NBA News

[abadani69]

Shaquille O’Neal’s raunchy rap in which he mocked former teammate Kobe Bryant is costing him another of his lawman badges.

Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown said Wednesday that he has asked the Phoenix Suns center to return a badge he was given for his work with the southwest Virginia county’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Brown says O’Neal’s likeness also will no longer be used to promote Operation Blue Ridge Thunder, a unit of the department that O’Neal worked with in investigating Internet predators. O’Neal served as a reserve deputy for the sheriff’s department from 2004 through the end of 2007.

The decision comes one day after a sheriff in Arizona asked O’Neal to return a special deputy’s badge because of language he used in the rap.

The freestyle rap was recorded and posted at TMZ.com.

[abadani69]

Michael Beasley strolled into a hotel ballroom Wednesday, spotted the swarm of cameras surrounding his table, and jokingly asked Brandon Rush if he wanted to switch spots.

The guy Beasley really may want to swap with is Derrick Rose.

Rose is Beasley’s competition for the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and the winner will be announced Thursday night when NBA commissioner David Stern announces the selection shortly after 7 p.m.

The Chicago Bulls own the pick, and Rose would love to play for his hometown team. When the Bulls won the lottery despite only a 1.7 percent chance, Rose immediately thought of LeBron James, the Akron, Ohio kid picked first in 2003 by nearby Cleveland.

“I thought that LeBron James was the luckiest person because he got to play in his hometown,” Rose said.

Rose, the point guard from Memphis, and Beasley, the Kansas State power forward, sit atop a deep freshmen class that could gobble up most of the spots in the top 10.

O.J. Mayo of Southern California, UCLA’s Kevin Love, Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless, and Indiana guard Eric Gordon are among the other first-year stars who might already be earning NBA paychecks if not for the age requirement forcing American-born players to be at least 19 years old and a year out of high school.

“We can have possibly eight players from our class in the lottery, so just hearing that I feel like we have a lot of star power in this class,” Love said. “We’re a pretty deep class as well, and I feel like hopefully we’ll be able to step up our games and impact the NBA.”

Beasley had the best individual year, leading the nation with 12.4 rebounds per game and ranking third with his average of 26.2 points. But if the Bulls opt for Rose, Beasley isn’t even guaranteed to go second, with Miami possibly more interested in trading the pick and grabbing a guard to pair in the backcourt with Dwyane Wade.

“One, 2, 3, 78, I just want to get there,” Beasley said.

Hurting Beasley’s chances of going first are questions about his height. The draft media guide lists him at 6-foot-10, and he said a doctor measured him at 6-8 3/4 in bare feet. Still, there are some concerns he may be smaller—perhaps too small to play the 4 spot in the NBA.

“I didn’t know there was a height requirement in the NBA,” Beasley said.

The Bulls haven’t revealed publicly which way they are leaning, but Rush, sitting at the next table, said Beasley was the “best player I’ve seen in college, since I’ve been in college.” His Kansas team faced Beasley in Big 12 play, then beat Rose and Memphis in the national championship game.

“I would go with Beasley because he makes things look so much easier,” Rush said. “He just looks effortless out there. He had 39 on us in our own house.”

Having played three seasons for the Jayhawks, Rush was one of the old-timers in the room. He may have to wait until after the kids have had their fun Thursday night.

Mayo and Bayless could be on Miami’s radar if the Heat can’t get Rose, don’t want Beasley, and trade out of the No. 2 spot. Or, perhaps one may end up in New York, where the Knicks could be in the market for a point guard with the sixth pick to run new coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense.

With Rose, Mayo and Bayless, three teams should get a player capable of running their team. Just ask UCLA guard Russell Westbrook, the Pac-10 defensive player of the year who had to guard all of them.

“You can go down the list. You got O.J., you got Derrick, you got Jerryd Bayless … that’s the core of the guards,” said Westbrook, also expected to go in the lottery. “Them three right there basically speaks for itself. They wouldn’t be here for nothing.”

Minnesota, Seattle and Memphis, holding the Nos. 3-5 picks, all could turn to players who this time last year were just getting their high school diplomas. Mayo worked out for the top seven teams, and doesn’t know whose hat he’ll put on Thursday at Madison Square Garden.

“There are a lot of great players in this draft,” Mayo said. “You really can’t go wrong with anybody; we all worked hard to get to this point. We all should be happy to be here. It’s a blessing for all of us.”

Rose could be the luckiest one. He might get to go home and help the Bulls rebound from their 33-49 finish last season and return to the level they were at when he was growing up in the Windy City.

