Casper Ware has opted out of his NBL deal with the Sydney Kings the club confirmed on Monday.

The point guard is the latest casualty of the new cost-cutting measures that were agreed upon by the NBL, its teams, and the players’ association in April.

Ware was the highest paid import in the NBL this past season, sources said, but would have seen his 2020-21 salary cut by 50 percent due to the new agreement.

Bryce Cotton opted out of his contract with the Perth Wildcats earlier in the week, before the Kings’ Xavier Cooks and Brisbane Bullets’ Matt Hodgson did the same with their respective teams.

The new agreement allowed players to opt out of their respective contracts before a May 4 deadline, with the Kings holding Ware’s domestic rights if he chose to return to play professionally in Australia for the upcoming season.

According to the initial agreement that was signed among the league, its teams, and players – a copy of which was obtained by ESPN – if Ware, 30, decided to return to play in the NBL, it can only be with the Kings, and “pursuant to (the existing) contract”.

The subsequent Player Opt-Out Notification form distributed to players wishing to terminate a contract, however, appears to state otherwise. The contract, obtained by ESPN, lists the rights of the player and NBL team during the opt-out period, before stating: “I understand that nothing stated above prevents my NBL Club from agreeing to different terms with me, subject to the CBA and my SPC.”

Ware began his NBL career with Melbourne United in 2016, leading the team to a championship during his three-year stint in the city. He signed with the Kings for the 2019-20 season, and helped Will Weaver’s team to the best regular season record, and a Grand Finals appearance; the California-native averaging 17.9 points per game over the course of the campaign.