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Either Will Conroy was playing a cruel joke on all of us or former Portland Trailblazers guard Brandon Roy is preparing to make a comeback after his medical retirement from the NBA this past December, as Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld has curated from Twitter.
The Blazers decided to waive Roy using the amnesty clause back in December and, as Kevin McCauley of SB Nation wrote today, that means that another team can claim Roy by bidding on a portion of his contract.
Brandon Roy announced his retirement from basketball In December of 2011, citing chronic knee problems, but he did so in a way that left the door open for a comeback. Instead of leaving the Portland Trail Blazers and taking his salary off their books through medical retirement, the team used their amnesty clause on Roy's contract. That means another team can claim Roy by bidding on a portion of his contract, and they might get a chance to do just that.
Although the Warriors don't have the cap room to make a play for Roy even if he were to immediately become a free agent - he obviously has already had ample time to clear waivers, based on amnesty rules - it might be worth noting that there was a report from Marcus Thompson II back in November that they were in fact interested (via SBN's BlazersEdge).
I'm told the Seattle native he would prefer to stay on the West Coast, and he would like to play for the Warriors. It needs to be pointed out that Roy's former agent, Bob Myers, is now the assistant GM for the Warriors.
Of course Myers is now the GM and that report came with full knowledge of how far Roy had declined due to his knee injuries. If Roy did become a free agent, the Warriors would have approximately $5 million to use on a free agent with their mid-level exception. Roy might not fill a glaring need on the wing, but it might be interesting to know if there's still any mutual interest there nonetheless.
It's hard to know how good Roy will be in his return to the league, but it's also hard not to root for someone who is attempting to overcome physical limitations through the power of the human spirit, as Matt Moore of Pro Basketball Talk put it.
Wherever he lands, I wish nothing but the best for him as he attempts to end his career on his own terms.