“It would mean a lot knowing all of the great players that they’ve had in the past,” he said. “So if I go there and get picked there, hopefully that will have a positive side to it.”

[abadani69]

The Hornets have agreed to send their first-round draft pick, the 27th overall, to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for cash that could help New Orleans add a key free agent to a rising young squad.

The deal awaits league approval and may not become official until Thursday’s draft has begun, according to a person who works in the NBA and is familiar with the transaction. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the deal hadn’t been formally announced.

The Trail Blazers already have the 13th overall selection and adding the 27th pick would give them five draft picks overall, including three in the second round. The Trail Blazers also have yet to see action from Greg Oden, last year’s top overall pick in the draft, because of knee surgery that sidelined him for all of his rookie season.

Hornets general manager Jeff Bower declined to confirm a trade, saying nothing is official until the league approves it. However, he talked about how the Hornets’ could benefit in free agency by taking cash for their only pick in this year’s NBA draft.

The Hornets fell one victory short of the Western Conference finals this past season, losing in seven games to the San Antonio Spurs in the second round. Bower said it is rare for a rookie selected in the bottom fifth of the draft’s opening round to be a difference-maker on a team looking to contend for a championship.

“That type of production normally comes two or three years down the road,” Bower said.

The Hornets’ rebuilding years are behind them, however, and head coach Byron Scott has only two seasons on his current contract.

With a starting lineup that includes All-Stars Chris Paul and David West, along with perimeter sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic and 7-foot-1 center Tyson Chandler, the goal is to contend for a title next season. Conventional wisdom points to free agency as the fastest way to make the Hornets, who won a franchise-record 56 games in the regular season, a better playoff team.

“We have to make the judgment as to where we can get the quickest help,” Bower said. “So we’re looking at, really, from a draft pick at 27 or maybe we’re better served looking at other avenues.”

With no incoming rookies, the Hornets would add money that would otherwise have been spent on draft choices into their pot for free agency—in addition to cash received from another team in a trade, which could be as high as $3 million under league rules, Bower said.

As of Wednesday, the Hornets did not have a second-round choice in the draft. It was traded to Houston last season as part of a deal that sent Bobby Jackson to the Rockets in exchange for Bonzi Wells and Mike James. Houston later dealt that pick, the 56th overall, to Seattle.

Wells will become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

[abadani69]

The Charlotte Bobcats wanted to load up on draft picks. The Denver Nuggets were happy to sit out the entire draft.

The Nuggets traded the 20th pick to the Bobcats on Wednesday in exchange for a future, protected first-round pick. The Bobcats, who also hold the ninth pick on Thursday, may now get a chance to address needs at center and point guard.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, will have no picks on Thursday. Denver, which was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers, had already traded its second-round choice to Seattle.

Not having a first-round pick saves the salary cap-strapped Nuggets from having to the pay the luxury tax on a guaranteed rookie contract.

“Tough roster to make. You look at a young guy coming in, where does he go?” said Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien. “Again, you look at the positions and it’s tough finding minutes for young guys.”

Denver will get Charlotte’s first-round pick next season if the Bobcats make the playoffs. If they don’t, Charlotte keeps it. The pick would then be protected by a sliding scale, where Charlotte would retain it if it’s in the top 12 in 2010, top 10 in 2011, top eight in 2012 and top three in 2013. Charlotte would have no protection for the pick in 2014.

But the Bobcats are determined to make the playoffs for the first time next season, and part-owner Michael Jordan and new coach Larry Brown will have a chance to improve the roster Thursday night.

The Bobcats could have their eye on 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert of Georgetown with the 20th pick. The Bobcats were impressed with Hibbert during a predraft workout earlier this month. Charlotte has a desperate need up front after consistently getting outrebounded last season. Hibbert is expected to go late in the first round.

Charlotte also could take a big man at No. 9, or a point guard if Russell Westbrook of UCLA is still available. The Bobcats have no point guard on the roster after starter Raymond Felton.

Another scenario would be Charlotte packaging both picks to move up from the ninth spot. General manager Rod Higgins said Wednesday the Bobcats had interest in getting a higher pick.

The future first-round picks give the Nuggets more options in future trade talk. Warkentien compared it to walking around with a “loaded gun” during negotiations.

“There is a myriad of possibilities of what you can do with this. We love the flexibility,” Warkentien said. “Good businesses remain flexible and we have a lot of flexibility now.”

AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.

[abadani69]

For the Miami Heat, what shapes up as a tough decision should really be rather easy.

