March 2007 Basketball Wiretap

Cavaliers Extend Qualifying Offers To Varejao And Pavlovic

Jun 30, 2007 10:48 PM

The Cleveland Cavaliers announced today they have tendered qualifying offers to Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao. The qualifying offers make each player a restricted free agent and also gives the Cavaliers the right of first refusal on re-signing each.

Pavlovic, a 6-foot-7, 239-pound guard/forward, averaged 9.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 67 games (28 starts) this season.

Varejao, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward/center, appeared in 81 games (six starts) and averaged 6.8 points and 6.7 rebounds.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA

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Sixers Fans To Choose Young's Number

Jun 30, 2007 10:45 PM

The Philadelphia 76ers and forward Thaddeus Young, the 12th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, are offering fans the chance to select Young's jersey number via an online poll at Sixers.com.

Fans will be given Young's final four choices - numbers 5, 21, 30 and 31 - and can cast their votes online starting Thursday, July 5, through Friday, July 27, at Sixers.com.   The winning number will be announced online on July 30, 2007.
 
A 6-foot-8, 210-pound guard/forward, Young was one of the top freshmen in the country last season while playing at Georgia Tech.  He scored a team-high tying 14.4 points per game while adding averages of 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.29 steals.  The 19-year-old also connected on 39 three-pointers on 41.9 percent shooting in 31 games played.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Philadelphia Sixers, NBA

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Carter Opts Out Of His Contract

Jun 30, 2007 1:18 PM

New Jersey Nets guard/forward Vince Carter has exercised the option to forgo the final year of his contract, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today.

?We fully expected Vince to exercise his option,? said Thorn.  ?We have stated publicly that we would like to bring him back, and will now work towards that goal.?

Press Release

Tags: Brooklyn Nets, NBA

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Isiah Allegedly Asked Dancer To Flirt With Refs

Jun 30, 2007 12:20 PM

The former Knicks executive who is suing Isiah Thomas for sexual harassment alleged in court papers that Thomas urged a cheerleader to flirt with referees and guard Stephon Marbury cursed at her, according to newspaper reports Saturday.

Anucha Browne Sanders, a former senior vice president of marketing and business operations, filed documents to answer the Knicks' attempt to have her lawsuit dismissed.

In the papers, which were unsealed Friday, Browne Sanders alleges cheerleader Petra Pope told her that Thomas encouraged Pope to flirt with officials before a game against the Nets in 2004, the Daily News reported.

"What she told me was that Isiah asked her to go into the referees' locker room and make them happy," Browne Sanders testified.

She also claimed in the documents that Marbury directed an obscenity at her after she complained about the player's cousin -- who was also employed by the team -- had made graphic sexual comments to her staff, the Daily News reported.

Sports Illustrated

Tags: New York Knicks, NBA

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Presti Looking To Keep Rashard

Jun 30, 2007 11:30 AM

Sonics general manager Sam Presti said the organization is serious about re-signing small forward Rashard Lewis and Lewis' representatives appear serious about listening to the Sonics' sales pitch.

Lewis' agent, Tony Dutt, said Friday that he has a meeting scheduled with the Sonics in Houston on Sunday, the first official day of free agency. Dutt said he will meet with Lewis on Saturday to discuss the Sonics' future, the trade of Ray Allen and Lewis' potential role with the team.

The trade of Allen to Boston allows the Sonics more salary flexibility to re-sign Lewis, who opted out of the final two years and $21 million of his contract. The Sonics can offer Lewis a six-year deal for the league maximum for a player with nine years' service time, estimated to start at $15 million per season.

Seattle Post-Intellegencer

Tags: Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Pacers Look To Free Agency

Jun 30, 2007 11:28 AM

The Pacers' will attempt to improve starting Sunday when the free agency period begins. Contracts can be signed starting July 11.

The Pacers don't have enough cap space to sign an expensive free agent. They have their midlevel exception, which is more than $5 million, and a $4 million trade exception acquired during the eight-player deal with Golden State.

"After the draft, everybody looks at their team and they say, 'I need this, I need that,' " Pacers president Larry Bird said. "Now it will start heating up and we'll see what we can do. I expect us to be very active to find the guys coach O'Brien feels he needs for this team. Rick played a different style. We tried to get his type of players. We have a new coach now, so we're going to try and get his style (of players)."

Finding an outside shooter, a backup point guard and settling Jermaine O'Neal's future are priorities.

It seems the Pacers are interested in the likes of Kareem Rush, Jason Kapono, Earl Boykins, Steve Blake, Chucky Atkins, and Tony Delk.

