NBA Capsules: Bobcats send Chandler to Dallas in 5-player deal

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Bobcats completed a wild 24 hours of trade discussions with a deal on Tuesday that does include center Tyson Chandler after all.

He’s just not heading to the team he thought a day earlier.

After a potential trade with Toronto fell apart, the Bobcats sent Chandler and fellow center Alexis Ajinca to the Dallas Mavericks for center Erick Dampier, forward Eduardo Najera, shooting guard Matt Carroll and cash considerations.

While the Bobcats get financial flexibility with Dampier’s non-guaranteed $13 million contract, the injury-plagued Chandler is off to this third team in a year after being acquired from New Orleans last summer.

“We could not be more excited to add Tyson Chandler,” said Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson. “He is one of the most versatile big men in the league today. He gives our front line a defensive, shot-blocking, athletic punch we haven’t had here in awhile.”

Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins said the Bobcats will either waive Dampier or make another trade with him. That would allow the Bobcats clear about $7 million in salary-cap space because they dump Chandler’s $12.7 million contract and Ajinca’s $1.5 million deal and take in Carroll ($4.3 million) and Najera ($2.8 million).

Before the trade, the Bobcats were only about $3 million shy of the reaching the luxury tax threshold, a payroll figure owner Michael Jordan said they wouldn’t exceed.

“You have to consider that contract is probably one of the most valuable contracts in the league,” Higgins said. “The flexibility is the beautiful part of having Erick’s deal, maybe not so much for Erick himself as a player, but for the franchise itself.”

Carroll is a jump-shooter Charlotte traded to Dallas just 19 months ago, one of eight deals involving 26 players the Bobcats have made the since Larry Brown took over as coach at the start of the 2008-09 season. Najera will add depth to Charlotte’s frontcourt.

It’s a far different outcome for Charlotte than what was being discussed a day earlier.

The Bobcats had been closing in on a deal that would’ve sent Chandler and Boris Diaw to Toronto for Jose Calderon and Reggie Evans. Calderon would have provided Charlotte with a needed replacement for point guard Raymond Felton, who signed with New York on Monday.

While Higgins insisted the deal wasn’t agreed upon, the Raptors seemed to think it was. Chandler wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Monday night that his agent had told him the deal was done, while Evans thanked Raptors fans on his Twitter page.

Instead, the 7-foot-1 Chandler goes to a more competitive team out West, while Diaw remains in Charlotte — for now.

“I never talked to Boris. No one from the Bobcats talked to Boris about him in the trade,” Higgins said. “I can’t speak for anybody else.”

It marked the second time in less than two years Chandler had an apparent trade stopped. Oklahoma City voided a deal with the Hornets in 2009 when Chandler failed a physical.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2001 draft, Chandler was known in recent years for his alley-oop dunks from Chris Paul in New Orleans. But he also had durability concerns that spilled over in Charlotte after he was acquired for Emeka Okafor.

Foot and ankle injuries limited Chandler to 51 games last season and Brown started 37-year-old Theo Ratliff ahead of him late in the season and in the playoffs. Chandler averaged 6.5 points and 6.3 rebounds.

“We did the deal because we felt it was going to give us the opportunity to get better, if not today than down the road,” Higgins said. “I think with Tyson when he came here I think unfairly for him there were probably a lot of expectations. Maybe he didn’t get a chance to show what he can do.”

The Mavericks have been searching to add a big man in the offseason. They get two when you include Ajinca.

The Bobcats gave up on Ajinca, whom they gave up this year’s first-round pick to take in the 2008 draft. He played sparingly in two seasons.

“Alexis Ajinca is a fine young center with significant upside,” Nelson said.

Higgins indicated the Bobcats aren’t done dealing. Acquiring a point guard remains a priority after the Calderon deal fell through.

“With D.J. Augustin as our only point guard under contract, we know we have to get more depth,” Higgins said. “We will try at the end of the day to improve that position. ... Our roster still has to take form.”

Mavs’ long-awaited deal for Dampier nets Chandler

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks played their offseason trump card Tuesday, dealing Erick Dampier and his juicy contract.

All they got for it was a backup big man.

The Mavericks consider that oversimplification. To club president Donnie Nelson, the three-for-two deal with Charlotte that brought them Tyson Chandler fills a lot of needs without any drawbacks and, most of all, it bulks up their front line to better take on the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

“This gives us a really nice, athletic punch,” Nelson said. “We have a really formidable front line. It’s just a really good fit for our team. ... This might not be a grand-slam home run, but it’s pretty good for what we’ve got to go up against in the West.”

Mavericks fans have been viewing Dampier’s contract like a winning lottery ticket ready to be cashed in because of its unique status: expiring at $13 million and non-guaranteed. That meant a team could give away a high-dollar player or two to get Dampier, then cut him without paying him a cent.

Dallas’ best-case scenario was using Dampier in a sign-and-trade for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh. The worst-case scenario was using his contract to replace Dirk Nowitzki and-or Brendan Nowitzki if they left as free agents.

