Orlando Magic waive Jason Williams

The team waived the 12-year NBA veteran after he chose not to join the team on its current road trip.

"I think it came to a point to where [he didn't see] the opportunity to play, and it was tough for him," Magic President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith said. "To be quite frank with you, it was tough for him from Day One. But, still, I wish him well.

"We had conversations with him along the way dealing with the issue of playing or not playing, but it's the same conversation I have with everybody else on our team. It's no different with guys who are not playing. But it was a little bit tougher for him to go from playing major minutes for us in a year past and then not playing at all."

Williams, 35, hopes to latch on with another team.

"This is a buyout that's been discussed for some time," said Williams' agent, Dan Tobin. "It's mutually beneficial. They'll have three quality point guards instead of four and it'll give him an opportunity to play elsewhere when that opportunity presents itself. He's not retiring.

"For him, it's about playing basketball."

Smith said he has no plans to sign another point guard.

Meanwhile, Magic players will miss having Williams around.

"Whether he knew it or not, he brought leadership," Nelson said. "He was a guy who didn't say something every day, but when he said it, it was time to do what he said. He meant what he said. And he's a guy who kept us funny. He kept us loose on the court."