Wow…PF/C Kevin Garnett to Boston for PF Al Jefferson, SF Ryan Gomes, SG Gerald Green, PG Sebastian Telfair, PF Theo Ratliff’s expiring contract, a 2009 lottery protected No. 1 pick, and the return of the pick Minnesota gave up in the Ricky Davis-Wally Szcerbiak deal…My initial reaction is wow, how will Doc Rivers screw this up? Here’s some links to ponder while I think about it a little more…

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/ian_thomsen/07/30/garnett.trade/index.html

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/steve_aschburner/07/30/garnett.minnesota/index.html

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070730

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=TradeKicker101

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7075382

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7073920

So long to Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser, who died too young at age 56 of an apparent heart attack…Prosser was a terrific coach who guided the Demon Deacons to the number 1 ranking in 2004, the 1st and only such ranking in school history… Seth Davis of SI.com with a nice article here: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/seth_davis/07/26/prosser.obit/index.html

Apparently talks between the Celtics and the T-Wolves around the Kevin Garnett to Boston for Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff’s expiring contract, random picks and other detritus trade have resumed…still don’t see it, especially since Garnett can opt out in 2008…

Erstwhile Raptor PF Charles Oakley has a book in the works about which he told the Toronto Star: "I'm not pulling any punches, true stories. It ain't one of those Charles Barkley fake books, it's a Charles Oakley book," Oakley said. "It's not an O.J. book, it's an Oakley book." Still incoherent after all these years…

Free agent notes:

- PG Smush Parker signs with the Heat
- Mavs to meet with Chris Webber this week
- SG Michael Pietrus set to sign a two year deal around $3 million per with the Warriors
- PG Charlie looks to re-sign with Milwaukee, terms not announced
-

So first Antoine Walker is robbed in his home at gunpoint and now Eddy Curry? I’m thinking if I’m a Chicago-based NBA player (both of these guys grew up in Chi-town) I’m getting some security or moving…

Wow…I mean wow…designating athletes as learning disabled in order to get them into a college basketball powerhouse?All I can say is wow…fom Gary Parrish of CBSsportsline.com, this is truly unbelievable: http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/10263119

My favourite picture of former NBA Ref Tim Donaghy...he's such a weasel...

OK…have you had enough of Ref-Gate yet? Me too…until there is an actual report from the Feds, we really don’t know the extent to which this is either a conspiracy involving a number of people, or just the action of one man…However, I have to say, one quote that David Stern came forward with was very telling:

"Doing the best you can,'' he said, "doesn't always mean that criminal activity by a determined person can be prevented.''

Stern as much as admitted in the press conference (transcript here http://proxy.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2947534) that his screening process for refs does not screen out criminal behaviour or addiction. Well, his next iteration of that process better accomplish just that, otherwise public (not to mention player) confidence in the NBA will never recover. Plus, watch the fallout on having a team in Vegas now. Stern will have a much harder time making peace with sports betting now that his life’s work has been victimized by it, but he’ll have to focus on the problem: gambling as an addiction. Addiction in medical terms is defined as “…compulsive repetition of a behaviour with a disregard for outcome of consequence.” I see the problem here as not one of sports betting, but one of the trouble that resulted from a person not able to stop sports betting. It’s no different than an addiction to alcohol. Plenty of folks drink without becoming alcoholics…plenty of people bet without becoming bet-aholics…

Here’s Charley Rosen (who I generally can’t stand) of Foxsports.com with a reminder that this has happened before:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7048994

Great Newark Star-Ledger article from Dave D’Alessandro with former official Mike Mathis expressing himself about failures in regulating officials with Stern as commissioner:

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1185337745294500.xml&coll=1

Oops…one more item…Frank Deford of SI.com with his opinion on Ref-Gate:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/frank_deford/07/25/gambling/index.html

Other notes:

Here’s a “Wow, where did all the shooters go?” note: Casey Jacobsen has resurfaced with a free-agent deal in Memphis…Jacobsen played in Germany last year where he was league MVP…

