Free agent small forward Scott Padgett plans to rejoin the Houston Rockets in a one-year contract, according to a Houston television KRIV broadcast report.

The Miami Heat announced today that they have requested waivers on guard Mike Gansey. Gansey, who signed with the Heat as an undrafted free agent on July 6, 2006, appeared in five games for Miami at the Pepsi Pro Summer League in Orlando in July and averaged 1.6 points, 1.2 rebounds in 38 minutes.

Allen Iverson stepped in front of the cameras looking like himself, wearing a No. 3 jersey, as much a part of his identity as his all-out play, with a headband wrapped snugly around his cornrows, grown longer down the neck.

Iverson, with big diamonds dangling from his ears, was even a tad late, as usual, to Friday's media day press conference.

What was different was his tone.

"It's the same song and dance every year," Iverson said glumly. "I come into this press conference and say the same thing. I'll do anything it will take to win, and I'll play as hard as I can play and I give it everything that I have. I think every year that I've done that."

Allen Iverson, on his 11th media day as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, reiterated his desire to spend his entire career with the franchise.

"I'd have to be sent out of here," Iverson said. "I don't think there would ever be a day that I'd ask to leave."

"I want to add that championship to my resume," said Iverson, who is only 30 but has a decade of NBA wear on his body. "But when you know that you've been someplace for so long and you've been trying to accomplish the same goal for years and years, you just want to keep going until the wheels fall off.

"I'm a Sixer at heart. That's just the way it is."

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle isn't worried about having 11 new players in training camp. He fared pretty well when faced with a similar challenge four years ago.

In 2002, his Pistons added Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince and five other new players. The team went 50-32 and reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

This offseason, the Pacers added Al Harrington and Marquis Daniels, drafted forward Shawne Williams and picked up Cincinnati guard James White in a draft-day trade. Carlisle is excited about the influx of talent and athleticism.

With Mo Taylor now gone from the Knicks' roster, the team will sign two big men to compete for the open roster spot: Wichita State center Paul Miller and Virginia power forward Elton Brown.

Word is, Brown has given Eddy Curry all he could handle in scrimmages, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

The Washington Post has confirmed the story broken by RealGM's Christopher Reina that Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas plans to part ways with longtime agent Dan Fegan.

Arenas declined to comment when reached by phone yesterday. However, a league source close to Arenas said the two-time all-star is in the process of filing paperwork to sever ties with Fegan and planned to wait "at least a year" before selecting new representation.

The Utah Jazz' 18-man roster notably excludes center Robert Whaley, who was traded to Toronto in June but released shortly afterward.

Whaley, who averaged 2.1 points in 23 appearances with Utah last season, had hoped to be invited back, but is no longer in the team's plans.

The Clippers hope to reach a contract extension agreement with Coach Mike Dunleavy next week while the team opens training camp in Russia.

"Something could happen, but nothing is set in stone," Dunleavy said Friday. "We'll have some time to talk in Russia."

Last year's Larry Brown saga drags on, and may even reach into the first day of this season as well. Brown spent 9 1/2 hours at NBA headquarters yesterday, pleading his case to commissioner David Stern that the Knicks owe him $53.5 million, and it still wasn't enough time to sort out the mess. That means Isiah Thomas might be late to training camp.

In a formal hearing Stern heard testimony from several people, including Brown, Knicks owner James Dolan, and Thomas, but he wasn't able to wrap up the hearings, which will resume Tuesday.

Stern said that if Brown's legal team requests Thomas appear on Tuesday -- the first day of Knicks camp -- he would have to miss his first official day of practice as the Knicks new head coach.

Thomas was on hand for about four hours, and left without speaking to reporters. There were also some surprise witnesses -- all of whom were under oath -- including Brown's close friend Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs. He was presumably summoned at the request of the Knicks to bolster their claim that Brown discussed potential trades with other teams.