While Mike James will officially be in the Milwaukee Bucks' fold soon, Damon Jones will officially be leaving it shortly.

The Bucks have reached a verbal agreement with James, who was a backup guard on the champion Detroit Pistons, and should have him under contract as soon as today.

James, 29, played in 81 regular-season games last season with Boston and Detroit. He averaged 9.3 points and 4.2 assists in 27.1 minutes a game.

The 6-foot-2 James was courted throughout free agency by nearly a dozen teams. He narrowed his final list to Houston, Seattle, Miami and Milwaukee.

"I like his game,'' Cleveland Cavaliers coach Paul Silas said of James. "He can push it up the court, and he's a very good long-range shooter. I think he's just exploring his game, just scratching the surface."

The Washington Wizards will re-sign forward-center Etan Thomas, according to a league source.

Thomas, a bruising 6-foot-9, 260-pounder, signed a six-year, $38 million offer sheet earlier this month with Milwaukee. As a restricted free agent, the Wizards retained the right to match the Bucks' offer. Last night, they decided to do just that, according to the source.

While not commenting directly on the signing, Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan called the 26-year-old Thomas the team's "guts, grit and glory guy."

"It's hard to keep him off the floor, especially at the end of games when the pressure is on," said Jordan, entering his second season as Wizards coach. "He's as emotionally tough and physical as they come and that is how you become a great team, by playing with guys like that."

The waiting game continues for the Milwaukee Bucks, who probably won't know until Thursday whether the Washington Wizards will match their offer sheet to restricted free agent Etan Thomas.

On July 14, the 6-foot-10 Thomas signed a six-year offer sheet with the Bucks, a deal reported to be worth between $37 million and $39 million, or roughly the team's full midlevel exception.

The Wizards have a 15-day period to match the offer, or he will become a member of the Bucks.

"We won't know the outcome until Thursday," Bucks general manager Larry Harris said.

Wizards president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld, reached at his office on Monday afternoon, would give no hints about whether Washington will match the offer.

"I think it's the 29th," Grunfeld said of the deadline. "By then, we will have an answer."

"He had a great year for us," said Grunfeld, who left the Bucks' front office to join the Wizards before last season.

Meanwhile, Harris said Monday that contract talks were ongoing with Bucks veteran Toni Kukoc, an unrestricted free agent, and his representative, Herb Rudoy.

"Certainly, we're looking forward to this season and beyond," Harris said of a possible deal. "There's a desire on the part of both parties, and we'd like to see him back in a Bucks uniform."

By John N. Mitchell
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Washington Wizards restricted free agent Etan Thomas will visit the Milwaukee Bucks today and could be offered a contract that, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Wizards would be unwilling to match. Thomas is one of three restricted free agents ? Chris Mihm (Boston) and Stromile Swift (Memphis) are the others ? the Bucks are considering to help bolster their front line.

If the Bucks offer Thomas a contract it likely would be for the full mid-level exception, approximately $38 million over six years. Because of the Larry Bird exception ? the NBA allows teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents, up to the player's maximum salary ? the Wizards could match or exceed any contract offer Thomas gets, but that is unlikely.

If Thomas receives an offer sheet from the Bucks he can sign it Wednesday, the first day teams are allowed to begin signing free agents. At that point the Wizards will have 15 days to decide whether to match the offer.
   
The source said the Wizards and Thomas' representatives have had preliminary discussions concerning a deal in the neighborhood of $16 million over the next four seasons. However, according to the source, that number falls short of what Milwaukee is considering offering.
   
At the draft last month, Wizards president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld said the team will "make our best attempt to keep Etan. He had a good year and I'm sure teams took notice of what he did."

According to the source, Thomas also has been contacted by Boston, Philadelphia and Denver, and has not ruled out visits to those teams.

"I would love to stay in a Wizards uniform but this is a business," Thomas told The Washington Times in a phone interview yesterday. "They are handling it as a business and I have to also. It's hard because I really like it here. I love the coaching staff; we have a young team that will continue to grow. I love the political energy.

"But I have to look at all of my options and, honestly, I have some appealing ones. But if you look at the situation, this is all in the Wizards' hands. They can bring me back if they want to."

Last season Thomas made $3.043 million with the Wizards and if they don't re-sign him the team could have $8 million to $9 million to pursue free agents the rest of the summer.

"ESPN Insider Chad Ford reported Friday afternoon that the Bucks were seriously considering offering the Wizards' big man a six-year deal for between $37 and $39 million -- roughly the full mid-level exception."

The Washington Wizards can match a deal offered to Thomas since he is a restricted free agent; and the Wizards say they  will likely match an offer.

"We really want to keep Etan," Grunfeld said. "We have the right to match an offer for him, and we want to keep him."

"ESPN's David Aldridge reports the contract is expected to be "front-loaded," meaning Thomas would get some kind of signing bonus and first-year salary up front in the first year of the deal, theoretically making it harder for Washington to match the offer."

Etan averaged 8.9 ppg and 6.7 rpg for the Wizards last season.

According to published reports, eight NBA teams have made serious inquiries about acquiring restricted free-agent Jamal Crawford.

Among these teams, Minnesota, Miami, Sacramento and New York are discussing parameters of a possible sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls.

When it comes to restricted free-agents, the player wants the team to set market value while the team wants the market to set that value first.  It's a big game of chicken or who blinks first.

The market has certainly begun to weigh in on Crawford's value.  Second-year guard Marquis Daniels recently signed a $38 million contract.  That means that Crawford, a player of superior quality and ability, should beat this minimum-exception mark met by Daniels.

The sign-and-trade discussions are another strong indicator that Crawford's new contract will significantly exceed the exception.

Reports are that the Bulls would look to dump Eddie Robinson or Jerome Williams in any sign-and-trade scenario.  

Minnesota would seem to be out of the running because Wally Szczerbiak's contract does not make sense for the Bulls; Sacramento doesn't have the right assets either.

However, Miami and New York have good pieces and expiring contracts that might entice the Bulls.  But questions remain.  For instance, would the Heat be willing to part with a player like Caron Butler in a Crawford deal?

Because they can match any offer sheet, the Bulls remain in the driver's seat.

Jerome Kersey is stepping down as the Trail Blazers' director of player programs after one season to take a job as an assistant coach on Terry Porter's staff with the Milwaukee Bucks, sources familiar with the talks said Thursday.

A Bucks' spokesperson declined to comment on the search process, but said an announcement is expected soon, possibly as early as today.

Kersey, 42, is expected to fill the position previously held by Sam Mitchell, who left the Bucks after two seasons as an assistant to join the expansion Charlotte Bobcats coaching staff, and then was named Tuesday as coach of the Toronto Raptors.