Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports that the Knicks will be holding on to Latrell Sprewell? for a while. After almost being traded to the Bucks for Glenn Robinson earlier this summer, Sprewell will come into training camp with the Knicks.

According to a friend who spoke to Sprewell within the last two weeks, Sprewell said he was excited about playing for his hometown Bucks. He also laughed at the irony of the Knicks trading him to finally add size to their roster. "He thought it was a done deal," the friend said. "He was ready to move on."

Sprewell had lobbied for the Knicks to add frontcourt size for two seasons and in the trade that fell through, they would have added a forward in Robinson and a legitimate center in Earvin Johnson.

But Sprewell is back - perhaps until the February trading deadline - and no one can honestly predict how Sprewell will react and perform for an organization that tried so vigorously to trade him.

"It's not that we're just trying to get rid of him," coach Don Chaney said Friday. "I think he understands that one of the reasons why he, and not only Spree, is included in trades is that somebody out there thinks you're a pretty good player. At the same time, coming off a subpar year, as a player you have to understand there are going to be changes and he's mature enough to understand that.

"The one thing about him, which is different from a lot of NBA players, is that he has an unbelievable amount of maturity when it comes to the business of the game. He's not afraid of being traded. Naturally, he would love to be in New York. He made additions on his house. But I think he's one of those guys, if he's traded, he's traded. He knows that it is beyond his control. He also understands that this is a business."

Mark Jackson's second stint in Denver is over before it started.

The Denver Nuggets have waived veteran point guard Mark Jackson. Jackson, 37, was acquired from New York with forward-center Marcus Camby and the rights to forward Nene Hilario in the draft day trade that sent forward Antonio McDyess and the rights to guard Frank Williams to the Knicks.

Jackson likely won't be out of a job for long. The Utah Jazz have expressed interest in the 15-year veteran. Among those teams who could use an experienced point guard are Boston, Cleveland, the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State.

The move leaves the rebuilding Nuggets extremely thin at point guard, where only second-year player Kenny Satterfield and rookie Junior Harrington are under contract. Veteran George McCloud has played the position in the past with moderate success.

Thursday was a busy day for the Utah Jazz, who signed two players, announced their camp roster and were rumored to be on the verge of signing a veteran point guard.
     
Maybe Mark Jackson.
     
The Denver Post reported Friday that the Nuggets were negotiating to buy out Jackson's contract. He is slated to make $4.2 million this season and $4.5 million next season (which includes a $2.25 million buyout option).
     
If a buyout happens, Jackson could be claimed off waivers by another NBA team. Assuming he clears waivers, he would become an unrestricted free agent, meaning he would have to be paid at least the $1 million veteran's exception.
     
The Jazz apparently have expressed interest in Jackson, who played for the Knicks last season and came to the Nuggets in a trade this summer with Marcus Camby and Nene Hilario for Antonio McDyess, Frank Williams and a second-round pick.

Mark Spears of the Denver Post reports that The Denver Nuggets are expected to buy point guard Mark Jackson out of his contract as early as today.

"That's the way we are heading," said Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe, when asked about the possibility. "I understand Mark's perspective. It will allow us a little more flexibility. Mark is a very good friend of mine, I have a lot of respect for him and I would have enjoyed him being around him this year. But I definitely understand."

Jackson came to the Nuggets as part of the trade with the Knicks that brought Marcus Camby and Nene Hilario to Denver. Since the trade, Jackson has expressed reservations about playing in Denver. He would prefer to for a playoff contender this late in his career Vandeweghe had negotiations with Jackson?s agent, Arn Tellem on Thursday and could announce a buyout agreement as early as today.

Jackson is slated to make $4.2 million this season and $4.5 million during the 2003-04 season (which includes a $2.25 million buyout option). Jackson and Tellem could not be reached for comment.

If he is bought out, Jackson will be placed on waivers. After he clears waivers, he will be an unrestricted free agent. The Utah Jazz, looking for a veteran backup to John Stockton, are reportedly interested in signing Jackson if he clears waivers.  

Without Jackson, the Nuggets are left with two true point guards in second-year Kenny Satterfield and rookie Junior Harrington, who has an unguaranteed contract. Swingman George McCloud has seen a lot of action at point guard for Denver. Also, NBA free-agent veteran point guard Darrick Martin is expected to be in training camp, which begins Tuesday. Other free-agent point guards still available include Rod Strickland, ex-Nugget Robert Pack, Greg Anthony, Mookie Blaylock, Damon Jones, Rafer Alston and Dana Barros.

Woody Paige has an overview of what he thinks of this Nuggets team.  Lots of moves and new faces.

Let's just say he doesn't have much hope for the 2002-2003 edition of the Denver Nuggets.

The Detroit Pistons will trade forward Rodney White to the Denver Nuggets for a first-round pick and two players, a basketball source said Tuesday.

The source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Pistons will receive 6-foot-11 Chinese center Menk Bateer and former Detroit forward Don Reid.

The deal will likely be made next week.  Since Reid was traded recently, he can't be traded again until October 1.

Bob Finnan of the Morning Journal reports: Good deal?

The Cavs might have acquired point guard Milt Palacio for nothing in return. Officially, Cleveland sent a second-round draft pick in 2008 to Phoenix for the journeyman guard. However, there might not be a second round in 2008.

