Wednesday Insider

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The free-agent period is still fizzling and the chance that your local free agent will be bolting for greener pastures seems to evaporate by the day.

That is, unless, you happen to be a Timberwolves fan. For the third straight day more bad news keeps pouring in about the Wolves' sudden free-agent dilemma. Are the Wolves falling apart?

Chauncey Billups has all but signed with the Pistons. Wally Szczerbiak is demanding a maximum extension. And now, the New York Post is reporting this morning that starting center Rasho Nesterovic is demanding a sign-and-trade to the Knicks.

Nesterovic's agent, Bill Duffy, met with the Knicks Tuesday and, according to the Post, came up with a game plan that they hope will ultimately lead to the Knicks acquiring the 7-foot center via trade.

"The meeting was short but very clear," Duffy told The Post Tuesday night. "They'd love to have him and he'd love to be here. I think he'd be their best fit, especially in the East because he's a true center. He's a 7-footer and plays like a 7-footer."

While the Wolves hold a big trump card -- Nesterovic is a restricted free agent, meaning the Wolves can match any offer sheet -- they aren't completely in control. Nesterovic could decide to take the Wolves' one-year tender offer if the team refuses to work out a trade, and then becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Duffy told the Post that he called the T-Wolves in an attempt to broker some sort of deal, but the Wolves gave little response. While it's unclear what the Knicks are offering for Nesterovic in a sign-and-trade, you can pretty much surmise that the usual suspects -- Charlie Ward and Kurt Thomas -- are there for the taking. While that move would shore up the team's point guard position and give it some much-needed toughness down low, it would leave the Wolves with just Marc Jackson (whom they soured on quickly last season) and Loren Woods in the middle.

There has also been ongoing discussion this summer about a Latrell Sprewellfor Szczerbiak swap the Bergen County Record reported. Should the Wolves decide to cut ties with Szczerbiak now, before negotiations over an extension get acrimonious, a Nesterovic-Szczerbiak and Anthony Peeler for Sprewell deal would work under the cap.

If the Knicks were able to work out out a trade for Nesterovic, they would still have their $4.7 mid-level exception to play with. The Knicks have also been considering making a run at Keon Clark, Seattle's Jerome James and the Clippers' Jeff McInnis.

The T-Wolves are in a more dire situation. Wolves owner Glen Taylor has grown increasingly impatient with the Wolves' string of first-round playoff ousters and would like the team to shake things up this summer. With Kevin Garnett extension talks just around the corner, the team needs to have definitive plan on how to improve now.

Though the earlier progress reports on Terrell Brandon's knee rehab are positive, the team is in desperate need of a reliable playmaker and third scorer to complement Kevin Garnett and Szczerbiak.

There is some good news, however, for Minnesota fans. The T-Wolves have put in a major effort to convince Laker free agent and local star Devean George to sign with them for their mid-level exception. According to a league source, George is still undecided but has the Wolves at the top of his free-agent wish list. He's also considering the Wizards, Bulls, Nuggets and Lakers.

Nesterovic: Trade Me To Knicks

Marc Berman / New York Post

Knicks' Layden Is Thinking Big

Frank Isola / New York Daily News

Knicks' GM courting free agent centers

Al Iannazzone / Bergen Record

Nesterovic's agent meets with Knicks

Chip Scoggins / Minneapolis Star Tribune

Spurs fortunate they're not like Wolves

Glenn Rogers / San Antonio Express-News

Billups' deal poses problems for Heat, others

Wolves point guard Chauncey Billups had the Heat, not the Pistons, ranked higher on his free-agent wish list when the negotiating period began July 1st. So why has he already agreed to a contract with the Pistons?

The Heat had interest, but dragged their feet. Billups was anxious to get a deal done as soon as possible, and the Pistons obliged.

"I have the philosophy that you have to strike early, even if it's a big field," Pistons GM Joe Dumars told the Sun Sentinel. "It was a limited field this year. We felt, 'You know what? We better jump on this guy immediately, not wait.'"

With Billups to formally commit July 17, it reduces the Heat's (and everyone else's for that matter) top-tier free-agent options to Travis Best, Jeff McInnis and incumbent starter Rod Strickland. The Warriors, Clippers, Nuggets, T-Wolves, Wizards, Knicks, Magic, Nets and Pacers are all in the market for a solid point guard this summer.

The second tier of point guards includes Jacque Vaughn, Tim Hardaway, Chris Childs, Mookie Blaylock, Greg Anthony, Troy Hudson, Damon Jones and Rafer Alston.

