Wizards waiting for Arenas' decision
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Friday, July 18
11:10 AM ET
Gilbert Arenas could very well be the most wanted NBA player in America.
Not only have several teams shown interest in the restricted free agent this offseason, including his latest suitors in the Washington Wizards, but also San Francisco law enforcement officials after Arenas was picked up for carrying a concealed weapon while driving in the area.
Gilbert Arenas
Point Guard
Golden State Warriors
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
82 18.3 4.7 6.3 .431 .791
"The event that took place over a month ago will not have an effect on our continued pursuit of Gilbert and trying to convince him and his representative that this is the best place for Gilbert to continue his budding career," Warriors chief operating officer Robert Rowell said to the Washington Times.
The problem for Golden State, though, has little to do with the law. It's the salary cap that's keeping the Warriors from offering more than their $4.9 million exception to the point guard. When this whole process began, Arenas and his agent proclaimed the bidding would begin at $9 million per season. Since then, a few teams have fallen out of the running and a new one, the Wizards, have entered it.
Both Ernie Grunfeld, the general manager, and Eddie Jordan, the head coach, have followed the young star from D.C. to Los Angeles trying to convince him that their multi-year deal starting at $6 million is the best deal. The Wizards have also extended the deal of shooting guard Jerry Stackhouse for four yeas to ensure that Arenas has a quality running mate for many more years to come.
"We had a nice meeting with Gilbert and we're going to continue to talk," Grunfeld told the Washington Post. "We're going to talk to other free agents that are out there as well."
Arenas, who won the league's Most Improved Player Award last season, is scheduled to speak with the Clippers tonight and then Warriors at least one more time before making a decision.
Which brings us back to the unloaded .40 caliber gun found in Arena's back seat while he was driving in San Mateo County. It was unloaded and while the guard doesn't have a license to carry the weapon in California, he does in Arizona.
"As they go, it was not an inherently dangerous situation," Chief Deputy District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said in the Contra Costa Times.
----------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Friday, July 18
Updated: July 18
12:28 PM ET
Lampe
New York Knicks: The Knicks and center Maciej Lampe are just dying to say: I told you so. Not only is the rookie tearing up the summer league, he seems to be making real progress with his former team Real Madrid, which already has backed off its initial $2 million buyout stance and might be willing to let him pay it in increments.
"He's 18, 7-foot, 270 pounds, it's not a bad place to start," Knicks assistant GM Jeff Nix told the N.Y. Post. The paper indicates the team might use a portion of its $4.9 million midlevel exception to boost Lampe's salary from the $360,000 minimum and help him with the buyout, of which the Knicks can pay only $350,000.
McCarty
Boston Celtics: The Celtics are putting their money where their mouths are concerning Walter McCarty. "We met with Walter today," head of basketball operations Danny Ainge told the Boston Herald.
"Jim (O'Brien) and I met with him, and I think we had a good meeting. We made an offer, but I don't want to get into it. Nothing happened on it. We don't know anything. We probably won't know anything until next week. But we felt good about it. We just met in Jim's office and went over some things, and we all came away feeling a lot better about the situation." Boston's original offer to the forward was for the veteran's minimum. The team now is believed to be offering him a three-year deal worth $3.5 million.
Philadelphia 76ers: Allen Iverson may have two years left on his current contract, but the Sixers don't want to take any chances and are offering him a five-year extension already. "I'll confirm that we have had informal discussions, but I won't comment any further," Leon Rose, Iverson's agent, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. Iverson is due to be paid $12 million this season and $14 million in 2004-05.
Hamilton
Detroit Pistons: Richard Hamilton is almost as happy to remain with the Pistons as the Pistons are to have him stick around. The young shooting guard has agreed to a seven-year extension worth $63 million. "It is not signed yet, but it is done," Leon Rose, Hamilton's agent, told the Detroit News. "Other teams were interested in him, but Detroit wanted him back, and they put their best foot forward. Richard is thrilled. He wanted to be back in Detroit." Hamilton made about $6.5 million last year as the highest-paid Piston.
San Antonio Spurs: Rasho Nesterovic not only got a new team and new uniform when he accepted the defending champs' free-agent offer, but also a new best friend. "I mostly talked to Manu, and his knowledge (of the situation) played a big part in my decision," Nesterovic told the San Antonio Express-News. "He said it was a lot like the team we played on in Italy. There is a lot of discipline in San Antonio, on the court and off, and that is needed for a championship team." The two players were teammates for Virtus Bologna.
