Peja opts out in Indy, LOL

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060627/SPORTS04/606270376/1088


Stojakovic explores free agent market

By Mike Wells
Mike.wells@indystar.com

Indiana Pacers forward Peja Stojakovic opted out of the final year of his contract Monday, making him a free agent.

The three-time All-Star, who said during the regular season he would take that action, was scheduled to make $8.2 million next season.

The free agent negotiating period begins July 1, and teams can start signing players July 12. Pacers officials have said they want to re-sign Stojakovic, who was acquired from Sacramento for Ron Artest on Jan. 25.

"We are going to see what's out there and listen to what other teams have to say, but Peja is the Pacers' to lose," Stojakovic's agent, David Bauman, said. "The contract he signed before was done as a restricted free agent, so he didn't really get a chance to test the market."

Stojakovic, 29, who made $7.6 million last season, hopes to get a raise and lock in a long-term contract. The Pacers can sign him for up to six years, while other teams can only sign him for five.

"Anyone that says it's not about money is a liar," Bauman said. "Peja is going to get his big contract. Peja likes the Pacers because they have a base to build off. . . . Peja is a guy that can give a lot more than what he showed last year."

Stojakovic averaged 19.5 points and shot 46 percent from the field in 40 games with the Pacers. He missed four of the six games against the New Jersey Nets in the first round of the playoffs with a right knee injury. The Pacers lost each game he didn't play.

Bauman said Stojakovic's knee is completely healthy.


Same for Darius Songaila
http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/bulls.asp?id=202949


Songaila will be a free agent

By Mike McGraw
Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Bulls forward Darius Songaila will become a free agent this summer, his agent confirmed.

When Songaila signed with the Bulls last year he was given a player option for next season worth $2.4 million. The 6-foot-9 forward will decline the option and shop his services beginning July 1.

Songaila averaged 9.2 points and 4.0 rebounds last season before being sidelined with a broken foot March 10. The Bulls can use any portion of their salary-cap room to re-sign the Lithuania native.

“He would love to be back with the Bulls,” said Chicago-based agent Mark Bartelstein. “I’ve talked to (GM) John (Paxson) about that. We’re going to work hard to make that happen. He loves it here.”

Songaila was in a bind last summer after finishing a two-year contract in Sacramento. He became a restricted free agent, and most teams believed the Kings would match any offer.

But when Sacramento added Shareef Abdur-Rahim it decided not to keep Songaila, and by then most of the free-agent money around the league had been spent. The Bulls stepped in with an offer of $2.2 million, the remainder of their midlevel exception.

“The deal we did last year was a below-market deal,” Bartelstein said.

Technically, Songaila should be a restricted free agent, since he has been in the league just three years. It’s possible, though, that the Bulls agreed not to make a qualifying offer to Songaila, which would make him unrestricted.

The Bulls should have no trouble keeping Songaila if that’s a priority. The team will have roughly $16 million in cap room to spend this summer if it declines contract options on Othella Harrington, Malik Allen and Eddie Basden. It’s possible any of those players could be re-signed later.


Dolan says Zeke gets this year to fix his mess or he's gone
http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/thomas_gets_fair_warning_knicks_marc_berman.htm


THOMAS GETS FAIR WARNING

By MARC BERMAN

June 27, 2006 -- An emotional Knicks owner James Dolan, after charging Larry Brown wanted to get fired after one season, put his new coach Isiah Thomas on a one-year leash, saying he will be canned next summer if the Knicks don't show "significant" improvement.

Dolan's bizarre warning to his newest coach was the most startling blow of an passionate 60-minute bombshell meeting with the team's beat writers at Two Penn Plaza, as Thomas looked on, shocked at Dolan's pronouncement.

In another wild allegation, Dolan claimed Brown wanted to waive six players at season's end, totaling $180 million of contracts. A source said three of the six players were Stephon Marbury, whom Brown feuded with, Steve Francis, whom Brown endorsed trading for, and free-agent bust Jerome James.

Wearing a black polo shirt, Dolan put Thomas on notice, making him, in effect, a lame-duck. "I'm saying this right with Isiah here," Dolan said. "It's his team. He made this bed. There's no one better than him than to make this team go forward. But he has to do that.

"He has one year, one season to do that. At this time next year Isiah will be with us if we can all sit here and say that this team has made significant progress towards its goal of eventually becoming an NBA champion. If we can't say that, Isiah will not be here.

