Lots of “moves”….5-foot nothing point guard John Lucas III signed with the Houston Rockets…the son of former Rocket John Lucas Jr., played with the team under two separate 10-day contracts last season as a rookie…Lucas went undrafted out of Oklahoma State, where he was selected the Big 12 player of the year in 2004…the Orlando Magic re-signed Trevor Ariza, a restricted free agent the club acquired in a midseason deal with the New York Knicks. Ariza played in 57 games with both the Magic and the Knicks last season, averaging 4.6 points and four rebounds per game. Ariza, 21, was originally selected 43rd overall by the Knicks in the 2002 NBA Draft…Phoenix Suns signed free agent Sean Marks to a one-year deal…the Charlotte Bobcats re-signed swingman Bernard Robinson…swingman Jamal Sampson signed with the Denver Nuggets…the Indiana Pacers signed free agent Maceo Baston, who spent the last three seasons playing in Israel…the New York Knicks signed Washington forward Jared Jeffries to an offer sheet believed to be for about $30 million over five years, according to published reports Saturday…the Wiz will have seven days to match the offer…the Nets picked up center Mikki Moore from Seattle for a 2009 second-round draft pick… the Bucks have agreed to send centre Jamaal Magloire to the Trail Blazers for point guard Steve Blake and backup centers Brian Skinner and Ha Seung Jin…

OK after all of this movement, the last one piques my interest…why would the Blazers want Magloire? They just signed Pryzbilla to a long-term deal and then drafted LaMarcus Aldridge…now they add another centre? You know they’re DYING to get rid of Darius Miles…could they be contemplating sweetening any potential trade offering of Miles by including Aldridge in the deal? Think about it, why else would you go get another centre?

By the way, Steve Blake is obviously insurance in case Mo Williams shits the bed as the new starter in Miwaulkee…

Big Internet rumour out there saying that a former member of the T-Wolves Medical staff is claiming that Wally Sczerbiak’s left knee has no cartilage left and is now bone on bone…Sczerbiak is only 29 years old…

Anthony Johnson spoke to the Indianapolis Star about his trade to the Mavs. Responding to the Pacers’ concern that he wouldn’t be willing to accept a backup role to Jamaal Tinsley, Johnson said, “If Jamaal came in in great shape and played the way he’s capable of playing, I wouldn’t have had no problem with that. At the same time, though, if there’s a competition and I’m playing the best, I feel like I should play the most. I just know the best guy should play and that’s how I feel about that.” Johnson added, “It’s no secret they (the Pacers) have issues. You can talk about injures, but you also have to talk about professionalism and being ready to play when the ball goes up. We didn’t have the ship pointed in the right direction as far as being rested, being ready to play and playing with pure heart.”…basically he’s saying the Pacers suck…

Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton recently taped his acting debut on the CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless," in which he plays a game of one-on-one basketball with actor Kristoff St. John. The episode will air Aug. 30…no doubt following in the footsteps of his his father Bill Walton who played himself in such forgettable movies as "He Got Game" and "Forget Paris."

Here’s the schedule for basketball related events for the rest of the summer:

Aug. 19-Sept. 3 - FIBA men's world championship (Sapporo and Saitama, Japan) – US team beings it’s redemption…
Sept. 8 - Hall of Fame enshrinement (Springfield, Mass.). – Dominique and Joe D, but no AD…
Oct. 2 - Players report to their teams no earlier than 11 a.m. (local time) -
Oct. 3 - Training camps open.
Oct. 5 - Start of the preseason schedule.
Oct. 30 - Rosters set for opening day, 6 p.m. EST.
Oct. 31 - Start of the 2006-07 regular season.

1) John Hollinger of ESPN.com with some AI trade ideas:

Five possible Allen Iverson trade scenarios

The dog days of the summer are here, which means only one thing in the NBA world: trade rumor season. With the list of top free agents whittled down to just a select few names, and teams otherwise sifting through the scraps, our attention is now turned to the great many players who are already under contract. Some undoubtedly will change addresses between now and when the season starts, and most observers feel that this particular summer will see brisk action on the trading front as the result of a lame free-agent market. Unquestionably, the biggest name available on the trade market is Philadelphia's star, Allen Iverson. While the Sixers recently said they have no intention of dealing Iverson right now, they were shopping him for most of the summer. Even today, many folks around the league will tell you, sotto voce, they believe he's still available.
Available or not, Iverson is one player who gives us a great example of how to use a great fan-friendly tool on this site -- ESPN.com's Trade Machine, which evaluates any proposed trade and tells you whether it works under the salary cap. Using this tool, as well as heavy dollops of common sense, we can evaluate five potential destinations for Iverson, what players might have to be included in order to make a deal workable, and what the odds are of something actually getting done with one of these teams:

GOLDEN STATE - Troy Murphy, Ike Diogu, Mickael Pietrus and Zarko Cabarkapa for Iverson

If anybody outside of Philadelphia is likely to undergo a late-summer face-lift, it's the Warriors. And after apparently failing in their pursuit of Al Harrington (Indiana is expected to nab him in a sign-and-trade deal thanks to its mammoth trade exception), Golden State's brass can turn its attention to Iverson. With several inexpensive young talents on board, a deal with the Warriors could certainly give Philly the post-Iverson boost it needs. The trade above represents a broad outline, but here are several variants depending on which players quicken the pulse of Sixers GM Billy King the most. For instance, Pietrus could be replaced with Andris Biedrins at Philly's choosing, or if the teams waited until October, the Warriors could replace Pietrus with the combo of Monta Ellis and either Keith McLeod or Andre Owens (both of whom were traded from Utah in July, so they can't be moved again in a package deal for three months). Additionally, Diogu or Murphy almost certainly would be conveyed to a third team since they both play the same position as Chris Webber. Another monkey wrench involves waiting until October, then adding both McLeod and Devin Brown to the deal as cap ballast, allowing the Sixers to dump Kyle Korver's contract in the Bay. Alternatively, the Warriors might insist on adding some combo of McLeod, Brown and Owens to the deal just to keep them under the luxury-tax threshold. In any event, this deal doesn't look as great for the Sixers as it does for the Warriors, unless Philly places a very high value on Diogu and/or Ellis. Murphy overlaps with Webber, and pairing the two is unthinkable from a defensive perspective, so getting him should be a very low priority. Even more, Murphy's contract runs two years longer than Iverson's, so the Sixers won't get much in the way of cap relief.

Odds: 7-1

NEW YORK - Steve Francis, Maurice Taylor, Malik Rose, Channing Frye and Nate Robinson for Iverson, Kyle Korver and Sam Dalembert

New York would be the logical place to turn if the Sixers were focused mainly on cap relief. Jalen Rose's expiring $16 million deal alone would be enough to trade straight up for Iverson, or the Knicks could spread the cap relief over two years by combining Malik Rose (whose deal expires in 2008) and Maurice Taylor (whose numbers are up after this season). But the most likely scenario (not that any of these are likely, mind you) would need to be a blockbuster, because New York already has two expensive point guards (Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis). Adding Iverson to that group wouldn't make much sense unless the Knicks could unload one of their two current point guards. In this scenario, both teams would need to pull in other players to make the deal equitable, as a straight-up Francis and Channing Frye for Iverson deal is unlikely to cut the mustard in Philly. As a result, a bigger deal giving the Sixers more cap relief by dumping the contracts of Korver and Dalembert seems more realistic. Jalen Rose could just as easily replace the Taylor-Rose combo in the deal above, and any of the Knicks' youngsters could swap for Nate Robinson, as well. Finally, if this type of deal ever came to fruition, a third team (and perhaps a fourth) would almost certainly need to get involved. The Knicks already are paying close to $100 million at the center spot and wouldn't seem to have a need for Dalembert, while the Sixers probably would want to deal Malik Rose for a backcourt player.

Odds: 25-1

ATLANTA - Josh Smith, Tyronn Lue and Josh Childress for Iverson

The Hawks are an inviting destination for Iverson because they're sitting on nearly $10 million in cap space to make a deal work, and at any rate they will have a trade exception worth several million dollars if and when they sign-and-trade Harrington to Indiana. Dealing with the Hawks would accomplish two of Philly's goals -- getting cap relief and talented youth -- so the bigger question is whether the Hawks are in position to make a play. Atlanta's fractured ownership situation certainly complicates matters, and GM Billy Knight has been one of the league's most reluctant deal-makers since he's come to Atlanta. To pull off a deal for the Answer, Atlanta would need to include Josh Smith or Marvin Williams at a minimum. My guess is that Philly would prefer Smith since he'll be able to contribute immediately and will provide some of the crowd-pleasing moments that would make up for Iverson's loss. Josh Childress makes a nice sweetener who can fortify a lackluster second unit, while Tyronn Lue is the easiest part of the puzzle -- Atlanta wouldn't need an extra point guard, the Sixers would, and Speedy Claxton can't be traded until December 15. The other benefit of this deal is it would give the Sixers a huge trade exception that they could use until next summer, potentially giving them a leg up in free agency despite being over the cap. The fly in the ointment here would be on the Hawks' side of the ledger. Iverson would certainly provide a short-term attendance boost -- he's one of the few visiting players who reliably packs 'em in at the moribund Philips Arena. But one has to wonder if it's wise to add a 31-year-old guard whose greatest skill (quickness) is the one that declines most rapidly with age. This is particularly true when the cost is Smith, a 20-year-old jumping jack with 3-point range, and when the team went 26-56 a year ago and appears to be years from contending for anything important.

Odds: 8-1

BOSTON - Wally Szczerbiak, Al Jefferson, Delonte West and Dwayne Jones for Iverson

Boston has been considered the leading Iverson suitor for some time, and looking at its roster it's easy to see why. The Celtics have hordes of young players to mix and match as part of a deal depending on Philadelphia's tastes -- Gerald Green, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen or Ryan Gomes could replace Jefferson or West if that was whom the Sixers preferred. Plus, Boston has the benefit of two large contracts (Wally Szczerbiak's and, if they wait until late September, Theo Ratliff's) that can be used as the main building block of a deal. Additionally, the C's wouldn't mind lightening the roster a bit. The Celtics have 14 guaranteed contracts for next season plus two undrafted players (Allan Ray and Kevin Pittsnogle) that they might prefer to keep, so making a 4-for-1 deal like this one would alleviate the overcrowding. Another variant would add Philly's Kyle Korver and Boston's Brian Scalabrine to the mix, because the scenario above doesn't provide Philly with much cap relief. Allowing Philadelphia to dump Korver's contract on Boston in return for the even-more-useless but slightly-less well-compensated Scalabrine would give the Sixers more cap relief than the above scenario affords. Boston could even take things a step further and add Ratliff on the Boston side and Dalembert on Philly's, but it's unlikely that the Sixers would accept such a glaring difference in talent just to drop the final years of Dalembert's contract.

