NBA News

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The Seattle SuperSonics are the only team in the NBA without a coach, and have already stretched their search for two months.

So, what's a couple more days? At least, that's general manager Sam Presti's approach.

The Sonics have put their coaching search on hold for this week and are focusing their attention on the draft where Seattle has the No. 2 pick and two early second-round selections, Presti said Tuesday.

"We've got to the point now where we've had to take a window of time to focus solely on the draft," Presti said. "Post draft, we're going to jump right back in, and jump-start it and move closer to making a decision, a philosophical decision, as to who we're going to have in place as a coach."

When Presti was hired on June 7 after spending seven years with San Antonio, finding a new coach seemed to be the top priority for the youngest GM in basketball, who was given authority over the coaching search.

But the process has dragged, in part because one of the top candidates, San Antonio assistant P.J. Carlesimo, couldn't interview until after the Spurs won their third title since 2003.

There's also been significant turnover within the Sonics scouting department, where director of player personnel David Pendergraft and head scout Steve Rosenberry were fired last week, replaced by former Detroit director of player personnel Scott Perry.

"We've had a lot of different things we're doing," Presti said.

Presti wouldn't divulge the candidates he has interviewed -- a list that reportedly includes Carlesimo, former Minnesota coach Dwane Casey and Sacramento assistant Scott Brooks. He also didn't put a timeline on how soon after the draft a replacement to Bob Hill would be named. Hill was fired April 24 after the Sonics' went 31-51 last season.

Casey declined to comment on Tuesday.

"I'm really pleased with who we've spoken to and the depth of our conversations," Presti said. "And I think we're on pace to make a good decision."

Carlesimo would appear to be the front-runner because of his connection with Presti the last five years. The former Portland and Golden State coach hasn't been a head man since the Warriors fired him in 1999.

Casey, a former longtime Sonics assistant fired in the middle of last season by Minnesota, has expressed strong interest. He is known for having a mind for defense, which fits the vision Presti outlined for the Sonics.

Brooks was a candidate for the head job in Sacramento, before the Kings chose New Mexico State coach Reggie Theus.

Whoever Presti recommends will have to get approval from owner Clay Bennett.

"Ultimately Clay will have to have a comfort level with the person that we select," Presti said. "But right now, the basketball operations staff is focused on the candidates and getting to a point where we are comfortable."

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Chris Webber is as unsure about his future in the NBA now as he was when the Detroit Pistons were eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals earlier this month.

"It's only been a few weeks, so honestly I'm just resting and letting things happen," the five-time All-Star said in a telephone interview. "I just don't know what I want to do yet and I have to be fair to everyone possibly involved."

Webber provided a boost to Detroit's starting lineup when he was signed in midseason following his release by the Philadelphia 76ers. Then, his uneven play in the playoffs seemed to frustrate him.

"I don't want to be in a situation where I'm just going through the motions, letting everything be said about me," the 34-year-old center said earlier this month after Detroit was knocked out by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Webber, who can become a free agent Sunday, is involved with a pair of off-the-court projects to keep his mind occupied while he delays a decision about his career.

He hosted a news conference Tuesday at the Charles W. Wright Museum of African American History, where his collection of artifacts and documents will be on display from Thursday through Sept. 28.

The exhibit "Celebrating Heritage" includes Phillis Wheately's first edition "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" that was published in 1773, and a postcard Malcolm X sent to author Alex Haley.

"Those are my personal favorites," Webber said. "It's really a treat when eyes light up, especially little girls, when they see the second novel by a woman and the first by an African American woman. Hopefully, the entire collection that has been in a few other cities will help inspire some children in my hometown at the largest African American museum."

Webber is also planning a July 20-22 fundraiser for his foundation, "C-Webb's Bada Bling Celebrity Weekend," in Las Vegas.

"Bada Bling is all about having a good time for a good cause," he said. "There's going to a lot people listening to music, playing golf, getting involved in a poker tournament, all to help keep my foundation going strong."

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Earl Boykins will become a free agent, forgoing the $3 million player option on his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Bucks general manager Larry Harris confirmed the 5-foot-5 Boykins, the second smallest player in NBA history, has given him no indication he intends to fulfill the option year. Boykins has until Saturday to notify the team if he plans to return.

"Earl is going to be a free agent," Harris said.

Boykins' agent, Mark Termini, did not immediately return calls or messages seeking comment Tuesday.

