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Posted at 4:12 p.m., Monday, August 13, 2007

NBA: Warriors agree to contract buyout with Foyle

By Janie McCauley
Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Golden State Warriors have reached agreement on a buyout with center Adonal Foyle, parting ways today with the 10-year veteran and the team's longest-tenured player.

Foyle signed a six-year deal worth nearly $42 million in July 2004 and had spent his entire career with Golden State, but he rarely played last season in Don Nelson's guard-oriented lineups.

"We will certainly miss Adonal's presence, both on and off the court," Chris Mullin, the Warriors' executive vice president of basketball operations, said in a statement announcing that Foyle had been placed on waivers.

"However, we think this move is in the best interest of both parties as we move forward," Mullin said. "Adonal was a true professional in every sense of the word during his decade-long tenure with the Warriors. We wish him the best as he begins the next phase of his career."

A phone message left for Foyle was not immediately returned today. He had been traveling back home in his native Caribbean and the voicemail of his agent, Lon Babby, said Babby was out of the country this week as well. The Warriors did not provide any details on the buyout.

The 32-year-old Foyle appeared to have interest in joining the Orlando Magic, which would be much closer to his homeland of tiny Canouan, in the cluster of Caribbean islands called St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

This is the latest move for a Warriors team that traded guard Jason Richardson to Charlotte in a deal on draft night. Richardson is due about $51 million over the next four seasons.

Golden State got rookie forward Brandan Wright in the deal after he was picked eighth overall.

In March, Foyle became a U.S. citizen, taking part in a naturalization ceremony in San Francisco as part of a group of 1,150 people from 94 countries who received Americans citizenship.

"It's a really big deal," Foyle said at the time. "It's been in the works for almost 10 years. It's pretty amazing that it's finally here and that I can do that — I can get a passport and get in and out of Canada a lot easier than before."

The 6-foot-10 Foyle underwent an emergency laparoscopy appendectomy last month while in the Bay Area hosting one of the several basketball camps he runs during the offseason.

Foyle averaged 2.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in limited play last season. He appeared briefly in two playoff games for the Warriors, who were eliminated in the second round by the Utah Jazz after reaching the postseason for the first time since 1994.

Foyle was chosen eighth overall by the Warriors in the 1997 draft. He appeared in 48 games last season, averaging 10 minutes per contest.