Once the top-tier free agents went elsewhere, and once their own guys were back in the fold, the Mavericks were ready to start dealing. They went after help in the front court, preferably someone young and dynamic.

Al Jefferson was a serious target. Just when Minnesota’s asking price started going up, Charlotte’s proposed deal that would’ve sent Chandler to Toronto fell apart.

“So we switched,” Nelson said. “We’d talked to Charlotte about him in the past, but we just couldn’t put the right thing together. Then the opportunity presented itself. We got lucky with the timing and came to some middle ground.”

Jefferson is younger and could be dynamic. But he wasn’t a perfect fit. He’s far more of a scorer than a defender and Dallas already has one of those in Nowitzki. Plus, the Mavericks would’ve had to give up more to get him, including future draft picks, and take on the remaining $42 million over three years that’s left on his contract.

Chandler is older and coming off two injury-marred seasons, but he’s only 27 and the Mavs consider his physical problems more flukes than a guy who is injury prone. He’s not a liability on offense (like Dampier often was) and, most of all, they consider him a strong complement to Nowitzki and Haywood on defense.

“You’ve got to have those weapons to go against Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum,” Nelson said. “I think that, coupled with the fact this didn’t cost us significantly in terms of the future of our franchise, those two things kind of made it come together.”

There’s one way Chandler can help on offense. In a playoff series against Dallas three years ago, he feasted on lobs from Chris Paul, the kind Jason Kidd also is capable of throwing.

“We certainly remember those,” Nelson said, laughing.

Then there’s the cost. Dallas sent Matt Carroll and his contract ($11.7 million, three years left) back to Charlotte (the team that gave him that deal) and threw in Eduardo Najera. No draft picks were lost, and the Mavericks also received 7-foot center Alexis Ajinca. Chandler also is playing for a new contract, which tends to bring out the best in guys. And if he doesn’t work out, his expiring contract ($12.7 million) should be easy to move.

Dallas still has its midlevel exception and biennial exception left to spend. Power forward Al Harrington — who played for Mavs coach Rick Carlisle in Indiana — is among the players being considered, but there’s a question of whether he’s worth the money (likely the full midlevel exception) without many minutes left for him.

The Mavericks’ rotation is solidly players deep: Nowitzki, Haywood and Jefferson in the frontcourt, swingmen Caron Butler and Shawn Marion, then a crowded backcourt of Kidd, Jason Terry, Roddy Beaubois and J.J. Barea. They also have DeShawn Stevenson, another swingman.

First-round pick Dominique Jones and center Ian Mahinmi were signed Tuesday, too.

Mahinmi, who spent the last two years with the Spurs, and Beaubois are good friends and teammates on the French national team. Ajinca is French, too.

-- Jamie Aron

Spurs finalize new contract with Bonner

SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs have finalized a new contract with forward Matt Bonner.

The Spurs announced the deal Tuesday, a day after signing Brazilian center Tiago Splitter, their 2007 first-round draft pick. The two are the only signings San Antonio has made so far this offseason.

Bonner became a free agent this summer after four seasons with the Spurs. He averaged 7.0 points off the bench last season as their 3-point specialist, hitting 39 percent from behind the arc.

Bonner said Tuesday it was his preference to return to the Spurs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Heat trio only adding to Riley’s legacy

MIAMI — Of Pat Riley’s many rules, there was one he always held dearer than most: Don’t mingle with the other side.

He once forbade Charles Oakley and Patrick Ewing from fraternizing with Michael Jordan. He discouraged players from offering to help up opponents on the court. Even during Miami’s 2006 championship run in 2006, his phrase — “15 Strong” — was a reminder to the Heat that no one outside their locker room mattered.

Funny how things change.

LeBron James and Chris Bosh came to Miami in large part because of their friendship with Dwyane Wade. A generation ago, Riley would have shuddered at the thought of James and Wade sharing pregame embraces in different uniforms, of Bosh and Wade sharing meals together when their schedules allowed, the three of them talking and texting countless times each season.

Not anymore.

And that’s why Riley got to add a giant note atop his Hall of Fame legacy: A star-studded team perhaps like no other.

“It’s the new Pat,” NBA commissioner David Stern said. “Remember, Pat was the guy who used to tell his players they couldn’t talk to any other players. I don’t think so anymore.”

Riley’s latest coup might have been the biggest yet for the 65-year-old who evolved from a rebellious kid from the small city of Schenectady, N.Y. into an NBA mastermind.

Wade. Bosh. And in a stunner, a two-time MVP in James.

All together on one team, his team, basketball’s best in 2006, basketball’s worst in 2008, and now one hoping to be in position to win it all for years to come.

“You are talking about the godfather of the NBA right now,” former Riley player Derek Harper said.

Love him or hate him, few can argue that in a league filled with movers and shakers, Riley moves the needle like no other.

He coached the “Showtime” dynasty in Los Angeles with the Lakers in the 1980s, was a huge star in New York during his time with the Knicks, and then came to Miami with the infamous vision of seeing a parade down Biscayne Boulevard. It took Riley a decade to deliver that title to South Florida, and even then, plans for this 2010 transformation were already under way.