Odds: 5-1

DENVER - Kenyon Martin and Andre Miller for Iverson

The Nuggets have a few different scenarios that might work for Philly. The most plausible involves Kenyon Martin and Andre Miller, who combine to match Iverson's salary almost perfectly. Miller would slide right into the point guard job in Philly, while Martin and Chris Webber could alternate games at power forward depending on whose knees felt better that night. (Or, more realistically, the Sixers could convey Martin to a third team with a need at power forward). Since Martin doesn't fit well, the Sixers might make a deal work without him -- even though he's the guy the Nuggets really want to trade. Miller and Ruben Patterson's expiring contract would be enough to get a deal done, with somebody like Linas Kleiza likely throw in to give the Sixers a decent young player and keep the Nuggets under the luxury-tax line. Denver also has two No. 1 picks next year, at least one of which it could use as a sweetener to try to get Philly to accept Martin. In the Nuggets' best-case scenario, the Sixers take Martin and Patterson, with Kleiza and a future No. 1 lumped into the mix as added incentive. Denver also might be open to a shooter like Korver getting added to the mix, with either Eduardo Najera or a signed-and-traded Reggie Evans going back to Philly. However, just because the Nuggets could get a deal done doesn't mean they're on the phone pushing for it. One gets the sense from Denver's recent flurry of maneuvers that they've moved on to other things, and that might be for the best anyway. For all Iverson does, he's not much of an outside shooter, meaning he does nothing to address the team's most glaring need.

Odds: 15-1

2) David Aldridge of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders what’s going on with the Sixers management:

Snider's patience appears bottomless

Is that it? Are we done? Did Billy King finish "changing the culture of how we play and the way we approach things" without telling us? Is your head spinning after counting all the new, young defensemen Bob Clarke said were coming? More to the point, what's Ed Snider's scorecard saying? Snider's patience with Clarke and King is nothing new. Clarke has had carte blanche to trade anyone and everyone off the Flyers' roster for 12 years. King has been around since 1997, and fully in charge since 2003. Let's say this up front: There's nothing inherently wrong with being patient. Most of the time, it's a positive characteristic. In sports, knee-jerk reactions fueled by sports-talk intolerance are a cliché, and unworthy of the person that actually signs the checks. The Maras, who have owned all or part of the NFL's Giants for eight decades, are patient men - the Giants have had just two general managers, the late George Young and Ernie Accorsi, since 1979. So are Bill DeWitt and the owners of baseball's St. Louis Cardinals, who have let GM Walt Jocketty alone for 12 years. Same in Atlanta, where John Schuerholz has built and rebuilt the Braves a half-dozen times since his arrival in 1991 - and hasn't been cashiered despite the Braves' relative lack of playoff success. The patron saint of patience, Steelers chairman Dan Rooney (two head coaches in 36 years), gave coach Bill Cowher chance after chance after chance to win a Super Bowl - until he finally did. But there are few cities where Cowher would have been able to lose three conference title games at home and still have his gig. So, patience is fine - if the teams are successful. That doesn't describe the tenants of Wachovia Center the last few seasons - unless you aspire to frequent first-round bouncings. After cratering at the end of last season, King vowed the team would be different in 2006-07. No, he didn't come out and say that Allen Iverson and Chris Webber would be gone, but we all know how hard he has tried to move both players in the last month. If Boston had agreed to give up its draft pick so that the Sixers could draft Randy Foye, Iverson would be looking at Back Bay property right now. Clarke said he knew the Flyers needed to get quicker and younger on the blue line after the Buffalo Sabres blew past his defensemen in the first round. And he has acknowledged that he can't go through another season with both Antero Niittymaki and Robert Esche in net; someone's got to go. But, so far, the summer's work has netted... chum. The Sixers have acquired nobody. No veterans who could bring in the toughness and defensive talent that would get them out of this eighth-seed hell they're in. King is now reduced to hoping rookie draft picks Rodney Carney and Bobby Jones, along with guard Willie Green, returning from a knee injury, can provide the defensive hustle and legwork. "I said I was changing the culture. I didn't say I was changing players," King said yesterday. To that end, King says his players will work better with members of the media next season. He says that there will be improvements in "customer service, how we approach the fans, how we approach everything... . It may not be things that people notice. I'm talking about the professionalism of representing the 76ers on and off the court, how we interact with our fans in the arena. I think we have to take a close look at everything we do in the organization, and it starts with me." On the court, King says that Maurice Cheeks will have a new defensive system in place next season - which sort of implies that Cheeks didn't have one last season. Clarke says that injuries explain the Flyers' second-half swoon last season. And he has pointed out that he did his busy work last summer, when he brought Peter Forsberg from Colorado and Derian Hatcher from Detroit and Mike Rathje from San Jose - players whose salaries obviously limit what Clarke can do this off-season. And his priority continues to be re-signing free agent Simon Gagne. Even assuming that ultimately gets done, and that Forsberg's ankle indeed allows him to play in October rather than January, the few off-season additions such as veteran defenseman Nolan Baumgartner... well, are they upgrades? Improving from within, infusion of youth, better coaching... it sounds like the stuff of a team heading north from spring training. Which, coincidentally, is around the time the Sixers and Flyers have been finishing up of late.
There's no need for Snider to pull a Jim Dolan and put his GMs on a one-year timetable. But a little heat in the kitchen wouldn't hurt.

3) Ian Thomsen of SI.com with an article on the Raps assistant GM:

Learning some new tricks - Famed Italian GM Gherardini goes to school in Toronto


The top basketball mind in Europe was studying for his next assignment like an American teenager preparing for the SAT. "It's the collective bargaining agreement," said Maurizio Gherardini, holding up his thick copy of the NBA's financial rulebook when I visited him at his office in Treviso, Italy, in early June. "Whenever I'm on the road, I've got this. I work with it just like in school." Gherardini -- who at 50 years old was considered by most to be the Jerry West of European GMs -- opened up the pages to reveal that he had been applying a yellow highlighter to the key passages, which in itself also reveals that the Raptors' new assistant general manager will take nothing for granted in his new position. While some of the NBA's most respected executives laud him -- his fans include San Antonio's R.C. Buford, Denver's Jeff Weltman and Dallas' Donnie Nelson, who discussed hiring Gherardini before he was signed this summer by Raptors president Bryan Colangelo -- Gherardini doesn't assume that his managerial skills will instantly succeed in the New World. "I understand that I may not be good enough, because of the simple fact that nobody has ever tried it before," said Gherardini of his transatlantic conversion to the NBA. "I look at it as a learning experience." Shortly after winning his fourth Italian league championship, Gherardini shared an emotional farewell with his colleagues at Benetton Treviso, the Italian club near Venice that he had been operating as GM for 14 years, and took the long flight overseas to embark on his new career. In joining Colangelo in the front office, Gherardini became the first European to earn a leadership position with an NBA franchise. Gherardini has already influenced the Raptors' decisions to recruit forward Jorge Garbajosa, who will bring toughness to their frontline; Anthony Parker, the expatriate American swingman who has spent most of his career starring in Europe; and potentially 6-foot-11 Uros Slokar, a second-round pick of the Raptors last year who has played for Gherardini at Benetton Treviso since 2003-04. These names are unknown in the U.S., but they are versatile role players who will instantly improve the Raptors' chemistry. If newly acquired point guard T.J. Ford can maintain his health throughout the year, Toronto is going to be one of the most entertaining teams in the league and a dark-horse playoff contender in the East. Influential as he has become in Toronto, Gherardini also demonstrates a sense of humility, as evidenced during the time the Raptors' management team was questioning whether to spend the No. 1 pick in the draft on Andrea Bargnani, a 7-foot shooter from Benetton Treviso whom Gherardini himself discovered four years ago playing for a small club in Rome. After the Raptors won the draft lottery it was widely assumed that Gherardini would try to convince Colangelo to use the pick on 20-year-old Bargnani, but Gherardini took the opposite approach: He waited for Colangelo, player personnel director Jim Kelly, consultant Wayne Embry and coach Sam Mitchell to reach their own opinions. "In Bargnani's situation, I'm not saying a word," said Gherardini in early June. "I'm letting them study the guy and decide what they want to do. If they want me to, I can tell them how I saw Bargnani grow through the years. But I'm the only one of all their people [who] cannot make comparisons: I don't know [LaMarcus] Aldridge or [Tyrus] Thomas or Rudy Gay." In the end Gherardini was able to corroborate Colangelo's gut feeling that Bargnani was the best choice. Bargnani is athletically gifted, he handles pressure and he was far and away the best-trained player in the draft, thanks to a player-development system -- which is more thorough and sophisticated than those at many NBA clubs -- assembled by Gherardini within an annual budget estimated at less than $11 million, which also covers the salaries of players, coach David Blatt and Gherardini's front office. The Bargnani episode also created suspicion that Gherardini was hired simply because of his relationship with the No. 1 player. The truth is that Gherardini's move to Toronto was in the works long before the Raptors' unexpected acquisition of the top pick in the lottery. Gherardini's rise to the top of his profession is a variation of the American Dream, told with an Italian accent. In his hometown of Forli, midway between Milan and Rome, Gherardini was a young boy when he started attending games of the local professional club, whose star American was the former Canisius player Tony Gennari. "I remember being one of those crazy fans standing outside the gates," Gherardini said. "On Sundays the game was at 5:30, and we were at the arena at like one o'clock because it was always overbooked." Gherardini won a scholarship to spend the equivalent of his senior year of high school in the U.S., graduating from McClure High School in suburban St. Louis. Gherardini's love for basketball was betrayed by a body type that brings to mind a young Tommy Lasorda, but he spent his year abroad learning fluent English and becoming sophisticated -- by Italian standards -- in the ways of American basketball. Upon returning to Forli, the local team asked Gherardini to help recruit a player from the U.S. "They didn't know how to find an American player," said Gherardini, who placed the calls overseas that ultimately brought Steve Mitchell, a former star at Kansas State, to Forli. Gherardini was then asked to serve as Mitchell's interpreter, which led to his promotion to assistant coach at the age of 19. Gherardini became the 26-year-old GM of Forli in 1981. By then he had embarked on a parallel career as a banker to provide money for his young family. "I hated banking," said Gherardini, who would become head of the international department for Banca Commerciale Italia, the nation's largest bank. "But if you work in a bank you respect the importance of numbers, which gives you a different way of looking at the nature of a business. I always tell my people, 'Don't think it's something wrong to raise your hand and say you can't do something.' There are situations where you are going to have to say no, because if you don't say it then you're going to have to pay for it sooner or later." In '92 Gherardini took over at Benetton, where his star player was Toni Kukoc. On the eve of the European championship game in Athens, Kukoc had a lengthy meeting with Chicago Bulls GM Jerry Krause to discuss his move to the NBA the following season. Gherardini felt betrayed by this meeting, as Kukoc played a poor game the following day and Benetton was upset in the championship game by the French club Limoges. But instead of hopelessly trying to shut out the marauding NBA teams -- which remains the tactic of many European clubs today -- Gherardini opened his doors to the Americans by sharing information with NBA scouts and developing international player camps, including the Reebok Euro camp in Treviso that is a must-attend for NBA teams each June. Gherardini also has developed the world's most sophisticated international scouting system, with associations in more than 35 countries in Europe and Africa. The Raptors will benefit from that network. The question that perplexes Gherardini's friends is why he would want to leave Europe. With his wife, Luana, and their two children, he was living in the beautiful home in Treviso that used to be rented to Kukoc. The walls are adorned with an eclectic anthology of modern art that Gherardini has collected over the years; in a corner of the living room is a black leather chair that used to belong to Mike D'Antoni. It was known throughout the continent that at least five major European clubs were trying to hire Gherardini before he signed with Toronto. Gherardini moved overseas for the same reason that he instituted an open-door policy that enabled the NBA clubs to scout his players in Treviso. "The basis of our philosophy is that players need to be able to dream," he said. "It's important that they need to be able to fulfill their dream. If you're a basketball fan, you know that the ultimate dream is the NBA. For me the goal is to learn from the NBA -- to learn how things are being done, and you can only learn this from the inside." Even as a 19-year-old assistant in Forli, Gherardini dreamed of someday working in the NBA; in another, more reasonable sense, he never imagined it could happen. But now the growth and influence of European basketball -- an influence he helped drive -- has helped make his own American Dream come true.

