So what did you expect, anyway?

The 76ers to grab Alonzo Mourning? The Lakers to get Karl Malone? Team owners to go on some kind of spending spree, acting like the millionaires they truly are?

Well, better luck in the next millennium.

If Tuesday's arrival of free agency has taught us anything, it's that commissioner David Stern and his board of governors have NBA teams portraying themselves as the envy of the sports world.

The Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets all have loads of salary-cap room to add marquee players to their rosters. Yet three days have passed since teams were free to negotiate contracts with a host of free agents looking to cash in, and nary a soul has reached an agreement.

Kenny Thomas has yet to sign with the Sixers, and Derrick Coleman still hasn't left for Detroit or the Lakers. Jason Kidd is still doing everything within his power to get out of New Jersey with a contract in excess of $100 million, but will need the Nets to agree to a sign-and-trade unless San Antonio is willing to spend the brunt of its available funds on him.

Yet while one minute the Spurs are leaking that Kidd is their No. 1 priority, the next minute they are said to be working on a sign-and-trade deal that could land Indiana center Brad Miller.