Riley made sure the books would be almost cleared out this summer, giving him more dollars than anyone to keep Wade and land at least one other star. He told fans to buy tickets early because big changes were coming. He exuded confidence heading into free agency. And in the end, it worked out even better than Wade or Riley could have imagined.

“Just tip your hat to him,” Wade said. “All you can do.”

He won 1,210 games in his time on the sideline, is one of only four men with at least five titles as a head coach, and is a Hall of Famer.

What he pulled off in the past week might have be the crowning achievement of them all.

“I know what it takes to win,” Riley said. “And what it takes to win is really talented players who are tough and will trust one another. And I think we have found three guys who are very, very talented and very tough and they’re going to trust one another. And to me, that’s what it’s all about.”

Riley promised — and delivered.

“Pat Riley is the visionary in all this,” former Heat star and current executive Alonzo Mourning said. “He knew the opportunity was going to present itself and it was just a matter of us strategically making the right presentation in order for the franchise to benefit from it. He did what he had to do.”

Privately, Riley referred to the plan of keeping Wade and adding James and Bosh as the “Triple Play.”

Miami would have the money. It had the organization, the structure and culture of family, the lure of a no-income-tax state, a formula that delivered a championship before.

And that’s what Riley sold James and Bosh on. Come to Miami, he said. Win rings. Make history.

Not only did he get James and Bosh to buy in, he got them to sign for less money they could have made elsewhere, although having no state tax to pay makes the sacrifice seem less apparent on their collective bottom lines.

“The single thing I’ve learned from Pat, working for him for 15 years, is to think big. Really,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I mean, every single conversation. It doesn’t even have to be about basketball. We could be talking about redoing a kitchen or something, and he’ll turn it into making it a two-level state-of-the-art something, that type of thing. But he does think big. And he gets you to believe.”

In James’ case, Riley brought proof.

A bag of championship rings. Riley put them down on table. They rattled like “jingle bells,” Spoelstra said. Rings and family, that’s what he talked to James about for the better part of three hours.

When that meeting ended, Riley and Heat owner Micky Arison walked out of the room, confident that James was coming to Miami.

A week later, the deal was done.

“Blood, sweat and tears, all that as a family. And that’s what I’ve always been a part of my whole life,” James said. “That’s always, since I was a kid, what I always seeked. And when I heard that from Pat and from Micky, it was, that was kind of like the icing on the cake for me.”

James paused. “And the rings were pretty cool. I need a few of those.”

-- Tim Reynolds

Nets’ Prokhorov had hunch James was not coming

NEW YORK — Despite making what he felt was an outstanding presentation to LeBron James in free agency, new Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov had a hunch the two-time MVP wasn’t coming to New Jersey.

Addressing beat writers in a 45-minute sitdown at a posh midtown hotel, Prokhorov said Tuesday once James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh decided to play together in Miami, the Nets had no problem switching plans and signing young players for a lot less money.

The Russian billionaire asked Nets fans who endured a 12-70 season to remain patient, saying his young team will fight for the playoffs next season, and that his goal of winning a title in five years is on track. He added the team has financial flexibility and is still looking to acquire a superstar in a trade over the next two years.

The biggest job for Prokhorov now is replacing outgoing president and general manager Rod Thorn, who will be leaving on Friday. He has personally interviewed at least five candidates, noting he needs to feel the chemistry of the relationship.

Prokhorov had some interviews on Tuesday, although he would not say who he met.

He also would not say who was in contention for the job. Billy King, Kevin Pritchard and Danny Ferry have been mentioned as possible replacements, with King and Ferry emerging as the leading candidates.

Prokhorov hopes to make a decision soon.

The 45-year-old Prokhorov didn’t even bother to watch James’ much-hyped free agency announcement on Thursday. He was in Moscow and had gone to bed. When he woke up, he had his secretary check the internet. He’s not a techie.

“I was sure what was his choice before,” Prokhorov said.

Prokhorov insisted that the Nets only went after James, Wade and Bosh, with whom he’d face-to-face on July 1. He noted the team had four plans for free agency.

While Thorn talked to the agents for power forwards David Lee and Carlos Boozer, Prokhorov said the Nets were not willing to pay them top dollar because they were not good enough to led the team to a championship.

“What I like from this free-agency period is we have made no mistake,” Prokhorov said. “This is very important. We still have the goal of a championship team and we are not in a hurry to make stupid mistakes to just get the player to make us better, but not a championship team. This is different strategy. An absolutely different strategy.

“It’s easy to make a top-five team: good enough to make playoffs, reach maybe the conference finals,” Prokhorov said. “But you will never win the championship.”

Prokhorov, who can spend as much money as he wants to stock his team in Russia, said he likes the NBA salary cap.

“It’s more difficult here and more competitive and I like this more,” he said. “It’s more intellectual, more complicated.”