4) Chris Sheriden of ESPN.com with a cautionary tale from Spencer Haywood for Team USA:

Haywood recounts 1968 Olympic

LAS VEGAS -- A long time ago on a train from Moscow to Minsk, Team USA learned a slightly painful lesson about how the playing field isn't always level in international basketball. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and their cohorts should take note. "They told us we'd be riding a train together with the Soviet team, but when we got on the train it was a sleeper car with these teeny-tiny bunks. The Russians weren't there, and they showed up in Minsk raring to go after flying over our heads to get there," said Spencer Haywood, who recounted a few of his tales from the 1968 Olympics to ESPN.com at a restaurant across the street from Team USA's current training facility on the UNLV campus. James, Wade, coach Mike Krzyzewski and the rest of Team USA will reassemble Monday for the second stretch of training camp before heading overseas for six weeks and experiencing some weird stuff firsthand. If Haywood's recollections provide a guide, they'll have plenty to talk about once they get back. "We were playing the Soviets in one exhibition, and we were up like 25 when they called timeout. All of a sudden, they were clearing out the gymnasium. Like 10,000 or 12,000 people. When they were all gone, we looked up at the scoreboard and they had changed it. The Russians were ahead by two. The next day in the local papers, the headlines said: "Soviets Upset Americans." It would be farfetched for this year's version of Team USA to come back with a story anything like that one, but there will be something strange to discuss by the time the World Championship in Japan ends Sept. 3 and the Americans head back home. Two years ago, the Athens Olympic men's basketball team stopped in Turkey during its pre-Olympic tour, and several members of the traveling party had the wits scared out of them by a hotel bombing a few miles away from their own hotel. Six years ago, the Sydney Olympic team was left speechless after playing an exhibition in Saitama, Japan (the site of this year's World Championship medal round) in which the cavernous arena was so silent during the game, a baby in the upper deck cried out "Mama," and the players down on the court heard it. The American team will practice for three days in Las Vegas before playing its first exhibition against Puerto Rico, then boarding a charter flight to Asia. The first stop is the port city of Guangzhou, China, once the southern terminus of the ancient Silk Road. The U.S. team will play exhibitions there against China and Brazil before making the short hop to Hong Kong for three days of practice, then moving on to Seoul, South Korea, for exhibitions against Lithuania and Korea. Finally, on Aug. 17, the Americans fly to Sapporo, Japan, for their opening round of the World Championship, where they'll be grouped with Italy, Senegal, Lithuania, Puerto Rico and Slovenia. The round of 16, the quarterfinals, semifinals and gold medal game will be played at the SuperDome in Saitama, not far from where Ray Allen jinxed the Amrericans six years ago on the bus ride into Tokyo from the airport when he asked aloud where all the traffic was. Sure enough, the bus ground to a halt moments later in a typical bumper-to-bumper Tokyo roadjam. This American team, which was pared down to 15 as Adam Morrison, Luke Ridnour and the injured Shawn Marion were cut at the end of the first stage of training camp last week, will have to fight through the travel fatigue and try to be at its peak at the end of the World Championship, and by then it'll have been more than a month since they set foot on American soil. If the U.S. team wins its final four games, captures the gold and qualifies for the Beijing Olympics, the snapshots the team members will bring home in their heads will evoke memories they'll cherish. Many of the most memorable non-basketball moments often occur on tours leading up to international competitions, and Haywood remembers scrambling to get a copy of his birth certificate that his mother kept tucked in a Bible back home in rural Mississippi in order to get a passport so he could travel to the Soviet Union and Finland for a pre-Olympic tour 38 years ago. "The Russians were all coming up to me telling me to defect. They'd tell me black people weren't treated right in the States," Haywood recalled. "But they were feeding us horse meat and calling it filet mignon, and they were driving around in these tiny little cars. I asked them: 'Can I get a pizza delivery?'" Haywood was only 19 at the time, having made the squad as a little-known college freshman out of Trinidad (Colo.) Junior College who had grown up picking cotton in Mississippi for $2 a day. His 1968 team was expected by many to falter after losing Pete Maravich, Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld, Calvin Murphy and Rick Mount for one reason or another. He recalled meeting sprinter Jesse Owens, who won a gold medal at the 1936 Olympics."He told us this is the biggest thing you're going to do, because defending your country's honor is the biggest thing you can do. When some of the people were calling for black athletes to boycott, he looked us all in the eye and said 'You think you're having problems now? How would you like to play against Hitler?'" The 2006 version of Team USA is an apolitical team heading off into a world where anti-American sentiment has grown in the past couple of years, though there's been a lack of the publicly stated security fears that scared a few of the best American players off the Athens roster two years ago. One of the biggest concerns for the players is what they'll be eating, though they'll be proud to discover that USA Basketball officials are quite adept at meeting their needs. Six years ago after they knocked off Spain in a pre-Olympic exhibition game at the strangely silent Saitama SuperArena, some two dozen buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken awaited them in the post-game locker room. Haywood promises they'll relish the experience so long as they keep their eye on what's important -- coming home winners after the past two U.S. teams failed to, finishing sixth at the 2002 Worlds and third at the 2004 Olympics. "Do you know how embarrassing it must be to walk around thinking you're the best players in the world, but you weren't? Those players (from 2002 and 2004) are just now realizing the shame they brought upon American basketball. "Those guys didn't realize it was going to be that big of a deal, but this is a major deal for Americans," Haywood said. Let's hope the new guys understand as much. Otherwise, the tales they tell when they get back home will be tainted. Haywood, who laughed his way through each of his tales from '68, can smile about them now because he brought home a gold medal which he still keeps in a small light blue satchel and pulls out for special occasions -- one of which will be a pep talk this week with the current members of Team USA.
"Everyone wants to knock off Americans. That's what these guys don't understand," Haywood said.

So long to Alvin “Boogie” Williams, always my favourite Raptor. He played his ass off and worked his ass off and eventually played and worked his knees off…Williams leaves the Raptors with career averages of 9.1 PPG, 4.1 APG and 2.5 RPG, but his best years were 2001-02 (11.8 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.4 RPG) and 2002-03 (13.2 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.1 RPG) both years in which the Raptors were in the playoffs. Williams is all over the Raptors history books as he owns the Raptors’ consecutive games played streak at 187 (April 16, 2000 – Dec. 11, 2002), has played more games in a Raptors uniform (360) than any player in franchise history, holds the Raptors career record for assists, and it was his clutch jump shot at Madison Square Garden in 2001 that sealed the franchise's only playoff series win against the New York Knicks… While a provision in Williams' contract allowed the Raptors to release him and pay him only half of the approximately $14 million (U.S.) remaining on his contract, Bryan Colangelo, the Raptors' president and GM, voluntarily negotiated a sweeter settlement for a loyal employee. Williams had a rep as a tremendous ballhandler and very clutch shooter, both of which were justified…but most of all, I will remember his as a guy who just did not quit, always defended the other teams best guard, and had the best lean forward, cross the ball back to his left hand to a pull up jumper move I’ve ever seen, a move that Philly superstar Allen Iverson claims Williams taught him and he uses to great effect to this day…

Terrific preview coverage of all D1 conferences here: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2516801

The Hornets signed SG Rasual Butler and PG Bobby Jackson yesterday…word is Jackson hurt himself signing the contract and is out 4-6 weeks, while Butler disappeared into thin air from the pressure a reporter asking him a question…

1) Matthew Waxman of Si.com with a terrific article on where the NBA players ball in the summer:

Pickup hoops hot spots - Where the best players ball in the offseason

Turns out the basketball offseason isn't all piña coladas and inflatable pool furniture. We've located the summer pickup games that consistently lure All-Stars and All-Americas, despite the less-than-ideal conditions. We'll tell you who plays where, the house rules, how to sneak in and a famous rumor from each of the four most prolific offseason hoops runs in the country.

Rucker Park

The Regulars: Ron Artest, Stephon Marbury, Jamaal Tinsley, Jamal Crawford, Rafer Alston, Sebastian Telfair, Joakim Noah

Access: When superstars like AI, Kobe or KG are rumored to be in town, the rickety bleachers that line the perimeter of the court and hold a couple thousand people fill up more than an hour in advance of the early game at six. If you arrive after that, do as the kids do: scale the chain-link fence that surrounds the playground or perch yourself in a tree for a view of the action.

The Rules: NBA rules with refs, a time clock and a scoreboard.

The Run: "You're back in school, Joakim," the emcee crows. At the free throw line Noah, the Florida Gators' sophomore forward and Most Outstanding Player of last year's NCAA tournament, dips his knees and hits the first shot. "Congratulations on winning the NCAAs, but they gonna test you here," the emcee continues as Noah prepares for his second shot. "Ladies and gentleman, he could have gone to the league. Decided to enjoy another year" -- Noah starts his shooting motion -- "spending his parents' cash." Mid-stroke Noah cracks, flashing his gap-toothed grin and shaking his bouquet of long hair before clanging the second shot. The crowd laughs in amusement. At 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard -- next to Mama's Fried Chicken, Nas Deli, Miny Nails and Uptown Laundromat -- stands Rucker Park. The most historic slab of concrete since the Rosetta Stone has evolved since the days when Goat, Pearl and Tiny made names for themselves there. Streetballers like Homicide, Antifreeze and the Bone Collector now suit up in the Entertainers Basketball Classic (EBC), a league in which sponsors like Fat Joe, The Game and Jadakiss own and often coach teams featuring any NBA players they can get their hands on, even for a single game. Despite the debris, dusty surface and on-court emcees, who lollygag within the court lines while maintaining a running commentary/comedy show for the fans ("Potato chips at three in the morning is a dead giveaway you getting high," one of them once said to the crowd), the top ballers can't resist. "You got a lot of tradition out there," said Vince Carter after he played there in 2002. "It's just something where I wanted to say, 'Yeah, I played.'"
The Rucker's star power on-court is matched by those in attendance, from Fabolous and Mike Tyson to Alicia Keys, who has been known to stroll out of the stands and put on an impromptu a capella halftime performance. "I remember being at Rucker Park in the company of President Clinton," says commissioner David Stern, "and the MC says, 'Yo, Bill' and then decided it would be better to call him 'Mr. President.' It's neighborhood fun." The assist-to-turnover ratio may not be to Stern's liking, but the rough, And1 brand of ball helps pampered stars maintain their edge. "I got my swagger at the Rucker," says Noah, who played last summer as an unknown freshman before returning this year as a main attraction. "The basketball is completely different here; it isn't for everybody. But if you can play at the Rucker, you can play anywhere."

Rumor Has It: When Rafer "Skip to My Lou" Alston was a junior in high school and a defender (actually it was Conrad McRae, former Syracuse centre) went up to block his layup, Alston is said to have let the ball roll down his arm, behind his neck and down the other arm before flicking it to a streaking teammate for a layin.

The Men's Gym at UCLA

The Regulars: Paul Pierce, Chauncey Billups, Kevin Garnett, Derek Fisher, Baron Davis, Jermaine O'Neal, Earl Watson, Joe Johnson, Amaré Stoudamire, Tyronne Lue, Richard Jefferson, Grant Hill, Jared Jeffries, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Jordan Farmar

Access: Word spreads quickly when Kobe's walking through campus, but on most days only a couple dozen spectators line the walls.

