NBA Capsules: Some big names, fewer big spenders in free agency

Some big names will be out there. The big spenders will be harder to find.

Free agency opens in the NBA on Wednesday, but there should be few fireworks this July. The blockbuster trades were last week, and the real free agent bonanza is next year.

Financial difficulties, combined with the potential of one of the best classes ever in 2010, will have most teams keeping their check books closed this summer. More than a dozen have already lined themselves up to be players when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire can all become available, and may not want to waste precious salary cap space now.

Back in February, Dallas owner Mark Cuban said he wouldn't want to be a free agent this summer. On Tuesday, he wondered if players might find it best to sign a short-term deal and try again in 2010, when there are more suitors.

"How many players will sign one year deals to be able to take advantage of the huge amount of cap room next year?" he wrote on his Twitter page.

For those who do want to buy now, there is some talent worth considering.

Teams seeking a point guard could choose among Jason Kidd, Mike Bibby and Andre Miller. Those needing a good swingman can envision Ron Artest, Hedo Turkoglu, Trevor Ariza or Shawn Marion.

Allen Iverson or Ben Gordon could provide instant offense for some team. Paul Millsap or David Lee would look nice as a young, hardworking power forward in someone's frontcourt.

Perhaps realizing better deals weren't coming this summer, Utah's Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur declined to become free agents Tuesday. Boozer exercised his player option for next season - he previously said he wouldn't - and Okur declined his early termination option.

Cleveland's energetic forward Anderson Varejao did decide to try out free agency, not exercising his option on a $6.2 million contract for next season. He's an unrestricted free agent.

Detroit and Oklahoma City have the most money to spend, but apparently have different strategies. The Pistons, who freed up millions when they dealt Chauncey Billups to Denver for Iverson and his expiring contract, are expected to pursue Gordon and perhaps Charlie Villanueva. The Milwaukee Bucks let Villanueva become a free agent, and he could also draw interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Thunder don't seem as eager to throw their money around, knowing a better bet could be slowly building around a young core featuring Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook.

"We've worked really hard to create some flexibility for this basketball team so we can continue to grow the organization and build and grow together," general manager Sam Presti said. "It's just not going to be prudent for us to let restlessness be our nemesis. We need to be able to walk into somewhere with an eye towards the future as well as the present."

Both NBA finalists face free agency decisions. The Los Angeles Lakers will try to keep their championship core intact by retaining Lamar Odom and Ariza, while the Orlando Magic appear likely to lose Hedo Turkoglu after trading for Vince Carter last week.

The Houston Rockets must determine how much they value Artest, the last man standing among their big three after injuries to Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.

"We have 11 guaranteed contracts now and obviously have free agents we need to decide on, Ron and Von (Wafer)," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said last week. "Obviously, we've got two big players who've got some injuries. We'll learn more over time and as it unfolds, we'll have to react."

Teams can begin negotiating with free agents after midnight, but can't sign them until July 8, after the salary cap for next season has been set. It's expected to decrease from this year's $58.7 million, making it even harder to predict which teams will be spenders.

"Right now I have no sense of the market in the whole league," New York Knicks president of operations Donnie Walsh said Friday.

Players are about to find out - and may not like the answers.

Iverson an option as Bobcats open free agency

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Charlotte Bobcats have an owner who's losing millions and looking to sell. They've struggled to move tickets, win games and become relevant in a town that used to adore the NBA.

Allen Iverson could change that. Pair the polarizing guard with coach Larry Brown again and they wouldn't just be talking about games in Charlotte, they'd be talking about practice, too.

Whether Iverson is reunited with his former adversary-turned-buddy Brown is Charlotte's most intriguing storyline as the NBA's free agency period opens Wednesday.

Iverson is a 34-year-old free agent, far removed from his NBA MVP days and certainly about to be paid much less than the nearly $22 million he made last season, when he was traded from Denver to Detroit.

Seven years after Iverson's famous "We're talking about practice!" rant directed at Brown when they were in Philadelphia, the two have made up. Iverson was spotted in Charlotte in May, when Brown said he'd have no problems coaching him again and Iverson's agent indicated his client would be open to playing for the Bobcats.

Leon Rose declined further comment on Tuesday, but he's expected to talk to the Bobcats as the free agency negotiating period starts Wednesday.