Milwaukee acquired Boykins, along with Julius Hodge and cash, from Denver for Steve Blake on Jan. 11 after injuries left the Bucks without four of their five starters. Hodge was cut less than a month later, but Boykins provided a lift for a team struggling without injured star Michael Redd.

Boykins joined the Bucks during a stretch when the team went 3-17 after Redd went out with a strained left knee on Jan. 5.

Boykins scored in double digits in 24 of his 35 games in Milwaukee, averaging 14 points and 4.5 assists. He twice had a career-high 36 points in a game with the Bucks.

Harris said he wants to keep Mo Williams, likely the second-most sought after point guard when free agency begins behind Chauncey Billups. But Harris has made it clear the Bucks will take the best player available with the sixth pick on Thursday.

"We're focused on the three areas we need to have," Harris said. "We need a point guard or point guards. We need a small, athletic forward and we need a power player."

Boykins, a Cleveland native who still holds a summer basketball camp there and talks fondly of his hometown, is a nine-year veteran who has played part of two seasons with the Cavaliers, appearing in 47 games between 1998-2000. He also played for New Jersey, Orlando, the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State before spending 3 1/2 seasons with Denver, where he blossomed as a role player and averaged a career high in points each year.

Boykins' decision leaves Milwaukee without much depth at point guard. The team traded T.J. Ford to the Raptors last offseason to acquire forward Charlie Villanueva.

That elevated Williams to the point position. Williams, who had previously been a shooting guard, played effectively, setting career high averages in points (17.3), rebounds (4. and field goal percentage (44.5 percent). But he also set a career-high in turnovers, averaging 3.0 per game.

Harris said he'd like to bring the well-liked Williams back, but how much Williams asks for in free agency might take the Bucks out of the bidding.

"I really can't start talking to him until July 1, but I know his intentions are to stay here," Harris said. "We certainly are looking forward to exploring those opportunities on July 1."

If the Bucks can't keep Williams and don't look to a point guard in Thursday's draft, they'll be left with converting another shooting guard to the point -- Charlie Bell -- or elevating little-known Lynn Greer.

Bell started 64 games, primarily because of Bucks' injuries. Greer, who played overseas for four years before signing a free agent deal last offseason, appeared in 41 games without a start, but scored 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting in a career-high 32 minutes against the Hornets in April.

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Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace will become an unrestricted free agent Sunday after deciding not to extend his contract for another season.

Wallace, who led Charlotte in scoring last season with 18.1 points a game, will explore all options, his agent, Rob Pelinka, said Tuesday.

Wallace made just over $5.5 million last season. He will likely command at least $10 million a season under a new contract that could run as long as six years.

Bobcats vice president of basketball operations Bernie Bickerstaff is expected to fly to Los Angeles to meet with Pelinka shortly after the negotiation period begins Sunday. New general manager Rod Higgins will also be involved in trying to lock up Wallace.

"Rod and Bernie have indicated to me and Gerald that re-signing him is a top priority for their franchise," Pelinka said. "Starting at midnight on July 1, Gerald and I will start evaluating his options and ultimately make a thoughtful decision on what his future will be."

Wallace, who turns 25 next month, said at the end of the season that he wanted to stay in Charlotte. But his free agency will be the first major test of owner Bob Johnson's declaration that he's willing to spend what it takes to be a winner.

Charlotte's $41 million payroll last season was by far the lowest in the NBA.

Wallace will likely have suitors, especially if other top free agents such as Vince Carter of New Jersey and Chauncey Billups of Detroit quickly re-sign with their teams.

Orlando and Milwaukee have salary cap space to pursue a deal with Wallace, and other teams could try to work a sign-and-trade deal.

Bickerstaff declined to comment Tuesday about Wallace at a pre-draft news conference, and he didn't immediately return a phone call later in the day.

Bobcats part-owner Michael Jordan, who has the final say on all basketball decisions, has said re-signing Wallace was one of the team's top offseason priorities. Wallace also has been praised by new coach Sam Vincent, who was hired last month.

The 6-foot-7 Wallace, who turned pro after just one season at Alabama, rarely got off the bench in three seasons in Sacramento. But he blossomed when the Bobcats took him in the 2004 expansion draft and gave him a chance to play.

An athletic slasher, Wallace averaged 7.2 rebounds and had 144 steals last season while playing four positions.

