The Clippers have separated themselves from the NBA pack as the most ardent suitor for Shaquille O'Neal's slighted services. Several seasons ago, owner Donald Sterling preferred remaining coach-less during the summer simply to save salary. Now he's prepared to do whatever it takes, it appears, to acquire Shaq as well as extend his substantial salary several seasons in order to keep him beyond the next two. An entrenched LA monitor reveals how much the Clips ? $3.8M under the $43.8M cap ? want to do business. Elton Brand ($10.96M), Corey Maggette ($7M), two of their three best players (Quentin Richardson is a restricted free agent) and Melvin Ely ($1.63M) are readily obtainable. That shows they've got a serious thing for Shaq. O'Neal must agree to reenlist with the Clips before anything is consummated; they're not going to turn over that much talent to the Lakers on a one or two year rental Rumors of a trade that would bring Antoine Walker to New York are alive again. The Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats have had discussions about a deal for Walker, who was left unprotected by the Dallas Mavericks for tonight's expansion draft. Walker's salary could preclude the Bobcats from selecting him, because if they were to deal Walker to the Knicks they would have to take back approximately $14 million in salary. If Dallas still owns Walker's rights, he could still be sent to the Knicks in a deal for Dallas product and former Maverick Kurt Thomas, who is a favorite of both owner Mark Cuban and coach Don Nelson. Trade talk swirled around Paul Pierce during the second half of last season, a season rife with frustration for him. When he spoke of that frustration, Pierce wondered aloud about "The Vision" Ainge held for the franchise. He watched trusted teammates and a respected head coach disappear from the locker room. He looked around and saw youth and inexperience. When the season ended, Mark Blount said he felt sorry for Pierce. "He's not untradable," said Danny Ainge. "There's no such thing. I would be asking about Paul Pierce. He's worth the money. He fits the criteria everyone is looking for." Indiana was as talkative as any club yesterday, and among its discussions was a deal to send Al Harrington to Cleveland for the Cavaliers' first-round pick, the 10th over all. The Pacers would use the pick to take the Oregon swingman Luke Jackson, who is believed to be a favorite of Larry Bird, the team's president of basketball operations. The Lakers also have reestablished contact with old friend Pat Riley, who is president of the Miami Heat but for two days showed serious interest in replacing Phil Jackson. As one NBA observer said this weekend, "Don't ever count Riley out," and, sure enough, the Lakers and Riley have had several discussions about the job, despite the somewhat convincing denial he issued Saturday. The Laker interest is said to have waned when Riley presented a long list of demands, but the possibility of Riley reuniting with the Lakers is not out of the question. Jeff Bzdelik's job appears safe for next season. His long-term future, though, remains very much in doubt. Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said Monday the Nuggets will not extend the contract of the team's coach during the off-season. Bzdelik has one year remaining at $1.5 million. The first item is downplaying a wild rumour started by a Philadelphia sports talk radio station that the Raptors and Sixers had discussed sending Vince Carter to the 76ers for Allen Iverson. The rumour was debunked as a "fraud" by one Philadelphia source, while Babcock said he hadn't had any specific trade talks with any team. The suggested deal was removed from one of the many Web sites reporting it by early last night. That fire extinguished, Babcock worked out a handful of draft prospects here yesterday afternoon. The Pacers are trying desperately to trade Ron Artest, a St. John's product from Queensbridge, who suffered several meltdowns in the playoffs. According to a league source, the Pacers spent an hour trying to convince Artest to get on the team plane after their Game 4 loss at Miami in the second round. Artest wanted to remain in Miami with his wife before finally boarding the plane. In final minutes of the Pacers' Game 6 loss to Detroit, Artest picked up a costly flagrant foul when he forearmed Richard Hamilton in the face. After the series, Artest skipped his exit interview with Larry Bird. Mark Cuban didn't dodge any questions about Shaquille O'Neal on Monday. In fact, his most important answer was most revealing. Cuban was asked about the perhaps once-in-a-lifetime chance to get a player like O'Neal and didn't hesitate. "I would do it," he said, "and you can quote me on that." The repercussions of that statement are serious, particularly from a financial standpoint. The best of the bunch just might be the skinny kid from Peoria, Ill., who grew up idolizing Pistol Pete Maravich. At 6 feet 7, Shaun Livingston reminds many of Magic Johnson, because his greatness on the court is making