Since taking over ownership of the Nets in May, Prokhorov said he has spent nearly 85 percent of his time concentrating on the team. That includes four trips between New York and Moscow, and another to Las Vegas for the recent meeting of league owners.

Replacing Thorn is his biggest priority. The new executive will handle both the jobs of president and general manager, which is what Thorn did in recent months after Prokhorov decided not to renew Kiki Vandeweghe’s job as general manager.

In his first meeting with the media, Prokhorov blurted out that Vandeweghe would not be coming back.

This time, he was more aware of protocol and had no surprises when asked who would replace the 69-year-old Thorn.

“It’s coming,” Prokhorov said. “It’s not easy. We are going to build a championship team and we need a general manager with great ambitions. He needs to be one of the best in the league with very good link with league, strong enough to work in metropolitan New York. It’s a special decision. That’s why we are not in a hurry. I need to smell everything myself because I take all the responsibility with what goes on with the team.”

Prokhorov said he wanted Thorn to stay but didn’t try to talk him out of his decision.

The dry sense of humor that Prokhorov displayed in his first meeting with the media was on display again.

He joked about the gigantic billboard that the team put up near Madison Square Garden, the home of the rival Knicks. It featured Prokhorov and minority owner Jay-Z.

“I am looking into the possibility of buying this building and moving to Moscow and putting it across from Red Square near the Kremlin,” he quipped.

The jet-setting bachelor also joked he would get married if he does not deliver on his promise of winning a title in five years, saying the only thing that is important is the results.

The Nets will move from the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. to Newark next season and eventually move to Brooklyn for the 2012 season. He had a message for supporters.

“Be patient,” he said. “Support our team. We will win for sure. And trust me the next season will be completely different, aggressive, young. Now we have a really good ambition: to beat Miami Heat.”

-- Tom Canavan

In Orlando, Richardson looks to put Heat on Miami

ORLANDO, Fla. — One of the first things Quentin Richardson did before signing with the Orlando Magic was call his friend and now former teammate Dwyane Wade.

First he wanted to say goodbye.

Then he let him know Miami’s All-Star trio will have some in-state competition.

“He was definitely disappointed,” Richardson said of Wade. “But he laughed and joked, ‘The in-state rivalry is on.”‘

Richardson wasn’t swayed to take less money to be part of the Heat’s tandem of Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Instead, he’ll have a chance to wreck the South Beach party.

After a year with the Heat, Richardson joined the Magic on Tuesday with a three-year deal worth around $7.5 million. He said there is also a player option for a fourth year.

He already offered some friendly, parting shots to his former team.

“There’s nothing to fear,” Richardson said of Miami. “It’s not like you’re going into a fight and somebody could beat you up. It’s a basketball game. You’re going to compete. It’s a game that we play for fun and you love to play. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Richardson’s arrival has major implications for the rest of the Magic’s roster.

He will have an opportunity to be the starting small forward, likely replacing Matt Barnes, who became a free agent after one year with Orlando. Because the two play the same position — Richardson a stronger outside shooter, Barnes a more aggressive defender — it is unlikely that Barnes would return to the cash-strapped Magic.

Orlando, already over the luxury tax, has until Friday to decide to match a $19 million, three-year offer sheet Chicago made for restricted free agent J.J. Redick. All indications are that the Magic will retain Redick, the 11th overall pick in the 2006 draft who has developed into a key contributor off the bench — and perhaps a future starter.

Magic general manager Otis Smith insists he hasn’t made up his mind on Redick, conceding only that it might be more of a decision by owner Rich DeVos and team president Bob Vander Weide because of the financial implications. Teams have to pay a dollar for every dollar they are over the luxury tax.

“Our owners have done just about anything we’ve asked them to do at this point,” Smith said. “They say no on some things, but it’s primarily to push me in another direction. But, for the most part, they’ve opened their checkbooks to us and said, ‘Do what you can do to get us over the hump.”‘

They’re hoping Richardson is another missing piece.

His style should fit seamlessly into the Magic’s 3-point-happy system that surrounds shooters around All-Star center Dwight Howard. Orlando set an NBA record with 841 made 3-pointers last season.

Richardson shot 39 percent from beyond the arc last season, averaging 8.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game starting at small forward. He admits the chance to play for the Heat was intriguing, but the offer he wanted simply wasn’t there.

After being one of the players with expiring contracts that allowed Miami to create the space for James and Co., he said watching the Heat instantly build a contender wasn’t easy. All the more motivation, however, to beat them.

“I know when I go strap it up against them I’m not going to play them like they’re the favorites. I’m going to play them like they’re human-beings, just like me,” Richardson said. “I feel like we have just as good a chance as they do to win a championship.”

Unlike their in-state competition, the Magic have had little wiggle room in free agency.

They’re tied to bloating contracts and counting on continuity. They reached the NBA finals two years ago, went to the Eastern Conference finals last season and continue to believe that putting shooters around Howard is the best formula for a championship.

Consider Richardson the latest piece.

“Our objective is to keep hitting singles, and this is another single,” Smith said of Richardson. “I don’t think you hit a home run until you get a title.”