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The Lakers are aggressively pursuing trades -- and their main target reportedly is Kevin Garnett in what would be a clear attempt to placate a disgruntled Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers' proposal, according to the Los Angeles Times, includes forward Lamar Odom and center Andrew Bynum. But that might not be enough to acquire the 31-year-old Garnett, one of the NBA's most talented and versatile big men.

It was first reported the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics were involved in four-team negotiations with the Lakers and Timberwolves, but those talks broke down, leaving Los Angeles and Minnesota alone in the discussions.

Pacers president Larry Bird said Bryant's talent and star power are undeniable, and he understands the Lakers' hesitance to trade him.

"I always thought Kobe, when Shaq started going down a little bit, was the best player in the league," Bird said. "It's hard to trade the best player in the league. I'm sure the Lakers are doing everything they can to try and mend fences.

"He's such a talent. It's just unfortunate. It's a little discouraging seeing him trying to get out of there," he said.

Considering the Lakers are all the way down at No. 19 in the first round of Thursday's draft, they might not have what it takes to acquire Garnett. The 10-time All-Star averaged 22.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 blocked shots for a team that went 32-50 last season.

Lakers spokesman John Black declined comment Tuesday, and Timberwolves general manager Kevin McHale has done the same through team spokesman Mike Cristaldi.

"We felt the team underachieved last year," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said last week. "We could stick with the group as it is today, or we can look to be aggressive and try to get to that next level. Either way, we think we'll be a talented team next year."

Bryant, the NBA's leading scorer the past two seasons, complained about a lack of talent around him at season's end, and later said he wanted to be traded, adding nothing could change his mind.

Despite that request, the Lakers have made clear that trading Bryant isn't in their plans. Bryant is owed $88.6 million over the next four seasons, but could terminate his contract in two years.

Garnett is under contract for two more years at $22 million next season and $23 million the following year, but he could opt out next summer -- a development that could spur the Timberwolves to action.

The 27-year-old Odom will earn $13.5 million next season and $14.6 million in 2008-09 -- the final year of his contract. The 19-year-old Bynum, taken with the 10th overall pick in the 2005 draft, is due $2.2 million next season.

Lakers center Kwame Brown, owed $9.1 next season in the final year of his contract, also could be involved, as could Minnesota guards Troy Hudson and/or Marko Jaric. Hudson has three years left on his contract and Jaric four.

Kupchak has said the Lakers are looking for a veteran ball-handling guard.

Odom and Brown both underwent surgery last month, but Kupchak believes both will be ready to go when training camp begins in October.

McHale said last week he has always listened to trade proposals involving Garnett, adding: "Nothing has changed. You always listen. You listen, and it doesn't go very far and it hasn't gone very far now."

That was last week. Perhaps that's changed.

Bird said it might be time for Garnett to go.

"Kevin Garnett's been with Minnesota for years," he said. "There comes a time where both parties might want to just separate."

Bird said it would be hard for him to part with Jermaine O'Neal, the Pacers player most often mentioned in trade rumors, but he would do so if it would improve the team.

"He's an awful good player," Bird said, "and anytime you've got a player of his caliber, you've got to be careful. If you do trade him, you have to get something back. It's all speculation. Hopefully we can do something that makes our team better, whether it's Jermaine or whoever, I just hate to give up on a guy with that much talent."

The Lakers and Timberwolves were Western Conference finalists following the 2003-04 season, but neither has been close in the last three years.

The Lakers traded Shaquille O'Neal to Miami after that season, and after missing the playoffs in 2005, they were eliminated in the first round by Phoenix each of the last two years. The Timberwolves haven't made the playoffs since 2004.

While he's expressed the hope of improving the Lakers, Kupchak knows how difficult making a major trade can be for several reasons.

"I can't say that until a deal is made," he said. "They change on a hairpin."

Bird said several factors make a major trade difficult.

"What's happening in the last few years is a lot of these so-called superstars, highly paid players get these extensions, and once they get their extensions, if they're not going to have a good team, they always want out," he said.

"It's hard to trade a player that makes a third of your cap because other teams can't take on the salaries. But they demand to be traded, and it puts a lot of pressure on the franchise," he said.

AP Sports Writers Cliff Brunt in Indianapolis and Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

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Guard Juan Carlos Navarro, whose rights are owned by the Washington Wizards, will be allowed by his Spanish club to leave for the NBA.

Winterthur FC Barcelona and the 27-year-old Navarro came to an arrangement that allowed him to leave.

