NEW YORK - The New York Knicks waived veteran Jalen Rose on Monday, getting rid of another player with a big contract just two days before the start of the National Basketball Association season.

File photo shows a newly minted New York Knicks Jalen Rose (2nd L) hugging some of his new teammates as he walks onto the court to sit on the New York bench before the start of their NBA game against the Toronto Raptors in Toronto February 3, 2006. The Knicks waived Rose on Monday, getting rid of another player with a big contract just two days before the start of the National Basketball Association season. [Reuters]

Rose, 33, was slated to earn $16.9 million this season. The 12-year NBA veteran was used sparingly in the pre-season, appearing in just four games and playing 31 minutes without scoring a point.

The move leaves the Knicks with 14 players on their roster, one below the league maximum of 15, as New York gets set to open the season on Wednesday in Memphis.

Rose averaged 12.7 points for the Knicks last season after being acquired in a deal from the Toronto Raptors in February. But the guard/forward's expensive contract combined with declining production resulted in the Knicks letting him go.

New York also waived forward Maurice Taylor during the pre-season for similar reasons. He has since signed with the Sacramento Kings.

Rose played two seasons for Denver after being drafted in the first round in 1994 by the Nuggets and has also played for Indiana and Chicago before joining the Raptors.