New Jersey Nets: Jason Kidd was first. Then Alonzo Mourning. Now, it's Kenyon Martin's turn, even if he needs to refer to himself in the third person. "I want my due," Martin told the N.Y. Times. "That was the first thing. He said that if Kenyon's here, Jay was going to be there. He took care of his end. Now it's up to the Nets to take care of their end come August. It should happen. That was one of his things he wanted. They got him back, they got to keep him happy, so that plays in my favor." Martin will enter the final year of his contract this season after averaging 18.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in the playoffs last year, the second season in a row that the Nets have made it to the NBA Finals. But in the last two games of the Finals, Martin shot 3-for-23 after having the flu in the game before. "If they are going to base what I've done for three years on two games, then I don't need to be here," he said. When asked if the Nets should base his future pay on a maximum deal worth $90 million over six years, he replied: "I think so, yeah." to the N.Y. Post.
Brand
Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers saying they're going to match Elton Brand's $82 million offer from the Miami Heat and the Clippers actually doing it are, hold your breath, about to be the same thing, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. "We told them that before they got an offer sheet," Clipper executive vice president Andy Roeser said. "That won't be a surprise when it happens. We've said all along that we intend to match the offer on Elton and we shared that with them again today." And as far as Brand goes, he's happy with either scenerio. "If they match, I'm going to be excited either way," Brand told the L.A. Times. "I'll be ready to go in a new direction with the Clippers, start winning some games and get into the playoffs. If they're going to match, that's saying they're in the direction of trying to get players." Brand's agent, David Faulk, however, says that owner Donald Sterling would be going against his word if Brand isn't allowed to leave since he didn't offer Brand a max deal prior to the Heat coming into the picture. But Brand is still trying to put a happy face on the situation. "I honestly think that if they do match, and other players are here, it can turn around," Brand said. "The problem was, players weren't getting paid, so they were leaving or trying to do their things to get paid by other teams. If we're there, then it's on us. It's in L.A., it's a great city, we've got great fans. We've just got to get over those old problems. We should be able to do that."
Chicago Bulls: Scottie Pippen may very well re-join the Bulls before heading off into Hall of Fame retirement, but Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Marrioti doesn't think so. "Going on 38, Pippen can't suffer the growing pains of Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, Jamal Crawford and the kids," he writes. "He can't swallow a 17-27 record at the All-Star break. No one is sure if management even wants to give him a front-office job." Meanwhile in Memphis, the Grizzlies await word if the star will be headed in their direction, or Dallas, or San Antonio . . . "This has to be worked out between Jerry West, Scottie and Brian (Parker, who is Pippen's Memphis-based representative). I can't tell you what the chances are because I'm not Jerry West," Grizzlies majority owner Michael Heisley said. ". . . Chicago is a real possibility (for Pippen)."
DeClercq
Orlando Magic: Orlando got its man in Juwan Howard. Today, the Magic will sign Andrew DeClercq. Tomorrow, Tyronne Lue could very well be the next member of the team. "We're not at the point that we're dotting the 'i's' and crossing the 't's,' but we're almost there," Lue's agent, Andy Miller, said to the Orlando Sentinel. "Tyronn is still leaning toward Orlando." Lue is being offered the team's $1.5 million veteran's exception. Only the length of the contract remains in question.
Cleveland Cavaliers: The Sonics offered a three-year deal. The Bucks offered four. When the Cavs offered five, point guard Kevin Ollie took it without hesitating. "I've always had a chip on my shoulder that a lot of teams passed up on me," said Ollie, who signed the deal worth $15 million after playing for nine NBA teams in his career. "I don't think that chip's going away anytime soon."
Atlanta Hawks: The Chicago Bulls took too long, so swingman Ira Newble crossed them off his list. And now he's done the same thing with the Atlanta Hawks, who are still going through a proloned ownership transition. "It's a tough decision," he said to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "If I wait too long, somebody else might jump in. I've got to do some brainstorming, and we'll see what happens." With offers on the table from the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavs, he didn't have time to mess around with the Hawks. "[Hawks president Stan Kasten] said he couldn't pay me," Newble said. "There was nothing to negotiate."