"I am extremely happy with the help the club has given me ... to allow me to make my dream of playing in the NBA," Navarro said. "I always believed that I could go to the NBA and play against the best players in the world. Now I will try to make all the (3-pointers) possible on the courts of the NBA."

Navarro is one of the Spanish league's best shooters from behind the arc, boasting a 40 percent career average. In nine seasons, Navarro averaged 12.6 points per game and helped guide the Catalan club to four league titles and one European trophy.

He was also a member of Spain's world championship team that beat Greece for the title last September.

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The sexual harassment case against New York Knicks coach and general manager Isiah Thomas is expected to go to trial in September.

U.S. District Court Judge Gerald Lynch raised the possibility of a settlement Tuesday at a Manhattan hearing to determine if there was sufficient evidence to proceed. Attorneys for Thomas are seeking dismissal of the lawsuit.

"We do expect there will be a trial in September as scheduled unless the parties are able to resolve their differences," Lynch said.

In January 2006, ex-Knicks senior vice president Anucha Browne Sanders filed suit against Thomas. She contends the Hall of Famer subjected her to "demeaning and repulsive behavior," including unwanted sexual advances.

Her suit alleged that Madison Square Garden fired her after she went through internal channels to address the matter. MSG officials responded that she was fired for failure to fulfill her responsibilities. Sanders, who served as vice president for marketing and business operations, seeks reinstatement to her job and unspecified damages.

Madison Square Garden is also named a defendant. Thomas repeatedly has denied accusations that he berated her and made crude comments about her to other team officials.

Sanders also said Thomas once hugged her and tried to kiss her. When she pulled away, the Knicks executive reportedly asked, "What, I can't get any love from you today?"

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Guard Matt Carroll and the Charlotte Bobcats came to terms on a six-year, $27 million contract.

Agent Paul Nadel, a partner with Fegan and Associates, said Wednesday that Carroll is expected to sign the deal next week when he returns from a trip to China.

Carroll, signed by Charlotte out of the NBA's developmental league midway through the 2004-05 season, quickly became a key contributor. A 3-point specialist, he averaged nine points in 25 games to close that season, then 7.6 points the following year.

Last season, Carroll averaged a career-high 12.1 points and shot 42 percent from 3-point range, moving into the starting lineup late in the season.

"I'm very excited about Matt being back in the fold," Bobcats coach Sam Vincent said. "The guys who are part of this thing last year and have gotten us to this point are special to this organization. The more of those guys that we can keep around, that's what we're trying to do."

Carroll, who was undrafted out of Notre Dame, was cut by New York, Portland, San Antonio and Golden State early in his career. But his game blossomed while playing for Roanoke in the NBDL. He averaged more than 20 points a game before he was signed by Charlotte.

Due to his humble beginnings, Carroll said late last season that he wanted the security of a long-term deal. Carroll received some interest from other teams, but the Bobcats were the only team that could have offered him a six-year contract, the maximum length allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.

"He's very excited. This is where he wanted to be," Nadel said.

The 6-foot-6 Carroll will face more competition for playing time next season after the Bobcats acquired fellow shooting guard Jason Richardson in a draft night trade. But part-owner Michael Jordan had said they wanted to retain Carroll to keep depth at the position.

"He's a pure shooter," Bobcats guard Raymond Felton said. "He can put the ball on the floor. He can shoot the ball well. I love that he's coming back."

The Bobcats also said Wednesday that they had signed first-round pick Jared Dudley to his rookie contract. Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement's rookie scale, Dudley will receive $947,500 next season and $1.018 million in the second year. The Bobcats hold team options for a third and fourth year.

Dudley, the 22nd pick in the draft, averaged 19 points and 8.3 rebounds as a senior at Boston College last season and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year. At 6-foot-7 and 219 pounds, the Bobcats plan to use Dudley at both small forward and power forward.

The Bobcats' major offseason concern remains unsettled. Forward Gerald Wallace, the team's top scorer last season, remains unsigned. Vice president of basketball operations Bernie Bickerstaff and Wallace's agent, Rob Pelinka, have been in talks since early Sunday.

Wallace has received inquiries from at least seven other teams, but Vincent is confident they'll keep him.

"I feel great about Gerald," Vincent said. "I shouldn't say I'm expecting it to happen soon, I'm hoping it happens soon. But I feel good about it."

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Chauncey Billups bounced around like a basketball early in his career before finding an NBA home with the Detroit Pistons.

The All-Star point guard now will extend his career with the team he led to the past five Eastern Conference finals.