Realistically, there should only be two logical scenarios awaiting the Heat Thursday night, when they will hold the second pick in a muddled NBA draft.

1. Draft Memphis point guard Derrick Rose if he’s available.

2. If the Chicago Bulls, as expected, take Rose with the No. 1 pick, then draft Kansas State forward Michael Beasley.

Sounds so simple.

Of course, it’s not.

The last few weeks have been filled with sensible trade rumors, crazy trade rumors, smoke screens, misdirection and the undeniable sense that no one—not even team president Pat Riley—knows what the Heat will do when their draft number gets called by commissioner David Stern. So what seemed for weeks like a two-player draft may now have become a wide-open race, with Jerryd Bayless, Brook Lopez and O.J. Mayo all perhaps now contenders in the mix to join Dwyane Wade on South Beach next season.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. No one does,” said Wade, the Heat’s four-time All-Star guard and leader of the 2006 NBA championship team, “All I know is that no matter what actually does happen, coach Riley is going to get us a really good player.”

Maybe even more than one.

“It’s a position in which you can leverage and do a lot of different things,” Riley said on draft lottery night last month. “So, we will use the pick. It doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to use it to draft somebody, but we’re going to use that pick to try to find as many good players as we can or we’re going to take the player that we really want to take.”

An already intriguing draft week became loaded with even more options Tuesday night, when Heat forward Shawn Marion—again, as expected—did not opt out of the final year of his contract, one that will pay him $17.8 million next year and after which he would become a free agent.

Marion’s choice only gave Riley more options.

He could trade Marion to another team for a player and second lottery pick, which might explain the affinity for working out Bayless and Mayo in the days before the draft. He could package Marion and another player, possibly Mark Blount, and create a draft-night blockbuster deal much like the one that vaulted the Boston Celtics from the Eastern Conference basement to the NBA title in just one year. Or, perhaps the least likely scenario, Riley could decide that Marion and Udonis Haslem are the forward duo of Miami’s future and begin listening in earnest to offers for Beasley, if he’s the actual No. 2 selection.

How about Elton Brand coming to Miami in a trade? Riley has coveted him for years, even signing him to an offer sheet several seasons ago.

Or Stephon Marbury? It could lead to a Marion-Mike D’Antoni reunion with the New York Knicks.

The possibilities are endless.

“I try not to think about it too much,” said Heat forward Udonis Haslem, who also finds himself being mentioned in some trade permutations this summer. “You don’t know what’s going to happen until it happens. I just know that we’re going to be better next season.”

Riley has remained largely mum on the topic for weeks, and won’t openly talk about his master plan until after Thursday’s draft, either.

“The talk of the draft from Day 1 has been Derrick Rose and Beasley,” Wade said. “We’ve got to figure out what’s the best fit for the team we envision to have, what’s the best fit for Miami, period. Miami’s a tough city to play in. Everybody knows the temptations of Miami, so you’ve got to bring in somebody that’s going to be a franchise changer on and off the court, and I’m sure that’s what coach Riley’s going to do.”

The franchise has already changed plenty this offseason.

Soon after Miami’s dismal, injury-filled, 15-67 season—one that matched the worst in franchise history and one that’ll be remembered mostly by the Heat’s decision to trade Shaquille O’Neal to the Phoenix Suns for Marion and Marcus Banks—ended, Riley retired as coach for the second and presumably final time, turning the first chair over to longtime assistant Erik Spoelstra.

In a chat posted May 1 on the team’s Web site, Spoelstra didn’t offer any hints, either.

“We’ll do our due diligence and the history of the draft shows, you need to take the best player available,” Spoelstra said that day.

On Thursday, all the mystery will finally end.

“I think it’s all about who complements this team and complements D-Wade the best,” said Heat center Alonzo Mourning, who plans to return for 2008-09. “Our front office, our basketball minds, Pat Riley, Randy Pfund, will do what’s best for this team right now, whether it’s Rose or Beasley or anyone else out there.”

Notes

The Heat tendered qualifying offers Wednesday to guard Chris Quinn and forwards Dorell Wright and Kasib Powell, making them restricted free agents and giving Miami the ability to match any offer sheets those players sign with another team.

[abadani69]

Derrick Rose is going home, and a whole bunch of freshmen are following him to the NBA.

The Chicago Bulls selected Rose, who grew up on the city’s South Side, with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Thursday night, choosing the Memphis guard over Kansas State forward Michael Beasley.

With Beasley going second to Miami and Minnesota picking O.J. Mayo at No. 3, college freshmen made up the first three picks for the first time in draft history.