Indianapolis Star

Tags: Indiana Pacers, NBA

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Wittman Expects To Coach Garnett Next Season

Jun 30, 2007 11:25 AM

Both Corey Brewer and Chris Richard talked Friday about how much they are looking forward to playing with Kevin Garnett. Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman is hoping the same thing.

Actually, he's planning on it.

The trade rumors surrounding Garnett swirled right up to the draft Thursday. Then they paused, if only for a moment, then got started again Friday. Perhaps Golden State is in the mix. Maybe Dallas is preparing for a run. Wittman, though, is operating as though Garnett will be in a Wolves uniform come October.

"Right now, I have to as a coach," Wittman said. "That's why I'm going to summer league trying to put these guys in position as if Kevin is on the team, how I would use these guys in accordance to him."

Minnesota Star Tribune

Tags: Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

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Bucks Hope To Achieve Yi Harmony

Jun 30, 2007 11:22 AM

General manager Larry Harris insisted that he gave fair warning to the Yi Jianlian camp before the Milwaukee Bucks made the Chinese power forward the sixth overall pick in the NBA draft Thursday night.

And Harris expects the 7-foot Yi to be in a Bucks uniform next season, although no confirmation came from Yi's representatives Friday. Yi's agent, Dan Fegan, did not return calls seeking comment.

"There were teams that didn't get in there, for whatever reason," Harris said of being denied the chance to conduct a private workout for the Chinese star in Los Angeles. "But his people knew that we could take him. We've been telling him (Fegan) we were going to take the best player.

"They knew that. It's not a shock to them. It may be a shock to Yi himself."

Milwaukee Journal Sentinal

Tags: Milwaukee Bucks, NBA

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Green Ready To Back Up Durant

Jun 30, 2007 11:20 AM

It would seem Jeff Green had better become accustomed to standing in Kevin Durant's shadow.

"I don't need the spotlight," said Green, who described himself as laid-back and easy-going. "I don't need it at all. I can go out and still play 40-plus minutes and do what I can to help my team to win. As long as my team wins."

During three seasons at Georgetown, Green did a little bit of everything for the Hoyas. He ranks 17th in scoring, 16th in rebounding and 12th in assists on the school's all-time lists.

The Seattle Times

Tags: Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Colangelo Says Raptors Want To Be Active In Free Agency

Jun 30, 2007 6:16 AM

The NBA free agency season is more about selling than buying and Bryan Colangelo and his merry band of cohorts will be in full-on schmooze mode late tonight, the Toronto Star is reporting.

They will have phones at the ready and speeches all prepared, they may have trinkets like personalized highlight videos and books ready to lay on the players they most covet among the 10 or so they've identified as priorities.

"We want to be active, we want to try to move quickly in terms of reaching out to various free agents," Colangelo said of the negotiating period that begins a minute after midnight tonight.

The general manager has narrowed down his list of possible additions to 10 or so, he said. It's no secret that Orlando's Grant Hill is among those high on that list.

Colangelo isn't giving away any secrets on who he covets most except to say he's got his priorities set.

"Sometimes in free agency you have to over-pay and we're willing to over-pay if we feel like we're going to get the right player," he said. "What we keep talking about is consistency at the small forward position, but we want to add the best possible player."

Toronto Star

Tags: Toronto Raptors, NBA

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Suns Turn To Grant Hill

Arizona Republic

Sixers' Efforts To Procure Yi Came Up Short

Philadelphia Inquirer

Dad Says Son Is OK, But JR Smith No-Show At Event

Rocky Mountain News

Allen: "No Hard Feelings" On Trade

Seattle Times

Little Chance Draft Picks Will Be With Spurs Next Season

San Antonio Express-News

Jazz Make Qualifying Offers To Miles, Brown

Sports Illustrated

Mavs Owner Has Hip Replaced, But Should Be OK

ESPN

Heat's Riley Expects Zo Will Be Back

Miami Herald

Mavericks' George To Become Free Agent

Dallas Morning News

Magic Make Qualifying Offers To Darko, Diener And Kasun

NBA.com

Clippers Waive Ewing, Decline Option On Singleton

RealGM Staff Report

Nellie Violated Non-Compete Against Dallas During Playoffs?

San Francisco Chronicle

Newest Raptor Will Stay In Greece

Globe And Mail

Heat Make Qualifying Offer To Earl Barron

RealGM Staff Report

Pacers Waive Orien Greene

RealGM

Monday Press Conference For New Knicks

RealGM

Bobcats Waive Brevin Knight

Associated Press / Toronto Star

Kerr Says Great Offer Was Made For 8th Pick

Arizona Republic

Rockets Tried To Move Up For Fernandez

Houston Chronicle

Source: Miami Will Make Push For Rashard

Sun-Sentinel