"Even though there are things that went on during our careers, the work he did was phenomenal," Brown said recently. "He wants to win, he competes every night, he plays hurt."

Brown did question whether the Bobcats, who have never won more than 35 games in a season, would be a good fit for a player seeking to win an NBA title before retiring. But Rose said his client would have no qualms coming to Charlotte.

The Bobcats were the lowest-scoring team in the NBA last season, but Iverson's role here would be uncertain.

The Bobcats have depth in the backcourt. They drafted shooting guard Gerald Henderson with the 12th pick to back up Raja Bell. D.J. Augustin is expected to again back up point guard Raymond Felton.

Charlotte last week gave Felton a one-year, $5.5 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent and plan to sign him to a long-term deal this summer.

"I don't see any situation where he will not be with this team," managing partner Michael Jordan said. "Granted, we've got a lot of business decisions to make and a lot of negotiations ahead. But I anticipate us keeping and signing Raymond Felton, without a doubt."

Under that scenario, Iverson would likely have to take on a lesser role, something he resisted in Detroit last season.

It's also uncertain if the two sides could agree on a contract. The Bobcats, who are over the salary cap, will probably not offer more than a midlevel exception of about $5.6 million for a free agent.

Management has been told by owner Bob Johnson, who has slashed non-basketball payroll and is exploring selling the team, not to exceed the luxury tax threshold of about $70 million.

"I don't think it's fair for us to get anywhere close to the luxury tax numbers," general manager Rod Higgins said. "We're just trying to get to the playoffs. We're not there yet, so it's going to be hard pressed for us to go to ownership and say we want to go to the tax level."

The Bobcats' biggest need is the frontcourt. Injury-prone power forward Sean May becomes an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday after Charlotte declined to give him a one-year qualifying offer of $3.7 million.

The Bobcats could still try to re-sign May for less, and they must address Boris Diaw's backup because veteran Juwan Howard is also a free agent. Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess, both of whom have played for Brown, are available.

Charlotte has big money tied up in reserve big men Nazr Mohammed ($13.2 million owed over the next two seasons) and DeSagana Diop ($19.4 million over three years), but didn't make a draft-week trade to clear cap space to be a major player in free agency.

But with Cleveland, Orlando, Atlanta and Washington all making recent deals, the Bobcats may have a tough time becoming a playoff team in an improved Eastern Conference next season if they don't make a move or two to upgrade offensively.

Notes: Johnson again declined an interview request Tuesday, two days after the Houston Chronicle reported former Rockets executive George Postolos made an inquiry about buying the Bobcats. Postolos declined comment in an e-mail response. ... With the Bobcats not fielding a summer league team to save money, Henderson will play for Minnesota's entry in Las Vegas July 10-19. Second-round pick Derrick Brown will play for Utah in Orlando July 6-10.

-- Mike Cranston

Knicks face free agent decisions on Lee, Robinson

NEW YORK - David Lee and Nate Robinson become free agents on Wednesday, and the New York Knicks say they would like to keep both.

The players shouldn't expect too big an offer. Those are reserved for the guys who hit free agency next year.

In the meantime, the Knicks face decisions on two of their own, a pair of popular and productive players they will try to retain - but only if it doesn't cost them too much.

New York's goal remains to be a major player next summer, and not overspend in 2009.

"I'm always looking at 2010, because I want to be in the free agent market in a big way," team president Donnie Walsh said.

That's why a player like Lee will become a free agent. The Knicks could have extended him and Robinson before last season, and teams often take that option. Walsh, however, didn't want to make any commitments without seeing how they fit into coach Mike D'Antoni's system.

"You don't normally have a guy like this in free agency," Lee's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said of his client. "Usually these guys are extended before they get there."

Lee went on to lead the NBA with 65 double-doubles and rank in the top 10 in rebounding and field goal percentage, averaging 16 points and 11.7 boards. Robinson also had the best season of his career, scoring 17.2 points per game as one of the league's top sixth men.

Both are restricted free agents, meaning the Knicks can match an offer they receive. Walsh said he tries to make a fair offer first, but knows he has options if that doesn't go far.

"You try to discuss what the numbers are and if you're really far apart in restricted free agency then you keep talking, but you're almost saying, 'Well, you better prove it to me,'" Walsh said.