“We actually talked about this earlier,” Beasley said. “We all grew up together and we all grew up playing against each other and we all made a pact together that we would all be here. Just to see it all fall into place and see it all happen is kind of crazy.”

Rose led the Tigers to the national championship game in his lone college season. The Bulls opted for the point guard’s playmaking ability over the scoring and rebounding of Beasley, who ranked in the top three in the nation in both categories.

Rose is the Bulls’ first No. 1 overall selection since they grabbed Elton Brand in 1999. He’s the second straight freshman taken with the top pick, following Portland’s Greg Oden last year.

The 6-foot-3 guard put on a red Bulls cap, hugged some supporters, including Memphis coach John Calipari, and shook hands with Beasley, seated at a nearby table, before walking onto the stage to meet NBA commissioner David Stern.

“I was a little nervous when they came back out, but I always had that in mind that I want to be No. 1,” Rose said. “So it was great hearing my name and being the No. 1 pick.”

Rose should be an upgrade over ***k Hinrich, who now could be traded, and gives the Bulls another option if they don’t re-sign guard Ben Gordon.

Expected to contend for a division title, the Bulls instead stumbled to a 33-49 record and eventually replaced two coaches. But with just a 1.7 percent chance, they won last month’s draft lottery, giving them a chance to quickly return to the playoffs.

“It feels great to go in and compete,” Rose said. “I’m just blessed to be in that position right now, because a lot of people aren’t. And just knowing that we are a few pieces away from really contending as a team, it just makes me happy.”

Miami settled for Beasley at No. 2, even though he wasn’t sure if the Heat would go for Mayo instead. Beasley averaged 26.2 points, third in the nation, and topped Division I with 12.4 rebounds per game. But with questions about his size—he may be 2 inches shorter than the 6-foot-10 he’s listed at—the Bulls may not have believed he could play the 4 spot in the NBA.

After Mayo’s selection, UCLA guard Russell Westbrook was the first non-freshmen taken, going fourth to the Seattle SuperSonics—with new teammate and reigning Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant standing and applauding the pick from the back.

Kevin Love gave the Bruins’ consecutive picks, going to Memphis at No. 5. The New York Knicks followed with Italian forward Danilo Gallinari, whose father played with new coach Mike D’Antoni overseas. Fans in Madison Square Garden weren’t impressed, booing loudly.

“It’s part of the game, all the players have got to hear this,” Gallinari said. “Not every time can you hear good things. It’s normal.”

Indiana guard Eric Gordon became the fifth freshman taken, going to the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 7. West Virginia’s Joe Alexander, whose stock began to rise after a strong run at Madison Square Garden in the Big East tournament, went to Milwaukee with the next pick.

Charlotte gave new coach Larry Brown a point guard, taking D.J. Augustin of Texas with the ninth pick. New Jersey took Stanford center Brook Lopez at No. 10, and Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless joined fellow Pac-10 guards Mayo and Westbrook by going 11th to Indiana.

Bayless could end up competing for playing time at the point with T.J. Ford if a proposed trade between the Pacers and Toronto Raptors goes through. Indiana would send six-time All-Star forward Jermaine O’Neal to Toronto for Ford, center Rasho Nesterovic, the 17th pick in the draft and a player to be determined.

Sacramento pulled a surprise at No. 12 with Rider forward Jason Thompson, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player of the year and the first senior taken. Brandon Rush of national champion Kansas went next to Portland, and Golden State grabbed LSU forward Anthony Randolph—yet another freshman—with the 14th and final lottery pick.

[abadani69]

The 76ers have agreed to trade forward Rodney Carney and a future No. 1 pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a deal that clears salary cap space for Philadelphia to make a stronger push for free agents, two people in the NBA told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been completed and the NBA trade moratorium is not lifted until Wednesday.

The 76ers will throw in reserve forward Calvin Booth, and acquired a future second round draft pick and Minnesota’s $2.8 million trade exception gained in a 2007 deal with Miami.

“The only thing I can share with you is that Calvin’s contract will be traded to Minnesota tomorrow,” said Booth’s agent, Mark Termini.

The deal clears the way for the Sixers to potentially offer a nearly $14 million starting salary and a long-term deal to free agents like forwards Elton Brand or Josh Smith. The emerging Sixers now have another $2 million in salary cap space to add to the $11 million in space available that they hope will land them the post player they badly need to become contenders in the Eastern Conference.

A proposed trade between the teams was first reported by Yahoo.com.

The Sixers had Smith in town for a visit last week but did not give the restricted free agent an offer sheet. As he’s a restricted free agent, the Hawks can match any offer made to the 6-foot-9, 235-pound Smith.