The Rules: Games to seven by ones. Call your own fouls. Winners stay on center court.

The Run: Like all things basketball in L.A., the high-water mark of the pickup run at UCLA was caused by Magic Johnson, during summers in the '80s. John Wooden's Bruins squads may have won two championships in this old gym, in the shadow of Pauley Pavilion, but the fierce pickup games that begin in June and gain steam through July and August have Magic's fingerprints all over them. Adam Mills, a blond 6-foot-0 basketball junkie, and former television actor, has coordinated the games here for the past 20 years. "If I have three courts of 30 NBA guys, I'm happy," says Mills, who divides the teams evenly, keeping teammates together and filling out the rosters with local college and European talent, even tossing himself in the mix when one more is needed. The well-oiled, NBA-quality, NBA-style run is the antithesis of playground ball. "Pros get pissed if you try and take them one-on-one to show them how great you are," says Mills, who claims to have had every great player in but Kareem and Larry Bird. "They want to come in and get a nice two-hour run with no arguing." GMs such as Elgin Baylor, Kiki Vandeweghe and Mitch Kupchak respect the game enough to send players there for auditions, as the Lakers did in 1999 with Brian Shaw before eventually signing him. Kobe shows up occasionally; Shaq did too when he was with the Lakers. But it's Pierce who has stepped up to take the torch from Magic. "Where else can you go in the summer and play against NBA guys at the same level?" asks Pierce, who pitches in to help Mills pay for the gym time, while the other players "forget their wallets every day," according to Mills. "I've had a lot of battles there," says Pierce. "I played against Magic even after he retired and he'd still beat up on a lot of people."

Rumor Has It: Former UCLA coach Larry Brown claims that in the early '80s, Wilt Chamberlain, a decade retired from the NBA, would drive down from his Bel Air home to play and stay in shape. "[Magic] called a couple of chintzy fouls and a goaltending on Wilt," says Brown, "so Wilt said, 'There will be no more layups in this gym,' and he blocked every shot after that."

Tim Grover Game in Chicago

The Regulars: Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Antoine Walker, Shaun Livingston, Devin Harris, Chris Kaman, Michael Finley, Corey Maggette, James Posey

Access: Limited -- the only spectators allowed are family members, agents and Michael Jordan.

The Rules: Game to seven by ones. Actual NBA refs, scorekeepers, 24-second shot clock.

The Run: Michael Jordan's days as kingpin of the Chicago pickup games may be over, but that doesn't stop him from lording over the scene. Though His Airness no longer laces up, he occasionally drops by to talk trash. "He's the only one that has that right," says Jordan's former personal trainer Tim Grover, who as CEO of Attack Athletics, an athlete training company, organizes this workout exclusively for his NBA clients.
The notorious game shifted this year from Hoops the Gym to the University of Illinois at Chicago after Hoops was bought out, but the top-tier talent that follows Grover remains constant. A gym official recently did a quick mental tally of the contracts of the 30 or so NBA players warming up and remarked, "Wow, there must be three quarters of a billion dollars on the court." The Attack Athletic clients, most of who grew up or played in the Midwest, battle every offseason against the same players, developing rivalries that raise the intensity of play. When devising the teams, Grover matches like-minded stars against each other, like Harris and Livingston, and tries to pair current regular-season teammates. "As soon as Antoine Walker got traded to Miami," says Grover, "we put him and Dwyane Wade on the same team so they could get acclimated and develop a feel for each other." While Wade, a Grover client since his days at Marquette, may be the latest superstar to earn the "next MJ" tag, only Jordan himself can really crank up the level of competition. Says Grover, "He'll come up and tell guys, 'When I was playing, there's no way you could have scored on me. Remember when I gave you 50? Remember when we knocked you out in the first round of the playoffs?'" How could they forget, Mike? You keep coming back to remind them.

Rumor Has It: In 2002, when Jordan was playing pickup in preparation to join the Wizards, his comeback was stalled when he broke two ribs. According to the Chicago Tribune, Jordan had been trash-talking with Walker and Ron Artest when the latter "grabbed [Jordan], slammed him to the floor" and threw a punch. Grover, who was in the gym that day, says that while it's true that "Antoine takes more [abuse from Jordan] than anyone else," the broken ribs were simply a freak injury caused when Artest tried to deny Jordan position in the post.

Fondé Rec Center in Houston

The Regulars: Sam Cassell, Moochie Norris, Cuttino Mobley, Rashard Lewis, Damon Stoudamire, Steve Francis, Emeka Okafor, James Posey, J.R. Smith, Gerald Green, T.J. Ford, Daniel Ewing, Chris Wilcox, Glen Davis

Access: Free admission for the public; the pullout bleachers seat about 1,500. Kids can take pictures and get autographs from the players after the games.

The Rules: 12-minute quarters. Running time, except for the last two minutes of each half.

The Run: In the beginning there was Moses (Malone). His disciple became known as Little Moses. At the Fondé Rec Center, where basketball knowledge, like religion, is passed from generation to generation, it's fitting that the sign over the entryway reads, "Recreation, like religion, should permeate all of life." However, the proclamation most often associated with this basketball temple is, "You ain't done it till you done it at Fondé," which was dispensed by Moses. Like he did during the hot Houston summer at Fondé 25 years ago, when he tutored a freshman from the University of Houston named Akeem Olajuwon in the art of the low post -- Dream dubbed the sessions "basketball college" -- Malone is still teaching the game at Fondé. He's coach of The Chairman, in the Nike Pro City Summer Basketball League, which runs Monday and Wednesday nights from mid-July through August. And despite the abundance of available NBA players, Coach Malone eschews pros on his team in favor of amateurs, including his son, Moses Jr., as well as the sons of Hall of Famers George Gervin and Calvin Murphy. But if Rockets center Yao Ming came to rumble at Fondé, Malone, 51, says that not only would he break his no-pros rule, but he'd also suit up himself. "We've got standing room now," says Malone, who tips in at 275, only 15 pounds over his playing weight, "but if [the two big men teamed up] we'd have standing room outside the building, waiting to come in." Nike's arrival has meant a new coat of paint on the walls, a leveling of the rims and a buffing of the court. But, as the phrase goes, you can put lipstick on a pig.... "It's just the neighborhood gym," former Rocket Kenny Smith says of Fonde. "There are no frills; [It's just] like the Rocky gym." "When we play in Houston, it's grimy. It's hard-core," says former University of Texas standout Daniel Gibson, who started playing in youth leagues at the center when he was 11. "Once you step on the court at Fondé, you've gotta be ready to bring it -- or you're going to get put off to the side and nobody's gonna let you play anymore." Or, as former Rocket Robert Reid summed up to the Houston Chronicle, "You couldn't come in and play some fiddle-dee-dee game or you'd be fiddle-dee-dummed out of the gym." Some guys not fiddle-dee-dummed out were Clyde Drexler, who ran during summers with Olajuwon and their Phi Slamma Jamma teammates; playground star Dwayne Rogers, who earned the nickname "The Legend" for his ability to ball at Fonde; and Shaquille O'Neal, who would make the three-hour drive to run in the legendary games when he was a high school star in San Antonio. For fans, Fondé provides the opportunity to watch the pros up close without having to run a hedge fund. "Some people can't afford to go to games to see guys like Rashard Lewis," says Pro City director Kevin Granger. "Here they get to see [NBA players], get autographs, talk to them, high-five them." Gibson, now 20, remembers the thrill. "Shaq and Penny [Hardaway] and Drexler, Olajuwon. Just seeing those dudes out there like regular people, laughing and joking, you don't get that on TV."
Despite the addition of emcee chatter and music blaring before, during and after the games, the run remains crisp. "Any time a guy like Sam Cassell, Moochie [Norris] or [James] Posey enters the game, they want to win because it's the Fondé," says Malone, who warns that the game is not for everybody. "Guys come and ask me if they can play and I tell 'em, 'Let me see what you can do first on the B court, because Fondé's the A court.'"

Rumor Has It: During one game in the early '80s, Moses called one too many fouls, and when one of them was ignored, he took the game ball, left the court and went outside. When he saw the game restarting with a new ball, he protested the game by standing defiantly at center court until his call was acknowledged.

2) Brian Windhorst of the Akron Beacon-Journal confirms that LeBron really is just 21 years old:

Signed, sealed and delivered, LeBron is 21
.
A sweaty Team USA practice has ended inside UNLV's Cox Pavilion, and players are plopping down on chairs, untying laces and toweling off.
LeBron James slips off his signature Nikes and yells, to no one in particular, "I need five bags of ice!" Three chairs over, Dwyane Wade shoots LeBron a sly look and retorts: "That's because you're 30 years old!" It's not the first time LeBron's pal Wade has used the joke. Just a month ago, he made similar comments during the NBA Finals when the topic of James' frequent text messages came up. It seems Wade isn't entirely persuaded that James could be three years his junior. "No way I buy he's 21," Wade said. "Show me that birth certificate, that's what I want." Well, Dwyane, you're in luck. ESPN.com has obtained a copy of James' official birth certificate from the State of Ohio Office of Vital Statistics and compared it with records from the City of Akron Department of Public Health. Sure enough, sealed and certified, LeBron Raymone James was born to Gloria Marie James on Dec. 30, 1984. He's 21 now and was 18 when he played his first NBA game. When James debuted in the NBA in 2003, many wondered how his chiseled, highly developed physique could belong to a teenager. Many besides Wade have voiced their suspicions.
For instance: Tracy McGrady: "Damn, man. You sure he is 21? We've got to check his birth certificate." Sekou Smith, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Um, can I see LeBron James' birth certificate please?" Stephen A. Smith, Philadelphia Inquirer: "Just looking at him makes you want to check his birth certificate." Bomani Jones, ESPN.com's Page 2: "I still wonder if there's a little Almonte on his birth certificate." That would be Danny Almonte, the star pitcher whose parents insisted he was 12 when he pitched his Bronx team into the Little League World Series. When official documents and records showed Almonte was actually 14, his pitching records were removed and his team forfeited its third-place finish.
Besides the Almonte affair, other age scandals in baseball also have helped create the climate of suspicion about other precocious athletes, such as James. When a player like Rafael Furcal turns out to be 22 when he debuted in the big leagues, instead of 19 as originally believed, we might start to wonder what to believe when LeBron does the unbelievable. On the other hand, it's not clear what opportunity or incentive LeBron James would have to lie about his age. For one thing, his birth is a matter of public record in Ohio. And it seems unlikely that James would need to appear younger than he is, especially when such a maneuver actually would have delayed his entry into the NBA, considering James was ready to make the jump even earlier than he did. Still, the questions are there, mainly because James simply looks older than he is. "Everyone knows how old I am, y'all been following me around since I was 15," James said, noting he didn't get carded once while enjoying Vegas' adult offerings. "Some people age and grow differently than others." As a high school freshman, James was shaving, and he was always tall for his age -- standing nearly 6 feet, 4 inches at age 14. But he didn't look older than his classmates at that stage, and in some ways he was a late bloomer, considering his development now. "There were several players on our team [for whom] we had to carry their birth certificates around because other teams would want to see them, but LeBron wasn't one of them," said Dru Joyce, who coached James in AAU and in high school. "But you could always tell he was going to grow more because of his long legs and big feet." When James was a pimple-faced 16-year-old, he started showing muscle definition, and he arrived taller and stronger at his first ABCD Camp in New Jersey and won its Most Valuable Player Award. But it was later, when James became a regular on local and national television, that questions about his age began to be whispered. When he reported for his first NBA training camp, his squared jaw, broad shoulders and refined muscles further opened eyes. "It's because he's a once-in-50-year athlete," said Eric Lichter, the well-known personal trainer James worked with starting when he was 17. Lichter, who is now the strength and conditioning coach for the Ohio State football team, used to operate a private practice in Cleveland where he trained numerous pro athletes, including Nene, Leandro Barbosa and Antonio Gates. Although he didn't usually work with high school athletes, he took on James as a special case after the player's junior year of high school. At the time, James had done almost no weight training but realized he needed to become stronger, knowing he would be facing a highly competitive senior year at St. Vincent-St. Mary and a jump to the NBA shortly thereafter. "LeBron did sit-ups and push-ups, and he was very faithful to it," Joyce said. "But once he started working with weights, you could just see his body take to the training." Lichter said he weighed James in at 228 pounds at the start of a 16-week program. By the time they were done, James was 10 pounds heavier, jumping higher and running faster as his arms and legs became stronger and thicker. He has maintained roughly the same weight since, along with his muscle mass in working with the Cavs trainers. He is listed at 6-8, 240 pounds. "When I first met him, I was amazed at his bone structure and I looked to improve his wing muscle tissue," Lichter said. "He liked to train, and he took an intense approach to it. He didn't just take his talent for granted."
But will the word of his AAU coach and his trainer, combined with legal documents, end the debate? "No comment," said Wizards star and Team USA teammate Gilbert Arenas when told James' age had been confirmed as 21. "LeBron's my older brother -- he's not a day younger than 30."