That won't be easy this summer, because there aren't many teams who have money and want to spend it. The economy has hit some teams hard, and others prefer to wait until 2010, for what could be one of the strongest free agency classes ever.

The Knicks understand that, but also realize one of those teams with money, such as Detroit or Oklahoma City, could make a strong bid that would change their strategy.

"Problem is, you can have a feeling where the league is, but it just takes one person to buck that trend," D'Antoni said.

Robinson made $2 million and Lee a little less in the final years of their rookie contracts, and both will seek much larger deals. Lee likely has a better chance to get it, especially from the Knicks, with Bartelstein noting the 6-foot-9 forward has improved every season.

But after devoting last season to untangling the Knicks' salary cap mess, Walsh doesn't plan to overspend.

"The one thing is, if you don't want to, you don't have to lose them, but you might have to pay them a lot more," Walsh said. "That's the decision that we have to make."

-- Brian Mahoney

Boozer decides to stay with Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY - Carlos Boozer has reconsidered free agency, or at least put it off a year.

Boozer let the Utah Jazz know on Tuesday that he will stay with the team for the final year of his contract rather than opting out and becoming a free agent - which he once said he intended to do.

Boozer backed off his original statement and said when the season ended he wanted to consider all of his options.

He chose not to chance an iffy free agent market for more money and possibly a long-term deal, taking the $12.7 million he's guaranteed next season from the Jazz.

Boozer took until the final day to reach a decision.

Utah was still waiting Tuesday to hear from center Mehmet Okur, who also had the option to return for the final year of his contract.

When healthy, Boozer has been the Jazz's top scorer and rebounder and helped lead Utah to three straight playoff appearances. He's been an All-Star twice and was a member of last year's U.S. Olympic gold medal team, but injuries have taken him out for large chunks of three of his five seasons in Utah.

"We are excited that Carlos has decided to remain with the Jazz," general manager Kevin O'Connor said in a release. "We are hopeful he can continue to play at an All-Star level and will have an injury-free season."

Boozer has averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds since Utah signed him away from the Cleveland Cavaliers as a restricted free agent five years ago, but has only played in 276 of a possible 410 with the Jazz. He was limited to 37 games last season, due largely to an injury that required surgery on his left knee in January.

Utah learned Monday that reserve shooting guard Kyle Korver exercised his option to play out his contract for $5.2 million.

-- Doug Alden

Okur stays with Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY - Center Mehmet Okur has decided to stay with the Utah Jazz for the final year of his contract.

Okur joins teammates Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver, who also had the option of skipping the final year of their contracts and becoming free agents.

None of the three chose to test the market, keeping the Jazz lineup intact for a hefty price.

Okur is due $9 million next season. He has averaged 16 points and eight rebounds since joining the Jazz five years ago and is the team's top 3-point shooter.

Suns exercise team option on Amundson

PHOENIX - The Phoenix Suns Tuesday exercised the second-year team option on the contract of forward Louis Amundson.

Amundson saw action in a career-high 76 games, including the final 61 consecutive contests and all 31 contests under head coach Alvin Gentry.

The 6-9, 238-pound Amundson averaged 4.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 13.7 minutes in 2008-2009 and posted six double-digit scoring efforts after entering the season with a career-best of eight points.

Amundson was signed by the Suns on Aug. 14, 2008.

Brown exercises option with Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Bobby Brown has exercised his player option for the 2009-10 season.

Brown will make just under $740,000 next season. He came over from Sacramento at the trade deadline in a deal that sent Rashad McCants to the Kings. He averaged 5.3 points and 1.7 assists in under 14 minutes a game last season.

Brown will return to a potentially crowded race for time at point guard next season. The Wolves chose Spanish 18-year-old Ricky Rubio with the fifth pick in the draft last week, then chose Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn at No. 6.

Minnesota also has veteran Sebastian Telfair on the roster. That means Brown could be a candidate to be traded or bought out this summer.

Clippers extend qualifying offer to Novak

LOS ANGELES - The Clippers have extended a qualifying offer to forward Steve Novak, making him a restricted free agent.