Brand would clearly be the Sixers best option. Brand opted out last week of his contract with the Clippers, but Los Angeles is expected to make a strong push to re-sign him. Brand had said he plans to stay with the Clippers despite his decision, even if he must accept a contract below the NBA maximum for free agents.

Smith or Brand could make the Sixers instant contenders in the Eastern Conference. They were one of the surprise teams in the league last season, going 40-42 and stretching Detroit to six games in the first round of the playoffs. One thing they lacked was an athletic, consistent scorer at power forward.

Smith would be a good fit for the up-tempo Sixers and would be a huge upgrade over last year’s power forward, Reggie Evans. He’s one of the premier shot blockers in the league and could team with starting center Samuel Dalembert and small forward Thaddeus Young to form one of the top frontcourts in the Eastern Conference.

The deal allows the rebuilding Timberwolves, who have long been one of the worst cap managers in the league, to continue putting themselves in a position to be a major player on the free agent markets in 2009 and 2010.

Carney has one year remaining on his contract with a team option for 2009-10, while Booth will come off the books at the end of the upcoming season, unless a buyout agreement is reached before that.

The Timberwolves received the trade exception from the Heat because they took on less cash than they gave up in a deal last October that sent Mark Blount and Ricky Davis to Miami in exchange for Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac and Wayne Simien. That deal allowed them to rid themselves of Blount’s bloated contract.

On draft night in June, the Timberwolves were able to unload Marko Jaric’s hefty deal, shipping him to Memphis with O.J. Mayo, Walker and Greg Buckner for Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal. All three of the Grizzlies in that deal have contracts that will expire no later than 2010.

That freedom will allow the team to pursue a big-name free agent or two to supplement a rising young core group of Al Jefferson, Randy Foye, Corey Brewer and Rashad McCants.

As a secondary prize on the court in the Philly deal, Carney will give them an athletic swingman who averaged 5.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in his second season out of Memphis. Booth, if he stays, will give the team a little more depth at center behind Jefferson and Collins.

AP Sports Writer Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

[abadani69]

Baron Davis flashed his sparkling sense of humor often on his return to Los Angeles. He’ll probably need it since he’s going to be playing for the Clippers.

Arriving on the heels of the departure of Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, Davis will be involved in a rebuilding period for the perennially woeful Clippers.

General manager Elgin Baylor introduced Davis at news conference on Thursday by saying he would make his remarks brief so Davis could say hello.

Davis stepped to the podium and said, “Hello.” Then he paused for a few moments, as if that was all he was going to say, before chuckling and breaking into a broad grin.

Later, talking about his friend Brand and their phone conversations leading up to Davis’ leaving the Golden State Warriors to play for his hometown team, and Brand then bolting to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Asked when he last spoke to Brand, Davis said it was yesterday, laughing and adding, “I can’t tell you what I said to him.”

Brand, who has averaged around 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, was expected to remain with Los Angeles, but he took a five-year deal for a reported $82 million in Philadelphia. Corey Maggette, Los Angeles’ leading scorer last season, essentially swapped places with Davis, signing a 5-year deal with the Warriors for approximately $50 million.

When Davis decided last week that he was going to join the Clippers, he believed Brand was going to be his teammate, but Davis insists he’s gotten over any disappointment that they won’t be playing together.

“I’m signed, sealed and delivered, so I’m not disappointed at all,” he said. “And he’s signed and he’s committed.”

Davis had tried to sway Brand’s decision.

“I talked to him, would tell him, ‘Hey, this is the best place for you, we can do great things.’ But obviously he chose otherwise,” Davis said. “I can’t be mad at him for that. I wish Elton brand the best. He’s a great guy, always going to a great player and a friend of mine. He made a decision for the future of his family.

“There’s no more Elton Brand in L.A. It’s my turn and a chance for the young guys to step up. Get a couple more free agents and we’ll be ready to go.”

Davis said he didn’t consider backing out of his deal (five years, $65 million) with the Clippers because Brand wasn’t going to be around.

“It didn’t really matter, once I made my mind up. I’m a man of my word,” Davis said. “I committed to the Clippers and they committed to me.”

Team president Andy Roeser said the past few days have been tumultuous for the Clippers, but “the silver lining is that we now have one of the best point guards in the NBA.”

Coach Mike Dunleavy believes the Clippers have the two key players necessary for a contending team in Davis and center Chris Kaman.

“The toughest two pieces to find are a point guard and a center,” Dunleavy said. “You look around, and the teams that win are teams with good point guards.”

