Wendell Maxey, one of the great guys on the local sportswriting circuit -- a writer about whom Dwight Jaynes recently wrote "[he] does good work, whether it's in season or out" -- has formally ended his relationship with Hoopsworld.com, effective immediately.  

"Brother Wendell," as he was known around these parts because of his go-to salutation "hey, brother," had written for Hoopsworld for six years, covering the New Jersey Nets and, for the last few years, the Portland Trail Blazers.  "It was time to move on, I'm a free agent now," Wendell stated, before joking that he was looking for a max contract like Brandon Roy.

Wendell says he "plans to keep writing" and will continue to write about the Blazers on his Blazers-focused blog BeyondTheBeat.Net, which has developed into a must-read source.  He will also continue writing for the Northwest Examiner and is putting the finishing touches on a book project that traces the history of the West Coast Negro Baseball Association.

He has also started a new project -- "juggling dreams and diapers," as he put it this morning -- blogging about his experiences as a new dad for PortlandFamily.com .  

Wendell invites any feedback or thoughts you have about his writing; you can contact him here.  If you've enjoyed his work over the last few years, I encourage you to send him an email.  I wrote earlier this summer about supporting those writers who do things "the right way."  No question about it: Wendell Maxey has done it, and will continue to do it, the right way.

Last, but certainly not least, you can follow Wendell on twitter here.

Update: Steve Kyler, editor and publisher of Hoopsworld.com, writes, "We wish Wendell nothing but the best in his future endeavors. His contributions both as a friend and reporter will be missed." Asked about plans to fill Wendell's shoes, Kyler wrote, "We'll look at the situation as we do any opening and determine what's the best way to fill the need... we have a lot of great relationships within the Blazers organzation and they are a team that's dear to us on a number of levels."

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)