Los Angeles also announced Tuesday that guard Ricky Davis has exercised his contract option for the 2009-10 season and forward Brian Skinner has decided not to exercise his option for the upcoming season, which makes him an unrestricted free agent.

The Clippers also decided not to exercise their team option on guard Alex Acker.

Novak averaged 6.9 points and shot 42 percent from 3-point range in 71 games last season, his third in the NBA.

Under league rules, the Clippers had until Tuesday to make a qualifying offer to Novak. As a restricted free agent, he may sign an offer sheet with any team, but the Clippers can match.

Pistons fire coach Michael Curry after 1 season

DETROIT - All or nothing seems to be the formula for coaching the Detroit Pistons. Bring home an NBA championship or hit the road.

First-year coach Michael Curry became the latest Pistons coach to get the ax as president for basketball operations Joe Dumars fired him Tuesday after watching his team stumble to a sub-.500 record and an embarrassing first-round exit from the playoffs.

But winning playoff games hasn't been enough to keep Pistons management happy. Just ask Flip Saunders.

Dumars fired Saunders last season after he led the team to the Eastern Conference finals in each of his three seasons. Curry was an assistant under Saunders for one season.

In 2005, the Pistons parted ways with Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown after he helped them win a title and almost repeat during his two years with the team. And Rick Carlisle was fired after two years with the Pistons following a conference finals appearance in 2003 in his second season and NBA Coach of the Year honors in his first.

Curry and Dumars shared playing days together with Detroit. That may have helped Curry land the coaching job last year, but it wasn't enough to keep him in it.

The Pistons went 39-43 in 2008-09 and were swept in the postseason in four lopsided losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers after six straight conference finals appearances. Dumars said after that series that Curry would return, but changed his mind by Tuesday.

"This was a difficult decision to make," Dumars said in a statement. "I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change."

Pistons spokesman Kevin Grigg said the timetable for naming a new coach was up in the air.

"Obviously with the free agency period starting tomorrow (Wednesday), we don't know quite the speed of it," Grigg said.

Another ex-Pistons player and former Dumars teammate, Bill Laimbeer, stepped down in June as coach of the WNBA's Detroit Shock, saying he wanted a shot at coaching in the NBA. An e-mail message was left for Laimbeer seeking comment Tuesday.

The Pistons began the season with big hopes but couldn't recover from the loss of All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups in a November trade to Denver for Allen Iverson - a move intended to feature Iverson's creativity and create time for emerging guard Rodney Stuckey.

Instead, the Pistons fell apart. They won just three games in February and three in April, plummeting to the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff seeding and a no-win matchup with LeBron James and the Cavs.

The playoff series loss ended a dominant run: The Pistons and the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers are the only franchises to play in six straight conference finals since 1970-71, when teams had to win two series to advance that far.

Immediately after the season, Dumars defended Curry.

"It was an up-and-down season for him," Dumars said then. "And, an up-and down-season for us. ... The fact that we made so many changes for a first-year coach, I had to step back and be a little more patient than I have been. ... I tried to put myself in his shoes."

A telephone message seeking comment was left for Curry on Tuesday. In January, he said he expected to be held responsible for the team's fortunes.

"It's part of the job," he said. "When you lose, it's the coach's fault. When you win, the players get the praise."

Dumars last week started rebuilding the roster. The Pistons may very well part with unrestricted free agents Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess, and they picked up forwards Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko in last week's draft.

Curry, who played for the Pistons in 1995-1997 and 1999-2003, started his playing career as an undrafted free agent during the 1993-94 season in Philadelphia and ended during the 2004-05 season with the Indiana Pacers.

Near the end of his playing career, Curry headed the NBA players' association, leading it from 2001-2003. He later served as the NBA Development League's vice president for player development and the NBA's vice president for basketball operations.

Curry averaged 4 1/2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 20 minutes a game over his career, which also included stints in Milwaukee, Toronto and Washington. His defense and leadership kept him in the league despite averaging less than seven points a season.

-- David N. Goodman

Nuggets' Smith to serve 30 days in fatal accident

MILLSTONE, N.J. - A judge sentenced Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith to 90 days in jail Tuesday night for causing an auto accident that killed his friend, though Smith will likely end up serving only 30.

Municipal Judge Debra J. Gelson suspended 60 days of the sentence providing Smith performs 500 hours of community service consisting of visiting sick children at hospitals.