Billups and the Pistons agreed on a five-year, $60 million contract Tuesday, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

The person, who requested anonymity because of league rules preventing contract announcements before July 11, said the deal is worth $46 million guaranteed over four years and the fifth year is a team option.

Billups was drafted third overall in 1997 by Boston and was with Toronto, Denver, Orlando and Minnesota within his first four years in the league.


The former Colorado star signed with the Pistons as a free agent in 2002, and helped them become one of the league's most consistent playoff teams.

Since 1984, only the Los Angeles Lakers have been more reliable in the playoffs, with a run that ended with a sixth straight conference finals appearance in 1989.

Billups was the NBA finals MVP in 2004, when Detroit beat the Lakers with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, and he helped the Pistons win three games in the 2005 finals against San Antonio.

The 30-year-old Billups became an unrestricted free agent last month after opting out of the last year of a six-year contract, and both he and the team expected to reach a deal to keep him in Detroit.

The two-time All-Star had three coaches -- Rick Carlisle, Larry Brown and Flip Saunders -- in Detroit who helped him become one of the NBA's top point guards. Billups averaged 17 points, 7.2 assists and two turnovers last season and 14.5 points and 5.3 assists over his nine-year career.

Billups was off his game in each of the past two conference finals, leading to Detroit's elimination. He averaged 15.3 points, 3.5 assists and 3.8 turnovers, and uncharacteristically struggled in clutch situations against Cleveland this year -- failing to live up to his nickname, Mr. Big Shot.

But the Pistons wouldn't have reached the NBA's final four in each of the past five seasons without Billups, whose unique ability to run the team was underscored when he was sidelined by injuries last season.

The Pistons seem to have a chance to remain contenders in the Eastern Conference by bringing back Billups, who forms one of the NBA's top backcourts with Richard Hamilton. Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince and Antonio McDyess, who already chose to return next season, give Detroit a strong frontcourt.

Chris Webber, who ended the season as Detroit's starting center, is an unrestricted free agent.

The Pistons would like to trade guard Flip Murray and center Nazr Mohammed, both signed last year as free agents, this offseason and should have an opportunity to add a solid veteran with the midlevel exception that can pay a player more than $5 million a season.

Detroit drafted guards Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo last week in the first round, adding depth after dealing Carlos Delfino and expecting Lindsey Hunter to retire or play a limited role on the court.

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The Seattle SuperSonics appear set to pluck another piece from the San Antonio Spurs.

The Sonics have scheduled a Thursday news conference amid reports that the team has hired P.J. Carlesimo as its new head coach. Team officials refused to comment Tuesday on a report that first appeared on the San Antonio Express-News Web site, which said Carlesimo had been chosen by Sonics ownership.

Carlesimo and former Minnesota coach Dwane Casey have been considered front-runners for the Seattle job. Casey told The Associated Press on Tuesday evening that he was informed by the Sonics they were going with another candidate. Casey said he was not told who the choice was.

"They said they were going in a different direction and that I made it a tough decision," said Casey, a former assistant in Seattle. "I'm disappointed."

Seattle general manager Sam Presti, who spent the last seven years working in the Spurs' organization before becoming Seattle's GM on June 7, was traveling and unavailable for comment.

Carlesimo, 58, has been an assistant the last five seasons in San Antonio and before that was a head coach in Portland and Golden State. The position in Seattle has been vacant since the Sonics fired Bob Hill on April 24 after the team went 31-51 last season.

The 30-year-old Presti, the youngest GM in basketball, was given authority over the coaching search when he was hired. But the process dragged, in part because Carlesimo couldn't interview until after the Spurs won their third NBA title since 2003.

Sonics owner Clay Bennett, a former member of the Spurs' board of governors in the 1990s, has repeatedly said he wants to model the Sonics after the San Antonio organization. He seems on his way there, having hired Presti and now, apparently, Carlesimo from the Spurs.

Carlesimo has played a supporting role in San Antonio, far different from his last stop as a head coach in Golden State, where he clashed with players and had an infamous run-in with Latrell Sprewell.

Carlesimo's intense, in-your-face approach in Golden State almost immediately became an issue when tensions developed between him and Sprewell, his star player.

The emotions boiled over at a practice Dec. 1, 1997, when Sprewell responded to Carlesimo's terse command of "put a little mustard" on a pass by choking his coach. It took several players and team officials to break up the attack, which an angry Sprewell renewed 15 minutes later.