Interesting archive of best games by writer at SI.com:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/writers/best_game/archive/index.html

And the new centre for your Canadian National Basketball teams is…Jamaal Magloire? Nope, try Sixers C Samuel Delambert, who although he was born in Haiti, grew up in Montreal…

Quick baseball note: This in one of the best blogs on the net…here they are with their all time Canadians in MLB

http://bugsandcranks.com/the-clubhouse/team-canada/

Great article on Ron Artest from Marc Stein of ESPN.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2937882

Joke of the day…Joe Smith (2 years, $10million!!!) is the new low-post presence in Chicago…insert punch line here…

Milwaukee Bucks PG Mo Williams has reportedly agreed to a six-year, $52 million deal with the Bucks…apparently the lure of playing with Shaq and Wade on a perennial title contender, were not enough to make up for the $20 million difference based on the five-year, $31.4 million deal that Miami offered…

Alonzo Mourning does not want to go out like that: "I want to redeem myself and try to help this team redeem ourselves as an organization and try to get back on track," Mourning said. "That wasn't the Miami team you saw in the playoffs last year. ... I was embarrassed. I was truly embarrassed by that outcome. I know for a fact we're a better team. It left a sour taste in my mouth and it's time to really end it all on the right note. It will definitely be my last year…and with Alonzo Mourning, who averaged 8.6 points last season for the Heat (not to mention an absurd 5.44 blocks per 48 minutes) announced he is returning for a 15th season, not counting time off for bad kidneys…

Goodbye Mikki Moore hello Jamaal Magloire…the Nets signed the big Canuck Saturday with the deal contingent on Magloire passing a physical…terms not announced…Magloire averaged 6.5 points and 6.1 rebounds last year with the Blazers…Magloire has career averages of 9.0 points and 7.5 rebounds…

So Charlotte owner Robert Johnson elects to finally spend some money on SF Gerald Wallace $57 million/six years; SG Matt Carroll to $27 million/5 years; the remainder of SG Jason Richardson's $50 million/4 years, and C Emeka Okafor ready for a (promised) extension of around $70 million/5 years…good right? Well, after all that patience (some say miserly tight-fistedness) he now has practically no money to spend next year when Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Gilbert Arenas, Baron Davis, Allen Iverson, Elton Brand and Pau Gasol are all eligible to become free-agents…oops…

Wow…the Washington Post is reporting that the Portland Trailblazers will $30 of the $33.6 million left on Steve Francis’ contract in a buyout that will release the unwanted PG as an unrestricted free agent…look for Francis to sign with the Clippers, where his best friend Cuttino Mobley is the main drawing card…

Forgotten PG Marcus Banks had 42 points in the Suns summer league loss (93-89) to Cleveland on Monday…it’s worth noting that this performance come in the Thomas and Mack centre in Las Vegas, where Banks played as a collegian at UNLV…it’s a very positive step for Banks who fell out of the rotation, if not off the face of the earth, for the Suns last year after signing a 5 year $21 million contract to be Steve Nash’s backup…a positive step for the Suns too, who are aggressively shopping him…

The Raptors have signed Jamario Moon Early to a 2 year deal…the 6’8” SF was an entry candidate for the 2001 NBA Draft out of Meridian Community College (20.8 PPG and 8.7 RPG but was kicked out of school after 12 games), but was not selected. He originally signed out of high school with Mississippi State, but was academically ineligible…he’s bounced around a number of minor leagues (CBA, WBA, USBL and NBDL) without showing too much…

The Magic have withdrawn their qualifying offer (1 yr. @ $6.8 million) to C Darko Milicic, which effectively renounces thri rights to him and makes him an unrestricted free agent…Magic GM Otis Smith’s quote: He’s moved on and we’ve moved on.”

