INDIANAPOLIS — The Orlando Magic didn't want Jason Williams' tenure with the team to end this way.

But the team waived the 12-year NBA veteran after he chose not to join the team on its current road trip.

Williams practiced with the team Tuesday, but with big man Malik Allen returning from injury, the reserve point guard was going to be deactivated for Wednesday night's game against the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse.

That expected move upset Williams, who was buried on the depth chart behind fellow point guards Jameer Nelson, Gilbert Arenas and Chris Duhon.

"I think it came to a point to where [he didn't see] the opportunity to play, and it was tough for him," Magic President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith said. "To be quite frank with you, it was tough for him from Day One. But, still, I wish him well.

"We had conversations with him along the way dealing with the issue of playing or not playing, but it's the same conversation I have with everybody else on our team. It's no different with guys who are not playing. But it was a little bit tougher for him to go from playing major minutes for us in a year past and then not playing at all."

Williams, 35, hopes to latch on with another team.

"This is a buyout that's been discussed for some time," said Williams' agent, Dan Tobin. "It's mutually beneficial. They'll have three quality point guards instead of four and it'll give him an opportunity to play elsewhere when that opportunity presents itself. He's not retiring.

"For him, it's about playing basketball."

Williams stayed home during the team's four-game road trip Jan. 12-17 and then did not attend the team's home game on Jan. 19 or its practice on Jan. 20. At the time, Magic officials said he was dealing with a personal issue.

Williams' release leaves the team with 13 players on its roster.

In August, Williams agreed to a one-year guaranteed deal worth $1.35 million, the league minimum for a player with at least 10 years of NBA service time. But he signed that deal before the Magic brought Arenas aboard, a move that pushed Williams down the depth chart.

Smith said he has no plans to sign another point guard.

Meanwhile, Magic players will miss having Williams around.

"Whether he knew it or not, he brought leadership," Nelson said. "He was a guy who didn't say something every day, but when he said it, it was time to do what he said. He meant what he said. And he's a guy who kept us funny. He kept us loose on the court."

Another bigEven with Allen activated for Wednesday's game, coach Stan Van Gundy said beforehand that he will continue to use Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass as the backups at center to Dwight Howard.

"That's how we're gonna play," Van Gundy said. "If we need another guy in at center, right now we'll go with Malik, and, yeah, I'm fine with that. Malik's a smart, tough veteran guy who knows exactly what's going on."

Layups• Van Gundy entered Wednesday with six technical fouls. While he said he doesn't know exactly what constitutes a technical foul these days, he was sure of one thing. "I haven't had one that deserved to be rescinded," he said. "I really haven't. I have not had one this year — at least this year. I've had a couple of others at times, but this year, the ones I've gotten, I've deserved."

• Magic players left a gap in their line from one sideline to the other as they stood for the national anthem. But several players said after the game that they weren't paying a tribute to Williams.

• The Magic shot 59.0 percent in the first half and took a 62-48 lead into halftime.

Read Josh Robbins' blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.