"I believe he can do it. I believe he will do it. You'll see a real motivated effort from the Knicks. But we do have to be sitting here saying we made progress."

Dolan said playoffs aren't a requirement, however. "It should be progress, not debatable progress," Dolan said. "I'm not going to put a number on that. Isiah has the full season to do this. It's his ship to steer. It's his ship to crash."

Dolan smiled. A glassy-eyed Thomas didn't.

Thomas was nearly speechless when asked about the one-year edict. "I've been in pressure situations before, all my life has been about pressure and having to get it done," Thomas said. "Just because he said it publicly doesn't make me afraid of it or shy away from it."

Thomas said his coaching was Dolan's idea. "I believe in the players. I believe in what I put together. We'll make it work and I'm going to get it done.

"I'd rather put it on myself. I'd rather my career not be in the hands of someone else. Trust is not what I have a lot of right now."

Pistons picking up 4th year option on Delfino
http://www.mlive.com/pistons/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1151403012199570.xml&coll=1


Hammond said the Pistons plan to pick up the fourth-year option on Carlos Delfino's contract. The 6-6 forward's current deal runs through the 2006-2007 season.

A Sherrod Blakely is stoned, from his MLive blog...


LB coming back?

For those hoping for a Larry Brown return to The Palace, don't be surprised if you get your wish.

Coaching the Pistons?

Uh ... no. That's not going to happen.

But don't be surprised if Brown is back on the sidelines next season, and don't be surprised if the team he's with is ... The Miami Heat.


When I first thought about it, it made absolutely no sense in the world to me. I mean, why would the Heat even bother to bring in a Hall of Fame coach for the short term to help them win?

Wait a minute.

They just did that with Pat Riley, who pulled off arguably his best coaching job ever in getting the Miami Wade, uh, Heat, the franchise's first NBA title.

For him to get that team to play as well as they did in so many critical games - and I'm not just talking about Wade, either - was impressive.

It took a lot out of him, obviously, which is why he has been so non-committal on whether he'll be back next season.

If Pat's going back to the front-office only, who better for him to hire as a replacement than Brown?

At first, it may appear as though this would be yet another soap opera waiting to happen. After all, wherever LB goes, drama isn't too far behind. There'll definitely be some of that. But this situation, in a lot of ways, would be different.

When LB came to Detroit, his job was to help a good team become great enough to win a title, something he had never done before. In Miami, he would be charged with trying to take a team that won an NBA title without him, and guide them to doing it again.

For a man who has done so much in what seems like a lifetime of coaching, that would present a new challenge for him.

And if you look at Miami's core players, LB couldn't ask for more.

The team's best player is Wade, who is so good, even Brown's love-you-today, loathe-you-by-lunchtime rapport with most players wouldn't be (too) big an issue (maybe?).

Brown would have a dominate inside force in Shaquille O'Neal who will be motivated by the (occasional, but more than the Diesel is used to) digs from Brown, and a handful of blue collar-types like Udonis Haslem to do the dirty work that Brown loves.

And while Brown has done more than enough to validate himself as one of the game's best coaches ever, no one expects that debacle called the New York Knicks to be LB's last coaching stop. He's too proud to go out of the game on that note.

Of course, all of this hinges on whether Pat Riley wants out as head coach - which is not a given - and whether Brown wants to continue coaching, which is also up for debate as well.

But when it comes to LB, nothing he does should come as a surprise ... even his coaching sunset being in South Beach.

I saw only a couple seconds of that Dolan/Thomas interview thing last night. Even in those seconds it looked like a joke and incredibly awkward with Dolan saying things like "I love him but he's got to produce" and Thomas saying "I'm a little pissed at him for the demand but I'll take responsibility for this mess". Dolan looks like a slob. (Was he wearing a bath robe or some sort of cloak?)

As for Indy and Peja, to think they could have had Maggette.

yeah i was thinking the same thing- if riley retires back to the front office and leaves the sideline, LB will be at the top of their list.

I don't think there is any way that Riley is going to give up this glory-filled place in the spotlight, that is, unless he feels deep down that they can't repeat.

Nice to see former Wolverine Mark Hughes get another NBA assistant coaching position. A lot of people think he's eventually going to get his own team some day.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5725698


Musselman hires five assistant coaches for Kings
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - New Sacramento Kings coach Eric Musselman hired five assistants Friday, including former NBA players Scott Brooks and T.R. Dunn.

