Players released in 2005 under the Allen Houston rule:
Jerome Williams -New York
Michael Finley - Dallas
Fred Hoiberg - Minnesota
Ron Mercer - New Jersey
Calvin Booth - Milwaukee
Troy Bell - Memphis
Clarence Weatherspoon - Houston
Alonzo Mourning - Toronto
Vin Baker - Boston
Derrick Coleman - Detroit
Wesley Person - Miami
Eddie Robinson - Chicago
Howard Eisley - Phoenix
Doug Christie - Orlando
Aaron McKie - Philadelphia
Brian Grant - LA Lakers
Derek Anderson - Portland
Reggie Miller - Indiana
Some players, such as Baker and Coleman, had already been waived or bought out and amnesty was a pure luxury tax savings. Reggie Miller was waived because he was going to retire. Only eight players had an NBA career, counting Aaron McKie, who had a contract but never played. Only Finley, Mourning, Both, and Anderson played more than 40 games after being waived.
I don't expect teams to use the amnesty clause on a player who is overpaid but still has value. For example, someone who is paid $15 million/year but is only worth $8 million/year is someone a team probably won't get rid of unless that deal was at least 3-4 years, the team is well into the luxury tax (and likely to remain there), the team has a capable replacement waiting in the wings, and the overpaid player is untradeable.
Of course, things may be a bit different since the proposal for this year may include salary cap relief and not just luxury tax relief. Still, if you waive someone making $15 million who is worth $8 million when you are $10 million over the cap, then you are effectively downgrading from a player worth $8 million to a player worth, at most, $5 million (unless you get a steal of a contract) so that you can save $10 million. Unless that $10 million helps you retain a free agent you would otherwise have to let go, you're probably becoming less competitive by waiving an overpaid but useful player.
The Celtics are probably most likely to benefit from signing a waived player if they a minimum salary gets them a player who is likely to miss more games than Jermaine O'Neal and likely to be worse than JON if both are healthy and they get lucky in the health lottery.