-- Antonio Gonzalez

AP source: Al Jefferson headed from Wolves to Jazz

MINNEAPOLIS — In their quest to get more athletic, faster and financially flexible, the Minnesota Timberwolves were looking to move power forward Al Jefferson’s slow-it-down, low-post game and chunky contract.

The Utah Jazz were searching for a replacement for Carlos Boozer who can score and rebound on the block and divert some attention from star point guard Deron Williams on the perimeter.

They found the right match in each other.

The Timberwolves agreed to send Jefferson to the Jazz for two future first-round draft picks and center Kosta Koufos, the teams confirmed Tuesday. Utah used the traded player exception it got from Chicago in the Boozer deal to complete the transaction and give Minnesota even more salary cap flexibility going forward.

Jefferson averaged 17.1 points and 9.3 rebounds last season for the Timberwolves in his first year back from a major knee injury in February 2009. But the Wolves have signed center Darko Milicic, agreed to terms with center Nikola Pekovic and traded for Michael Beasley to reshape a small front line into a bigger, and sleeker, unit.

In the end, Jefferson was viewed as expendable because his style of play, while extremely effective on the offensive end, does not fit with what the Timberwolves want to do under coach Kurt Rambis.

“With Kevin Love and Michael Beasley on the team, there wouldn’t have been enough playing time for everybody to showcase Al,” Timberwolves president David Kahn said in a conference call on Tuesday night.

He will see plenty of action with the perennial playoff contender in Utah, teaming with Paul Millsap to help fill a void created when Boozer went to Chicago.

“We are happy to acquire a young power player who has developed into one of the best low-post scorers in the league,” Jazz GM Kevin O’Connor said in a statement provided by the team. “We gave up significant assets to obtain Al and we look forward to watching him progress with our team.”

Jefferson came to the Timberwolves in 2007 as the main cog in the blockbuster deal that sent Kevin Garnett to Boston. He averaged 23.1 points and 11 rebounds in 50 games the following season before he blew out his right knee in 2009.

Jefferson was the last remaining player from that deal. Former general manager Kevin McHale was fond of Jefferson’s footwork and wide array of low-post moves, the kind of old-school, back-to-the-basket game that worked so well for McHale as a Hall of Fame player in Boston.

The match looked promising at the beginning, with Jefferson signing a five-year, $65 million contract and averaging 21 points and 11.1 rebounds in his first season in Minnesota. He was pushing for the All-Star team in his second season, dominating offensively when he tore ligaments in his right knee in the final game before the break in New Orleans.

The 25-year-old Jefferson came into the league during the down years in Boston and was traded to lowly Minnesota, so he’s never known what it’s like to play for a winner.

Now he will.

“I think that Al recognizes that it will be at least a couple more years before we’re really humming,” Kahn said. “He’s at a point in his career where he wants to experience what it’s like to win. I don’t have a problem with that. I completely understand where he’s coming from.”

The Jazz needed to make a move after losing Boozer (five years, $75 million) and Kyle Korver (three years, $15 million) to the Bulls, two defections that will make this season more challenging for Williams.

The Jazz orchestrated a sign-and-trade deal with the Bulls for Boozer in exchange for roughly $14 million in value in this trade exception, allowing them to swing a deal just like the one they agreed to with Minnesota. Jefferson has three years and $42 million left on his contract, but the exception allows the Jazz to take on his salary without exceeding the cap.

“Al is motivated to have a career-defining season and I recognize the Jazz will be the recipients of that, not us,” Kahn said. “I expect him to help Utah immensely.”

The Jazz will also send Minnesota the conditional first-round pick it got from Memphis in the Ronnie Brewer trade, plus another future first-rounder.

For all of his skill on offense, Jefferson has been a liability on defense, and his game is tailor-made for the half-court style that Jerry Sloan likes in Utah.

While the Wolves did not get any current players back for arguably their best player, Kahn called the financial flexibility they earned “enormous” and said the team isn’t done making moves yet. They are in talks with Milwaukee free agent Luke Ridnour, but Kahn hinted that bigger things still may be in the works.

“We’re only about halfway through this exercise,” he said.

-- Jon Krawczynski

Mourning says Heat wins will aid charity as well

MIAMI — In Alonzo Mourning’s view, the impact of having LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh together on the Miami Heat will go far beyond basketball.

It could change lives in one of the most impoverished major cities in the country.

The 14th annual Summer Groove, the five-day series of charity events that Mourning founded and now hosts in concert with Wade, starts on Wednesday. It’s raised around $8 million for needy children in Miami — which has plenty of neighborhoods filled with people just trying to get by — and is getting a clear shot of adrenalin this year amid all the buzz of what the future could be for the Heat.

“Knowing the economics here in South Florida, it’s going to be a huge plus for so many,” Mourning said. “A lot of people are going to benefit from this in the community. From a philanthropic standpoint, we have to utilize it. We have to continue to change more lives. D-Wade and I understand the impact this could have.”

