Wilson Waves Goodby to Hawks Before They Waive Goodby to Him

The Atlanta Hawks have waived missing forward Trevor Wilson with the anticipation that he will join an Italian team in time for a game tonight.

Wilson, placed on the disabled list March 13 with a sore back, left the team last week to play in Italy, mistakenly believing he had been released because he is well again.

“I’ve had guys not show up for practice, I’ve had guys forget assignments, I’ve had guys forget plays, when they were supposed to shoot, but I’ve never had one in the wrong country,” said Coach Bob Weiss, who approved Wilson’s release.

Neither Weiss nor general manager Pete Babcock knows which team Wilson is scheduled to join or what city he is in.

“He’s somewhere in the heel or the boot,” Weiss said, referring to the shape of the Italian peninsula.

“I had it in mind to force him to come back and fulfill his contract because we’ve got a few players with (minor injuries),” Weiss said. “But when I realized there were other alternatives (with free agents), I decided to go ahead and release him.”

Wilson will not clear waivers until 3 p.m. PST today so he still may not get to play in Italy. If an NBA team claims him, he will be forced to return to the United States at his own expense.