Nets Waive Buechler to Oblige Anderson

Kenny Anderson signed a five-year, $14.5 million guaranteed contract with the New Jersey Nets, but it was at the expense of former Poway High School basketball standout Jud Buechler, who was waived Friday to accommodate the signing.

Buechler was part of a bizarre play by Nets owners to sign Georgia Tech’s Anderson, the second player selected in the NBA draft, and remain under the NBA salary cap. Buechler, a second-year forward, and center Dave Feitl were waived--their contracts were not guaranteed--while players Tate George, Chris Dudley, Sam Bowie and the retired Roy Hinson had to agree to defer salary from this year to sometime in the future. That left the Nets with 11 players on a 12-man roster.

Buechler was to make $300,000 this season.

“It was quite a shock, but I guess it’s part of the business, “ Buechler said by phone from Hackensack.

“I was reassured by Coach (Bill Fitch) and (General Manager) Willis Reed that this wasn’t going to happen and that it had nothing to do with myself as a player or person or what I meant to the ballclub. . . . Today I found out and it was quite a big disappointment.”

Owners ordered Reed to waive the players, and Fitch didn’t hide his displeasure at the news conference welcoming Anderson, who will average $2.9 million annually.

“It absolutely stinks that here we are after going through training camp what we have to give to get a great player like this in terms of a Jud Buechler being gone and a Dave Feitl being gone,” Fitch said.

Buechler agreed that the system needed to be evaluated. He pointed to Magic Johnson’s $3.1 million contract: “Look at what Magic’s done and what Kenny’s done--he practiced today for the first time.”

Buechler said Reed told him that if he clears waivers Sunday afternoon, the team will consider re-signing him for less money.