Sprewell initially had his contract terminated by the Warriors and was suspended for a year by the NBA, but the sanctions were reduced by an arbitrator to a 68-game suspension that still cost the All-Star guard $6 million in wages.

Following his reinstatement, the Warriors traded Sprewell to the New York Knicks. Carlesimo was fired by Golden State early in the 1999 season after a 6-21 start.

Carlesimo took Portland to the playoffs each of his three seasons with the Trail Blazers, but never advanced out of the first round.

Seattle has seen its two star players leave in the last week. Seven-time All-Star Ray Allen was traded to Boston on draft night for the rights to No. 5 pick Jeff Green, Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak.

Then late Monday night, free agent forward Rashard Lewis agreed to a deal with the Orlando Magic.

One positive for Carlesimo would be the opportunity to work with Texas star Kevin Durant, selected by Seattle with the No. 2 pick in last week's draft. Durant and Green will both be part of Seattle's summer league team that begins play Friday in Las Vegas.

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Rashard Lewis is leaving the Northwest and taking his game to Orlando.

One of the most sought-after free agents this offseason, Lewis agreed to a "maximum contract" with the Magic, his agent Tony Dutt said Tuesday.

Lewis made the decision late Monday night after meeting with Magic officials in Orlando.

"He had a comfort and a gut feeling and he feels they have a championship core, and that's what he wants to do is win a championship," Dutt said.

The terms of the deal are still being worked out, but Lewis is expected to receive a deal in the range of $15 million per season. The Magic wouldn't comment Tuesday, citing league rules that an agreement cannot be announced until July 11.

Orlando can only sign Lewis to a five-year contract, while Seattle could sign Lewis to a six-year deal. Dutt said the Magic and Seattle are in discussions about a sign-and-trade deal that would give Lewis that sixth year, help Orlando clear some salary and give Seattle something in return.

Sonics officials would not comment on the possibility of a sign-and-trade.

"That he's going to Orlando doesn't change the fact that he had good years in Seattle," Dutt said.

Lewis opted out of the final two years of his contract with Seattle in late May, leaving behind a guaranteed $21 million, and hoping to cash in with a big money contract from any number of suitors.

Seattle, the only team Lewis has played for, had the first chance to meet with the 6-foot-10 forward Sunday morning in Houston. Seattle was among 20 teams that contacted Dutt on Sunday, the first day of NBA free agency. New Seattle general manager Sam Presti just traded Ray Allen to Boston, but said publicly his hopes for the future included Lewis teaming with No. 2 overall pick Kevin Durant.

But the Sonics and Lewis never got into discussions about money and soon after his meeting with Seattle, Lewis boarded a plane for Orlando and liked what he heard from the Magic, including the chance to play with Dwight Howard.

Lewis told the Florida Today newspaper Tuesday afternoon that Orlando was at the top of his list from the start, largely due to the opportunity to team with Howard.

"Me and my agent sat down and talked about it after the season and we determined that Orlando would be No. 1, and when they gave me that call on the first (of July) I was just so excited," Lewis told the newspaper, while waiting at the Orlando airport for a flight to Houston.

"I'm just extremely excited because this seems like the perfect fit. We've got a great big man in Dwight Howard and the team is still real young, so we're only going to get better and better together. If you look at it, if you want to win a championship you have to have that big man, and with Dwight here we can do that."

Lewis is coming off his best season, when he averaged career highs in points (22.4), rebounds (6.6) and assists (2.4). His age (28 next month) and his ability to hit 3-pointers or score on the low block made Lewis a targeted commodity for many teams.

It has been quite the rise for Lewis. He entered the NBA draft out of high school in 1998, but surprisingly fell out of the first round, getting taken by Seattle with the 32nd pick. He matured into an All-Star during the 2004 season when Seattle reached the conference semifinals, and averaged 20 or more points each of the last three seasons.

"This is one of the most exciting days of my life, next to getting drafted into the NBA," Lewis told Florida Today. "I'm just so exited about seeing my future here and being involved with a first-class organization. I can't wait to get started because I think we can win a championship here someday."

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The Magic pulled their qualifying offer for free agent Darko Milicic, making it unlikely the 7-footer will return to Orlando.

Milicic was a restricted free agent, meaning Orlando could have matched any offer. The change, announced Tuesday, means he can sign with any team.

The Magic have said they want to retain Milicic, but are also shopping for a free-agent scorer. Seattle SuperSonics forward Rashard Lewis is set to join the team, but it's not official until the signing period opens Wednesday.