Billups no longer available

Ira Winderman / South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Heat still dragging feet on deal for a guard

Israel Gutierrez / Palm Beach Post

Baron Davis, Hornets still in stand-off

Hornets point guard Baron Davis has a six-year, $84 million contract extension sitting in front of him, waiting to be signed. He plays on a team that has as good a shot as any of winning the Eastern Conference next year. His team, which played before an empty home arena last season, is moving to New Orleans, where the excitement (at least initially) should surpass anything Davis has ever experienced.

So what, exactly, is the problem?

"He'd like to weigh all his options," agent Jerome Stanley told the New Orleans Times Picayune. "That's what he's interested in. . . This is the second place he's played in his NBA career. He's interested in exploring his options."

Stanley and Bob Bass, the Hornets' executive vice president of basketball operations, spoke Monday, according to Bass, and have spoken several times since the team offered Davis the deal last Monday.

Davis has been pushing for a trade to the West Coast, preferably to the Clippers, so he can be closer to his ailing grandmother. While Staley has come out an publicly demanded that the Hornets trade Davis, he's come as close as you can get.

"It's pretty obvious what he [stanley] is saying," Bass said Tuesday evening, "but he's under contract to the New Orleans Hornets, and we have no intention of trading him."

If Davis refuses to sign an extension he'll become a restricted free agent next summer. Given that the Hornets have shown their willing to pay him the max, they would, in alll likelihood, match any offer sheet tendered to Davis. That means, if Davis really wants to bolt New Orleans, he'll have to wait until the summer of 2004 when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

If the stalemate continues, Staley said Davis won't hold out. "Whatever team holds Baron's rights for this season, he will play for and will play up to the maximum of his abilities," Stanley said. "He'll play wherever the contract is. Last year it was in Charlotte. This season it's in New Orleans."

Davis weighing options

Jimmy Smith and John Reid / New Orleans Times-Picayune

Where are Chris Wilcox, and Melvin Ely?

Clippers GM Elgin Baylor faced the media Monday, and with a straight face claimed that Chris Wilcox and Melvin Ely were the Clippers' guys all along, despite numerous reports, including one from inside the Cavs' war room, that suggested that the Clippers botched the draft while trying to finalize a deal with the Cavs for Andre Miller.

While Baylor claims that Wilcox and Ely will stick with the Clipps, their just released summer league roster begs to differ. Both Wilcox and Ely were left off.

Of the 28 first-round picks taken in this year's draft, Wilcox and Ely were the only available players who aren't playing in the summer league. Three players, Yao Ming, Nene Hilario and Nenad Kristic, also aren't playing but that is due to international commitments or contract problems in Hilario's instance.

Summer League Update

The L.A. Summer Pro League and the Orlando Pro Summer League (I like how they really shook up those names) were both underway Monday.

Kareem Rush rebounded from a shaky debut to score 23 points on 10 of 18 shooting. Mark Madsen added 14 points and nine boards but the Lakers fell to the Mavs, 75-72. Undrafted rookie Lynn Greer had 18 points for the Mavs and veterans Jaren Jackson and Tariq Abdul-Wahad added 19 points and 16 points and 11 rebounds, respectively.

Over at the Orlando Pro Summer League, Ronald Murray, Rasual Butler and Mehmet Okur showed that second-round picks can play.

Rodney White led all scorers with 21 points, as Detroit defeated New Orleans, 76-61, in the opening game. Turkish big man Mehmet Okur recorded 15 points and a game-high eight rebounds for the Pistons. Jerome Moiso led the way for the Hornets with 19 points.

Rasual Butler poured in 24 points, while Sean Lampley added 19, as Miami defeated Milwaukee, 93-75, in Game 2. Mike James added 18 points for the Heat. Milwaukee's Ronald Murray led all scorers with 29 points on 11 of 20 shooting from the field. Lottery pick Marcus Haslip scored 15 points and Joel Pryzbilla pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. Caron Butler didn't play because of an injury.

The Magic beat the Pacers in the nightcap, 79-64. Point guard Jeryl Sasser led the way for the Magic with 16 points and seven rebounds. First-round pick Ryan Humphrey added 14 points and six rebounds. The Magic got bad news when Stephen Hunter and Rashard Griffith combined for just twp points, four rebounds and four turnovers. Pacers first-round pick Freddie Jones chipped in 11 points for Indiana.

Check out Insider's Pro Summer League and Orlando Summer Pro League pages for rosters, leaders and box scores.

'Other' Butler dazzles in opener

Stephen F. Holder / Miami Herald

White begins to prove himself

Chris McCosky / Detroit News

Humphrey's debut full of hustle and muscle

John Denton / Florida Today

Brezec's debut mirrors team's

Mark Montieth / Indianapolis Star

Peep Show

Sixers: A warrant for Allen Iverson's arrest on charges he threatened two young men with a gun in West Philadelphia last week will be submitted to the district attorney's office today, the Philadelphia Daily News reported. Police are recommending about 10 charges, including simple and aggravated assault, terroristic threats and various firearms offenses, including carrying a gun without a permit.

