In the end, Metta World Peace found he couldn’t go home again. At least, not for long.
Less than a season into the two-year deal he signed with the team in summer free agency, the New York Knicks are expected to soon formally buyout the veteran forward and native son. Speaking on the condition of anonymity given the ongoing negotiations, a source close to the situation told USA Today Sports the team could officially end its relationship with the 34-year-old forward at any moment.
World Peace himself confirmed as much over the weekend by tweeting “my agent just informed me this release could happen any hr. now. I just want to say ‘thanks for everything.”
Several teams are expected to have interest in signing the volatile vet after he clears waivers, with the L.A. Clippers and Chicago Bulls having already expressed early interest. Both teams are in the thick of conference playoff races and hoping World Peace’s veteran presence may aid them in improving their respective seedings.
Metta World Peace was brought to New York over the summer amid much fanfare after being amnestied by the Lakers. Both he and Knicks touted the move as a crucial one in the team’s quest for its first tittle in more than four decades. But all the pair’s best laid plans quickly veered off course, with World Peace suffering numerous injuries and falling out of Coach Mike Woodson’s rotation and the Knicks, after winning 54 games last season, stumbling to a 21-34 start.
The Knicks are also expected to buyout guard Beno Udrih, who recently asked management to deal him after he, like World Peace, fell out of Woodson’s good graces and regular rotation.
In an average of 13 minutes per night, World Peace has averaged 4.8 points and two rebounds for the this season, while Udrih, who has played just 11 minutes total since Jan. 16 and hasn’t appeared in any of the team’s last 10 games, has averaged just 5.6 points and 3.5 assists in 19 minutes per outing.