----------------------------------------------
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Friday, July 18
11:10 AM ET
Gilbert Arenas could very well be the most wanted NBA player in America.
Not only have several teams shown interest in the restricted free agent this offseason, including his latest suitors in the Washington Wizards, but also San Francisco law enforcement officials after Arenas was picked up for carrying a concealed weapon while driving in the area.
Gilbert Arenas
Point Guard
Golden State Warriors
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
82 18.3 4.7 6.3 .431 .791
"The event that took place over a month ago will not have an effect on our continued pursuit of Gilbert and trying to convince him and his representative that this is the best place for Gilbert to continue his budding career," Warriors chief operating officer Robert Rowell said to the Washington Times.
The problem for Golden State, though, has little to do with the law. It's the salary cap that's keeping the Warriors from offering more than their $4.9 million exception to the point guard. When this whole process began, Arenas and his agent proclaimed the bidding would begin at $9 million per season. Since then, a few teams have fallen out of the running and a new one, the Wizards, have entered it.
Both Ernie Grunfeld, the general manager, and Eddie Jordan, the head coach, have followed the young star from D.C. to Los Angeles trying to convince him that their multi-year deal starting at $6 million is the best deal. The Wizards have also extended the deal of shooting guard Jerry Stackhouse for four yeas to ensure that Arenas has a quality running mate for many more years to come.
"We had a nice meeting with Gilbert and we're going to continue to talk," Grunfeld told the Washington Post. "We're going to talk to other free agents that are out there as well."
Arenas, who won the league's Most Improved Player Award last season, is scheduled to speak with the Clippers tonight and then Warriors at least one more time before making a decision.
Which brings us back to the unloaded .40 caliber gun found in Arena's back seat while he was driving in San Mateo County. It was unloaded and while the guard doesn't have a license to carry the weapon in California, he does in Arizona.
"As they go, it was not an inherently dangerous situation," Chief Deputy District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said in the Contra Costa Times.
----------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Friday, July 18
Updated: July 18
12:28 PM ET
Lampe
New York Knicks: The Knicks and center Maciej Lampe are just dying to say: I told you so. Not only is the rookie tearing up the summer league, he seems to be making real progress with his former team Real Madrid, which already has backed off its initial $2 million buyout stance and might be willing to let him pay it in increments.
"He's 18, 7-foot, 270 pounds, it's not a bad place to start," Knicks assistant GM Jeff Nix told the N.Y. Post. The paper indicates the team might use a portion of its $4.9 million midlevel exception to boost Lampe's salary from the $360,000 minimum and help him with the buyout, of which the Knicks can pay only $350,000.
McCarty
Boston Celtics: The Celtics are putting their money where their mouths are concerning Walter McCarty. "We met with Walter today," head of basketball operations Danny Ainge told the Boston Herald.
"Jim (O'Brien) and I met with him, and I think we had a good meeting. We made an offer, but I don't want to get into it. Nothing happened on it. We don't know anything. We probably won't know anything until next week. But we felt good about it. We just met in Jim's office and went over some things, and we all came away feeling a lot better about the situation." Boston's original offer to the forward was for the veteran's minimum. The team now is believed to be offering him a three-year deal worth $3.5 million.
Philadelphia 76ers: Allen Iverson may have two years left on his current contract, but the Sixers don't want to take any chances and are offering him a five-year extension already. "I'll confirm that we have had informal discussions, but I won't comment any further," Leon Rose, Iverson's agent, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. Iverson is due to be paid $12 million this season and $14 million in 2004-05.
Hamilton
Detroit Pistons: Richard Hamilton is almost as happy to remain with the Pistons as the Pistons are to have him stick around. The young shooting guard has agreed to a seven-year extension worth $63 million. "It is not signed yet, but it is done," Leon Rose, Hamilton's agent, told the Detroit News. "Other teams were interested in him, but Detroit wanted him back, and they put their best foot forward. Richard is thrilled. He wanted to be back in Detroit." Hamilton made about $6.5 million last year as the highest-paid Piston.
San Antonio Spurs: Rasho Nesterovic not only got a new team and new uniform when he accepted the defending champs' free-agent offer, but also a new best friend. "I mostly talked to Manu, and his knowledge (of the situation) played a big part in my decision," Nesterovic told the San Antonio Express-News. "He said it was a lot like the team we played on in Italy. There is a lot of discipline in San Antonio, on the court and off, and that is needed for a championship team." The two players were teammates for Virtus Bologna.
