Former Florida State power forward Alexander Johnson, who played for the Memphis Grizzlies last season, has agreed to join the Heat and will sign a contract today, Miami-based agent Jason Levien said.

The Heat has been searching for depth at power forward behind Udonis Haslem because Antoine Walker will be needed to play a lot at small forward this season and Wayne Simien is recovering from knee surgery.

Johnson, 6-9, is expected to sign a two-year, $1.5 million contract, with the second year at the Heat's option.

Damon Stoudamire says he's as healthy as he's been in some time and is getting ready for another season in the NBA, his 13th.

"Hopefully I can get out of Memphis - that rebuilding process is hard,'' he said Sunday, after he scored 21 points in the Lute Olson Classic. "I've got to be professional but it's one of those situations where you never think you'll be in. You want to get put in a situation where you want to win. Individually things don't matter.

"I'm going to keep my fingers crossed (about being moved) but I'm not going to make any demands or nothing,'' he said.

"Anybody who's been in my position knows. You see the writing on the wall so I'm hoping at the end of the day we can work something out.''

Gene Bartow, a former coach at Memphis State and UCLA, was hired Thursday as president of Hoops LP, the company that operates the Grizzlies and their arena, the FedExForum.

Bartow was chosen NCAA coach of the year in 1973 after leading the Tigers to the NCAA finals against powerhouse UCLA. Memphis State is now called the University of Memphis.

After a one-season stint at Illinois, Bartow succeeded John Wooden at UCLA, going 52-9 in two seasons and leading the Bruins to the Final Four in 1976.

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has acquired a future first round draft pick from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for the rights to Juan Carlos Navarro.  

?We?re pleased to acquire a first round pick, which gives us an additional asset,? said Grunfeld. ?Our backcourt, led by Gilbert Arenas, DeShawn Stevenson, Antonio Daniels and our recent draft pick Nick Young, is deep and versatile.  By trading the rights to Juan Carlos Navarro ? a former second round pick of the Wizards ? we have greater flexibility to build our team.?

Navarro was originally drafted by the Wizards with the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft.

A former Grizzlies administrative assistant is suing the team for $3 million, claiming sexual harassment after her supervisor made several unwelcome sexual advances.

Breshetta Clark claims in the federal lawsuit that Carl Howard Parker, the team's engineering director, sought sexual favors while her husband was away on military duty.
 
Clark, who filed her claim in May, is seeking compensatory and punitive damages of $3 million against each defendant in the case, the Grizzlies and Parker, according to court documents.

The Wizards and Grizzlies are still working on the details of the Juan Carlos Navarro trade.

The Wizards are getting a first rounder but the Washington Post isn't sure about the lottery protection.

Don't expect to hear too much Pau Gasol trade speculation in coming months, after such chatter was a staple last season.

The Memphis Grizzlies on Friday reached a verbal agreement with the Washington Wizards to obtain the rights to Spanish guard Juan Carlos Navarro, reinforcing the notion that the Grizz have no intention of parting with Gasol.

The Grizzlies and Wizards, according to NBA front-office sources, have an agreement in principle that would send a future first-round pick -- likely a 2008 first-rounder -- to Washington in exchange for Navarro, who is considered one of Europe's top guards and, of greater importance to Memphis, one of Gasol's best friends.

Specifics about the draft pick and the lottery protection involved are still being finalized, sources said, but the Grizzlies are now exclusively negotiating a buyout of Navarro's contract with European club power FC Barcelona and operating as if he's their player.

Today is the day Pau Gasol will learn if his best friend, Spanish guard Juan Carlos Navarro, will be his newest Grizzly teammate.

The Washington Wizards, who hold Navarro's NBA rights, have until the close of business today to strike a deal to trade Navarro. That's the deadline imposed by Navarro's current team, FC Barcelona, which has agreed to let him out of his contract for a buyout of about $2 million if a deal can be reached by today.

Talks between Washington president Ernie Grunfeld, Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace and Navarro's agent, Alex Saratsis, lasted until Thursday evening and are scheduled to resume first thing this morning, Saratsis said.