Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram reports that Wang Zhi Zhi?s career as a Dallas Maverick is likely over. The tension created by Wang?s refusal to report to the Chinese National Team this summer has all but forced the Mavericks to sever ties with the 7-foot-1 restricted-free-agent center.

"Wang doesn't want to leave Dallas, but there's a 99 percent chance he's going to leave," Wan?s advisor, Simon Chan said. "For the sake of the Mavericks' relationship with China, they may let him go." Chan said he believes in the next five to 10 days, the Mavericks will work out a sign-and-trade and ship Wang to either the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors or Orlando Magic. Chan also said Wang has no plans to defect to the United States.

Jason Quick of the Oregonian reports that Damon Stoudamire may be playing himself back into the Blazers good graces.

After another rumor-filled summer where Damon has reportedly been mentioned in trades to the Timberwolves, Knicks and Cavaliers, the point guard waiver between wanting out of Portland and wanting to prove he can beat recently acquired Jeff McInnis for the starting job. I'm tired of listening to all of this stuff," Stoudamire said during the weekend. "It's not a bad thing, but it's something that has really motivated me. I'm really looking forward to having a big year. If it's here in Portland, it's here in Portland. If it's somewhere else, it's somewhere else. But I'm looking forward to having a big year."

In a scrimmage against Team USA on Saturday, Stoudamire was impressive. Considering he was matched up against Andre Miller, he was very impressive. "I tell you what, they might not want to trade me," Stoudamire said, laughing. . "I've got something in store for everybody." Blazers assistant coach Herb Brown said, "Damon looked good, huh?"

Stoudamire has heard the rumors while working out religiously. He looks more muscular than last season and accepts the trade talk. "I have been here for five years, and I always come up in trade rumors," Stoudamire said. "But until I am gone, I am a Blazer. But the one thing I can say is that through my time here, I have always tried to please everybody and do everything for everybody else. This season, I have to -- not play for myself -- but play my game from start to finish."

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that the Knicks will be looking at their second round pick during the World Championships.

Yugoslavian point guard Milos Vujanic will try to do what first-round pick Frank Williams failed to do - make a strong impression on Knicks' brass this summer. The 6-4 Vujanic, 22, is a member of the Yugoslavian national team, considered Team USA's largest threat in the World Championships that begin Thursday.

The Knicks don't have a point guard of the present but they seem to have two point guards of the future. First round draft pick Frank Williams is currently nursing a broken wrist. Vujanic will play this season with his Yugoslavian team, but the Knicks plan to have him for the summer league next July and the 2003 training camp.

"He seemed anxious to want to play for the Knicks," assistant GM Jeff Nix told The Post. "He's going to be a good player in our league and I told him that [Friday]. The day after the draft, four or five teams called and wanted to trade for him. When you get that many teams wanting to get their mitts on him, you know you've got a pretty good player in the second round."

Marc Berman of the New York Post is reporting that while the Knicks have no interest in bring back team icon Patrick Ewing for a retirement tour, GM Scott Layden has tried to convince Portland free-agent center Arvydas Sabonis to make his NBA comeback in the Big Apple.

The Knicks, however, will most likely end up losers in the Sabonis sweepstakes despite a heavy pursuit of the European big man, Sabonis' agent Herb Rudoy indicating that Sabonis will most likely be re-joining the Trail Blazers this week.

Portland still retain his bird rights after Sabonis sat out last season and have offered him a deal over the mid-level exception, starting at more than $6M.  The contract is expected to be for either one or two years.

"Scott has asked me a lot over the last year what Sabonis is going to do," Rudoy said. "Scott really kept on top of it, called me more than half-dozen times. But every time I mentioned New York to Sabonis, he said he just wanted to play in Portland."

Layden thinks Ewing can still make a contribution but if he's going to add to his payroll, he wants a player capable of making a bigger difference, according to a source.

Could a New York ending be on the cards for Patrick Ewing?  After being brought out of the final season in his two year contract with the Orlando Magic Patrick Ewing is finally without a home.  But after spending the first 15 of his 17 seasons in the NBA with the New York Knicks Barbara Barker of Newsday reports that perhaps Ewing may end his career in the same place he started it.. center-stage in the world's most famous arena Madison Square Garden.

Ewing's role has deteriorated ever since he was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics to the point where he was buried deep on the bench for the Magic, a team desperate for front court strength.  He is far from the same player who once earned $18 million from the Knicks in a single season, but surely it be worthwhile for the Knicks to bring Patrick home for league minimum, especially with the Knicks dire need at center.

Ewing's agent David Falk has hinted that Ewing might be considering retirement, and if this is the case the Washington Wizards will be waiting in the wings with an assistant coaching offer should that be what Patrick desires.  Neither Falk or Knicks GM Scott Layden could be contacted for comment but Falk has gone on record as saying that Ewing would make an announcement on his future in the next few weeks.

Timberwolves guard Wally Szczerbiak, approached by a New York Post reporter Sunday during his appearance at a youth basketball camp sponsored by the Knicks, said he would be interested in playing for that team. "Minnesota is where I play, but New York is always my home," said Szczerbiak, who grew up in Long Island and recently bought a house there.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that Wally Szczerbiak wants to be a Knick. And if he is not offered a maximum contract extension this summer by Minnesota and becomes a restricted free agent next year, the Knicks will be No. 1 on his list.

Of course the Knicks would probably have to work out a sign-and-trade deal to get Szczerbiak, which won?t be an easy task. But, if faced with the possibility of Wally leaving without compensation, the Wolves may be willing to deal.  

GM Scott Layden loves his fundamentally sound game, shooting ability, toughness and intelligence. He broke into a big smile yesterday when told Layden has made attempts to trade for him this summer.