Hi Samson? yeah, meet Delilah...and watch out for the scissors...

Ouch: Former NBA forward Jamal Mashburn is being sued by a man who claims he was blinded by a golf ball hit by Mashburn in 2004…

Interesting: NBA Hall of Famer Dr. J will introduce Dominique Wilkins at his induction into the Hall in September…

Lots of buzz coming out of Storrs these days as Connecticut's 7-foot-3 Tanzanian signee, Hasheem Thabeet begins to play in pickup games…Thabeet is already drawing comparisons to NBA centre Dikembe Mutombo…but more athetic…

I watched a replay (yes I’m pathetic I know, but watching summer league on Raptors TV is something that seems to calm both me and my 3 week old daughter) of a Hawks vs. Jazz summer league game last night and as advertised Hawks PF Marvin Williams was as improved as advertised…however, one play from the 2nd half caught my eye…on a fast break, Jazz PG Deron Williams made a terrific one handed pass that was caught be a streaking Rafael Araujo (yes you read that right, not only was he running with that funny “my hips don’t work” duck run of his but he did indeed catch the pass) and as Araujo rose to dunk (stop laughing) he was clobbered by Marvin Williams with a one handed hack across the face that left Hoffa with a bloody nose…as Hoffa started to fall after the hit he grabbed Williams by the jersey and tossed him like a throw pillow about 8 feet into the stands under the basket…Williams, incensed by Hoffa’s reaction jumped up and had to be restrained by refs and players as he tried in vain to get at Hoffa and fight him…to his credit Hoffa backed off and was laughing…the refs threw Hoffa out of the game and T’d up Williams and that was that…but the best part was the camera showing Jerry Sloan in the crow talking to Jazz owner Larry Miller…you can clearly see Miller say to Sloan: ” They should have let them go…(at it I presume)” top which Sloan replies: “Hoffa would have killed him.”…I agree…

Mike Kahn of Foxsports.com with his terrific “10 things” column:

1) 10 things we learned this week in the NBA

A week later, the stunning sting that came with the ownership group led by Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz sold the Sonics to Clay Bennett and a group of Oklahoma City businessmen for $350 million hasn't lessened in the market. It's just been replaced by the obvious ... what happens next?

1. Item: Essentially, we're sitting here with the Sonics guaranteed to be in Seattle only for the 2006-07 season, while the Hornets will be playing in Oklahoma City, and then returning to New Orleans for the 2007-08 season along with the 2008 NBA All-Star game. What this really means: We've got two NBA franchises and three cities, with the NBA sitting back in earnest watching the machinations unfold. The new Sonics owners, led by Clay Bennett, almost too honestly said there are 12 months to get the arena problems resolved, otherwise ... they're headed for Oklahoma City. Actually, he didn't say the last part, but it won't be 12 months either, since the state legislature that will have to get on board for a new arena, convenes in January. Meanwhile, Hornets owner George Shinn has serious concerns about the long-range market in New Orleans, which was a bad market before Hurricane Katrina's devastation, and isn't going to improve as a NBA city now. That translates into the Seattle market being a strong viability for a franchise swap of sorts, between Shinn and Bennett, who obviously would prefer to have his team in Oklahoma City. To appease the NBA and escape the rigors of a ludicrous lease in Seattle's KeyArena and the intractable city council, there needs to be an immediate grass roots campaign to put a new building on the East Side of Lake Washington across from Seattle. Already, Bellevue developer Kemper Freeman is involved, as are Washington State Ways and Means Committee chair Marguerite Prentice and mayor Kathy Koehlker (both from Renton) in an attempt to get the ball rolling. One other possibility to keep an eye on is whether or not Trail Blazers owners Paul Allen sells his team or just re-purchases the Rose Garden. If he sells, he could become a player on the building in Renton, which would be close to the brand new headquarters of his NFL Seahawks, opening in 2008. The Sonics are, after all, the flagship franchise of professional sports in the Pacific Northwest, entering their 40th season, and 70 percent of their season ticketholders have been from the East Side anyway.

2. Item: Sacramento Kings owners Gavin and Joe Maloof apparently will get their new $500 million downtown arena based on a .025 sales tax initiative — ending all sorts of ruminations that this nomadic franchise would be on the move again. What this really means: From Rochester to Cincinnati to Kansas City, Omaha and now Sacramento, finally this franchise appears to have found a permanent home. Contingent on approval of the proposal — which now seems a slamdunk on the November ballot — the Maloofs will pay $122 million over the life of the deal to the project, along with $72 million to settle the debt on Arco Arena. And that puts an end to the rumblings of moving the Kings to Orange County or even more attractive, Las Vegas, where the Maloofs own the Palms Hotel and Casino. It's imperative that situations like this continue in the NBA to prove that the financial system isn't broken, and teams will continue to be sold and moved. Nothing happened from 1985 — when the Kings moved from Kansas City — until 2001 when Michael Heisley, who bought the Grizzlies, moved them from Vancouver to Memphis. Since then, Shinn moved the Hornets from Charlotte to Memphis, and Charlotte got a new franchise because of the ill will caused by Shinn. Now we've got franchises in Seattle, Portland, Milwaukee, Orlando, and Atlanta all in unsettling circumstances (not to mention the Hornets again). Or maybe what we are finding out is in today's economics, stability among NBA franchises will be the exception rather than the rule.

3. Item: While virtually all of the veteran players have committed to return to the NBA champion Miami Heat, still no word from the African safari that has taken coach Pat Riley and his internal warfare over to continue coaching or just continue in the front office as president. What this really means: At 61, Riley finally validated what he began in 1995, by building the Heat into a championship franchise, 18 years after he last won a title as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Perhaps had Riley and the New York Knicks won the 1994 title over the Houston Rockets instead of blowing a 3-2 lead, he wouldn't have been so haunted by it all. Instead of deciding to retire, he opted to — in Neil Young's words — retread by leaving the Knicks to reconstruct and coach the Heat. He bowed out from coaching three years ago, leaving it to Stan Van Gundy until sketchy problems followed last season's conference finals. This season, although erratic, ended in spectacular fashion — with a stunning turnaround. After looking dead in the water — two games and 3 1/2 quarters into the finals against the Dallas Mavericks — Riley's mental toughness and the spectacular talent of Dwyane Wade took over. They pulled out Game 3 and stole the next three games from the Mavs for the title. Did it energize Riley or cap his career? We'll know soon enough, but the guys love him and he further proved he is one of the great coaches of any era. Now we'll see if he's got any juice left for an encore performance, or opts to take a run at one of the few great college coaches who really could make it in the NBA — Florida icon Billy Donovan.

4. Item: It was a stunning blow to the Nike select team that showed up in Vancouver last week to hang out with national team coach Jay Triano and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash. Nash cut his hair. Not just a little, his head was buzzed. What this really means: Nash, unlike Samson, laughed it off. More than anything else, it shocked the 20 players who showed up to play and learn from the Canadian hero. It just further emphasizes what we've sensed all along — Nash is dancing to the beat of his own drum at all times. As he remains humble and incredibly committed to community service in Phoenix with the Suns and all over his Canadian homeland — from British Columbia to Ontario — he will do it his way and in his time. At 32, it's hard to fathom how long he can maintain the incredible pace with which he plays and at such a high level. The hope is that the return of Amare Stoudemire from a year off after microfracture knee surgery will relieve a lot of his offensive pressure. But it will be interesting how close Stoudemire actually will be to his budding superstar form of two years ago. Maybe the signing of Marcus Banks to a five-year, $21 million contract to backup Nash and help Leandro Barbosa will help as well. With clear orders from Robert Sarver to avoid a luxury tax, it will again test the highly-underrated coaching ability of Mike D'Antoni after consecutive trips to the conference finals. You wouldn't think the magic would be lost in Nash's swept away locks, would you?

5. Item: The Detroit Pistons introduced new acquisitions Nazr Mohammed and Flip Murray to the media last week, plus they resigned Lindsey Hunter and Ronald Dupree. What this really means: Before everyone throws up their hands in disbelieve — present company included — over the huge loss of Ben Wallace via free agency, let's consider the comparison of last year's team to this one. Mohammed will in no way bring the energy to the table that Wallace does. But his numbers may not be that significantly different if the team diversifies as much as it appears president Joe Dumars would like to see. Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton and Chauncey Billups were the top five in the NBA in minutes played the past three years and that caught up with them as they nearly failed to get even to the conference finals. With the additions of Mohammed and Murray, plus Flip Saunders committing to utilizing the bench more with Murray, Antonio McDyess, Hunter and Carlos Delfino, it should give them a more diverse look and feel. And the real hope is it will give them consistent bench scoring and strong legs at the end of the season. To be sure, the Pistons proved they are not one of the teams to be considered with greatness over the past 20 years, butt hey were in the NBA finals two years in a row and had the best record of all during the 2005-06 regular season. That should mean they will be one of the top four teams in the East again, but how good they really are may ultimately be decided by whether the intangibles of Ben Wallace can be replaced.

6. Item: With the signing of big men Jackie Butler and Francisco Elson, restricted free agents from the Knicks and Nuggets respectively whose offer sheets were not matched, the San Antonio Spurs now have completed the transformation of their frontcourt. What this really means: Just like how so many went bananas over the failure of the Pistons to return to the NBA finals, the death of the Spurs was greatly overestimated. Unloading Rasho Nesterovic for Matt Bonner and Eric Williams, plus letting Mohammed go, gives the Spurs much more depth and versatility up front than what they had around Tim Duncan last season. Besides, with Bruce Bowen's defensive proficiency on the wing — plus the backcourt of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Michael Finley, Beno Udrih, Brent Barry and newly-signed point guard Jacque Vaughn — they have the deepest roster in the NBA. They can go very big or very small — with championship experience on the floor, the bench and the coaching staff. The only real questions would be the stamina of Parker and Ginobili.

