Damien Wilkins found out about 2 p.m. on Saturday he was going to be waived by the Pacers the next day. A few hours later, he was told he was going to start in that night's game against Chicago.
How's that for mixed emotions? The 37-year-old forward, who had become one of the NBA's best stories by earning a spot on the Pacers' roster despite being out of the league since the 2012-13 season, knew Sunday would bring an ominous deadline for him. He just didn't expect to go out with his first start of the season.
NBA teams had until the close of business on Sunday to waive players with non-guaranteed contracts to allow them a chance to be picked up by another team before the Jan.