The 29-year-old Davis, a former UCLA star who grew up in Los Angeles, averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.33 steals while playing all 82 games last season for the Warriors.

A two-time All-Star, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound point guard has averaged 17.1 points, 7.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.95 steals during nine years in the league.

Since they are $12 million under the salary cap, the Clippers are courting other free agents, including guard-forward Josh Smith and frontcourt player Emeka Okafor, both restricted free agents.

[abadani69]

The Golden State Warriors re-signed center Andris Biedrins to a six-year contract worth more than $62 million Monday, retaining another restricted free agent and possibly capping a tumultuous month for the club.

Biedrins averaged career-highs with 10.5 points and 9.8 rebounds with the Warriors last season, his fourth with the club that drafted him with the 11th overall pick in 2004. He also led the NBA in field-goal percentage, making 62.6 percent of his shots.

After fielding interest from at least one Russian club this summer, the Latvian center elected to rejoin Monta Ellis, another restricted free agent who signed a six-year, $66 million deal to return to Golden State last Thursday.

“We’re extremely happy to have Andris under contract for many years to come,” said Chris Mullin, the Warriors’ top basketball executive. “He is clearly one of the top young centers in the NBA, and much like (Ellis), he has continued to improve every season. It’s not easy to find quality young big men in this league, but we certainly think we have one of them, and he’s only 22 years old.”

Biedrins has improved his scoring average in each of his seasons with Golden State, developing from a skinny rebounding specialist into an all-around player and a low-post scorer for the uptempo Warriors.

“The organization and fans have been terrific to me over the last four years, and I’m looking forward to building on some of the success that we’ve had in the last couple of years,” Biedrins said.

The Warriors’ latest signing might finally finish one of the busiest offseasons in club history. Golden State added three free agents and retaining three more in the four weeks since Baron Davis announced his plan to spurn the club by signing a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Golden State countered by signing swingman Corey Maggette away from the Clippers and grabbing forward Ronny Turiaf from the Lakers with an offer sheet. Meanwhile, forwards Mickael Pietrus (Orlando) and Matt Barnes (Phoenix) went elsewhere.

Although the Warriors elected not to use a $10 million trade exception, they also matched the Clippers’ offer sheet for guard Kelenna Azubuike and acquired backup point guard Marcus Williams in a trade with New Jersey.

Biedrins, Ellis and Maggette should join veterans Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington in the starting lineup for coach Don Nelson, whose club led the NBA in scoring last year. Harrington also has quietly explored trade possibilities after falling out of Nelson’s rotation at times last year.

[abadani69]

[abadani69]

Since the start of the 2008-09 season is less than 50 days away — whoa, where in the hell did the summer go? — it's about time I roll out a few "NBA wishes." They are, in no particular order: Julius Hodge returns, dominates; the Raptors make the second round of the playoffs; Jamal Crawford blogs about D'Antoni's inevitable mental breakdown; and Amare Stoudemire's career swagger returns from the ashes.

And while I have high hopes for my "JOBosh Raps" this season, it sounds as though that final "wish" may have the most realistic chance of coming true. Paul Coro at The Arizona Republic checks in with Amare:

"He is talking about and working on his defense. He declares his passion for the game to be at an all-time high, bringing him to the court morning and night most weekdays. He is raving about his new coach, Terry Porter, and teammates.

He is worry-free about his surgically repaired knees. And his good effort has extended off the court, having just returned from a week in Sierra Leone to be part of a project to rehabilitate water wells that he helped fund.

'I feel fit and fierce,' he said. 'My health is tremendous. I have no worries about extra work. Before, I never wanted to overwork. I always wanted to do more, but I was coming back from injuries. I can do whatever I want on the court without second-guessing now.'"

So just how "fit and fierce" is he? Apparently, very. Here's Amare again, this time via the East Valley Tribune:

'I'm at 2 percent body fat and 245 pounds and my (knees) ... I feel like I can do anything I want on the court again,' he said."

To put that in perspective, Dime drops this knowledge: "Karl Malone, who was called "the strongest and best conditioned basketball player on the planet," by The Sporting News, weighed in at five-percent body fat and 265 lbs. It's tough to imagine anyone being more jacked than Malone was."

I know it's mostly off-season rhetoric, but a motivated Amare Stoudemire brings me peace of mind. I can't wait for this season to start.

[abadani69]

Doc Rivers received a contract extension giving him three more years as coach of the Boston Celtics on Tuesday after leading them to an NBA title one year following the second worst season in team history.

Rivers’ contract, which had one year left, was extended through the 2010-2011 season at an annual salary of about $5.5 million, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team does not release contract details.