The current collective-bargaining agreement ends after the 2003-04 season (if owners pick up the option on the final year of the pact). Many owners are in favor of eliminating the second round and it was discussed during contract negotiations in 1998.

In Cleveland Cavalier news: Second-round pick Matt Barnes signed a non-guaranteed contract yesterday with the Cavs and will be in training camp Oct. 1. There was some talk of the UCLA forward playing in Europe this season.

Free agent point guard Smush Parker, an undrafted rookie from Fordham, has agreed to come to training camp with the Cavs. Like Barnes, the 6-4, 190-pounder won't get any guaranteed money.

Two big men also are coming to Cleveland's camp, 6-10 forward/center Casey Shaw of Toledo and 6-10 forward/center Ike Nwokondo of Long Beach State. Shaw played in Rome last year and Nwokondo in Venezuela.

The Cavs had also kicked around the thought of bringing high school forward DeAngelo Collins to camp, but decided against it. Besides some baggage, Collins has been nursing a knee injury. He was thought of as a possible first-round pick in the 2002 draft.

Also, point guard Vonteego Cummings, who played with Golden State and Philadelphia last year, apparently is going to Denver's camp instead of coming to Cleveland. His agent, Lon Babby, thinks he has a better shot of making the Nuggets' roster, despite the fact Denver has 17 guaranteed contracts. The Nuggets might waive veteran point guard Mark Jackson.

The Detroit News is reporting that the Pistons are desperately working on a trade which could send second year forward Rodney White, the ninth pick in the 2001 NBA draft, to the Denver Nuggets.

White, a player who Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards coveted whilst owning the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, only played in 16 games as a rookie last year and doesn't seem to have improved during the summer league this year.  As it stands right now he is the teams fourth best small forward behind Michael Curry, Corliss Williamson and rookie Tayshaun Prince.  Rather than let White continue to deteriorate on the injured list, something which would be counter productive for both White and the Pistons, team president Joe Dumars is looking to cut his losses and trade him to a team who can afford to be patient.

"Nothing has been decided for sure," said John Hammond, Pistons vice president of basketball. "Something may happen later in the week."

Nuggets General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe said he would not confirm or deny any trade, but added, "We have some little things we are pursuing but no blockbusters."

There are several different packages being considered from Denver, but as Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports all of them include a future first-round draft pick (Which Perry Ferrell of the Detroit Free Press reports would be the pick that Denver acquired from Milwaukee last year). A strongly rumored package currently being reported involved Chinese center Mengke Bateer, former Piston Don Reid, and a first round pick. Reid, in the final year of his contract, will make $1.3 million. Bateer, a restricted free agent, would have to be signed -- probably close to the NBA minimum for second-year players ($512,435) -- then traded. [RealGM Note: Since Don Reid was recently traded from Orlando to Denver he cannot be immediately traded to another team in conjunction with other players.  This is effective until the 1st October, after which time he is no longer restricted.  For a list of players currently affected by trade restrictions click here.]

The Associated Press reports that investigators have found what appears to be blood traces on Bison Dele?s 55-foot catamaran. Authorities found traces of the substance on the inside and the outside of the vessel, said Michel Marotte, Tahiti's chief prosecutor. The findings must be verified in a laboratory "but it does seem to be blood traces,'' he told The Associated Press on Friday.

Dele's brother, Miles Dabord who is also known as Kevin Williams, was in a coma and in critical condition at a hospital in Chula Vista. He was found unconscious in Mexico last week. The FBI arrested him Thursday on a fraud charge after learning his identity. Dabord allegedly used his brother's former name, Brian Williams, while trying to buy $152,000 in gold in Phoenix earlier this month.

Dabord's mother, Patricia Phillips, told the Los Angeles Times she fears her son may have tried to commit suicide in a fit of guilt, somehow believing he was responsible for his brother's disappearance. On Friday, she stood at his bedside in a San Diego hospital. "I wanted to hug him, to stroke his face, to hold his hand,'' she said.

In a Sept. 13 telephone call, Phillips said Dabord sounded groggy and spoke of committing suicide. He told her he hadn't killed his brother and that he wanted her to know this before ending his life, she said.

Marotte said there is reason to think that Dele, his 30-year-old girlfriend Serena Karlan and Bertrand Saldo, the captain of Dele's sailboat, were killed July 6 or 7 during a layover in Tahiti. Investigators are working on the suspicion that a single person committed the killings, and "that is the brother of the victim, Kevin Williams.''

"We presume that the bodies of these people must be in the sea, the ocean, and will probably never be found,'' said Marotte, who speculated that the bodies could have been weighted down to sink them. "But we're still looking.''

The LA Times adds that Dabord may not live to tell his side of the story. Law enforcement officials admitted Saturday that they might never know exactly what happened to a missing former NBA player and two others who are presumed dead in the waters of the South Pacific.

Dabord is "dead, living only through artificial means," his mother said. Patricia Phillips said doctors have discovered severe damage to her son's brain--injuries they have told her are the result of an insulin overdose and Dabord not taking his asthma medication.

Here are a bunch of cartoons from Drew Litton.  They are pretty funny and make light of the offseason.