I'm certain that MWP will clear wavers. The man has mental issues. The last thing any team wants is to acquire him without his consent. At this stage of his career, he's really not even worth the trouble. Teams will stand aside and let MWP go wherever he wants. Just like they did for Chauncey Billups. If the Rockets want Metta, they'll just offer him the veteran's minimum after he clears waivers. There's no reason why Metta would want any more than the minimum. The Lakers are on the hook for his original $7.7 million salary. Whatever salary Metta gets from his new team gets deducted off of that. Whether Metta signs for the MLE or minimum, he'll get paid exactly $7.7M this season no matter what.
If we can get there we could really match up well and hurt them inside with Asik and Howard just as Indiana and San Antonio did.
I wouldn't mind Wayne Ellington. Great shooter. Or even Gerald Henderson, but I doubt we could get him for the vet minimum
Henderson's shot selection would drive me away. Way too much mid range in his game. Ellington might be had for the vet min, and he's especially good from the corner 3 spot on the floor.
Billups at the minimum might make sense. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Clippers renounced rights to Lamar Odom, Chauncey Billups. Clippers still interested in signing Odom to a deal, sources</p>— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) <a href="https://twitter.com/BA_Turner/statuses/354754593860763648">July 10, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Metta won't go through the normal waivers process per se. If LAL lets him go, it will be via amnesty. As such, teams will get to "bid" on him and partial waivers are allowed. Unlike normal waivers, where another team has to agree to pay the whole $7.7M, partial waivers allows a team to bid any amount -- highest = winner. So I don't see why he'd clear waivers. Heck, another team could offer $1 over the vet min and win him from us. The only reason Billups wasn't claimed in this bidding process is because he explicitly said that he didn't want any team bidding on him -- he wanted to agree. If it was a team he didn't like (i.e., not a contender), he'd simply retire. I don't see MWP saying that.