7. Item: After looking so good in summer league, Nets rookie big man Josh Boone tore the labrum in his left shoulder, had surgery last week and will be out 4-6 months. What this really means: After feeling so good about stealing Connecticut stars Boone and Marcus Williams with the 22nd and 23rd picks of the first round, the Nets now are one short up front. Boone had looked superb earlier in the week putting up great Summer League numbers, then obviously hurt himself at some point during one of the later games last week. Has anybody else noticed how much Boone facially and physically looks like noted 7-footer Sam Bowie, who was the infamous No. 2 draft pick of the 1984 draft by the Trail Blazers instead of Michael Jordan. Bowie had missed two seasons with a broken leg at Kentucky and struggled throughout his NBA career, never attaining the greatness expected. But the irony and good news is the best portion of his career happened to be the four years he played with the Nets — averaging 12.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. If the Nets can get that out of Boone, they'll be thrilled. Let's just see him get back for the second half of this season first.

8. Item: With expectations of a deal for Al Harrington continuing to mount, the Indiana Pacers instead made their second trade of the summer with the Dallas Mavericks — sending backup guard Anthony Johnson to the Mavs in exchange for 38-year-old point guard Darrell Armstrong, along with throw-in youngsters Josh Powell and Rawle Marshall. What this really means: Obviously, the front office feels that Jamaal Tinsley, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Marquis Daniels — plus Armstrong — give them plenty at point guard. It also will help keep contracts away from luxury tax with what appears to be an inevitable deal for Harrington. The latest conversations with the Atlanta Hawks now reportedly have found the Hawks to be appeased by taking the $7.5 million trade exception in exchange for a sign-and-trade for Harrington at that number over six years. Maybe there will be a throw-in, but with the Hawks ownership still in a state of disarray, they don't want any more big contracts. It also means Harrington may be taking less from the Pacers than a sign-and-trade may have brought from Golden State. But he prefers to go back to Indiana, where his parents now live and where his career started with best friend Jermaine O'Neal. Over six seasons, the deal would be worth approximately $56.8 million — an average of just less than $9.5 million.

9. Item: The Pacers also rescinded the rights to guard Fred Jones, who turned around and signed a three-year, $11 million deal with the continuously changing Toronto Raptors. What this really means: Raptors president Bryan Colangelo wasted no time responding to John Salmons changing his mind. Salmons had originally agreed to a $23 million, five-year deal with the Sixers and a trade to the Raptors. Uncertain of his role after the signing of Anthony Parker and Mo Peterson's status, Salmons pulled out. That opened the door for Jones, who is two inches shorter at 6-4 and not as versatile as Salmons with the ball, but has shown far more flashes of an exceptional player. Consider now how much Colangelo changed the landscape from last year's 27-55 team. Beginning with the huge deal that brought point guard T.J. Ford for Charlie Villanueva, the Raptors have added Jones, Parker, Nesterovic, Darrick Martin, Kris Humphries, and rookies Andre Bargnani and P.J. Tucker. That's eight new players to go along with the burgeoning stardom of forward Chris Bosh. This isn't to say they will be in the playoffs, but, injuries aside, they should be one of the teams battling on the bubble for the final spot.

10. Item: The first week of coach Mike Krzyzewski as coach of the U.S. Senior National Team was spent getting to know the players and emphasizing team chemistry. Along with assistants Mike D'Antoni from the Suns, the Blazers' Nate McMillan, and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, there appears to be none of the unrest that was so apparent with Larry Brown and his staff the last time around. What this really means: The staff has the right idea, as do the players. Carmelo Anthony, no doubt buffeted by having his college coach Boeheim around, has been the standout along with Chris Paul. But, obviously, this is a star-studded cast and there might be some major surprises left home. Keep in mind, we're talking about LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Gilbert Arenas, Amare Stoudemire, Elton Brand, Shawn Marion, Dwight Howard and versatile Joe Johnson, too. That's 11. Add role players with a defensive edge such as Bruce Bowen and Shane Battier, you've got 13. Add on Brad Miller, Antawn Jamison, and rookie Adam Morrison, and then consider point guards Luke Ridnour and Kirk Hinrich. They're off this week, and return to Las Vegas for another week, capped off with an exhibition game against Puerto Rico on Aug. 3. They then head to Asia with 15 players to play China and Korea in exhibition games for two weeks before going to Sapporo, Japan with the final 12 for the World Championships from Aug. 19-Sept. 3. The biggest concern appears to be redundant skills, so there could be some surprise cuts just to enhance the chemistry with role players. On the other hand, Colangelo and company have to be careful not to damage egos in this process. Otherwise, what appeared to be a well-conceived, and comfortable process for many, could be a problem. It's imperative for the perception of both USA Basketball and the NBA that the whining and lack of success that has permeated the process the past half dozen years or so is gone at least through the 2008 Olympics.

2) Marc Stein of ESPN.com thinks the Pacers are close to getting Harrington:

Pacers close to acquiring Harrington from Hawks

The biggest name still available on the NBA free-agent market is Al Harrington. Except that you'd struggle to find a team out there that considers Harrington available. Harrington's return to the Indiana Pacers via sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks, according to various NBA front-office sources, is widely seen as a done deal. Perhaps the strongest indication that a formal announcement is forthcoming from Indianapolis is the fact that the Pacers' main competition for Harrington is no longer courting the versatile forward. The Golden State Warriors, sources said, have conceded defeat in the Harrington chase, fully expecting the 26-year-old to join the Pacers in a swap with Atlanta that would net Harrington a six-year contract worth a tad less than $57 million. It remains unclear who or what Atlanta would receive in the sign-and-trade arrangement, but the deal can be completed with the Hawks taking back recent or future draft picks -- or perhaps a moderately priced youngster, such as center David Harrison -- as opposed to significant salary. That's because of a $7.5 million trade exception Indiana created earlier this month by striking a sign-and-trade deal with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets involving Peja Stojakovic … after Stojakovic already had committed to sign a five-year, $60-plus million free-agent contract with the Hornets. With a modest cash payment believed to be in the $250,000 range, Indiana persuaded the Hornets to participate in a sign-and-trade swap for Stojakovic instead of signing him outright. The Pacers signed Stojakovic to the terms he and the Hornets negotiated and shipped the sharpshooter (plus cash) to New Orleans/Oklahoma City for the rights to 1998 second-round draft pick Andy Betts, who likely will never play for Indiana. Without the $7.5 million trade exception resulting from that maneuver, Indiana wouldn't be able to complete a sign-and-trade for Harrington unless the Hawks were willing to take back contracts in the same monetary range as Harrington's new first-year salary. Harrington's apparent willingness to start that new contract in the $7.5 million range, meanwhile, is expected to return him to the team that drafted the 6-9, 245-pounder in 1998 -- and has turned that trade exception into one of the most valuable assets of this NBA offseason. Harrington, sources said, initially told interested suitors he was expecting a six-year deal worth at least $66 million. For the Pacers to pay that much, Atlanta almost certainly would have to be willing to accept a package built around Indiana center Jeff Foster. But Foster, by all indications, is not part of the forthcoming trade. Indy's unforeseen trade exception gets Harrington fairly close to his financial target and the team he likes best. Better yet for the Pacers, their new Ron Artest replacement is regarded as a topflight athlete capable of playing small forward and power forward. When the free-agent period commenced July 1 and the Hornets secured a verbal commitment from Stojakovic within hours, it looked as though Indiana would lose its original Artest successor without compensation. The Pacers have been busy on other fronts, as well, according to sources, in hopes of reducing future salary obligations wherever possible as they prepare to absorb Harrington's big contract. They first rescinded a qualifying offer to shooting guard Fred Jones, suddenly making Jones an unrestricted free agent, and he quickly reached an agreement to sign with Toronto Raptors. Indiana also agreed this past weekend to trade point guard Anthony Johnson, who has two seasons left on his contract worth a little more than $5 million, for a package of three Dallas Mavericks that likely will be whittled to one. Veteran point guard Darrell Armstrong is the only Mav expected to stick with the Pacers after the deal goes through. Young forwards Josh Powell and Rawle Marshall are prime candidates to be waived. The Pacers also have shopped Foster (who earns $5.5 million next season) and guard Sarunas Jasikevicius ($4 million) this summer and might proceed with plans to move one or both to gain additional distance from the luxury-tax threshold. "Obviously, Indiana, I'm more comfortable there because I've been there, I've been in the East," Harrington told ESPN.com earlier this month at the Vegas Summer League, making it clear then that he expected to wind up with either the Pacers or the Warriors. "Going into free agency, obviously you think, 'I'm going to be at the bottom of the screen [on ESPN's Bottom Line ticker] like Ben Wallace and the rest of the guys.' But everyone's telling me to be patient, so that's what I'm trying to do."

Yikes…here’s a quote from Jean Strahan, who became the ex-wife of Giants defensive end Michael Strahan last week at a family court in Newark, N.J., commenting on why she needed to spend $27,000 on clothing for her twin daughters: "My daughters like to be accessorized. Isabella doesn't like to leave the house without a purse.'' By the way…her daughters have not yet turned two years old…

I you drink coffee, Jackie Robinson’s son has established a coffee company in eastern Tanzania…I can vouch for this fantastic coffee, and you’d be helping some folks out who really need it… http://www.sweetunityfarmscoffee.com/

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. Garbajosa, 6-foot-9, 245-pounds, 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 and 35 minutes for Unicaja in the Euroleague this past year.

John Salmons signed a multi-year deal with the Kings…The 76ers' unrestricted free agent signed a 5-year, $25.5 million contract yesterday…Having completed four seasons on his rookie contract with the Sixers, the 6-6 Salmons was a restricted free agent when Phoenix offered a 5-year sign-and-trade deal that would have paid him $22 million; at one point, the Suns were convinced he was coming to them…Instead, he agreed to a sign-and-trade arrangement with Toronto that would have paid him $23 million. In both scenarios, the Sixers were to receive a second-round draft choice; the Suns' deal would have created a trade exception for the Sixers worth $1.8 million, the Toronto version would have created a trade exception of $2 million…weird…the dude gave up the chance to play for a free-flowing, running team in the best city in North America for a chance to play for a serious hard-ass control freak, in new Kings coach Eric Musselman in what’s commonly known as Cow-Town…oh well, enjoy the 3 hour practices, the strict play-calling in the half court, and the smell of fresh manure…and, of course, the yelling…

Yawn…Devean George about to sign with Dallas for the minimum…

I’ve been watching the Vegas summer league on Raptors TV…Some observations:

The Hawks continue to demonstrate why they suck…last year they drafted SF/ PF Marvin Williams thereby leading the league in SF’s…in doing so they passed on the Rookie of the Year at the PG position, one Chris Paul (who may be the US Natinoal team starting PG)…this year they drafted overrated Antonio Davis clone Shelden Williams at the PF spot, passing on possible Rookie of the Year candidate Randy Foye at the PG position…sound familiar? Foye averaged about 26 PPG in Vegas and was basically the best player in summer ball…Imagine he and Joe Johnson playing together in the backcourt…sounds perfect…except the Hawks screwed it up yet again…

Raptors top wop Andrea Bargnani is very skilled…he shoots well, especially spoting up and has a nice Dirk-esque fadeaway…terrific handle for a 7 footer, and great first step, especially going left…he has a decent post game and is aggressive down low…he has great hands and feet…however, he needs to keep his hands off…he led the world in fouls this summer…give him at least 20 games in the bigs before he and the refs figure each other out…however, the Dirk comparisons are not fair, as Bargnani has not developed the pull up off the dribble that makes Dirk so dangerous…