Good report here from the other summer pro-league in Orlando where JJ Redick seems to have re-discovered his game:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=orlandosummerleaguesday2&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos2

Fantastic article here from Tom Friend of ESPN.com about basketball in Northern Ireland:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?page=espnmag_peaceplayers&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos2

Look out…one of my favourite players last year was Pistons PF Jason Maxiel, a 6’7” 265 lb. jumping jack with Mr. Extendo arms who tries to dunk EVERYTHING…well, Maxiel has come into summer league down 25 lbs. (!!!) and is quicker off the floor, which seems impossible given his play last season…expect several nasty dunks from Maxiel this year, and several other missed dunks that will be just as exciting…

Very touching story out of Portland where SF Darius Miles has reached out to pay for the funeral expenses of 5-year-old Ethan Hansen who died after a tree limb fell on his tent while he was camping…apparently Miles was reading the paper (which is news in itself, but I digress) and after reading the story, he and his wife, who is expecting, were so touched by it they contacted the family with the offer…

Free agent rumour deluxe: Bucks PG Mo Williams is going to sign with Miami, leaving more money on the table in Milwaukee…

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/10/SPGJ9QTJCS1.DTL

Quote of the week comes from Channing Frye as told to an assemblage of reporters in Portland: “I bring everything…a little personality, a little leadership, a little shooting, a little defence…I’m a buffet of goodness.”

Hello Portland my name is Greg Oden…goodbye Gred Oden’s tonsils…goodbye summer league for the number 1 overall draft pick…

Vetgas Hotel, The Luxor, has posted odds to win the '08 NBA championship:

Dallas Mavericks 7-2
San Antonio Spurs 7-2
Phoenix Suns 4-1
Miami Heat 8-1
Cleveland Cavaliers 10-1
Chicago Bulls 12-1
Detroit Pistons 15-1
Houston Rockets 15-1
Utah Jazz 15-1
Denver Nuggets 20-1
New Jersey Nets 22-1
Golden State Warriors 22-1
Toronto Raptors 25-1
Washington Wizards 28-1
Los Angeles Lakers 30-1
Portland Trail Blazers 30-1
Seattle SuperSonics 30-1
Indiana Pacers 35-1
Los Angeles Clippers 35-1
Orlando Magic 40-1
New Orleans Hornets 45-1
Sacramento Kings 50-1
Milwaukee Bucks 60-1
Minnesota Timberwolves 75-1
Boston Celtics 80-1
Charlotte Bobcats 80-1
New York Knicks 80-1
Philadelphia 76ers 100-1
Atlanta Hawks 150-1
Memphis Grizzlies 150-1

Notes from watching Greg Oden in a summer league game against the Celtics last night…the good: 13 points, five rebounds, four blocks and only 9 fouls this time (as opposed to 6 points and 10 fouls the other night)…the bad: Oden has only really played well offensively against fellow rook Nick Fazekas (Dallas), who is a little faster than a glacier and Leon Powe (Boston) who is 6’7” in shoes if he’s lucky, while being well guarded by Mavs centre DaSagana Diop, who although he is a good defender, is not exactly the second coming of Nate Thurmond…the ugly: Oden is 1-for-8 from the foul line and has committed 19 fouls in 38 minutes over 2 games…

I also caught Yi Jianlian playing for Team China during a 85-84 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers…the good: Yi scored 17 points in the 4th including a tough 10 foot turnaround off the glass for the win as time expired…the bad: in the 4th quarter, he was mostly defended by non-drafted rookie free agent Ryvon Covile, who is terrible…the ugly: Yi made just 2 of 14 shots in a 26-point shellacking against Sacramento the day before…and while were at it Yi’s averages are 17.3 PPG on 30% FG…with 20 fouls and 12 field goals in three games…

Wow…Golden State's Marco Belinelli scored 37 points on 14-for-20 from the floor against New Orleans on Saturday…Monta Ellis, may not get J-Rich’s SG spot just yet…

Free Agent notes: Bulls SF Andres Nocioni agreed to a 5 year $38 million contract…Pistons PG Chauncey Billups has reportedly agreed to a 5-year deal worth $60 million, with the fifth year of the deal as a team option.

Free Agent rumour: Darko Milicic to the Grizz…Gerald Wallace about to re-sign with the Bobcats for 5 years and $60 million….