Just in the few days since James and Bosh arrived, there’s been a surge of interest in the Groove, which devotes much of its resources on educational programs for kids who might not otherwise have the opportunity to get high school diplomas or attend college. It funds youth centers and after-school programs, directed at kids in some of Miami’s poorest neighborhoods.

Wade has co-hosted with Mourning in recent years, tying it in with his Wade’s World Foundation.

“Just by being a part of it, I felt like I did something right in life,” Wade said. “The last three years have really been something great. ... These kids are really what it’s all about.”

Even with Mourning and Wade having overwhelming popularity in South Florida, fundraising has been tough in a down economy. This year’s event, however, could generate more money than ever before.

“To benefit more and more lives, we have to make all the right decisions to allow that to take its course,” Mourning said. “When me and my wife created this, we really felt like the only way for us to get the things accomplished that we want in this community would be through community support. The only way to generate that is to provide opportunity.”

It starts with a $1,000-per-person golf tournament Wednesday at Doral, plus includes a youth summit, comedy show, charity gala and auction, followed by the annual game that typically attracts many NBA All-Stars.

“With all the excitement going on in Miami, I think we’ve sold an extra couple tickets,” Wade deadpanned Wednesday. “I don’t know why, but I think we have.”

The goal for this year is to make a significant portion of what’s needed for a second youth center in South Florida. One was built several years ago in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood, and Mourning estimated that the startup costs for the second facility — which he would become refuge for hundreds of kids — is between $6 million and $8 million.

The chance to see James and Wade play before the season starts could get Mourning much closer to that goal.

“All this,” Mourning predicted, “is going to have a tremendous social impact across South Florida.”

-- Tim Reynolds

Hornets, GM Jeff Bower part ways

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Hornets general manager Jeff Bower stepped down on Tuesday, parting ways with a franchise that is trying to prove to restless All-Star Chris Paul that it is serious about winning.

The sudden announcement from the Hornets stated that Bower and the team “mutually agreed” on the move, but Bower was not made available for comment and he did not answer a call to his cell phone.

“We feel it is in the best interest for us and Jeff to part ways at this time,” Hornets president Hugh Weber said. “Our search for a new general manager is already under way. We will target basketball minds that are highly respected in the basketball circles and someone that will help in our pursuit of building a championship team.”

Bower had spent more that 14 seasons with the Hornets in various capacities, starting as a scout. He was promoted to general manager in 2005.

Bower took over as head coach nine games into last season after the firing of Byron Scott, leading the Hornets to a 34-39 record that left the club at 37-45 overall and out of the playoffs. He went back to the front office during the offseason, when Monty Williams was hired as the Hornets’ new coach.

Bower continued to play a central role last month in the Hornets’ draft, which involved a trade of the club’s 11th overall pick, Kansas Center Cole Aldrich, for the 21st and 26th picks by Oklahoma City, Iowa State forward Craig Brackins and Washington swing player Quincy Pondexter.

Bower also had been widely credited for his role in the Hornets’ 2009 draft that brought the team former UCLA point guard Darren Collison and former LSU shooting guard Marcus Thornton, who both produced beyond expectations as rookies.

Bower’s final move was to bring in free agent guard Luther Head, who agreed to terms with the club last weekend.

Still, Paul’s apparent unhappiness with the state of the franchise has loomed large. During a recent charity golf tournament he hosted in New Orleans, Paul said he wants to see a commitment from the team to win now.

With their payroll already close to the NBA’s luxury tax threshold, the Hornets will likely have to spend generously in free agency or make a major trade to upgrade their roster significantly for next season.

Meanwhile, the club’s ownership is uncertain. Hornets majority owner George Shinn had a verbal agreement to sell to minority owner Gary Chouest in May, but neither owner has been willing to discuss what has taken so long to complete the deal.

After Bower’s departure, Shinn said only that he and Chouest remain committed to making the Hornets a winner.

“Gary Chouest and I have the necessary resources and will continue to do what it takes this summer to make our team better,” Shinn said. “Under the new leadership of Monty Williams, our team president Hugh Weber and our new (yet-to-be-hired) general manager, we feel very positive about our future.”

-- Brett Martel

Nets-Warriors make sign-and-trade deal for Morrow

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New Jersey Nets have acquired guard Anthony Morrow in a sign and trade deal with the Golden State Warriors.

The deal was completed on Tuesday, just a day after the Nets handed Morrow an offer sheet on a three-year, $12 million contract.

The Warriors, who were not expected to match the offer, will get the Nets’ second-round draft pick in 2011. The pick is protected if it falls between 31 to 55.

Morrow averaged 13.0 points last season, shooting 46 percent from 3-point range.

“We felt that outside shooting was a primary concern during this offseason,” Nets president and general manager Rod Thorn said. “Anthony is one of the premier young shooters in the league and we are very pleased to add him to our roster.”

Morrow has averaged 11.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 54 career games over the past two seasons. The Georgia Tech product was not selected in the 2008 draft and later signed with the Warriors as a free agent. He led the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage in 2008-09, becoming the first Warrior and first rookie to lead the NBA in the category.

