So... amnesty isn't working exactly as intended. Chauncey Billups has said that he might refuse to show up for any team that claims him off amnesty waivers. Arenas' people are calling around telling people not to claim him because he wants to get to UFA. Richard Hamilton negotiated a lower buyout with the Pistons so that he'd get to be a UFA and wouldn't go on waivers. All these guys are still trying to dicate where they go. Amnesty was intended to give small market teams a shot to pick up the stars, but it looks like pouting is the strategy of choice to get around this.
It wouldn't shock me to see Dan Gilbert put in a $5 claim on every guy who gets amnestied, just to make sure that none of them pass through to free agency and get picked up by the Heat.
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