his teammates better players. "I always like players who have size for their position," said David Pendergraft, the Sonics' director of player personnel. "Having a 6-7 point guard coupled with his basketball IQ, you don't know when another one will come around like that. With free agency approaching July 1, Mark Cuban made it clear what the Mavs will address first ? their own free agents. " Steve Nash and Marquis Daniels," he said. "Those are the two guys who are most important to us. Our first priority is to re-sign those two guys. Then we'll try to do something with [Antoine] Walker that's a win-win situation for both sides." Craig MacKenzie, agent for Charlie Ward, said his client opted out of his Spurs contract yesterday to become a free agent. If PG Frank Williams is dealt, the Knicks would have interest. The usually optimistic Isiah Thomas believes he has little chance at landing Rasheed Wallace, because the lure of another ring could be stronger than anything the Knicks have to offer the Detroit Pistons' free-agent forward. Though no one knows what Wallace will decide until he discusses it with his wife, Thomas almost made it sound like a no-brainer for the player he tried so hard to acquire in February. The Knicks can offer Wallace the midlevel exception (roughly $5.5 million), while the Pistons can triple that sum. "I would say we have maybe a 1 percent chance -- maybe," Thomas said. "I'm sure Detroit is going to do everything it can to keep him. It's a great situation for him. Lorenzen Wright has a few words of advice for the incoming Charlotte Bobcats: Don't take him. "I feel good about being here. Memphis is my team," Wright said. "I feel very excited about going into the new arena (FedExForum). If they (the Bobcats) took me, I'd be mad. I'm looking forward to being on this team." When names like Shaquille O'Neal and Tracy McGrady were placed on the trading block, the ears of every NBA executive in the league perked up, but Randy Pfund said all the talk has not affected the Heat. The Heat's chances of acquiring O'Neal are minimal at best. But the Heat still has been active in other trade talks, Pfund said. ''If I could throw names around, I think I could throw around six or seven names I think people are talking about,'' Pfund said. ``I would expect a couple of trades [around the league]. I would be surprised if there weren't a couple of trades of significant players.'' Marcus Fizer is hoping his name is called when the Charlotte Bobcats select 14 players in the NBA expansion draft today. ''That would mean I'd be getting a fresh start, and I would definitely welcome that,'' Fizer said. Fizer, a 6-9 forward who played sparingly for the Bulls last season after Scott Skiles replaced Bill Cartwright as coach, went to Birmingham, Ala., on Monday for his first-month checkup on his surgically repaired right knee. Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said the team has no trades planned for Thursday's NBA draft. (Ya we havent any picks also!) Thanks Joe Smith! Oregon forward Luke Jackson and Sergey Monya, a rock-solid Russian guard with deep-shooting range, have been on the Celtics' radar for quite some time now. The problem is that both - Jackson because of his offensive polish and Monya with his combination of size and toughness - keep moving up the draft board. Rob Babcock also expects to have a coach hired in the next two weeks. Mike Woodson was a finalist for the Toronto job that Kevin O'Neill got last year Dwane Casey of Seattle and Charlotte's Sam Mitchell, who worked for the Milwaukee Bucks last year, are assistant coaches on the short list, say league sources. Others, such as Indiana assistant Mike Brown, Minnesota assistant Randy Wittman, former Golden State coach Eric Musselman and ex-Atlanta coach Terry Stotts are also rumoured to be in the running. And all that's standing between Rudy Tomjanovich from being hired as Lakers head coach is an interview with Kobe Bryant. Any plans for surgery on Jason Kidd's knee are still in limbo. "We haven't set any kind of date yet," Thorn said. "It's still not a sure thing it will happen. Jason is on vacation right now and we're going to talk more about it when he gets back." Jay Williams, the 6-2, 195-pound point guard, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Chicago Bulls, still isn't close to being game-ready yet. A best-case scenario is that the Plainfield native will be back in the NBA by the second half of next season. But the possibility exists that Williams may miss a second straight year as he continues to rehab from a broken pelvis, three torn ligaments in his left knee and the severing of the main nerve in his left leg -- injuries that resulted when he lost control of his week-old Yamaha Sportbike and slammed into a utility pole on the North Side of Chicago. Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said he did not know the Bobcats' plans. Restricted free agent Jamison Brewer is the most logical Pacer to be selected. Restricted free agents become unrestricted free agents if they are selected, meaning they can sign with any team. Offers to restricted free agents can be matched by the player's previous team. It's possible the Bulls will reconsider a trade with Indiana for forward Al Harrington or renew discussions with Washington in an attempt to land Jarvis Hayes. The Wizards, who currently own the No. 5 pick, like Deng but aren't keen on surrendering Hayes. The Bulls could lose Ronald Dupree to Charlotte in Tuesday's expansion draft. Dupree is a restricted free agent who would become unrestricted and not count against Charlotte's salary cap. The Bulls would be unable to re-sign Dupree. So Billy King went out and hired Jim O'Brien, the product of St. Joseph's University. The same man who resurrected the Boston Celtics franchise and annihilated the Sixers in a playoff series in doing so. O'Brien can do no wrong at this moment, especially when squared against Allen Iverson, whose star descended drastically last season. Everything's on the shoulders of The Answer. Like never before. If Iverson fights with O'Brien, he loses. If he fights with King, he loses. If he fights with teammates, with fans, with images of Brown that simply won't go away, now more than ever, he loses in the one place that matters most to him: The court of public opinion. The Pistons, who have the 54th pick in Thursday?s NBA draft, will conduct workouts with seven players today and Wednesday. In today will be Delonte West, a 6-foot-4 guard from St. Joseph?s; Romain Sato, a 6-5 guard from Xavier; Michel Morandais, a 6-5 guard-forward from Colorado; and Tony Dobbins, a 6-4 point guard from Richmond. In Wednesday are Chris Duhon, a 6-0 guard from Duke; Trevor Ariza, a 6-7 forward from UCLA; and Cleiton Sebastiao, a 6-11 forward from Brazil and Oklahoma Baptist. The Pistons have left forward Corliss Williamson unprotected and available, but because of his contract (three years and more than $18 million remaining), the Bobcats aren?t expected to select him. ?Guys we?re going to give opportunity to are guys who are in the last year of their contracts,? said Bernie Bickerstaff, the Bobcats? general manager and coach. ?Guys should be hungry that they?re going to get the chance to play.? Agent Michael Higgins told the Dallas Morning News the Knicks are trying to acquire Antoine Walker if he is chosen by the Charlotte Bobcats in today's expansion draft. Bernie Bickerstaff yesterday indicated the Bobcats are not going to take Walker, however, so the Knicks will have to deal with Dallas directly. Still, it raises an interesting question: Can a point-forward type coexist with Stephon Marbury? Former Maryland guard Juan Dixon, easily one of the most liked players on the Washington Wizards, might have played his last game for the team. Dixon, drafted with the 17th pick overall in 2002, might be too tempting to pass up when the Charlotte Bobcats begin to build their roster for their initial season via today's expansion draft. The 6-foot-3 Devin Harris, who averaged 19 points a game as a junior, also is reminding teams of the speed and scoring tears that made him Big Ten Player of the Year. He works out with Tim Grover, Michael Jordan's trainer. And he knows whom to keep happy. "They (the Suns) already got a star in the making in Amar? (Stoudemire), so just feed him," Harris said. Phoenix is the only team to work out Harris twice. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said he's impressed with Harris' defense and shooting. Happy Birthday: George Mikan, the former Minneapolis Lakers great who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., turned 80 years old Friday. GM Billy Knight said Monday the high number of picks gives the Hawks flexibility to pursue many different options. According to Knight, the Hawks have worked out 50 to 60 players within the past month, including likely first-rounders Ben Gordon, Josh Smith, Jameer Nelson, J.R. Smith and Shaun Livingston. Will they keep all five picks and stockpile young talent? Will they keep their three second-round picks or trade some of them for a late first-round draft choice? It appears that Knight is not a believer in quick fixes. He says he likes to think of franchises as ocean liners, and instead of trying to "stop on a dime" and turn things around, it is best to "swing it out wide and start turning it in." Speculation has Raptors GM Rob Babcock open to trading Vince Carter, but that's a natural thought when a new boss takes over and sees a team in desperate need of fixing. Carter won't listen to innuendo about himself. He's busy enough keeping up with rumors from around the league. "It's going to be interesting," Carter said. "Rosters you see right now won't be the same next season. It's pretty exciting. Everything's going to be even. Definitely, I'm tuning in to see what happens." The expansion Bobcats might try to entice the Magic not to snare the player the Bobcats want, believed to be Connecticut center Emeka Okafor. That would mean the Magic would take Atlanta high school star Dwight Howard. In an exchange of one of the NBA's