Tuesday, July 13, 2004
ESPN.com news services
Detroit Pistons: Carlos Delfino, Detroit's first-round pick in the 2003 draft, has agreed to a contract, agent David Bauman told ESPN Insider Chad Ford.
Delfino signed an agreement for a buyout with his former club, Fortitudo Bologna of the Italian League. He is expected to sign his NBA contract within the next 24 hours, pending the transfer of his rights from Fortitudo to Detroit.
"Playing in the NBA has been a dream of mine," Delfino said. "I look forward to joining the Pistons as they prepare to defend their NBA title. I've gained a lot of experience playing in Italy and I hope to make the Detroit fans, as well as my supporters in Argentina and Italy, proud of me."
The 6-foot-6 Delfino led Fortitudo Bologna to the 2004 EuroLeague Final Four championship game. He began playing professionally in Argentina in 1998-99, moving to Italy in 2000. He spent two seasons with Reggio Calabria before joining Fortitudo Bologna. In 2003-04 Euroleague play, he averaged 12.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Miami Heat: Free agent forward Michael Doleac agreed to a four-year, $12 million dollar contract with the Heat on Tuesday, his agent, Glen Schwartzman, told ESPN Insider Chad Ford.
Doleac's contract is for roughly half of the Heat's mid-level exception.
Free agents can sign new contracts when the NBA's two-week moratorium on free agent signings and trades ends at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
Schwartzman said he called Heat general manager Randy Pfund upon learning Miami was set to trade for Shaquille O'Neal, and was surprised to learn that Doleac still figured into the team's plans. Schwartzman also said the idea of playing with O'Neal -- even in a backup role -- was a big attraction to Doleac.
O'Neal is expected to be traded by the Los Angeles Lakers to Miami on Wednesday in exchange for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom and Brian Grant, plus a first-round draft choice.
The 6-foot-11, 262-pound Doleac averaged 4.5 points and 3.7 rebounds last season with New York and Denver. He attracted interest from seven teams and was offered more money by New Orleans before ultimately choosing Miami, Schwartzman said.
Doleac figures to serve a dual role with the Heat, able to back up O'Neal at center and play some power forward. In six NBA seasons, the former first-round draft pick out of Utah has averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds.
Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks have agreed to terms with one of their own free agents, Jason Collier, agent Richard Howell, told ESPN Insider Chad Ford.
Collier's two-year agreement is worth $3.2 million.
Denver Nuggets: Master P can cut rap records, but he couldn't cut it with Denver's summer league team.
Percy "Master P" Miller, CEO of No Limit Records, was among the players trimmed from the team before practice Monday.
"[Miller] thanked me and was very respectful," summer league coach Scott Brooks told The Denver Post. "I was impressed. I heard some questionable stories from other teams. He worked hard. But he even knew it and said he wasn't in shape."
Joining the Nuggets was new assistant coach Michael Cooper, a former star and assistant coach for the Lakers before becoming head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA in 2000.
"I never left the game," Cooper told the Rocky Mountain News. "I was just on the women's side professionally, but it is nice to be back in the league that you kind of helped generate excitement [for] during the '80s."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
ESPN.com news services
Detroit Pistons: Carlos Delfino, Detroit's first-round pick in the 2003 draft, has agreed to a contract, agent David Bauman told ESPN Insider Chad Ford.
Delfino signed an agreement for a buyout with his former club, Fortitudo Bologna of the Italian League. He is expected to sign his NBA contract within the next 24 hours, pending the transfer of his rights from Fortitudo to Detroit.
"Playing in the NBA has been a dream of mine," Delfino said. "I look forward to joining the Pistons as they prepare to defend their NBA title. I've gained a lot of experience playing in Italy and I hope to make the Detroit fans, as well as my supporters in Argentina and Italy, proud of me."
The 6-foot-6 Delfino led Fortitudo Bologna to the 2004 EuroLeague Final Four championship game. He began playing professionally in Argentina in 1998-99, moving to Italy in 2000. He spent two seasons with Reggio Calabria before joining Fortitudo Bologna. In 2003-04 Euroleague play, he averaged 12.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Miami Heat: Free agent forward Michael Doleac agreed to a four-year, $12 million dollar contract with the Heat on Tuesday, his agent, Glen Schwartzman, told ESPN Insider Chad Ford.
Doleac's contract is for roughly half of the Heat's mid-level exception.
Free agents can sign new contracts when the NBA's two-week moratorium on free agent signings and trades ends at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
Schwartzman said he called Heat general manager Randy Pfund upon learning Miami was set to trade for Shaquille O'Neal, and was surprised to learn that Doleac still figured into the team's plans. Schwartzman also said the idea of playing with O'Neal -- even in a backup role -- was a big attraction to Doleac.
O'Neal is expected to be traded by the Los Angeles Lakers to Miami on Wednesday in exchange for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom and Brian Grant, plus a first-round draft choice.
The 6-foot-11, 262-pound Doleac averaged 4.5 points and 3.7 rebounds last season with New York and Denver. He attracted interest from seven teams and was offered more money by New Orleans before ultimately choosing Miami, Schwartzman said.
Doleac figures to serve a dual role with the Heat, able to back up O'Neal at center and play some power forward. In six NBA seasons, the former first-round draft pick out of Utah has averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds.
Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks have agreed to terms with one of their own free agents, Jason Collier, agent Richard Howell, told ESPN Insider Chad Ford.
Collier's two-year agreement is worth $3.2 million.
Denver Nuggets: Master P can cut rap records, but he couldn't cut it with Denver's summer league team.
Percy "Master P" Miller, CEO of No Limit Records, was among the players trimmed from the team before practice Monday.
"[Miller] thanked me and was very respectful," summer league coach Scott Brooks told The Denver Post. "I was impressed. I heard some questionable stories from other teams. He worked hard. But he even knew it and said he wasn't in shape."
Joining the Nuggets was new assistant coach Michael Cooper, a former star and assistant coach for the Lakers before becoming head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA in 2000.
"I never left the game," Cooper told the Rocky Mountain News. "I was just on the women's side professionally, but it is nice to be back in the league that you kind of helped generate excitement [for] during the '80s."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