New Jersey Nets: Jason Kidd was first. Then Alonzo Mourning. Now, it's Kenyon Martin's turn, even if he needs to refer to himself in the third person. "I want my due," Martin told the N.Y. Times. "That was the first thing. He said that if Kenyon's here, Jay was going to be there. He took care of his end. Now it's up to the Nets to take care of their end come August. It should happen. That was one of his things he wanted. They got him back, they got to keep him happy, so that plays in my favor." Martin will enter the final year of his contract this season after averaging 18.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in the playoffs last year, the second season in a row that the Nets have made it to the NBA Finals. But in the last two games of the Finals, Martin shot 3-for-23 after having the flu in the game before. "If they are going to base what I've done for three years on two games, then I don't need to be here," he said. When asked if the Nets should base his future pay on a maximum deal worth $90 million over six years, he replied: "I think so, yeah." to the N.Y. Post.
Brand
Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers saying they're going to match Elton Brand's $82 million offer from the Miami Heat and the Clippers actually doing it are, hold your breath, about to be the same thing, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. "We told them that before they got an offer sheet," Clipper executive vice president Andy Roeser said. "That won't be a surprise when it happens. We've said all along that we intend to match the offer on Elton and we shared that with them again today." And as far as Brand goes, he's happy with either scenerio. "If they match, I'm going to be excited either way," Brand told the L.A. Times. "I'll be ready to go in a new direction with the Clippers, start winning some games and get into the playoffs. If they're going to match, that's saying they're in the direction of trying to get players." Brand's agent, David Faulk, however, says that owner Donald Sterling would be going against his word if Brand isn't allowed to leave since he didn't offer Brand a max deal prior to the Heat coming into the picture. But Brand is still trying to put a happy face on the situation. "I honestly think that if they do match, and other players are here, it can turn around," Brand said. "The problem was, players weren't getting paid, so they were leaving or trying to do their things to get paid by other teams. If we're there, then it's on us. It's in L.A., it's a great city, we've got great fans. We've just got to get over those old problems. We should be able to do that."
Chicago Bulls: Scottie Pippen may very well re-join the Bulls before heading off into Hall of Fame retirement, but Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Marrioti doesn't think so. "Going on 38, Pippen can't suffer the growing pains of Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, Jamal Crawford and the kids," he writes. "He can't swallow a 17-27 record at the All-Star break. No one is sure if management even wants to give him a front-office job." Meanwhile in Memphis, the Grizzlies await word if the star will be headed in their direction, or Dallas, or San Antonio . . . "This has to be worked out between Jerry West, Scottie and Brian (Parker, who is Pippen's Memphis-based representative). I can't tell you what the chances are because I'm not Jerry West," Grizzlies majority owner Michael Heisley said. ". . . Chicago is a real possibility (for Pippen)."
DeClercq
Orlando Magic: Orlando got its man in Juwan Howard. Today, the Magic will sign Andrew DeClercq. Tomorrow, Tyronne Lue could very well be the next member of the team. "We're not at the point that we're dotting the 'i's' and crossing the 't's,' but we're almost there," Lue's agent, Andy Miller, said to the Orlando Sentinel. "Tyronn is still leaning toward Orlando." Lue is being offered the team's $1.5 million veteran's exception. Only the length of the contract remains in question.
Cleveland Cavaliers: The Sonics offered a three-year deal. The Bucks offered four. When the Cavs offered five, point guard Kevin Ollie took it without hesitating. "I've always had a chip on my shoulder that a lot of teams passed up on me," said Ollie, who signed the deal worth $15 million after playing for nine NBA teams in his career. "I don't think that chip's going away anytime soon."
Atlanta Hawks: The Chicago Bulls took too long, so swingman Ira Newble crossed them off his list. And now he's done the same thing with the Atlanta Hawks, who are still going through a proloned ownership transition. "It's a tough decision," he said to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "If I wait too long, somebody else might jump in. I've got to do some brainstorming, and we'll see what happens." With offers on the table from the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavs, he didn't have time to mess around with the Hawks. "[Hawks president Stan Kasten] said he couldn't pay me," Newble said. "There was nothing to negotiate."
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