PJ Tucker is a player…he’s not a 2, or a 3 or a 4, but he is a player…tough as nails, posts up and just creates shots with his toughness and athleticism…he’s the kind of physical guy who beats you to death with that off arm…you love him on your team, but guarding him makes your dentist nervous…now if we could transplant his desire into Joey Graham’s body we’d have an All-Star…

LaMarcus Aldridge is La-young, La-weak and La-2 years away from contributing anything based on his play in the summer league…

However in Blazer-land, Brandon Roy looks fantastic…the game I watched he played the point flawlessly and they seamlessly switched to the 2 for the 2nd half…it’s like he’s been in the league for 10 years…

Chad Ford of ESPN.com reports on his Summer League oberservations:

The good, the bad and the murky of summer league

Grading picks on draft night is a shaky proposition. Just an hour or two after the draft is way too early to give a full assessment of how a team selected. We learn a little more in the NBA summer leagues, but summer success isn't a very accurate predictor of stardom, not when players like Loren Woods, Shammond Williams and Nikoloz Tskitishvili have made the honor roll in previous summers. A more accurate gauge of a player's future performance is an inability to thrive in a summer league. If a player can't produce against the watered-down competition in the summer, he'll struggle mightily to get it done against real NBA players during the season. This year the NBA held four summer leagues across the country -- the Reebok Vegas Summer League, the Orlando Summer League, the Southern California Summer Pro League in Los Angeles and the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City. To get the skinny, Insider queried a number of NBA scouts and executives who attended the four leagues: Who played well? Who bombed out? How does the performance of rookies and sophomores affect team draft grades for the past two years?
Here's what the NBA Boys of Summer were up to in July:

THE GOOD

Charlotte Bobcats: We've been lukewarm toward Charlotte's last two drafts. But after the Bobcats' play in the Orlando league, we might have to adjust our draft grades a bit. This year's first-round pick, Adam Morrison, earned rave reviews. He showed he could score in summer league, averaging 24 points in 31 minutes. But he shot less than 40 percent from the field (less than 30 percent from 3-point country), averaged only 2.6 rebounds and struggled defensively, so it might be premature to put him in the All-Star Game just yet. Last year's second lottery pick, Sean May, was better. He averaged 18 points, shot 50 percent from the field and played strong defense. Raymond Felton played just one game before pulling out with a small injury. But that doesn't matter. Felton's strong play toward the end of last season proved he belonged in the league.

Boston Celtics: It's sometimes hard to decipher what Danny Ainge is doing with his roster, but when it comes to the draft, you have to like the results for the Celtics. One of the Celtics' second-round picks last year, Ryan Gomes, was one of the three or four best players in Vegas, continuing his strong play from last season. This year's first-round pick by the Celtics, Rajon Rondo, earned rave reviews from scouts (including some who mocked me when I kept Rondo in the top 10 on my prospects list on draft night). They are calling Rondo the steal of the draft. Rondo was second in the league in assists, showed his open-court skills, played excellent defense, kept mistakes to a minimum and shot the ball well (albeit by avoiding long-range jumpers). Last year's first-round pick, Gerald Green, was up and down. He's got NBA athleticism and size plus a beautiful 3-point shot (he shot 55 percent on 3s in Vegas). While he makes a lot of mistakes, he's still young and the talent is undeniable. Celtics fans are just going to have to be patient. Another steal was the undrafted Allan Ray, whose performance was among the best in Vegas, earning him a contract with the Celtics. Given the number of young players already on the roster, that's pretty impressive. Al Jefferson wasn't as bad as some have said, but compared to the kid who dominated the summer league two years ago, he does seem to have regressed. Still, Jefferson can rebound and he can score in the paint. His lack of aggression has some scratching their heads, but the scouts I talked to were all still generally positive about Jefferson's long-term future. It's just going to take him a little longer than the Celtics first thought. Sebastian Telfair, whom Boston acquired with a lottery pick, was solid. He ran the team well and in flashes was the pure point guard the Celtics need. But he didn't shoot the ball well and led the team in turnovers. Considering whom the Celtics could have drafted at No. 7 (either Brandon Roy or Randy Foye), it looks like Boston might have gotten the short end of the stick. Roy, Foye and Rondo all look like they have more NBA potential than Telfair. On the other hand, the Celtics did save some money in the trade by swapping Raef LaFrentz for Theo Ratliff.

Chicago Bulls: Thabo Sefalosha showed he's going to be able to step in right away and contribute to the Bulls. Sefalosha played only two games, but he excelled at just about everything -- he shot the ball well, played great defense, handled the ball a little and rebounded. Chicago's higher pick, Tyrus Thomas, was more of a mixed bag. When Thomas stuck to what he does well -- rebounding, shot-blocking and playing around the basket -- he looked very good. When he tried to be a wing player, the results weren't so hot. Thomas, a natural power forward, took six 3-pointers in Orlando and made just one. While there is talk that he might be able to play small forward someday, it's going to take a while before he can contribute there -- especially since the Bulls upped the stakes by adding Ben Wallace to the mix. If Thomas sticks to what he does well, he has a shot at breaking into the rotation this year.

Utah Jazz: Utah GM Kevin O'Connor has taken a beating for his draft performance the past decade. Before the 2005 draft, the Jazz had drafted DeShawn Stevenson, Raul Lopez, Curtis Borchardt, Sasha Pavlovic, Kris Humphries and Kirk Snyder in the first round. They are no longer in Utah, and only Stevenson has shown signs of being a legit NBA player. O'Connor's fortunes changed last year. While he's been derided for selecting Deron Williams over Chris Paul, Williams continues to show that he's got a bright future in the NBA. His play the last month of his rookie season for Utah was strong, and in the two games he played at the Revue, he looked great. Williams probably won't have as stellar a career as Paul, but he's a good fit in Utah and should be their lead guard for the next decade. Ronnie Brewer has the Jazz singing his praises. This year's first-round pick, Ronnie Brewer, has Jazz fans salivating. Brewer was dynamite in Utah, averaging 16 points on 56 percent shooting. He played excellent defense, filled multiple positions and showed he'll fit a serious need for the Jazz with his ability to drive and get to the rim and the foul line. Brewer probably will begin the season coming off the bench, but it's not out of the question that he'll be in Jerry Sloan's starting lineup before the season ends. A couple of second-round picks, C. J. Miles and Paul Millsap, also were solid. Miles showed the ability to score, and Millsap proved that he's going to be able to rebound at the next level.

Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves had only one rookie to speak of, Randy Foye, but he was awesome. Foye was a scoring machine in Vegas, averaging a summer league-high 24.8 points while shooting an impressive 53 percent from the floor. Foye was impossible for defenders to stay in front of and he got to the basket at will. Given the recent rule changes, he should have the same sort of success at the next level. He looks like a real steal for the Wolves, though the arrival of Mike James in the backcourt might mean that there won't be enough basketballs to go around in Minnesota.

Indiana Pacers: The Pacers quietly have been exploring ways of rebuilding their team this summer without tearing things apart. In part that's because they are bullish on four young players on their roster. Danny Granger was the steal of the draft last year and he continued to show maturity and poise beyond his years at Orlando. Granger didn't go out to dominate, but still averaged 17.3 points and 5.0 boards for the Pacers. His shot wasn't really falling in Orlando, but his play still gave the Pacers reason to be hopeful that he'll be a major contributor to the team next year. Big man David Harrison continued to show improvement. He played only two games but was dominant when he was on the floor. This year's rookies were more of a mixed bag. Shawne Williams played just one game and struggled shooting the ball. Second-round pick James White had an excellent summer league and drew very positive reviews from several scouts. His defense and poise really stood out, according to scouts, and he shot the ball quite well.

Memphis Grizzlies: After a string of disappointing drafts, it looks like Jerry West is back. Hakim Warrick played very well in the Summer Pro League for the second straight season. This year's lottery pick, Rudy Gay, played in just two games, but was dominant in both. The Grizzlies' other first round pick, Kyle Lowry, was up and down. Based on what scouts saw in Los Angeles, it looks like Lowry might be another year away before he gets much burn. Everyone was much more excited about second-round pick Alexander Johnson, who dominated in Los Angeles with his strength and athleticism. But Johnson is older and more physically mature than most of the players he was up against. Will he be able to use his raw power as effectively in the regular season?

Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers didn't get to see much of this year's picks, Rodney Carney and Bobby Jones, as injuries limited both to three games. Carney was very solid in all three games. Jones didn't make a shot. The good news is that two second-round picks from 2005 shined for the Sixers. Louis Williams showed he could fill the void of an undersized 2-guard who shoots too much if Allen Iverson gets traded. Williams took a whopping 97 field-goal attempts and another 42 free throws in six games for Philly. He averaged 22 points and shot 47 percent from the field. Shavlik Randolph had 25 points and 13 rebounds in his only appearance for the Sixers.

New Jersey Nets: Some believe the Nets got the steal of the draft in Marcus Williams, and he didn't disappoint in Orlando. He slimmed down to a svelte 204 pounds and ended up averaging 16.6 points and eight assists with 46 percent shooting, including 55 percent shooting from the 3-point line. He did have some problems with turnovers and defense, but looked like he was well on his way toward solving the Nets' problem backing up Jason Kidd. Last year's first-round pick, Antoine Wright, had a miserable season, but picked things up in the summer league, averaging a team high 17.2 points on 47 percent shooting and 50 percent shooting from 3-point territory. While scouts still have some questions about his defense, athleticism and ability to create his own shot at the next level, they thought his performance was solid. We gave the Nets a hard time for drafting Josh Boone, but he was good in Orlando before a shoulder injury hurt him in the last game. Boone has to have shoulder surgery and will miss much of the first half of the season.

THE BAD

Phoenix Suns: The Suns do so many things right that it's tough to criticize them. They remain my favorite team in the league to watch, and with Amare Stoudemire returning, they have a great shot at winning it all next season. But after years of being one of the best teams at drafting, I think the Suns screwed up their last three drafts, badly. In 2004, the Suns traded their pick to the Bulls for Chicago's 2005 first-round pick. It turns out they could've had their choice of Luol Deng or Andre Iguodala. The rationale was that the team needed to save money to make a run at a free agent. They used the said saved money to sign Quentin Richardson. Richardson was solid, but the Suns almost immediately regretted overpaying him to the tune of $45 million and traded him to the Knicks the next summer. The Suns used that Bulls 2005 pick (which was much lower than they had originally expected, thanks in part to the Bulls grabbing Deng) to draft Nate Robinson. They then traded Robinson and Richardson to New York for Kurt Thomas. The rationale was that the Suns needed toughness and they needed to save money. Thomas was solid, but ran out of gas in February and spent the rest of the season on the injured list. This year, the Suns traded both of their first-round picks (Rajon Rondo and Sergio Rodriguez) for a future first-round pick, and cash. Again the rationale was that the team wanted to save the cap room so that they could spend in free agency. Their primary target, John Salmons, spurned them, and they ended up throwing way too much money at Marcus Banks when Salmons went another way. So after three drafts, what do the Suns have to show for it all? A broken down Kurt Thomas (with $16 million left on his contract), an overpaid/undersized back-up guard in Banks and the Cavs' first-round pick next season. Would you trade those assets for a combination of Deng (or Iguodala), Robinson and Rondo? On talent, there's no way. And when you factor in how cheap rookies are compared to free-agent vets, you wouldn't do it for the money, either. The bottom line is: Part of the reason the Suns are having cap problems is that they aren't totally taking advantage of cheaper rookie contracts. When Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw sign their extensions (Barbosa is closer than Diaw right now to inking a deal), the team won't have any young players in the pipe earning cheaper contracts. The Suns have three potential first-round picks next year. Let's hope they've learned their lesson. Add Deng or Iguodala to that already stacked Suns roster and I think they'd be the favorite to win the West next season.

