The Kyoto Hannaryz have relinquished their rights to veteran shooting guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, the bj-league team announced on Tuesday.
Now, the 42-year-old former NBA guard is free to sign with any club in the 19-team league. Abdul-Rauf, the third overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, averaged 15.2 points in 42 games last season.
On Tuesday, one source told The Japan Times that Abdul-Rauf can still play at a high level, but his high salary with the Hannaryz may be a stumbling block for other bj-league teams to negotiate a contract with the ex-LSU scoring sensation.
Kyoto, now guided by former Sendai 89ers bench boss Honoo Hamaguchi, also opted to part ways with 208-cm big man Kibwe Trim, who averaged 12.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in 2010-11 under then-coach Kazuto Aono.
In other league news, the expansion Yokohama B-Corsairs signed guards Minoru Kimura and Satoshi Hisayama and forward Taketo Aoki to one-year contracts.
The 29-year-old Kimura, who attended Toyo University, was a backcourt reserve the past two seasons for the Tokyo Apache. Hisayama, who turned 25 on July 14, suited up for the JBL2's TGI D-Rise last season.
Aoki, 37, had his second tour of duty with the Oita HeatDevils last season. He has also spent time with the Ryukyu Golden Kings and Tokyo Apache, as well as in the JBL (Niigata Albirex) before the bj-league began.