Peter May writes in his Boston Globe Sunday column that when Chris Webber re-signed with the Kings, the contract that was submitted to the NBA for approval was a seven-year deal with an escape clause after Year 5 and with the last two years nonguaranteed. That is almost unheard of in NBA circles, especially for a player of Webber's ilk. The last two years were worth more than $43 million and there was immediate speculation that Webber was victimized by not having an agent.

When the league sent out the contract details to other teams, one Western Conference executive was equally stunned. He quickly called an agent friend and, after a series of calls, the word got to the Webber camp and there was the predictable confusion and disbelief. However, the mistake was quickly fixed and Webber's contract now is guaranteed for all seven years. You can understand Sacramento's willingness to amend the original deal, given that Webber is its best player.