Kings: Mike Bibby thinks that negotiations between the Kings and his agent David Falk are going well. "I think something good is going to happen," Bibby told the Sacramento Bee. "I want to finish my career in Sacramento. I gave everything I could during the regular season and especially during the playoffs to show the fans and the Kings that. Now I'm hoping [Kings owners Gavin and Joe Maloof] give everything they can to show the fans they want to have me in Sacramento."

Cavs: Point guard Andre Miller knows the Cavaliers recently tried to trade him. But he said that doesn't bother him. "It's something beyond my control," Miller told the Akron Beacon Journal. "It's something I can't worry about." Despite negative comments by GM Jim Paxson, Miller said he wouldn't mind returning to the Cavs. "If a trade happens, it happens," Miller said. "But if I'm back in Cleveland, that would be fine."

Magic: Grant Hill returned to the basketball court this week for some light individual drills, but that's not even the best news the injury-plagued star got recently. "The doctors told me, 'You know what, I don't need to see you any more,' " Hill told Florida Today. "He said everything looks really, really good."

Rockets: The good news is that Steve Francis and Maurice Taylor both showed up to camp in decent shape. "Steve's been awesome, just awesome," Rockets trainer Keith Jones told the Houston Chronicle. "He's been shooting the ball real well. . .He fights it a little bit because he's so anxious to get back to playing, but he's really been great." Taylor, who missed last season after tearing his right Achilles' tendon, appears recovered and has shed much of the excess weight he gained during his idle time. He checked in at 285 pounds. "Mo was great," Jones said. "He really looks good. He's been having some great workouts with the coaches. He's really moving well and running the floor well." Then there was some bad news. Bostjan Nachbar, the Rockets' 15th pick in last month's NBA draft, returned to Houston to undergo hernia surgery and will miss about three weeks. "It's really no big deal," Jones said. "He'll get the surgery done, sit out two or three weeks, and then he'll be ready to go."

Nets: Rod Thorn, the Nets' president, inquired about Jazz free agents Bryon Russell and Donyell Marshall to their agent, Dwight Manley, this week, who told Thorn that a deal would not work the New York Times reported. The Nets tried to work out a Keith Van Horn for Marshall and Russell trade last summer.

Jazz: The team is looking for a backup point guard just in case Raul Lopez can't come to the U.S. this season. The Jazz will have two interesting ones playing for their summer league team. Former T-Wolves guard Will Avery and former Suns guard Charlie Bell will both play for the Jazz at the Rocky Mountain Revue, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Hawks: The Hawks will field one of the better teams of the summer. First-round pick Dan Dickau along with DerMarr Johnson, Chris Crawford and Dion Glover are all on the Hawks' summer league roster. . . The team has advised Ira Newble of its intent to sign him for next season but cannot do so until July 17, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.

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[Hawksfreak]

hey dolfan23 do you know whats wrong with my pic?

[Guest]

Insider, who of course thinks that the perpetual bottom feeder Hawks can do no right, need a PG desparately, need a SG, SF and C in a bad way also, mentioned the Hawks.

I know it is only summer league play, but they mention that we will have one of the best summer leaue rosters becasue of the following players...

Dan Dickau - #28 pick in the draft (isn't that behind 24 other 1st round picks playing in the summer)

DJ - He has never gotten any respect from Insider for anything

CC - He doesn't even get respect from us on this board

DG - He is an awsome summer league player.

I think it is small, but I read this too be...

The Hawks, who are quickly rising in sheer talent, are fielding the strongest lineup in the summer league. They have included the biggest steal in the draft in Dan Dickau, the most improved SG in the NBA int he 2nd half last year in Demarr Johnson, gritty veteran Chris Crawford, and one of the best young scorers in swingman Dion Glover. This summer league team has more NBA talent on it than is called for in these exhibition league. Wait till you see then add all-star Theo Ratliff and Ira Newble midway through the weeks play. They will field an almost NBA 1st string unit DD/DJ/DG/Ira/Theo.

[DJ_Money]

We're gonna be just like the Sixers were last summer, maybe even better. Philly sent guys likes Jones and Bell, who just weeks earlier were playing big minutes in the NBA Finals.

It's going to be fun to get to see a game this time around. (ESPN gives the Hawks a game...wow! Odds are still good that we get

I can't wait. Can't we fast forward to November? Or at least to September? Gimme some football, at least...

[Hawksfreak]

Theo and CC looked hreat at the workouts! I think they are ready for this year.