Lakers waive Australian veteran Bogut

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers waived Andrew Bogut on Saturday, a move that could allow the Australian big man to find a home with a potential NBA playoff team.

The Lakers released Bogut four days before his contract would have been guaranteed.

Signed to a one-year deal in September, Bogut played 24 games for the Lakers with five starts, averaging nine minutes and 1.5 points and 3.3 rebounds.

Although he played sparingly, Lakers coach Luke Walton said Bogut was a valuable veteran presence on a young team.

"It takes time, especially for young guys," Walton told the Los Angeles times. "Someone like Andrew Bogut that's been in this league this long and played with every type of team, the really good ones, they recognize things before they happen and they start quarterbacking and anticipating when things are coming.

"But that's why he's been so great to have on the team. Whether he's playing on the court or not, he's always talking on the bench, in the locker room to the guys."

Bogut, 33, had been a free agent since parting with the Cleveland Cavaliers last March, when he sustained a broken leg on his debut for the club.

The number one pick in the 2005 NBA draft, Bogut was a member of the Golden State Warriors team which won the NBA Finals in 2015 and was a runnerup the following season.

He endured a nomadic 2016-17 campaign, starting out with the Dallas Mavericks before a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers and then a buyout agreement that led to his abbreviated move to the Cavaliers.

He reportedly sought his release from the Lakers, whose 108-94 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday was their ninth straight defeat.