Rivers coached the Celtics to their NBA record 17th championship and their first in 22 years in his fourth season as coach. Their 66-16 regular record was the best in the NBA and third best in club history.

They were 45-37 in his first season but just 24-58 in his third. The one year 42-win turnaround from that is a league record.

“He can handle the pressure of having to go through losses. He was extremely even keel in the worst periods,” Steve Pagliuca, an owner and managing partner of the team, told The Associated Press.

The fortunes of the team turned around when it obtained guard Ray Allen from Seattle and forward Kevin Garnett from Minnesota in separate trades before last season.

The deals cost them several young players they had stockpiled, including Al Jefferson, who was developing into an outstanding forward.

But Rivers proved as adept at leading veteran stars as he was at teaching inexperienced players. That was one major reason the Celtics decided to extend his contract.

“We felt that Doc did an outstanding job ever since he’s been here with the young players and transforming the veterans we have into a championship team,” Pagliuca said.

The Celtics lost forward James Posey to free agency but are optimistic about draft choices J.R. Giddens, a guard, and Billy Walker, a forward. The entire starting lineup of Garnett, Allen, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins returns.

“Doc molded a championship team last season through his leadership and we are confident that he is the man to lead this franchise on the court now and in the future,” general manager Danny Ainge said in a statement.

In his four seasons as coach of the Celtics, Rivers is 168-160.

“He’s extremely team oriented in everything that he does so he wants the focus to be on the players,” Pagliuca said. “He’s a great teacher of young guys and because he was an NBA All-Star and very well respected point guard player, he’s had an unbelievably good rapport with the superstars. He knows how to handle them and he knows how to really bring young players along.”

[abadani69]

Don’t be fooled by Phil Jackson’s tan and relaxed demeanor. He’s still upset about missing out on another NBA title last summer.

“There’s still a little angst and anger there,” the Los Angeles Lakers’ coach told reporters Friday at the team’s practice facility.

The Lakers lost the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics in six games in June, costing the Hall of Fame coach a chance at his league-record 10th coaching title.

Jackson appeared tanned, rested and relaxed as he spoke with reporters about his summer of boating, swimming and spending time with his grandchildren. He also spoke of possible changes that could help Los Angeles win another title.

Although the Lakers have the core of their rotation back from last season, Jackson said he’s not content with the status quo. Above all, he’s eager to see how well Andrew Bynum mixes with fellow 7-footer Pau Gasol.

Bynum was in the midst of a breakout season when he suffered a partially dislocated left kneecap Jan. 13 and did not play again in 2007-08. The Lakers acquired Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 1, and he and league MVP Kobe Bryant led them to the finals.

Jackson wants to play Bynum at center, with Gasol moving to power forward and Lamar Odom shifting from power forward to small forward. There’s also a chance that Jackson will start Trevor Ariza and use Odom as a sixth man.

“To adjust the two of them on the floor at the same time and Lamar at a wing spot is going to be our goal this year at training camp, to figure out how to do that,” Jackson said. “Pau has a role to play on the floor with Andrew. He’s got to face the basket a little bit more. So, yeah, we have some adjustments to make.”

Jackson agreed that the Lakers lacked the necessary physical presence to compete with the Celtics in the finals. However, he said Bynum’s return to form will solve some of the Lakers’ lack of muscle around the basket.

“We know we weren’t a muscular, physical team, but we were able to get to where we did by finesse and speed,” Jackson said. “I was always impressed by our ability to be as resilient as we were.”

Jackson said he did not disagree with Bryant’s decision to delay surgery on his right pinkie until after the season. Bryant was injured Feb. 5, and played the rest of the season as well as in the Olympics with damaged ligaments.

The Lakers begin training camp Tuesday. They open the regular season Oct. 28 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

[abadani69]

There was no noticeable limp when Manu Ginobili walked into the San Antonio Spurs training facility Monday.

Even better, there was no sign of bad feelings from his teammates.

Ginobili, who had surgery on his left ankle in early September, could miss at least two months of the season. Though off crutches and out of a protective boot, he’s still got plenty of rehab.

“It could be a blessing he’s gotten operated on, and (surgeons) went in there and cleaned things out,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Had he not hurt it in the Olympics, he probably would have done it 15, 25, 35 games into the season.

“His ankle probably would be in better shape now than it’s been in years.”

Popovich had advised the 31-year-old Ginobili not to play for Argentina in China after he hurt the ankle during the Western Conference semifinals against New Orleans, then aggravated the injury in the Western finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Spurs have delayed contract extension talks until Ginobili recovers from surgery. The sixth-year guard has two seasons remaining on his contract.