Musselman, hired three weeks ago to replace Rick Adelman, also hired Brendan O'Connor, Mark Hughes and Jason Hamm as assistants. Clay Moser was named an advance scout.

Brooks, an assistant coach with the Denver Nuggets for the past three seasons, will be Musselman's lead assistant. He played 11 NBA seasons, appearing in 680 games with five teams - including the 1994 champion Houston Rockets.

Dunn will return for his third season on the Kings bench after working for Adelman since 2004. The 14-year NBA veteran also was an assistant in Denver, and he coached the WNBA's Charlotte Sting.

O'Connor, an assistant with the New York Knicks last season, was Musselman's assistant in the CBA and the USBL during the 1990s.

Hughes, another former CBA coach, was an assistant at San Diego State for the last two seasons. Hamm, who played in college for Musselman's father, Bill, was the Memphis Grizzlies' video coordinator last season while Eric Musselman was an assistant to Mike Fratello.

LB coaching Miami?

If that happens we make the Finals!

LB is past it, IMO.

The league has changed and he refuses to.

I was just reading some transaction logs from the past few months and I saw that the Raptors fired Gene Keady from his assistant coaching position back in May. Did anyone else hear about that when it happened?

Kinda odd how quiet that was kept.

Dude is fucking old and it happened after the season.

I also don't think Colangelo hired him, so it's natural IMO.

Just wait until the Raptors start losing next season. Mitchell will be fired and BC will hire his own coach.

It's all part of the plan. It was Babcock's plan, but who cares, right?

As long as Stern's boy gets the credit.

LB coaching Miami?

If that happens we make the Finals!

LB is past it, IMO.

The league has changed and he refuses to.
ummm i dont see that. he coaches defense. vets get it, rookies dont. miami isnt full of rookies. the only person who'd beef with LB is probally antoine chuckhead walker. but Wade would get to do as he pleases like iverson in exchange for team defense.

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_4041338


Nuggets lose Buckner to Mavs

By Adam Thompson and Marc J. Spears
Denver Post Staff Writers
DenverPost.com

The Nuggets have an all-points bulletin out for 3-point shooters. Their search got a little harder early this morning when their free agent guard, Greg Buckner, agreed to sign with the Dallas Mavericks. Buckner will receive at least three years guaranteed, with the two sides working on details for two more years.

"I'm happy," Buckner said today. "It was my first choice to go to Dallas. It's crazy it worked out."

Aside from serving as a defensive specialist, the two-guard represented Denver's top perimeter threat on a team that finished last in the NBA in 3-point shooting last season. Buckner's .354 3-point percentage may not have been phenomenal, but his 86 threes easily led the team.

Buckner spent two years in Denver after arriving from Philadelphia before the 2004-05 season. He averaged 6.7 points per game last year.

But with the Nuggets having committed approximately $140 million to Carmelo Anthony and Nene this summer, Buckner said he and his agent agreed that his return would be a longshot.

"My time in Denver was great. It got me out of a bad situation with Philly," he said. "They wanted to take care of their young kids. I thought it was going to work out that way. You have to take care of Melo and Nene. There wasn't much money left."

Buckner also looked at a Dallas team that reached the NBA finals in June and said he sees a good chance at winning a championship. He said coach Avery Johnson described a team culture where the players work hard but have fun.

"He said I bring a need, someone who can shoot from the outside, be a threat," Buckner said. "Basically, the same thing I was in Denver a defensive stopper."

LOL. Denver's gonna be hard pressed to replace him. And that's a sad statement.

Rockets acquire Kirk Snyder

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/4047298.html


Rockets make deal for Hornets guard Snyder

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

The Rockets moved to fill their void in the backcourt on Friday with a deal to acquire shooting guard Kirk Snyder from the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets.

The Rockets did not have to give up a player to add Snyder, sending cash and future draft considerations — likely no more than switching second-round draft positions — to the Hornets.

Rockets officials could not comment on the deal until it is completed later this afternoon.

Snyder, the 16th pick of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, played 68 games in each of his two NBA seasons, moving into the starting lineup with the Hornets last season. A 6-6, 225-pound shooting guard, Snyder, 23, averaged eight points on 45.3 percent shooting, playing 19.3 minutes per game last season, averaging 9.7 per game in his 45 games as a starter.

i'd like snyder...steal, and all Houston gave up might be a 2nd round pick...

Fuck, we have a need at the backup 2/3, why didn't we try to do this?

Because even with Mo gone el Fino already has a ton of sand in his vagina.