top point guards for perhaps its most dynamic scorer, the Rockets were close Monday to sending Steve Francis to the Orlando Magic for two-time scoring champion Tracy McGrady. No longer "The Franchise," a clearly disappointed Francis braced himself to no longer be the Rockets' point guard after his agent, Jeff Fried, told him Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said the trade to the Magic was close to complete. The deal would also send forward Kelvin Cato and guard Cuttino Mobley to the Magic and bring the Rockets veteran forward Juwan Howard, point guard Tyronn Lue and a player exposed in tonight's expansion draft, likely guard Reece Gaines, the Magic's first-round pick last season. "I spoke to Carroll, and it was not a done deal," Fried said. "It's close. It's subject to a few contingencies." Dwight Howard may find himself on the bench next season, according to Portland Trail Blazers General Manager John Nash. "What we're seeing is players with size and potential but you don't see the finished product," Nash said. "There are very few players in this draft that are ready to step in and play meaningful minutes in the NBA. . . . I don't know that Dwight Howard is capable of stepping in and playing right now." Another who might struggle in his rookie season is Shaun Livingston, a 6-6 point guard favored for his height and passing skills but who, at 175 pounds, is considered too thin to withstand the pounding of an NBA season. Luol Deng concedes that he might not be in his current position if not for former 76er Manute Bol. Deng, a 6-foot-7 small forward from Duke University, has entered Thursday's NBA draft and could be selected as high as No. 3 by Chicago. He isn't expected to drop below No. 5, where Washington picks, after having averaged 15.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in his only college season. Like the 7-7 Bol, who played for the Sixers from 1990 to 1994, Deng is a native of Sudan and a member of the Dinka tribe. His father, Aldo, served in the Sudanese parliament and became the country's minister of transportation before moving to Egypt to get away from Sudan's civil war. While in Egypt, he met Bol, who introduced Luol Deng's older brothers to basketball. Author Charley Rosen -- he wrote "Maverick" with Phil Jackson -- commenting on "I, Max" on how Hamtramck's Rudy Tomjanovich would fare as the Zen Master's successor: "Rudy is one of the best people in the history of Western civilization ... but he's kind of a passive personality. He's the kind of guy that Kobe would just eat for lunch." Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., introduced a "Bad Boys Are Back" resolution in the House of Representatives congratulating the Pistons. It might be the first time the words "Fear the 'Fro" were uttered in the chamber. Pistons Coach Larry Brown should have seen it coming Monday night. He was a guest on ?The Late Show with David Letterman? and was forced to deal with a fashion nightmare from his past. Letterman showed a 1976 photo of Brown coaching in the ABA All-Star Game wearing a sky-blue polyester shirt and tight denim patchwork overalls. ?This is when Larry was on the cast of ?Hee Haw?, ? Letterman joked. Brown had a good laugh at the fashion faux pas, one of many jokes he shared with Letterman. The two talked about the Pistons, winning the championship and Brown?s career. Longtime Bulls announcer Johnny "Red" Kerr underwent hip surgery Monday at Rush North Shore Hospital. He will remain hospitalized for most of this week but is expected to make a full recovery. Benmaller.com
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting HEAV07:</div><div class="quote_post">The Clippers have separated themselves from the NBA pack as the most ardent suitor for Shaquille O'Neal's slighted services. Several seasons ago, owner Donald Sterling preferred remaining coach-less during the summer simply to save salary. Now he's prepared to do whatever it takes, it appears, to acquire Shaq as well as extend his substantial salary several seasons in order to keep him beyond the next two. An entrenched LA monitor reveals how much the Clips ? $3.8M under the $43.8M cap ? want to do business. Elton Brand ($10.96M), Corey Maggette ($7M), two of their three best players (Quentin Richardson is a restricted free agent) and Melvin Ely ($1.63M) are readily obtainable. That shows they've got a serious thing for Shaq. O'Neal must agree to reenlist with the Clips before anything is consummated; they're not going to turn over that much talent to the Lakers on a one or two year rental Rumors of a trade that would bring Antoine Walker to New York are alive again. The Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats have had discussions about a deal for Walker, who was left unprotected by the Dallas Mavericks for tonight's expansion draft. Walker's salary could preclude the Bobcats from selecting him, because if they were to deal Walker to the Knicks they would have to take back approximately $14 million in salary. If Dallas still owns Walker's rights, he