Manu Ginobili is "somewhere between questionable to probable" for the Spurs' season opener Tuesday, coach Gregg Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News.

Ginobli suffered a right quadriceps bruise in practice on Saturday and missed practice Sunday because of the pain.

"He got whacked pretty good," Popovich told the paper. "We'll see how he is [Tuesday]."

In addition to trading for Ronald Dupree, Minnesota waived forward Ndudi Ebi.

The Wolves wanted to send Ebi to the Developmental League, but the move was blocked.

The Detroit Pistons have traded forward Ronald Dupree to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for a future second- round draft pick.

Dupree appeared in 47 games last season and averaged 10.0 minutes, 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds.

"Ronald is a solid defensive player and we wanted to get another big defender at the small forward position," said Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale. "He is a guy that we have looked at in the past and we are glad that we were able to add him to the team."

Washington Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed guard/forward Caron Butler to a contract extension.  Per team policy, terms of the extension were not announced.  

?We are pleased that we were able to come to an agreement in extending Caron?s contract,? said Grunfeld.  ?Caron is a proven NBA player and will be a very solid part of our core moving forward.  He is versatile, very tough and an outstanding competitor.  Caron places winning before everything else and we really like that about him.?

?I am very grateful and happy to be a part of the Washington Wizards organization,? said Butler.  ?This city, the organization, my teammates and my coaches have embraced me since I arrived here.  We have great team chemistry, and I know a good thing when I see it.  This is a great situation for me.  This offense suits my game perfectly, and I feel as though this is the perfect situation for me to prosper.?

The Golden State Warriors have signed forward Mike Dunleavy to a multi-year contract extension, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin announced today.  Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

?We?re extremely grateful that we were able to reach an agreement with Mike and his representatives,? said Mullin. ?We view him as a integral part of our future and as a player who will continue to develop and expand his game, much as he has during his first three years in the NBA.  Mike is a player who has improved every year that he has been in the league - as the statistics indicate - and his ability to simply help our team win basketball games will play a big part in our future success.  Additionally, he is a tremendous individual and an asset to our franchise both on and off the court.?

Dunleavy, 25, appeared in 79 games (all starts) for the Warriors last season, averaging a career-high 13.4 points 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.00 steal in 32.5 minutes per contest.  He also posted new career-highs in several other categories, including field goal percentage (.451), three-point percentage (.388), steals per game and minutes per game.  Over the final 34 games of the season, the 6-9 forward averaged 15.1 points and 5.7 rebounds, while shooting 48.4% from the field and 43.3% from three-point range.  Originally selected with the third overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, Dunleavy has appeared in 236 games with Golden State, averaging 10.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 26.3 minutes per contest.

?I?m really excited to know that I will be a member of this team for the next several years,? said Dunleavy. ?I knew from the beginning of this process that this is the place that I wanted to be and an organization that I wanted to be a part of in the future.  I?m very optimistic about the direction of the franchise and the potential for this team to become one of the top clubs in the Western Conference for several years. Additionally, I want to thank Chris Cohan for his continued financial commitment to this team and the entire basketball operations staff for having faith in my abilities.?

Investigators suspect Atlanta Hawks center Jason Collier died of a heart problem and will announce their findings Tuesday.

The 28-year-old player died Oct. 15 after he had trouble breathing in his Georgia home.

The autopsy was conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. GBI spokesman John Bankhead says the office performs all Forsyth County autopsies, and Bankhead said this autopsy showed the cause of death to be "heart-related."

The corner's office announced a news conference for Tuesday.

"It's a heart abnormality," said Collier's agent, Richard Howell. "It certainly appears to be that. Signs point to that."

Coroner Lauren McDonald III said his office pulled Collier's medical records from the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have exercised the fourth-year contract option on guard/forward Sasha Pavlovic, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

?Sasha is a talented young player,? said Ferry.  ?With continued hard work, Sasha can play an important part in our team?s future.?

Pavlovic?s extension keeps him under contract with the Cavaliers through the 2006-07 season.  Originally selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, Pavlovic was acquired by the Cavaliers from the Charlotte Bobcats on June 23, 2004 in exchange for a future first-round draft pick.  In 144 career games (23 starts), he has averaged 4.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game.

The Orlando Magic have waived centers Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje and Ken Johnson. Orlando?s roster is now at 15 and set for the season opener on Wednesday, Nov. 2 vs. Indiana.

Boumtje-Boumtje appeared in three preseason games for the Magic, averaging 4.0ppg and 2.7rpg in 13.3mpg. Johnson played in two preseason outings, averaging 2.5ppg and 1.00 blkpg in 7.5mpg.

Forward Terence Morris remains as the only training camp invitee to have made the opening day roster. Morris averaged 5.3ppg and 3.7rpg in in 17mpg in six preseason games.

In related news, Stacey Augmon (hernia surgery), Grant Hill (sports hernia), and Mario Kasun (right ankle tendinitis) will start the season on the Inactive List.

The New Jersey Nets have exercised the fourth-year option on the contract of guard Zoran Planinic, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today.  He will remain under contract with the Nets through the 2006-07 season.

"Zoran is a versatile player who has shown continued improvement in his first two seasons," said Thorn.  "We look forward to his continued development."

The Memphis Grizzlies today announced that President of Basketball Operations Jerry West has signed a two-year contract extension to remain with the organization through 2008.  

West first joined the Grizzlies as president of basketball operations on April 30, 2002, returning to basketball after a retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers, where he served as a player, coach and an executive for 19 years.  

?I am very proud of what we have done here in such a short time,? said West.  ?I am thrilled to be able to stay on, and continue to build a winning franchise for Memphis.   The support this city and our fans have shown the Grizzlies made my decision to stay in Memphis an easy one.  Memphis deserves a championship team, and I am committed to that goal.?  

Under West?s guidance, the Grizzlies have retooled their roster leading to two playoff appearances, while re-writing the franchise?s record books.  During the 2003-04 season, the Grizzlies went from being a 28-win team to winning a franchise record 50 games, and earning the first playoff berth in franchise history. The story-book season earned West the NBA?s Executive of the Year award, garnering the award for the second time in his career.

?What Jerry has done is more than build a winning team, he has built a franchise for Memphis,? said team majority owner Michael Heisley.  ?This franchise embodies winning, character and determination. With Jerry at the helm, the city and the organization can together expect a winning future, both on and off the court.?