Great article from Randy Hill of Foxsports.com on how being a good player doesn’t necessarily means you’ll be a good GM:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6991754

Oh boy…this is gonna get worse before it gets better…check out these quotes from those involved in the growing scandal that is Yi Jianlian, the 6th pick in the draft by the Bucks:

From Zhao Gang, one of Yi's representatives, as told the official China Daily newspaper Tuesday: "[We] won't sit here and do nothing just because he was picked by Milwaukee…We are considering Yi's future at the Bucks and are looking at trade possibilities."

From Bucks GM Lenny Harris, as told to SI.com: "We're not trading him…We like him and we think this is a great opportunity for him. He'll get a chance to play a lot of minutes right away for a good team. What more could [he] want?"

From Yi himself, who is in Dallas with the China National Senior Team: "I don't want to talk about that…" And with that he walked away from reporters.

Oh and the inimitable Dan Fegan, Yi’s American agent has said exactly nothing…My bet is Yi sits out the whole year with this thing at loggerheads…

I don’t know what else this little French dude (6 feet max) can do, but he sure can dunk…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lMCu-2tq8Q

Jerry Stackhouse said the two sides had reached an agreement in principle on a contract to keep the sixth man with the Mavericks. Sources on both sides said the deal is for three years and the salary will start at more than the mid-level exception, which is expected to be about $6 million. If it starts at $7 million, the deal would be worth nearly $24 million for three seasons.

Good deal for the Suns? Absolutely. Between Grant’s basketball IQ and Steve Nash’s passing ability, he’ll get a ton of open layups. Obviously Hill can still play (14.4 ppg this year); he’ll give Phoenix another ball-handler, smart passer and guy who won’t rock the boat ’cause his only goal is to win a ring. Plus, he’s coming to them super-cheap …

Sounds like Nocioni to Memphis is dead…Bulls seem to have landed him for 5 years and $38 million…

Trade Rumour: Knicks send PF David Lee and SF Jared Jeffries to the Kings for SF Ron Artest…

Congrats to PJ Carlesimo for overcoming 7-plus years of bad press and career purgatory in becoming the new coach of the Sonics…here’s hoping that in all that time (which wasn’t so bad considering he won 3 rings as a SA assistant) he’s learned to be a better communicator, which was the main complaint in his previous stops in Portland and Oakland…

Ok…Parental leave over...back to reality…here’s my belated draft thoughts…

Wow…I’m about to praise Danny Ainge…so your franchise player Paul Pierce needs a sidekick…how about Ray Allen? He’s only league's best jump shooter with in the gym range…he’ll turn 32 next month and will open up the paint for Pierce in the mid range and Al Jefferson in the post…plus they got rid of Wally Szcerofihdfkjhbewybiak, who sucks and is a locker room cancer and Delonte West's who can go with the emergence of Rajon Rondo…then they pluck USC PG Gabe Pruitt and PF Glen "Big Baby" Davis…plus they don’t give up uber-athletic SF Gerald Green…great draft…

Did MJ just trade Brendan Wright for a broken down Jason Richardson? Yikes…I hear J-Rich’s knee will never be better…oh, and if Gerald Wallace does not re-sign, there could be trouble…

Funniest thing in the draft…the Pacers, who had no picks traded into the 2ND round to pick a guy named Stanko…

The Nets picking 6’10” C Sean Williams formerly of Boston College is interesting…if it doesn’t pan out he can always get high with PG Marcus Williams and go out an steal some laptops…

How exactly do the Knicks run an offence with Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry both trying to plant themselves in the post? Plus both are black holes on offence and neither guy defends a lick…weird trade…

By drafting Joakim Noah (what was with the clown suit) the Bulls now have 3 guys (Noah, Ben Wallace and Tyrus Thomas) that if you locked them in the gym by themselves for a week, could not make an unguarded 8-foot jumper…

Al Thornton welcome to the Clippers…Corey Maggette welcome to the trading block…

GM rankings from SI.com…Raptors GM Brian Colangelo is 4th…http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/kelly_dwyer/06/25/gm.rankings/index.html