could still be sent to the Knicks in a deal for Dallas product and former Maverick Kurt Thomas, who is a favorite of both owner Mark Cuban and coach Don Nelson. Trade talk swirled around Paul Pierce during the second half of last season, a season rife with frustration for him. When he spoke of that frustration, Pierce wondered aloud about "The Vision" Ainge held for the franchise. He watched trusted teammates and a respected head coach disappear from the locker room. He looked around and saw youth and inexperience. When the season ended, Mark Blount said he felt sorry for Pierce. "He's not untradable," said Danny Ainge. "There's no such thing. I would be asking about Paul Pierce. He's worth the money. He fits the criteria everyone is looking for." Indiana was as talkative as any club yesterday, and among its discussions was a deal to send Al Harrington to Cleveland for the Cavaliers' first-round pick, the 10th over all. The Pacers would use the pick to take the Oregon swingman Luke Jackson, who is believed to be a favorite of Larry Bird, the team's president of basketball operations. The Lakers also have reestablished contact with old friend Pat Riley, who is president of the Miami Heat but for two days showed serious interest in replacing Phil Jackson. As one NBA observer said this weekend, "Don't ever count Riley out," and, sure enough, the Lakers and Riley have had several discussions about the job, despite the somewhat convincing denial he issued Saturday. The Laker interest is said to have waned when Riley presented a long list of demands, but the possibility of Riley reuniting with the Lakers is not out of the question. Jeff Bzdelik's job appears safe for next season. His long-term future, though, remains very much in doubt. Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said Monday the Nuggets will not extend the contract of the team's coach during the off-season. Bzdelik has one year remaining at $1.5 million. The first item is downplaying a wild rumour started by a Philadelphia sports talk radio station that the Raptors and Sixers had discussed sending Vince Carter to the 76ers for Allen Iverson. The rumour was debunked as a "fraud" by one Philadelphia source, while Babcock said he hadn't had any specific trade talks with any team. The suggested deal was removed from one of the many Web sites reporting it by early last night. That fire extinguished, Babcock worked out a handful of draft prospects here yesterday afternoon. The Pacers are trying desperately to trade Ron Artest, a St. John's product from Queensbridge, who suffered several meltdowns in the playoffs. According to a league source, the Pacers spent an hour trying to convince Artest to get on the team plane after their Game 4 loss at Miami in the second round. Artest wanted to remain in Miami with his wife before finally boarding the plane. In final minutes of the Pacers' Game 6 loss to Detroit, Artest picked up a costly flagrant foul when he forearmed Richard Hamilton in the face. After the series, Artest skipped his exit interview with Larry Bird. Mark Cuban didn't dodge any questions about Shaquille O'Neal on Monday. In fact, his most important answer was most revealing. Cuban was asked about the perhaps once-in-a-lifetime chance to get a player like O'Neal and didn't hesitate. "I would do it," he said, "and you can quote me on that." The repercussions of that statement are serious, particularly from a financial standpoint. The best of the bunch just might be the skinny kid from Peoria, Ill., who grew up idolizing Pistol Pete Maravich. At 6 feet 7, Shaun Livingston reminds many of Magic Johnson, because his greatness on the court is making his teammates better players. "I always like players who have size for their position," said David Pendergraft, the Sonics' director of player personnel. "Having a 6-7 point guard coupled with his basketball IQ, you don't know when another one will come around like that. With free agency approaching July 1, Mark Cuban made it clear what the Mavs will address first ? their own free agents. " Steve Nash and Marquis Daniels," he said. "Those are the two guys who are most important to us. Our first priority is to re-sign those two guys. Then we'll try to do something with [Antoine] Walker that's a win-win situation for both sides." Craig MacKenzie, agent for Charlie Ward, said his client opted out of his Spurs contract yesterday to become a free agent. If PG Frank Williams is dealt, the Knicks would have interest. The usually optimistic Isiah Thomas believes he has little chance at landing Rasheed Wallace, because the lure of another ring could be stronger than anything the Knicks have to offer the Detroit Pistons' free-agent forward. Though no one knows what Wallace will decide until he discusses it with his wife, Thomas almost made it sound like a no-brainer for the player he tried so hard to acquire in February. The Knicks can offer Wallace the midlevel exception (roughly $5.5 million), while the Pistons can triple that sum. "I would say we have maybe a 1 percent