DON'T look now (you're too late, the preseason ended Friday), but the Grizzlies were the NBA's most improved Canadian outcast during the exhibition schedule, their sole setback to the champion Spurs.

Pau Gasol's even better than last season. Jason Williams has gotten himself under more control. James Posey, Earl Watson and Bo Outlaw actually listen to Hubie Brown's lectures and learn from them. Mike Miller is making plays.

Barring changes in attitude and an immediate perception overhaul, Stromile Swift will become a restricted free agent in 2004.

The Grizzlies' top draft pick (No. 2 overall) of 2000 is eligible to negotiate a contract extension. The deadline for striking a deal will have expired by the team's regular-season opener on Friday.

Swift's "restricted" status would mean the Grizzlies will be given 15 days to match another team's offer sheet next summer.

Grizzlies guard Michael Dickerson has a mind that persistently begged him to play basketball again.

However, his body inexplicably kept saying no.

On Saturday, Dickerson relented to painful body language and announced his retirement from the NBA. The move ends Dickerson's two-year struggle to come back from a severe sports hernia condition.

"The team waived guards Richard Jeter and Robert O'Kelley and forward Shelton Jones Tuesday afternoon. The transaction reduced the roster to 16 players."

With the Jazz still having a ton of capspace available, teams are trying their best to get them to take on salary.

"The Mavericks and Jazz have been engaged in discussions regarding veteran swingman Chris Mills, sources from both sides said Sunday."

However, the Jazz want more compensation for taking on Mills' contract.

The Phoenix Suns are also in the mix. They want to dump Brevin Knight on the Jazz.

"Miller recently signed a 6-year contract extension, an expected move announced Saturday during the team's open practice. The deal is believed to be worth more than the $43 million contract extensions that guards Jason Williams and Michael Dickerson signed before the 2001-02 campaign."

"Memphis Grizzlies marksman Mike Miller, who was acquired in last season's trade deadline deal with the Orlando Magic, agreed to terms on a six-year contract extension on Saturday."

Excluding Knight, addition by subtraction is what the trade came down to for the Grizzlies. It was a lay-up-type, three-for-two deal in which the Griz expelled three players who weren't in their plans for two guys who figure to contribute right away.

After Tuesday morning's training camp-opening workout, coach Frank Johnson said the Suns were committed to Jake Tsakalidis as the club's starting center.

"We're going to give him every opportunity to be there," Johnson said.

But even before the afternoon practice, Tsakalidis was on his way to Memphis along with forward Bo Outlaw as part of a five-player deal that brings the Suns' backup point guard Brevin Knight and two developing big men.

Along with Knight, the Suns got 7-foot-2, 240-pound Polish-born center Cezary Trybanski and former Illinois forward Robert Archibald.

Trybanski played in 15 games as a rookie last season and totaled 14 points and 14 rebounds in 86 minutes of playing time. Archibald got even less action, appearing in 12 games. He had 19 points and 17 rebounds in his season-total of 72 minutes.

But the move may have been made for financial reasons as much as for basketball purposes.

Outlaw has two years remaining on his contract, including the upcoming season, which would pay him $5.955 million and $5.355 million. Tsakalidis has two years remaining on his contract, paying $1.58 million this season and $2.32 million next season.

Archibald does not have any guaranteed money on a second-round minimum deal; Trybanski is to be paid $1.6 million this season and $1.76 next season.

Finally, Knight is in the final year of his contract, which will pay $5 million.

Thus, at the end of this season the Suns could clear about $6 million from their salary cap. The difference could keep the Suns below the league's so-called "luxury tax threshold" which charges a dollar-for-dollar penalty for teams that exceed the salary cap by too much.

Guard Michael Dickerson participated in only the first half-hour of practice Tuesday morning, and then excused himself.

"What it came down to was the pace. It was a hard pace," coach Hubie Brown said. "I don't want to say anything else because I haven't talked to him yet."

Dickerson admitted to over-extending himself at the start of last year's training camp. He broke down just before the 2002-03 regular season began. Dickerson participated in informal workouts for nearly two weeks before the start of training camp.

Tuesday was the first day Grizzly players with four-plus years of experience were required to practice.

Evening sessions are closed to the media so how much time - if any - that Dickerson worked out is unknown.

Brown strongly iterated that the organization would not nudge Dickerson to retire. Dickerson told The Commercial Appeal last week that he plans to play this season.