Cavs fans back owner on LeBron letter

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers say thousands of fans have offered support to owner Dan Gilbert, with some asking to chip in and help pay his NBA fine.

Gilbert fired off an emotional letter to Cavs fans on Thursday night, shortly after superstar LeBron James announced he was leaving Cleveland to join the Miami Heat. Gilbert lambasted James, calling him “narcissistic” and vowing that the Cavs would win an NBA title before “the self-titled former king.”

On Monday, Gilbert was fined $100,000 by commissioner David Stern for his letter and comments he made to The Associated Press about James. Stern felt the owner’s criticism of the MVP was “a little extreme.”

Gilbert thanked Cavs fans in a statement and said he will pay the fine by himself. He also asked for fans to donate any money they pledged to him to charity.

Rockets reach deal with top pick Patrick Patterson

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets have reached a deal with its top draft pick, forward Patrick Patterson of Kentucky.

Patterson’s agent, Odell McCants, tells KRIV-TV in Houston that Patterson will sign the deal tonight after the Rockets’ summer league team plays Toronto in Las Vegas.

No financial terms have been revealed, but McCants tells the station that the deal is a two-year deal with two one-year options, which he says is standard for first-round NBA draft picks.

The Rockets chose the 6-foot-9, 236-pound forward from Huntington, W.Va., with the 14th pick overall in the draft.

Ray Allen back with Celtics on discounted deal

WALTHAM, Mass. — If the Miami Heat think they are going to waltz their way to an NBA championship now that they’ve put Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James together, they should pay attention to Ray Allen.

“So much is being pointed to what we did here,” Allen said Tuesday after completing his new contract with the Celtics. “But the question is whether they’re ready to sacrifice — make the ultimate sacrifice. It’s not about numbers. It’s not about accolades. When we did this in ‘07, that’s what we all knew and what we all said: It (personal glory) didn’t matter.

“The question that was posed to us was, ‘Who was going to take the last shot?’ We all said, ‘The guy who’s open.”‘

Allen agreed last week to a two-year, $20-million deal with the Celtics that helps the NBA’s most-decorated franchise keep together the core that won an unprecedented 17th championship in 2008. Paul Pierce has also agreed to a new deal; it’s expected to be signed later this week.

With those two All-Stars back and joining Kevin Garnett, who has two years left on his contract, and emerging star Rajon Rondo, the Celtics have a chance to reach the NBA finals for the third time in four years. But to do so, they might have to go through the talents in South Beach.

“We look forward to playing them, for sure,” Allen said at the Celtics’ training facility. “We feel like we’re the better team, like we’re the team to beat in the East.”

The old theory was that an NBA team needs two stars to win a title — think Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen with the Bulls, or Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal with the Lakers. But the Celtics upped the ante on that when they assembled their new Big Three in the summer of 2007.

Initially, there were doubts that the veteran stars would be able to work together after years of being the go-to guys on separate teams. But the three meshed seamlessly and won the NBA championship in their first year together.

The Heat created their superteam — on paper, at least; they haven’t played a game yet — when they re-signed Wade and added James and Bosh.

But Allen said it’s not so simple.

“Every year, the team that wins the championship sets the mold,” Allen said. “We proved that it could work. But there were so many questions about us when we came in.”

Getting Allen, Garnett and Pierce to accept that philosophy turned out to be easier than many suspected, mostly because they were all in their 30s and none of them had won an NBA title. James is 25 and Bosh is 26; Wade, who is 28, was a part of the Heat team that won it all in 2006.

“I got to my 12th year to really understand it,” Allen said. “It is a sacrifice, and it takes the understanding to realize it.”

In a 14-year career for Milwaukee, Seattle and Boston, Allen is second all-time in 3-pointers and fifth among active players with 20,965 points. Allen, who turns 35 next week, averaged 16.3 points last season as the Celtics reached the NBA finals before losing in seven games to the Los Angeles Lakers.

After the NBA finals, Allen said, “It’s obvious I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

Allen said on Tuesday his priorities were family first, winning second and “money was last.” He held off enrolling his kids in school while he was making a decision, but he was glad to sign early so they could all relax for the summer.

“They call my jersey ‘Daddy Celtics.’ This is what they know and that meant a lot,” said Allen, who listened to other offers and according to his agent could have gotten more elsewhere. “I’m always willing to do that, but at the same time I’m a loyal person. I know when I’ve got a great situation and that’s what I have here.”

Allen said that when he first signed with the Celtics, a woman came up to him at a restaurant and said, “I liked you better with Seattle.” He figured she meant that he would have better numbers and be a bigger star with the SuperSonics.

He disagreed.

“I like myself better here,” he said, “knowing that we’re going to win games; we’re going to have a chance to win championships.”

Korver sees Bulls as right fit

CHICAGO — Kyle Korver had just been handed his Bulls jersey when he let it be known: He couldn’t stand them and thought Michael Jordan was selfish.

Of course, he felt that way growing up.

Now, he thinks Chicago’s the perfect fit.