Clippers: As most of you know, I'm not one who automatically believes that international players are dubious NBA prospects. I actually go overseas, evaluate them and don't discount them because their names sound funny. But I think Mike Dunleavy went overboard when he drafted Yaroslav Korolev ahead of players like Danny Granger, Sean May, Rashad McCants and Gerald Green. Korolev averaged 10.8 points on 35 percent shooting. He shot 25 percent from 3-point territory, couldn't guard anyone and led the team in turnovers. At this point, it looks like we're going to have to wait another year before we can see if Korolev can play. Combine that with the uneven play of a guy on whom I was high on in the 2004 draft, Shaun Livingston, and it's tough to put the Clippers in any other category. Second-round picks Daniel Ewing and Guillermo Diaz played better, but not well enough to make up for Korolev.

Warriors: The Warriors also have drafted well in the past, but their young guys didn't show much in Vegas. 2004 first rounder Andris Biedrins actually looked like he might have taken a step back. Patrick O'Bryant put the P in project and Ike Diogu missed the summer league with more injuries.

Spurs: The Spurs are famous for either trading their first-round pick or selecting some obscure international player. Two of the said mystery men showed up in Utah at the Rocky Mountain Revue and there wasn't much to like. Ian Mahinimi looks like he has the raw tools but looks to be years away. By the way Sergei Karaulov played, according to scouts, he might never play in the league.

Heat: The Heat didn't have a pick this year so they went with their first rounder from two years ago, Dorell Wright, and a slew of undrafted players from this year's draft -- Mike Gansey, Kevin Pittsnogle, Eric Hicks, and Daniel Horton. Wright was a disappointment, according to scouts. He had a couple of solid games for the Heat, but was plagued with inconsistency. He's still young and has a lot of talent, but for a third-year player in the summer league, scouts expected more. Gansey, Pittsnogle, Hicks and, to a lesser extent, Horton all justified the 30 teams that passed on them on draft night. None of them stood out. The good news is that an undrafted center out of Memphis, Earl Barron, was one of the dominant players in the camp. He probably won't get much blow behind Shaq and Alonzo Mourning, but if one of them goes down, he could see some minutes. If he plays the way he did in Orlando, he could be a sleeper.

Magic: The Magic's first-round pick, J. J. Redick, sat on the sidelines and cheered. His back injury forced him to miss the summer league and the USA basketball tryouts -- not the start you want from your lottery pick. Combine that with last year's lottery pick, Fran Vazquez, hanging out in Spain and the Magic's draft gurus are not looking so hot right now. Their second-round picks were a mixed bag. Second-year point guard Travis Diener was great by all accounts, though scouts weren't sure whether anything he did in the summer league would translate in the NBA. Diener didn't have much talent on his team and ended up dominating the ball. 2006 second-round pick James Augustine was his usual low-key self. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

MUDDY WATERS

Hawks: On the bright side, last year's No. 2 pick, Marvin Williams, tried to shut all of us up for criticizing the Hawks for passing on Chris Paul to draft him last year. Williams was awesome at the Rocky Mountain Revue, averaging 23.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting a red hot 55 percent from the field. Williams did a little of everything, but most importantly, he was aggressive putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket. No one could defend him here. If he shows up playing like that next season, the Chris Paul criticism will hush. I am still holding true to two seemingly inconsistent propositions. I still believe that in five years Williams will be remembered as the best player in the 2005 draft. And I still think the Hawks made a mistake by passing on Paul. Had they drafted Paul, they could keep Al Harrington this summer and have a team that could approach 35 to 40 wins next year. As it stands now, Speedy Claxton is now Chris Paul and makes a lot more money. Williams is a better prospect than Harrington, but it looks like the Hawks are in for another long season. Second-round pick Salim Stoudamire also played well, shooting an impressive 55 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point territory. This year's picks didn't fare so well. The general consensus was that Shelden Williams was the most disappointing lottery pick in the summer league. For a guy that was drafted this high because he was supposed to be NBA ready, Williams averaged just 8.0 points and shot a miserable 33 percent from the field. "I was high on Shelden before the draft," one NBA executive at the Rocky Mountain Revue told Insider. "But after watching him here I have to say that I think I was wrong. I never want to read too much into the summer league, but every one of Shelden's weaknesses looked glaring here. I'm not sure he'll overcome them. That's not fair, but he's not going to grow or get more athletic and that was what was holding him back. I don't think he has the craftiness in his game to overcome those shortcomings." With the two guys drafted right behind Williams -- Brandon Roy and Randy Foye -- looking awesome, this could be the last nail in the coffin for Billy Knight.

Blazers: On the positive side, Brandon Roy looks like the potential Rookie of the Year candidate we touted him to be the night of the draft. The Blazers played him out of position at point guard and he handled himself surprisingly well. When they switched him to shooting guard the last day, he went off for 35 ppg on 13-for-22 shooting. He ended up averaging 19 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists while shooting 65 percent from the field and 67 percent from 3-point territory. The Blazers had less luck with their other two first-round draft picks. Last year's first-rounder, Martell Webster, started off the summer league with a bang by scoring 29 points against the Rockets. But after that he struggle with his shooting, finishing with a 1-for-11 performance against the Suns. Shooting is Webster's best asset right now and while you can't quibble with a 40 percent shooting performance from 3-point territory for the summer league, he didn't play as well as his talent suggests he should. LaMarcus Aldridge didn't play like the No. 2 pick in this year's draft until his last game against Phoenix, when he scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Otherwise, he appeared to lack the strength to play down low and spent too much time hanging around the perimeter. One other former first-rounder, Travis Outlaw, was solid, but didn't have the dominating performance he put up in Vegas last year. A few of the Blazers' second-round picks -- Ha Seung Jin, Nedzad Sinanovic and Joel Freeland -- didn't show much of anything.

Knicks: Last year's Knicks rookies all played well in Vegas. David Lee was the best of the group, hustling up and down the floor, grabbing rebounds and scoring in a multitude of ways. Nate Robinson showed he could run the point a little, at least part time, but continued to have problems shooting the ball. Channing Frye played two games. In the first he looked great, the second he struggled. This year's first-round pick Renaldo Balkman was disappointing & for Knicks haters. Everyone was ready to blast Isiah Thomas for making the biggest draft blunder of the century but Balkman actually played well. Not well enough to justify being drafted ahead of Rajon Rondo or Marcus Williams, but he hustled, grabbed rebounds and showed a lot of energy. I'm not sure how he makes it into the rotation in New York, but given all the pressure on this guy to perform, he did well. Meanwhile, Mardy Collins looked like he won't see the light of day in New York for the next decade.

Raptors: Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo can breathe a sigh of relief. He stuck his neck out drafting Andrea Bargnani with the No. 1 pick and, by all accounts, scouts were impressed with Bargnani's scoring mentality, outside shooting and his ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. Scouts said he still needs a lot of work in the weight room, at the defensive end and on the boards, but felt that he was more advanced than they had thought. Last year's first-rounder, Joey Graham, was up and down. Ditto for this year's second-rounder, P.J. Tucker.

Hornets: Last year's first-round pick, Chris Paul, won the Rookie of the Year and is playing for Team USA so he was exempt. This year's top two picks were OK. Hilton Armstrong played well in two of the three games he played. He hustled up and down the floor, shot a high percentage from the field and played solid defense. Cedric Simmons really struggled on the offensive end, shooting just 37 percent from the field. But he was solid on the boards and played good defense. If you could combine him with Armstrong, you might have a complete big man. Last year's second-round pick, Brandon Bass, was disappointing.

Lakers: The Lakers got exactly what they expected from big man Andrew Bynum. One night he looked great. The next, ugh. He's a young big man who is still at least another year away from doing anything for the Lakers. He's got lots of talent, let's just hope he doesn't suffer sitting at the end of the bench. Jordan Farmar played pretty well, according to scouts, but no one sees him getting major minutes in L.A. this season.

Sonics: Everyone in Utah was pleasantly surprised to see how well Mouhamed Saer Sene played. Sene was billed as a player that was three-to-four years away from playing in the league. But his shot-blocking, defense and a few surprising offensive moves have everyone reassessing that. The leap from summer league to the NBA is huge, but Sene does things that should be able to translate. He ended up averaging 3.75 blocks in just 22 minutes. On the downside, the Sonics' other two young players, Robert Swift and Yotam Halperin, really struggled. Swift shot a miserable 30 percent from the field and Halperin seemed to struggle with the speed of the league.

Wizards: The Wizards appear to have an interesting prospect in Andray Blatche. He's a 6-foot-11 athlete who likes to spend most of his time facing the basket. He's very active and can do a little of everything. Some scouts compared him to a poor man's Rasheed Wallace. This year's first-round pick, Oleksiy Pecherov, was up and down but had a few stellar games against the Raptors and Knicks. However, based on the Wizards' signing of Darius Songalia, Pecherov probably is heading back to France or the Ukraine.

Kings: Kevin Martin continued to show that he knows how to put the ball in the basket, though he shot just 37 percent from the field in the Vegas Summer League. Francisco Garcia continues to appear to be a mistake. He shot 33 percent from the field and 14 percent from 3-point territory. The Kings drafted him for his shooting. Ouch. This year's rookies were better. Quincy Douby was solid. He scored, played some point guard and shot 40 percent from 3-point territory. Undrafted rookie Louis Amundson was a crowd favorite in Vegas with his athleticism and hustle. His 10.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 69 percent shooting from the field might earn him a roster spot with the Kings.

Cavs: The Cavs were pleased with the play of Shannon Brown, who showed he's going to be a handful to defend at the next level. Daniel Gibson was a mild disappointment. He was a highly regarded second-round pick who played like an average second-round pick. Martynas Andriuskevicius still looks like he's a few years away, but you can't teach height: He's 7-foot-3. Let's just hope the Cavs figure out how to teach him to play.

Pistons: The Pistons got a pleasant surprise from last year's second-rounder Amir Johnson. His length and athleticism had several scouts saying he's another year away from being a big-time prospect. Last year's first-rounder, Jason Maxiell, was solid though his shooting and free-throw percentages were eerily reminiscent of Ben Wallace. Last year's second-round pick, Alex Acker, had a few good games scoring. But he didn't shoot the ball particularly well. This year's second-round picks, Will Blalock and Cheik Samb, were a mixed bag. Samb was surprisingly solid rebounding the ball and blocking shots. He has to get stronger, but he could be a sleeper. Blalock led the team in assists but didn't shoot the ball well.

Mavs: The Mavs appeared to have picked up a keeper in Maurice Ager. He shot the ball really well in Vegas, averaging 20 points and shooting 47 percent from 3-point territory. His averages dipped by the time he hit the Rocky Mountain Revue, but considering how many games he played, you expect the legs to go a little. The same could be said for Pavel Podkolzine. He looked solid in Vegas averaging 11.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 21 minutes. He shot 60 percent from the field and even had a 20-point, 10-rebound game against the Kings. His legs were completely gone by the time he hit Utah, however, and he struggled mightily in the Rocky Mountain Revue. Still, for a 21-year-old, 7-5 kid, he showed enough promise to keep the experiment going.