| RECENT NBA NEWS provided by RotoWire.com |
| Coverwire Update |
Coverwire Take |
| Gilbert Arenas (G) WAS |
7/3/2008 |
| Arenas agreed to a six-year, $111 million contract with the Wizards on Thursday, the Associated Press reports. |
Arenas could have taken the max deal of $127 million , but he said he took less so as to help the Wizards' salary cap situation in the future. "I'm basically giving back $16 million," Arenas said. "This is in line with what I've been saying the whole time. You see players take max deals and they financially bind their teams. I don't wanna be one of those players and three years down the road your team is strapped and can't do anything about it." Arenas should be back to 100 percent in time for the beginning of next season; and having a healthy Arenas heading into next season should be a big boost for the Wizards. |
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| Michael Beasley (F) MIA |
7/3/2008 |
| Beasley returned to practice on Thursday, the Associated Press reports. |
Beasley missed practices on Wednesday night and Thursday morning but returned on Thursday afternoon after being evaluated by the team doctor. Beasley is day-to-day with the injury and is still on track to take part in Miami's first summer league game on Monday. |
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| Monta Ellis (G) GS |
7/3/2008 |
| Several teams have inquired about a sign-and-trade deal involving Ellis, Newsday reports. |
Apparently, the Cavs and Heat are showing the most interest. Warriors executive vice president Chris Mullin insists the team will match any offer Ellis receives. |
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| Chris Paul (G) NOR |
7/3/2008 |
| Paul and the Hornets agreed to a deal that will pay the star point guard $68 million over the next four seasons, Yahoo! Sports reports. |
Paul holds a player option for the final year of the deal. He is expected to sign the contract sometime Thursday evening, with the deal getting final approval from the league on July 9. |
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| Monta Ellis (G) GS |
7/3/2008 |
| The Warriors began negotiating with representatives of Ellis and talks are scheduled to continue in Oakland on Thursday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. |
Ellis is believed to be seeking a long-term deal, averaging over $10 million per season. He may have some leverage now that point guard Baron Davis has opted out, but the Warriors will have to be sure Ellis, whose career A:TO ratio is 1.6:1, can handle the point full time. |
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| Chris Andersen (C) NOR |
7/3/2008 |
| The Celtics are expected to meet with Andersen, the Boston Globe reports. |
Andersen came back from his two-year suspension from the league in January, but didn't do much with the Hornets in his comeback. He's a high-energy guy that can block shots and fill a role in Boston's lineup if he's in NBA shape. |
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| Corey Maggette (G) |
7/3/2008 |
| Contradicting earlier reports, the Celtics insist no offer was made to Maggette, according to a team source, the Boston Herald reports. |
The Celtics do not deny talking to Maggette and other free agents, as they attempt to assemble a pool of candidates in the event that their top priority -- signing James Posey -- does not occur. |
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| Luol Deng (G) CHI |
7/3/2008 |
| Bulls general manager John Paxson and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf met with Deng and his agent on Wednesday to discuss re-signing the restricted free agent, the Chicago Tribune reports. |
No offers have been made yet, but that could come on Thursday. Chicago is also looking to lock up Ben Gordon this summer. |
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| Jose Barea (G) DAL |
7/3/2008 |
| It appears Barea will return to Dallas next season as he agreed to three-year deal with the Mavericks, the Dallas Morning News reports. |
Barea had several nice moments last season but will likely see limited minutes behind Maverick point guard Jason Kidd. |
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| Eddie Jones (G) DAL |
7/3/2008 |
| As expected Jones exercised his option for the 2008-09 season, the Dallas Morning News reports. |
Jones had the worst shooting year of his career last year but could still be a nice option for Dallas off the bench as well as decent trading chip with his now expiring contract. |
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| David Padgett (C) MIA |
7/3/2008 |
| The Heat signed Padgett on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. |
Padgett shot 67 percent from the floor this past season for Louisville. The Heat are somewhat thin at the center position, so Padgett has a shot at sticking with the team. "It seems like the best situation and the best opportunity for me, so I'm taking advantage of it," Padgett said. |
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| Jason Richards (G) MIA |
7/3/2008 |
| The Heat signed Richards on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. |
Richards, who was undrafted in last week's NBA Draft, led the NCAA Division 1 with 293 assists as a senior at Davidson. |
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| Darius Miles (F) |
7/3/2008 |
| Miles is subject to a 10-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug program, The Oregonian reports. |
Miles, who was waived by the Trail Blazers in April, is free to play for any team willing to sign him. |
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| Chris Duhon (G) |
7/3/2008 |
| The Magic are expected to offer Duhon a three-year contract worth close to $10 million, the Orlando Sentinel reports. |
Duhon, who met with Orlando officials on Wednesday, will return home and decide between the Magic and the Knicks, with whom he met on Monday. "The visit here went really well," said Kevin Bradbury, Duhon's agent, Wednesday night from his Orlando hotel room. "Chris wants to help a team win a championship. That's what Orlando is trying to do. That's different than a team looking to rebuild. He was flattered that a team of this caliber wants him." The addition of Duhon in Orlando would appear to end the possibility of re-signing Carlos Arroyo or signing unrestricted free agent Corey Maggette. |
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| Nenad Krstic (C) NJ |
7/3/2008 |
| Krstic's agent said they are exploring sign-and-trade options with the Nets, who are looking to offer no more than a two-year commitment to the restricted free agent, the Newark Star-Ledger reports. |
With recent changes to the Nets' roster, including an influx of front court players, Krstic will be nothing more than a spare part on a team looking to craft a new image. "We've talked about all the possible options out there," agent Marc Cornstein said. "Because of his situation -- coming off the injury, his age (he turns 25 in three weeks) -- the important thing is to go into a situation where he is wanted, and where he is able to flourish. So he'd be open to anything, if it's going to be best for his career." |
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| Bill Walker (F) BOS |
7/2/2008 |
| Walker (knee) had successful surgery to repair damage to his right knee, the Associated Press reports. |
Walker dropped to the second-round due to the troubles with his knee. If Walker is unable to participate in summer leagues, it might be hard for him to make an impact next season. No timetable has been set for Walker's return. |
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| Kendrick Perkins (F) BOS |
7/2/2008 |
| Perkins (shoulder) had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. |
This is the same shoulder that caused Perkins to miss Game 5 of the NBA Finals. No return date has been set. |
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| Michael Beasley (F) MIA |
7/2/2008 |
| Beasley left about 45 minutes into his first practice with the Heat after catching an elbow in his chest, the Associated Press reports. |
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he doesn't believe the injury should affect Beasley's status for the Orlando summer league which opens Monday. "He took a shot to the chest," Spoelstra said. "He probably could have finished if it was the regular season or something like that, but we just wanted to be safe." |
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| Eric Gordon (G) LAC |
7/2/2008 |
| The Clippers signed Gordon on Wednesday, NBA.com reports. |
Gordon was the seventh overall selection taken in the 2008 NBA Draft. With the anticipated arrival of point guard Baron Davis, the Clippers will ask Gordon to do more scoring than ball handling. |
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