Why would they move him for virtually nothing? I don't get it. They just got rid of JR Smith and waived Macijauskas too. I understand they got Peja, but who's their SG? Desmond Mason? Seems a little thin behind them.

JR Smith to Denver

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-060716bulls,1,2640131.story?coll=cs-hom%20e-headlines


Bulls wheel, deal, reacquire Griffin

By Marlen Garcia
Tribune staff reporter

July 16, 2006, 10:31 PM CDT

Adrian Griffin is on his way back to the Bulls with a three-year contract.

To make room for Griffin, J.R. Smith must go.

Smith, whom the Bulls acquired last week along with P.J. Brown in the Tyson Chandler trade with the Hornets, will be sent to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Howard Eisley and two future second-round draft picks, according to sources familiar with the deal.

The Bulls plan to waive Eisley to sign Griffin, sources said.

Bulls general manager John Paxson declined to comment except to confirm that the Bulls have reached an agreement with Griffin, a popular journeyman who was a co-captain for the Bulls two years ago.

Last season the Bulls passed on the 6-foot-5-inch swingman. Griffin, 32, signed a free-agent contract with the Mavericks in late November and averaged 4.6 points and 4.4 rebounds while starting in 45 of the 52 games he played. He helped the Mavericks reach the NBA Finals.

Griffin's agent, Tony Dutt, told the Dallas Morning News that the Bulls offered a three-year deal but didn't disclose the terms. By trading Smith, the Bulls would have a minimum of $1.39 million available.

The Bulls had about $17.5 million to spend in free agency but are using most of it on Ben Wallace, who signed a four-year deal worth $60 million.

To complete their deal with Griffin, the Bulls first need Smith to complete his physical exam. Smith and Brown are expected to undergo physicals Wednesday.

Then the Bulls can make their trade with Denver, but it will take a week for Eisley to clear waivers once the Bulls release him.

Smith, 20, is a 6-6 guard whose youth probably would not serve the Bulls. Paxson has made clear he is looking for veteran leadership. Griffin, Wallace, 31, and Brown, 36, balance a roster heavy with young players.

I thought this was kind of interesting. Vlade Divac paid half of Nenad Kristic's buyout when he came to the NBA.

http://netsdaily.com/blog/


Divac: Yes, I paid for Krstic freedom

July 16th, 2006, 4:38 am by Dantes
by Milan Lazarevic

After a little war between Nenad Krstic and his ex club, Partizan, in the spring of this year, the whole story had an epilogue during the last few days. Krstic had accused his former club and people in it, claiming that they were sending him letters during season insisting he pay the rest of his buy-out contract.

Krstic answered that he had already done that, and that he owes something only to Vlade Divac [who was part owner of Partizan in 2004 when the buyout was negotiated]. On the other side, Partizan officials said nothing, but legendary Serbian center Vlade Divac now has something to add. In interview with the Serbian daily, “Glas Javnosti”, Divac said:

“I heard that story and I will explain you whole thing now. When Krstic was leaving for the NBA, we agreed that I will pay, from my pocket, the buy-out for him, because he didnt sign so big a contract with Nets. I wanted to help oin that way both him and Partizan. He will give me back that money when he signs a new, better contract with Nets. That’s the thing.”

Krstic confirmed the whole story for the same daily:

“It’s the truth. Half of my buy-out, 650 000 euros [then about $700,000] was paid by New Jersey and the other half I had to pay. Vlade Divac paid instead of me and told me that I could give it back to him when I would have such money. There are no words which can describe such a thing that he did for me, but we all know how great man he is.”

Steve Nash cut his hair

He copied Richard hamilton!![smilie=grumble.gif]

Steve Nash cut his hair

http://digitalwarfighter.com/wp-content/photos/fox_slow_news_day.jpg

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/7418/148857vbeawvs4.jpg

“It’s the truth. Half of my buy-out, 650 000 euros [then about $700,000] was paid by New Jersey and the other half I had to pay. Vlade Divac paid instead of me and told me that I could give it back to him when I would have such money. There are no words which can describe such a thing that he did for me, but we all know how great man he is.”
Vladdie for President! [smilie=blaha.gif]

Kings to get new arena

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5802374


Pending vote, Kings to get new home

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - City leaders reached a deal Thursday to build a new downtown arena for the Sacramento Kings, using a quarter-cent sales tax that would require voter approval in November.