The Magic most likely don't have enough salary cap space to keep Milicic and lure Lewis, who will probably make about $15 million annually.

Milicic, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2003 draft, averaged eight points and five rebounds last season. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons but scarcely played in 2 1/2 seasons there.

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Grant Hill made seven NBA All-Star teams and won two college championships. He also has never been past the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Hungry for a title, Hill is leaving the Orlando Magic after seven injury-plagued years to join a perennial contender in the Phoenix Suns, his agent said Thursday.

The 34-year-old forward agreed to a two-year deal worth about $1.8 million for the first year, with a second-year player option for about $2 million, agent Lon Babby said.

"There's no question he could've gotten considerably more money elsewhere, but that was not the principle," Babby said. "I think the most important factor for him was the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to a team competing for the championship."

Hill was considering retirement or returning to Orlando for another season. His seven-year, $93 million contract finished this season, and the Magic have used it as a flashpoint for rebuilding.

That salary-cap room was earmarked for a free-agent scorer, and Orlando agreed to spend it on Seattle SuperSonics forward Rashard Lewis, his agent said this week. Teams cannot discuss or complete deals until the signing period begins Wednesday. Citing those restrictions, the Magic and Suns declined comment Thursday.

Hill has played about only a third of Orlando's 574 regular-season games, and made the All-Star team just once since leaving the Detroit Pistons.

This year was the first Hill finished healthy since arriving in Orlando in 2000 with an ankle injury that eventually required five operations. The Magic signed Tracy McGrady at the same time, but he left in a 2004 trade that brought in Steve Francis.

Babby said about 15 teams courted Hill, and the forward narrowed that list to five. He declined to name which other teams Hill was considering.

The Suns won 61 games this season, losing in the Western Conference semifinals to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs. Hill will join a roster that includes two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and All-Star Amare Stoudemire.

"I think all he was seeking was the opportunity to start," Babby said. "It was the same promise that was made to him when he went to Duke. Nobody guarantees you anything and he wasn't asking for guarantees."

The Magic knew Hill had an ankle injury when they traded Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins for him in 2000, but never expected it would take so long to heal. Hill appeared in just four games his first year with the Magic, 14 the next year and 29 the year after that. He missed the entire 2003-04 season.

Hill finally regained his old form in 2004-05, averaging almost 20 points and looking like the all-purpose player Orlando thought it was getting. Even then he couldn't stay off the injury list, missing 15 games with wrist and shin problems.

In 2005-06, it was a sports hernia and lower abdominal injuries for another 61 missed games.

The 6-foot-8 forward was written off by some as a pricey bench fixture, but others found Hill hard to dislike. He led the league in All-Star balloting in 1995 and '96.

Hill proved again this season he could still play. The former Duke star averaged 15 points as Orlando was swept in the first-round by his former team, and just under that during the regular season. He was the Magic's best option driving to the basket, and at times seemed the only one playing with energy despite his age.

But Hill again missed 17 regular-season games this season with a knee sprain and other minor injuries.

For his career, Hill averages 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists. He played on the 1996 Olympic team that won the gold medal and on the Duke team that made three straight NCAA championship game appearances and won two consecutive titles.

[abadani69]

P.J. Carlesimo was hired Thursday as the new coach of the SuperSonics, eight years after being fired from his last head coaching job and ending Seattle's search that lasted more than two months.

Carlesimo, who spent the past five years as an assistant in San Antonio, replaces Bob Hill, who was fired April 24 after Seattle struggled to a 31-51 record in Hill's only full season leading the Sonics. Carlesimo previously coached the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors.

"I wanted to be a head coach again, particularly the last couple of years I did start to feel it was going to happen," Carlesimo said. "But I didn't feel like it was owed me or I would be incomplete if it didn't happen again."

Carlesimo, 58, will inherit a young team in the middle of a roster overhaul orchestrated by 30-year-old general manager Sam Presti. In the past week, the Sonics traded seven-time All-Star Ray Allen to Boston on draft night, and free agent Rashard Lewis agreed to sign with the Orlando Magic, erasing Seattle's top two scorers from its lineup.

Carlesimo will oversee the growth and development of Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, two of the first five picks from last week's draft. Seattle selected Durant with the No. 2 pick, then got the rights to Green, the No. 5 selection, in the trade of Allen.

Seattle was the last team in the NBA without a coach.