“They told me eight to 12 weeks, so I’m looking for eight,” he said. “I would like to make it for the beginning of the season, but I know they are going to be very cautious.”

And Ginobili, who helped Argentina to a bronze medal, defended his decision to play. Though Popovich advised him not to play, he did not tell Ginobili he could not play. And he sent a trainer to monitor Ginobili’s progress while the national team prepared in Argentina.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Ginobili said. “I did everything the Spurs told me to. They gave me the go-ahead to play, and I did.”

Teammates Tim Duncan and Tony Parker recognize the team will have to make adjustments while Ginobili sits.

“Everybody is going to have to step up their game,” Parker said.

The Spurs lost Brent Barry to free agency, so Michael Finley might start in Ginobili’s place. And the team also added free agent guard Roger Mason Jr., who averaged nearly 10 points per game and started nine games for the Washington Wizards while Gilbert Arenas was out with an injury.

[abadani69]

The Houston Rockets, buzzing about the arrival of Ron Artest, already have injury concerns with Tracy McGrady.

Houston’s leading scorer said Monday that his left shoulder is arthritic and will require surgery after this season. He also said his left knee is healing slower than expected from surgery in the spring.

McGrady sprained his shoulder against Sacramento on March 24, and wore padding to protect it for the rest of the season. He had surgery in May to clear loose tissue in his shoulder and knee. He said his knee is “probably 75-80 percent” healthy and will take another two months to fully heal.

McGrady said an MRI revealed the arthritis in his shoulder.

“That’s something I’ve got to deal with again this season,” said McGrady, who averaged 21.6 points last season and was selected third-team all-NBA. “My knee should be ready to go by opening night.”

McGrady said the shoulder injury was not going to keep him out of practices or games, but added that, “it’s going to bother me.”

On Tuesday, the Rockets hold their first practice with Artest after picking him up in an August trade with Sacramento. Houston went 55-27 last season, but lost in the first round of the playoffs for the sixth straight year.

Artest adds versatility on both ends—a lockdown defender who can match up with guards or forwards and a multidimensional scorer who should take some of the offensive burden off McGrady and Yao Ming.

Artest averaged 20.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season, but he’s still known as much for his unpredictable behavior as his basketball skills. He’ll never shed the notoriety as the central figure in the November 2004 brawl with fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills and he feuded with Kings management this summer before the Rockets acquired him.

The 28-year-old Artest said Monday that he’s matured, on and off the court, and will keep his emotions in check because of the golden opportunity in front of him.

“I’m grateful to be on a team that has a chance to win,” he said. “It adds extra motivation, extra ‘go-get-it.’ I kind of thrive under those situations. I like when I have something to play for. This year, I really do have something to play for.”

One of the main attractions in coming to Houston was reuniting with Rick Adelman, who coached Artest for one season in Sacramento. Artest said he’s never known a player who didn’t get along with Adelman or like his free-flowing offensive system.

Adelman wants to see Artest and McGrady play together, giving the Rockets scoring threats on the wings.

“He gives us a guy, similar to Tracy, in that he can post up smaller people, he can take people off the dribble,” Adelman said. “Tracy is a great passer, Ron will be a good passer. That’s going to be our main challenge, working those two guys together, and see where they fit with Yao on the floor, too.”

McGrady had to handle more of the offensive load when Yao broke his left foot in late February. He’s averaged more than 21 points for the last eight seasons, but is 0-7 in playoff series.

In Artest, he may have finally found the perfect offensive complement.

“I know I get criticized a lot for not leading my team out of the playoffs,” McGrady said. “It’s hard when you don’t have those pieces that you need to elevate you to that next level. Now, I have that and we’ll see what happens.”

Artest can also step into the role Shane Battier played for the Rockets last season, defending the opposing team’s top scorer. Artest said he was asked to score more for the Kings last season and that coach Reggie Theus told him to ease up on defense to conserve energy.

“I think I can play a little harder on defense now,” he said. “I always wanted to guard the best player. Coach wouldn’t let me guard the best player all the time, because I had to score also. This year, I can go all-out on defense. I haven’t had that joy in a couple of years.”

Artest said he will happily accept whatever role Adelman gives him. He added that the enthusiasm since the trade hasn’t worn off.

“This team right here, this team can be unbelievable,” he said. “It’s been an all-time high and it’s kind of stayed there. I’m still excited. I prepared this summer and that’s given me enough confidence, knowing I’ve prepared to have a great season.”