The arena would cost between $470 million and $542 million, with the Kings' owners, the Maloof family, contributing around $122 million in payments over the life of the deal to finance the project, The Sacramento Bee reported on its Web site.

The Maloofs also agreed to sign a 30-year lease and put $20 million in a repair fund for the new facility. The team's owners also pledged to pay off their current $71 million loan from the city.

The Kings currently play at Arco Arena.

Salmons to Raps hits a snag and is in limbo

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1153433434759&call_pageid=969907729483&col=970081562040

Los Raptors: Toronto signs Spanish Cup Finals MVP

Bryan Colangelo is continuing to give the Toronto Raptors a European imprint.

The Raptors on Monday signed forward Jorge Garbajosa, the MVP of the last two Spanish Cup Finals, to a multiyear contract.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Since Colangelo has taken over the Raptors as president and general manager, he has traded for Slovenian center Rasho Nesterovic, hired Maurizio Gherardini as his assistant and selected Italian center Andrea Bargnani with the top overall pick in the NBA draft.

Colangelo signed two-time Euroleague MVP Anthony Parker, who is an American.

The 6-9, 245-pound Garbajosa spent the past two seasons with Unicaja Malaga, helping the team win the 2005-06 ACB League championship and the Spanish National Cup. This past season, he averaged 14.9 points and 6.9 rebounds.

"Jorge Garbajosa has contributed toward winning at every stop in his professional career," Colangelo said. "We anticipate he will bring experience, leadership and toughness to this basketball team."

A two-time Olympian for Spain, Garbajosa played for Italian power Benetton Treviso from 2000-04 under Gherardini and Phoenix Suns coach Mike D'Antoni.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2528397

Didn't Salmons sign with the Kings?

Perfect.

http://www.nbc25.com/main/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3018


Kevin Pittsnoggle Signs with the Celtics

Posted by IanHall

MARTINSBURG, West Virginia - Former Martinsburg Bulldog and West Virginia Mountaineer basketball star Kevin Pittsnogle has a new team. The six-foot-ten forward has signed a two year contract with the NBA's Boston Celtics.

Pittsnogle officially signed the deal Tuesday morning. Financial terms were not disclosed. Pittsnogle, along with his family and friends, will hold a press conference at Martinsburg high school on Wednesday night to formally announce the signing.

The Martinsburg native will likely battle forward-center Dwayne Jones for his roster spot with the Celtics. Pittsnogle's agent, Dan Tobin, said several NBA teams were interested in his client. In the end, Kevin felt Boston was the perfect fit.

Sixers are claiming that AI is off the trading block.

http://www.nbc10.com/sports/9577081/detail.html


No Trade For Iverson

POSTED: 9:05 am EDT July 26, 2006

PHILADELPHIA -- It looks like former MVP Allen Iverson is going to get his wish. He's going to stay in Philadelphia.

76ers President Billy King told The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News Tuesday he has taken Iverson's name off the trading block and expects the All-Star to be with the Sixers at the start of training camp.

The 76ers failed to make the playoffs last season. Almost immediately, speculation began that Iverson would be dealt. He has spent his entire 10-year career in Philadelphia.

Iverson said this month that his wish was to remain with the Sixers and that the trade rumors had taken a toll on him and his family.

He is coming off one of his best seasons, averaging a career-high 33 points in 72 games.


I wonder if that means that they'll move Webber (and his hellacious contract)now instead?

If I was drunk, I might suggest CWebb/Iguodala for Sheed/Dice/Dale, but I'm not drunk.

think we can lock the celts in for a playoff spot, now?

the dynamic duo they can play at the 4/5 (jefferson/pittsnogle) is going to be unstoppable. inside/outside scoring all day, for the next 20 years.

im already thinking 'white men cant jump 2'.

great move by the celtics.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2576375


Gasol set to have surgery to repair broken foot bone

Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Memphis Grizzlies forward Pau Gasol will have surgery Friday to repair a broken bone in his left foot.

Gasol fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot last week while playing for Spain during the FIBA world championships. He was scheduled for surgery in Memphis at the Campbell Clinic, the Grizzlies said Wednesday.

He is expected to be sidelined up to three months.

The Grizzlies start preseason play Oct. 10 at Houston, and their first regular-season game is Nov. 1 at home against New York.

Marbury selling his Starbury's for about 15 dollars

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060914/SPORTS07/609140356/1127/SPORTS0102

Celtics re-signed Kandi to a non-guaranteed deal.