"It's great, man," Szczerbiak told The Post. "I can't lie. This is where I've always been drawn too, even when I went to Miami of Ohio. I always came back in summer, telling the coaches, ?Don't expect to see me at all.' It's the same way with Minnesota.

"During the summer, I want to go home to the Long Island beaches. Minnesota is where I play, but New York is always my home. I've always been a big Knick fan. They've always been a team I loved to watch as a kid. It's a very intriguing place for me to play. Playing at home would be great."

The All-Star Szczerbiak said that his agent Gary Wichard is embroiled in extension talks with McHale and - yes - he is seeking a maximum extension.

"Seeing [Shawn] Marion get it, [Baron] Davis get it, I feel like I'm there with those two guys," Szczerbiak said. "I want to be paid fairly. You look at the way I play against the Ray Allens, Sprewells, the Houstons, Michael Finleys. You stack up the numbers, I just want to be compensated accordingly."

Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-sentinel reports that the Heat quickly denied the rumor that Alonzo Mourning could be traded to the Knicks.

"Coach [Pat] Riley has gone on record saying that Zo will be on the team this year, and it's our intention to re-sign Zo at the end of the season," said Heat spokesman Tim Donovan, with Riley and General Manager Randy Pfund in Los Angeles for the funeral of Lakers' broadcaster Chick Hearn.

The New York Daily News reported on Thursday that according to an "Eastern Conference official" Knicks General Manager Scott Layden called Riley to discuss a swap involving Mourning for swingman Latrell Sprewell and either forward Kurt Thomas or forward Clarence Weatherspoon, two former Heat players.

The "official" also said the Heat rejected Mourning's bid for a contract extension.

The trade doesn't make sense on several levels, with the most glaring contradiction having to do with Riley's insistence on clearing salary cap room for next season's glut of stellar free agents, including Tim Duncan.

Mourning, 32, is in the final year of his contract, which will net him $20 million, so why should Riley take on the future back-loaded contracts of Sprewell, Thomas or Weatherspoon? Sprewell and Thomas will earn a combined $18.9 million next year.

Another well-traveled rumor is forward/center Brian Grant (guaranteed $66.5 million through 2006-07) going to the 76ers in a sign-and-trade for free-agent swingman Matt Harpring and enigmatic forward Derrick Coleman. That would make monetary sense for the Heat because Coleman is in the final year of his contract, in which he'll reap $9.3 million this year.

However, Riley questioned why the Sixers didn't opt to re-sign Harpring, and Grant's agent Mark Bartelstein extinguished the brushfire.

"There's nothing going on with that right now," Bartelstein said.

Marc Berman of the New York post reports that ?Superagent?, David Falk would have liked to see the Knicks trade for Dikembe Mutombo. While he admits that Mutombo will be a good fir in New Jersey, Falk is baffled that Knicks GM Scott Layden didn't pull the trigger to obtain the center he's pursued since he traded Patrick Ewing two years ago.

The Post reported Wednesday the Knicks and Sixers engaged in trade talks about Mutombo, but Philly wasn't interested in Latrell Sprewell or Allan Houston, wanting a center in return. A league source confirmed yesterday's published report that the Sixers and Knicks had been close to a deal that collapsed because Layden wouldn't part with Kurt Thomas.

Last Friday, the source said, a trade was proposed in which the Knicks gained Mutombo and gave up Thomas, Charlie Ward and Travis Knight. On Monday, Layden called the Sixers, backing out of the deal. That's when the Sixers called the Nets. Sixers GM Billy King, asked about the crashed deal, said "I'm not going down that road."

Layden wouldn't comment either, but the club disputed the contention that a serious offer had been on the table. Evidently, Layden was leery of Mutombo's age and the fact that, in two years, the Knicks could have been saddled with four players - Sprewell, Houston, McDyess and Mutombo - signed to maximum contracts, further reducing his flexibility.

"It would've been interesting if Dikembe went back to New York now that they have McDyess because they played together in Denver," Falk said. "It would've been a helluva frontline. I guess there was a deal on the table - for whatever reason it wasn't consummated. I know Scott loves Dikembe."

Stephen A. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports on the trades the Sixers almost made. On Monday, the Sixers traded Mutombo to the Nets for Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch, but there were other deals discussed.

Last week, Mutombo was nearly a New York Knick (in a trade for Kurt Thomas and Latrell Sprewell) before he became a New Jersey Net. And, had it not been for the combination of Allen Iverson's arrest on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, followed by subsequent arrests of Bucks forward Glenn Robinson for allegedly assaulting his ex-fiancee and Coleman for suspicion of drunken driving, Robinson could have been traded for Coleman.

Sixers GM Billy King was on the phone with Milwaukee talking about inheriting the remaining three years and $32.66 million on Robinson's contract; he was trying to trade both Mutombo and Coleman in the same week. The major stumbling block stemmed more from appearances on the police blotters than play on the court.

Meanwhile, Ashley McGeachy Fox of the Inquirer reports that the Sixers are most likely not done dealing.

After the Nets trade, Philly is in the market for a veteran big man. Preferably one who can play both the center and power forward position. A report that the Sixers were interested in trading Derrick Coleman and Harpring to Miami for Brian Grant surfaced yesterday. That was apparently false because Grant's contract was too large and for too long. But a league insider said of the possible deal: "Miami would be the best for all three parties."

There are several free-agent big men who would fit Brown's criteria for a veteran center. Houston's Kevin Willis, who turns 40 next month, is 7 feet tall and averaged 6.1 points in 52 games, including five starts. Dean Garrett also is available. Minnesota traded the 6-11 Garrett to Golden State in February, and in 34 games last season, he averaged 1.1 points and 1.7 rebounds in 5.4 minutes.

Another veteran option could be Portland's Chris Dudley, who has said he is going to retire, or Chicago's Charles Oakley.