European power Maccabi Tel Aviv would have paid Jumaine Jones significantly more money to join them, as did several other NBA teams, but instead he will sign with the Phoenix Suns for the league minimum, which means $998,967 as a seven-year pro.

With the way Phoenix plays, there are certain players who are natural fits," Merle Scott, his agent said. "He's a shooter. He's a rebounder. He's looking to play for a contender, which was a priority for him. It's a great opportunity. He knows he's coming in to play a supporting role."

Scott expects a role for Jones similar to the one Tim Thomas, now with the Los Angeles Clippers, played at the end of last season.

"With the rotation and style of ball, the track record shows that guys are going to produce and get better," Scott said. "I know how happy Leandro is. I hope Jumaine feels as good about the family atmosphere.

"He's coming in to prove himself. The way they play, that's not too much to ask."

Maccabi Tel Aviv is reportedly in talks with DerMarr Johnson and Doron Perkins after signing Rodney Buford earlier this week.

Perkins was impressive for the Lakers during summer league.

"Perkins was great in the summer league, but I wouldn't say he was the focus of our efforts right now, " said Maccabi coach Neven Spahija, who added that former Cleveland Cavalier Dajuan Wagner and former Indiana Pacer Travis Best were also not among the team's first choice targets.

Maccabi is also interested in signing Jumaine Jones.

Lonny Baxter's plans for a playing career in Italy could be over after the forward was sentenced to two months in jail for firearms offences.

"We haven't reached a decision on Baxter but to tell the truth we weren't expecting there to be such a serious sentence," Montepaschi Siena general manager Ferdinando Minucci told The Associated Press on Thursday. "We will be speaking with him to reach a solution."

Baxter ? who signed for the Italian team from the Charlotte Bobcats for this season ? was sentenced to two months in jail Wednesday after pleading guilty to charges of carrying a gun and firing it into the air a few blocks from the White House.

The former Toronto Raptors forward was originally scheduled to join Siena for training camp on Monday ahead of the start of the Italian league season on Oct. 8. His prison sentence will delay his arrival.

According to a close friend of Vince Carter, his wife, Ellen, began divorce proceedings recently, which may become a significant factor in whether or not he remains with the Nets.

If Ellen were to gain custody of their 1-year-old daughter and elects to move back to Orlando or her own hometown in South Carolina, Carter could be motivated to sign with the Magic or Charlotte Bobcats just to stay close, as both teams have can sign him due to their significant cap space.

The last time Carter addressed his contract situation, he stated, "I just let it be as it may, and when the time comes, I'll deal with it."

After pleading guilty to charges of carrying a gun a few blocks from the White House, Lonny Baxter was sentenced Wednesday to two months in jail.

Baxter has been in jail since his arrest Aug. 16, when uniformed Secret Service officers responded to reports of shots being fired from a white sport utility vehicle.

The remainder of the trade exception acquired in last August's Joe Johnson deal expired Monday, but the Suns' interest in adding another experienced player has not.

Phoenix intends to sign another free agent to a guaranteed deal, the roster's 13th, in the next two weeks. The Suns are open to adding a player at any position.

"It will be a veteran who can shoot the ball a bit and someone who athletically fits our system," Suns Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin said.

The $3.6 million trade exception, which could have offset a salary gap in a trade, expired as few teams needed to dump a contract.

The candidate of late appeared to be Charlotte power forward Melvin Ely, but it was of little interest to the Bobcats. It became less appealing to Phoenix with Ely, a restricted free agent, seeking more years in a sign-and-trade deal.

"It was fairly obvious given our roster and where we are that we weren't going to spend that kind of money," Griffin said. "Our need for a player of that magnitude isn't as great as the past."

Argentina star Walter Herrmann is close to signing a deal with the Bobcats.

The 6-foot-6 Herrmann, who has scored 48 points in Argentina's two victories in the world championships, said he hopes to ink a one-year deal before the tournament ends September 3.

"They'll give me a physical sometime soon, and the deal will be finalized after that," he said Tuesday before Argentina practiced.

Former NBA player Lonny Baxter will remain in the District of Columbia jail on felony gun charge at least until next Wednesday, in part because of a request from his attorneys.

Baxter's lawyers asked a D.C. Superior Court judge Friday to delay a bond hearing so they could challenge aspects of the city's new crime emergency legislation that presumes anyone charged with carrying a pistol without a license to be dangerous.

Richard Finci argued that Baxter's classification as a dangerous person, which can be used to deny him bail, violates his constitutional rights.

"He should not be presumed to be a dangerous person just because he had a gun in his possession," Finci said. "To extend the law to the mere possession of a firearm, without a violent crime, goes too far," he said following the hearing.

The Bobcats will add an additional look in 2006-07, as they unveiled their new alternate team uniform on Wednesday.

The uniforms contain blue as the predominant color and are accented by the team?s other official colors of Bobcats Orange, black and silver. This uniform serves as the second road uniform, to be worn in addition to the orange away uniform the team debuted before the inaugural 2004-05 season.

?Alternate uniforms have proven to be very popular with fans across sports and we are proud to introduce our third uniform to Charlotte Bobcats fans,? Bobcats President and Chief Operating Officer Fred Whitfield said. ?Bobcats Blue is one of our team colors and the new blue uniform will look sharp on our players and complement our orange and white uniforms very well.?

Charlotte Bobcats player Lonny Baxter was arrested early Wednesday after reports of shots fired from a vehicle about two blocks from the White House, a Secret Service spokesman said.

Baxter, 27, was taken into custody around 2:30 a.m. after a witness flagged down a Secret Service officer and reported shots fired from a white sport-utility vehicle, said Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren. Officers stopped the vehicle near the intersection of 17th and I streets in Northwest Washington.

"There were spent shell casings in plane view inside the vehicle," Zahren said. Officers also recovered a handgun.

Both Baxter and another man in the vehicle, 35-year-old Irvin Martin, were charged with carrying a pistol without a license and other firearms charges.

Both men were being held by District of Columbia police.