Korver agreed to leave the Utah Jazz and follow teammate Carlos Boozer to Chicago for a reported three-year, $15 million deal last week, giving the Bulls the shooter they needed. It didn’t take him long to raise a few eyebrows at his introductory news conference on Tuesday.

He said he thought Jordan was “selfish,” and he “hated” the Bulls growing up in Los Angeles and then Iowa. That changed over time, and now, he thinks Chicago “is the best fit for me.”

Korver joins a team that’s looking for more after back-to-back first-round playoff exits. The Bulls were unable to reel in top prizes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh — who decided to unite in Miami — despite clearing enough cap room to lure two free-agent stars. They did not come away empty-handed in a loaded market.

Their big catch was Boozer, the two-time All-Star and powerhouse inside presence they’ve lacked for years. He joins Joakim Noah in a frontcourt that figures to dominate on the glass and should take some pressure off All-Star point guard Derrick Rose while giving him a good pick-and-roll partner.

“There’s a real science to pick-and-roll basketball, and he does a great job of setting that screen, releasing and finishing,” Korver said of Boozer. “He’s almost a better finisher with his left hand than his right. There’s lots of games where he goes 13 for 15 from the field.”

One warning.

“He’s very physical,” Korver said. “He does those little fouls that sometimes they get called, sometimes they don’t, but he’ll just break your back or break your arm. It’s practice, we’re like, ‘C’mon, Booze.’ But he’s a really good player. He’s going to fit in really well here.”

As for Korver, he gives Chicago much-needed help on the perimeter after the Bulls shot 33 percent on 3-pointers and ranked 28th overall last season. A career 41-percent 3-point shooter, he set an NBA record by converting 53.6 percent last season and broke former Bull Steve Kerr’s mark of 52.4 in 1994-95 after undergoing wrist surgery.

“He is without question if not the best shooter in the NBA, he is one of the best shooters in the NBA,” general manager Gar Forman said.

Whether Korver starts or comes off the bench likely depends on who else the Bulls acquire.

They were still waiting to find out if Orlando would match the three-year $19 million offer sheet they extended to restricted free agent J.J. Redick on Friday. The Magic had a week to decide.

The Bulls’ chances seemed to increase on Monday when Orlando agreed to a deal with Quentin Richardson. Whether that means the end for Redick there was unclear, although it almost certainly means the Magic won’t bring back free agent small forward Matt Barnes — a possible Chicago target.

Korver said he didn’t know the Bulls were going after Redick when he made his decision but is “totally fine” with that.

“You put me and him on the wings, there’s going to be a whole lot of room to operate in the middle,” said Korver, who’s also trying to lure former Jazz teammate Ronnie Brewer, a restricted free agent with Memphis. “I would love to have J.J. here.”

And he loves the idea of playing for the franchise that Jordan led to six championships, even if he hated him as a youngster. The son of a pastor and one of four children, Korver spent his first 12 years in Los Angeles rooting for the “Showtime” Lakers before his family moved to Iowa.

“We didn’t have any money growing up, so all we’d do is watch Lakers games,” he said.

That meant rooting against the Bulls. His feelings for Jordan changed, and he finally met the legend.

“It was the All-Star break, and the All-Star game was in Denver that year. He had a party that year, and we kind of got up there and saw him in a corner. I was just like, ‘That’s Michael Jordan,”‘ he said in a whisper. “There was a bathroom on the side. I said, ‘I’m going to go to the bathroom.”‘

As Korver approached, Jordan broke from a conversation and gave him a hug and asked, “What’s up, KK?”

In a mock squeal, Korver said, “He noticed my name.”

“To have your name on the back of a Bulls jersey is a really cool feeling,” he said.

The Bulls also signed center signed center Omer Asik, a two-time Turkish League All-Star, on Tuesday. Originally drafted by Portland in the second round in 2008, Chicago acquired his rights in a trade that night that included Denver.

-- Andrew Seligman

Butch undergoes surgery on left knee

DENVER — The Denver Nuggets say center Brian Butch has undergone surgery to fix a ruptured left patella tendon.

Butch injured his knee in a summer league game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. He was leading the team in blocked shots before the injury, averaging 1.5 a game.

Lately, the Nuggets have been besieged by knee injuries. Forward Chris “Birdman” Andersen underwent surgery in May to fix a partially torn patella tendon in his right knee, while forward Kenyon Martin had his left knee repaired.

A timetable for Butch’s return isn’t known.

The 25-year-old Butch was signed by Denver last April.

Center Armstrong inks free-agent deal with Wizards

WASHINGTON — Center Hilton Armstrong has signed a free-agent contract with the Washington Wizards.

The deal, announced Tuesday, gives the Wizards an experienced 6-foot-11 backup center known as a shot-blocking defensive specialist.

The 25-year-old Armstrong was the 12th overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft by the New Orleans Hornets after he was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year at Connecticut in 2005-06.

In 224 career games with New Orleans, Sacramento and Houston, Armstrong has averaged 3.4 points and 2.6 rebounds.