"He has deep experience in the college and pro game and will immediately instill a highly disciplined, defensive mentality with players that play intelligently and play together," Sonics' majority owner Clay Bennett said.

Carlesimo took the Trail Blazers to the playoffs three times in the 1990s, but never advanced out of the first round. It was at Golden State where Carlesimo garnered headlines for his infamous run-in with Latrell Sprewell.

Carlesimo's intense, in-your-face approach in Golden State almost immediately became an issue when tensions developed between him and Sprewell, his star player.

The emotions boiled over at a practice Dec. 1, 1997, when Sprewell responded to Carlesimo's terse command of "put a little mustard" on a pass by choking his coach. It took several players and team officials to break up the attack, which an angry Sprewell renewed 15 minutes later.

Carlesimo eventually was fired by the Warriors early in the 1999 season.

"The NBA is about the players; there is absolutely no question about that," Carlesimo said. "Hopefully, I have learned from my relations."

When Presti was hired June 7, he was given authority over a coaching search that had dragged in part because the Sonics could not speak with Carlesimo until after the Spurs had won the NBA championship.

Presti and Bennett narrowed the field to Carlesimo and former Minnesota coach and Seattle assistant Dwane Casey. On Tuesday, Casey was informed the Sonics were "going in a different direction."

Bennett, the Oklahoma City-based majority owner of the Sonics, repeatedly has said he wants to model his franchise after San Antonio's. He has plucked two key pieces from the Spurs: Presti, who was San Antonio's assistant GM, and now Carlesimo.

"I personally believe what we need for our program right now is a teacher. Somebody that can teach the game at a high level and communicate the game at a high level," Presti said. "P.J.'s background in the collegiate game, his background in the NBA and his background with winning most recently in San Antonio were huge impacts."

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Jerry Stackhouse is sticking with Dallas, agreeing to a three-year deal to remain the Mavericks' sixth man.

Stackhouse agreed Thursday night to a deal that will pay him more than the midlevel exception, which is expected to be set at roughly $6 million. While details were still being finalized Friday, the contract can't become official until the NBA's signing period begins Wednesday.

"It's great news for me and my family," Stackhouse said. "This place has become home for me."

The 32-year-old Stackhouse was a free agent for the first time and could have gone for one last big payday and another chance to be a starter. Instead, he was comfortable with his setup in Dallas and stayed true to his vow of re-signing.

Stackhouse said "the teams that had money had interest, but they had more pressing needs." He didn't want to wait for them and he also didn't like the idea of starting over. The Mavericks are his fourth team and would be the one he's with the longest if he plays out this contract; he's already played three seasons in Dallas.

"At this point in my career, I don't want to be part of young guys who don't have a realistic chance of winning," he said. "Here in Dallas, I have a chance to share my experiences good and bad, from 12 seasons in the NBA, and at the same time we're fighting for something. ... We still feel good about our chances."

Stackhouse helped the Mavs reach the NBA finals in 2006, then was part of their franchise-record 67 wins this past season. Although that feat was overshadowed by a first-round ousting by Golden State, it did nothing to sour Stackhouse on the club.

"I was part of it, so what am I going to be sour about?" he said. "We made our bed and now we have to lay in it. Maybe next year we'll have a little bit different approach.

"Last year, we came in so angry because of what happened in the finals (blowing a 2-0 lead over Miami) that we wanted to blow the world away in the regular season and smother all the disappointment and hurt. But we maybe wore ourselves out," he added. "Now we need to take the postseason approach. Look at San Antonio: sputter, sputter, sputter, then hit a nice spurt at the end. Hopefully we can kind of copy that. We've been taking pages out of their books for years anyway."

When Dallas acquired Stackhouse before the 2004-05 season, there were questions whether a player who'd been the focus of every team he'd been on could handle being a role player. But he embraced the chance to extend his career and play for one of the league's best teams after years of struggling to make the playoffs in Philadelphia, Detroit and Washington.

His scoring has dropped from a career-best 29.8 points in 2000-01 to a career-low of 12 this past season. Yet the two-time All-Star is still capable of scoring in bunches. Last season, he posted his best 3-point shooting percentage (38.3) and his second-best field goal percentage (42.. Stackhouse also provides strong leadership in the locker room and has developed a close relationship with Dirk Nowitzki, the league MVP.

This is the first move the Mavs have made in free agency. Forward P.J. Brown, who is pondering retirement, is among the other players the team is considering.