Smith, who grew up in this town about 20 miles east of Trenton, was taken to county jail Tuesday night to begin serving his sentence.

"He's 23 years old; he's a tough kid and he's going to do these four weeks and come out a better person," said Kevin Hextall, an attorney representing Smith.

Gelson also suspended Smith's license for two years, to begin next March after Smith's current license suspension expires.

Smith, who didn't comment after the sentencing, expressed regret at causing the accident that killed his friend, 21-year-old Andre Bell of East Orange, in June 2007.

"It's been unbearable to deal with," he said to the court. "I am deeply sorry. I never intended for this to happen. It tears me up that it went down like that."

Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien released a statement Tuesday night.

"We will continue to support J.R. during this difficult period and will have no further comment at this time," he said.

Smith, who starred at Lakewood High School and St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, admitted driving an SUV through a stop sign and colliding with a car in Millstone Township, about 20 miles east of Trenton, in June 2007. Bell later died from his injuries, and another passenger in the SUV and a woman driving the car were injured but recovered.

Smith suffered scratches and an injury to his left shoulder.

Prosecutor Richard Kelly said Tuesday the data recorder in Smith's vehicle showed he was driving 67 miles per hour in a spot where the speed limit was 35 mph. Both Smith and Bell were ejected from the vehicle after impact.

A grand jury declined to indict Smith, but he faced five motor vehicle violations and pleaded guilty to reckless driving.

Gelson focused on Smith's checkered driving record in rejecting Hextall's request to impose a fine but not jail time. She cited court filings that showed that Smith had 28 points on his license in 2005 that included four speeding tickets.

She also gave weight to Smith's two speeding tickets in Colorado since the accident, which she termed "disturbing," and said letting Smith off without jail time would send the wrong message.

"There has to be deterrence," Gelson said. "Young people look up to Mr. Smith; he's a role model. What would that say to them? That's it's OK to speed?"

Bell's family has filed a wrongful death suit against Smith. Attorney Harvey Grossman, representing the family, said discussions are under way.

Bell's mother, Wanda, and his brother attended the hearing but did not comment afterward. Hextall read from a letter Wanda Bell wrote last fall in which she called Smith "a beautiful young man" who was like a brother to her son.

Of the lawsuit negotiations, Hextall said Smith "has every intention of trying to resolve this matter."

Smith, a 6-foot-6 guard, recently finished his fifth NBA season and averaged 15 points per game for Denver.

-- David Porter

Former Bulls star Curry's home in foreclosure

BURR RIDGE, Ill. - Court records show that former Chicago Bulls star Eddy Curry's suburban Chicago mansion is in foreclosure.

Documents show that as of Friday, Curry was more than $217,000 behind on his $3.7 million mortgage. Records show Curry and his wife, Patrice, took the 30-year mortgage out in July 2003 to buy the Burr Ridge home.

That's the home where the former Bulls center was bound and robbed in 2007.

A court filing says the Currys' initial interest rate on the home loan was 9.25 percent with a monthly payment of $28,675.

Curry's attorneys haven't returned calls seeking comment Tuesday.

He now plays for the New York Knicks. 

Warriors' Maggette has minor wrist surgery

OAKLAND, Calif. - Golden State Warriors forward Corey Maggette has undergone minor surgery on his right wrist.

Maggette had the surgery Monday in Los Angeles to relieve pain that bothered Maggette intermittently during his first season with Golden State. The 10-year pro hobbled through 51 games last season with several injuries, including a sprained right hand, a sore back, a torn hamstring and post-concussion syndrome.

Maggette, who averaged 18.6 points and 5.5 rebounds last season while mostly playing as a reserve, will be able to resume basketball activities in three weeks.

Affiliations named for Wizards, Skyforce

BISMARCK, N.D. - The NBA Development League has announced affiliations for the upcoming season for its teams, including those in the Dakotas.

The Dakota Wizards in Bismarck, N.D., will be affiliated with Washington for a fourth straight year and Memphis for the third consecutive season.

Dakota's top rival, Sioux Falls, S.D., remains affiliated with the Minnesota Timberwolves, for the fourth straight year. But the Skyforce also will now be linked with Miami instead of Charlotte.