Considered a candidate to be bought out when he was acquired from the Nets at the trade deadline, Shawne Williams won't accept a buyout from the Trail Blazers, agent Happy Walters tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
"We talked about the possibility of a buyout, but we decided it just wouldn't make sense for us," Walters told Haynes. "Shawne is continuing to rehab right now and he's excited to be a Blazer."
Williams is sidelined for the season with a left foot injury and has a player option for $3.1MM for next season, so it's easy to see why a buyout wouldn't appeal to him. Generally, buyouts give players a chance to sign with a contender and make up a portion of the money they'd be giving up, but Williams obviously wouldn't be signing elsewhere this season. He also isn't on an expiring contract, like many bought-out players are. However, according to Walters, he and his client are still undecided about next year's player option.
"It will depend on the coach and the GM situation," said Walters. "We have time to make up our mind, but we'll wait and see what happens with those situations first."
While the agent and player are being diplomatic, I think the chances of Williams turning down the option are close to zero. Coming off a season that saw him underperforming even before the injury, Williams won't find a better deal on the open market, and would likely be more receptive to a buyout if he thought he might opt out of his final year anyway.