Bucks make it official: Hawes waived

Spencer Hawes’ short tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks has come to a close.

The Bucks officially announced on Friday morning that they had requested waivers on Hawes on Thursday. The timing of Hawes’ release allows the Bucks to stretch the remaining year of his contract over three seasons as stipulated by the collective bargaining agreement. Thursday was the final day teams were able to waive a player and utilize the stretch provision.

Hawes is owed $6,021,175 for next season, the final year of his contract. Using the stretch provision, the Bucks will pay $2,007,058.33 to Hawes over each of the next three seasons.

Choosing this path clears up a logjam in Milwaukee’s frontcourt, which includes centers Thon Maker, Greg Monroe and John Henson.

It could get the Bucks off the hook for paying the luxury tax this season.

Following Monroe’s decision to opt into the final year of his contract and the re-signing of Tony Snell, the Bucks entered Thursday over the luxury-tax threshold of $119,266,000. With Hawes’ salary stretched, the Bucks will be back under that threshold with enough room to sign a player to the veteran minimum.

Jason Terry, an 18year veteran who played an important role in the Bucks’ rotation as well as in the locker room last season while playing for a minimum salary, could be a player of interest for the team’s final roster spot.

Hawes joined the Bucks on Feb. 2 in the trade that sent Miles Plumlee to the Charlotte Hornets. Hawes appeared in 19 regular-season games for Milwaukee, averaging 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 9.0 minutes per game. He also logged 17 minutes over three games in the Bucks’ playoff series against the Toronto Raptors.