, was acquired with Steve Kerr and a second-round draft pick from San Antonio in exchange for Steve Smith on July 25, 2001. In his four seasons with Portland, Anderson averaged 12 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 244 games. Anderson, a big guard in the mode Phil Jackson has always preferred, is expected to draw interest from the Lakers as a potential backcourt partner to Kobe Bryant. The Mavericks, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat are among the playoff contenders expected to pursue Van Exel, a former All-Star who has said in the past that he hopes to finish his career with a team in Texas -- and a team with title aspirations.</div>
