Month: July 2006 (Page 9 of 10)

Players can’t sign anything for another week or so, but Ben Wallace has told the Pistons that he’s heading for Chicago. The deal was believed to be 4-yrs/$52 M, but is actually 4-yrs/$60M. This is a bold move by the Bulls, and it will obviously improve the team, but they give up precious cap space in the process. They’ll now try to move Tyson Chandler for another player or cap relief…Dwayne Wade and the Heat have agreed on a max five-year extension. This has to make the fans in Cleveland even more nervous, considering LeBron James still hasn’t agreed to stay…Speedy Claxton left the Hornets, and agreed to a 4-year/$25 M deal with the Atlanta Hawks. This is a good signing by Atlanta, and will give the team a true point guard to play alongside Joe Johnson, who will play the two…The Seattle Supersonics and Chris Wilcox are far apart as their contract negotiations begin. Wilcox is a big man in a tight market and might be asking for more than $10 M a season, when he’s probably worth $8-$10 M. Of course, he’s worth whatever someone will sign him for, and he no doubt has several suitors around the league. He needs to land in an up-tempo system like Seattle’s in order to thrive.

The Denver Nuggets have agreed to terms with Nene for 6-yrs/$60 M. Think the market for big men is tight? Nene is a career 11/6 guy…Ben Wallace was disappointed with the Pistons’ offer (4-yrs/$48 M) and he’s thinking about taking the Bulls’ offer of 4-yrs/$52 M. I’m surprised that Wallace is considering leaving Detroit – $12 M a year is pretty good money for a 32 year-old center that shoots around 40% from the free throw line…Bobby Jackson agreed to a deal with the Hornets, terms undisclosed.

Carmelo Anthony has already accepted the maximum contract extension from the Denver Nuggets, so why hasn’t LeBron James done the same thing?

Appearing at a Cavaliers’ press conference scheduled to introduce the team’s new draft picks (Shannon Brown and Daniel Gibson), James wouldn’t comment on the status of the extension.

“I’m not talking about it today,” a smiling James said at a news conference held by the Cavaliers to introduce new draft picks Shannon Brown and Daniel Gibson. “You’ll have to ask them [the Cavaliers].”

But the team, fearful of doing anything to upset James or break the league’s gag order during the free agency moratorium from July 1-12, is reluctant to discuss much about the star’s future.

“This is one you don’t want to stub your toe on rules,” general manager Danny Ferry said. “We’re going to make a call and allow things to unfold from there. Rushing is not a necessity.”

But Cleveland fans aren’t as patient. They’ve been burned before, crushed by promises made by the likes of Art Modell, Jim Thome and Carlos Boozer, who all said they would stay and left anyway.

If James is sure he wants to re-sign, I’m not sure why he would be playing it so coy. He must want something from the team to make them sweat like this. Does he want more say in front office decisions? More power over the direction of the franchise?

He must know that every day he waits, his fans in Cleveland will grow more and more worried about what he’s going to do. Why would he put them through that if he’s intent on re-signing? I wouldn’t say that something is up, but something might be up.

Or maybe he’s having trouble getting his agent, Leon Rose, on the phone. Rose represents #1 draft pick Andrea Bargnani and Allen Iverson, who has been the subject of a ton of trade rumors. Maybe Rose is the guy holding up the deal. James even joked about his agent:

“I hope he [Rose] can find some time for me,” James said.

This might be an interesting couple of weeks in Cleveland.