No room for veteran Bargnani in Marks' New Brooklyn Nets

The 7-footer (2.13m) Bargnani was the top overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors and spent seven years with the Canadian club before being traded to the New York Knicks in 2013.

Published : Feb 21, 2016 13:00 IST

Brooklyn Nets center Andrea Bargnani (9) defends Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cameron Payne (22) in an NBA match.

New Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks of New Zealand made his first move on Saturday, waiving Italian forward Andrea Bargnani, a 10-year NBA veteran who has struggled this season.

Bargnani, who signed with the Nets last July, averaged 6.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.8 minutes over 46 games this season.

The 7-footer (2.13m) was the top overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors and spent seven years with the Canadian club before being traded to the New York Knicks in 2013.

In two seasons with the Knicks, Bargnani was nagged by a left elbow ligament tear and a right calf strain that sidelined him for most of each campaign.

Over his decade in the NBA, Bargnani has averaged 14.3 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Marks replaced Billy King as the decision maker for the Nets on Thursday. At 15-40, the Brooklyn-based team has the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference and fourth-worst mark in the league. It is very likely to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2012.