chance -- maybe," Thomas said. "I'm sure Detroit is going to do everything it can to keep him. It's a great situation for him. Lorenzen Wright has a few words of advice for the incoming Charlotte Bobcats: Don't take him. "I feel good about being here. Memphis is my team," Wright said. "I feel very excited about going into the new arena (FedExForum). If they (the Bobcats) took me, I'd be mad. I'm looking forward to being on this team." When names like Shaquille O'Neal and Tracy McGrady were placed on the trading block, the ears of every NBA executive in the league perked up, but Randy Pfund said all the talk has not affected the Heat. The Heat's chances of acquiring O'Neal are minimal at best. But the Heat still has been active in other trade talks, Pfund said. ''If I could throw names around, I think I could throw around six or seven names I think people are talking about,'' Pfund said. ``I would expect a couple of trades [around the league]. I would be surprised if there weren't a couple of trades of significant players.'' Marcus Fizer is hoping his name is called when the Charlotte Bobcats select 14 players in the NBA expansion draft today. ''That would mean I'd be getting a fresh start, and I would definitely welcome that,'' Fizer said. Fizer, a 6-9 forward who played sparingly for the Bulls last season after Scott Skiles replaced Bill Cartwright as coach, went to Birmingham, Ala., on Monday for his first-month checkup on his surgically repaired right knee. Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said the team has no trades planned for Thursday's NBA draft. (Ya we havent any picks also!) Thanks Joe Smith! Oregon forward Luke Jackson and Sergey Monya, a rock-solid Russian guard with deep-shooting range, have been on the Celtics' radar for quite some time now. The problem is that both - Jackson because of his offensive polish and Monya with his combination of size and toughness - keep moving up the draft board. Rob Babcock also expects to have a coach hired in the next two weeks. Mike Woodson was a finalist for the Toronto job that Kevin O'Neill got last year Dwane Casey of Seattle and Charlotte's Sam Mitchell, who worked for the Milwaukee Bucks last year, are assistant coaches on the short list, say league sources. Others, such as Indiana assistant Mike Brown, Minnesota assistant Randy Wittman, former Golden State coach Eric Musselman and ex-Atlanta coach Terry Stotts are also rumoured to be in the running. And all that's standing between Rudy Tomjanovich from being hired as Lakers head coach is an interview with Kobe Bryant. Any plans for surgery on Jason Kidd's knee are still in limbo. "We haven't set any kind of date yet," Thorn said. "It's still not a sure thing it will happen. Jason is on vacation right now and we're going to talk more about it when he gets back." Jay Williams, the 6-2, 195-pound point guard, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Chicago Bulls, still isn't close to being game-ready yet. A best-case scenario is that the Plainfield native will be back in the NBA by the second half of next season. But the possibility exists that Williams may miss a second straight year as he continues to rehab from a broken pelvis, three torn ligaments in his left knee and the severing of the main nerve in his left leg -- injuries that resulted when he lost control of his week-old Yamaha Sportbike and slammed into a utility pole on the North Side of Chicago. Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said he did not know the Bobcats' plans. Restricted free agent Jamison Brewer is the most logical Pacer to be selected. Restricted free agents become unrestricted free agents if they are selected, meaning they can sign with any team. Offers to restricted free agents can be matched by the player's previous team. It's possible the Bulls will reconsider a trade with Indiana for forward Al Harrington or renew discussions with Washington in an attempt to land Jarvis Hayes. The Wizards, who currently own the No. 5 pick, like Deng but aren't keen on surrendering Hayes. The Bulls could lose Ronald Dupree to Charlotte in Tuesday's expansion draft. Dupree is a restricted free agent who would become unrestricted and not count against Charlotte's salary cap. The Bulls would be unable to re-sign Dupree. So Billy King went out and hired Jim O'Brien, the product of St. Joseph's University. The same man who resurrected the Boston Celtics franchise and annihilated the Sixers in a playoff series in doing so. O'Brien can do no wrong at this moment, especially when squared against Allen Iverson, whose star descended drastically last season. Everything's on the shoulders of The Answer. Like never before. If Iverson fights with O'Brien, he loses. If he fights with King, he loses. If he fights with teammates, with fans, with images of Brown that simply won't go away, now more than ever, he loses in the one place that matters most to him: The court of public opinion. The Pistons, who have the 54th pick in Thursday?s NBA draft, will conduct workouts with seven players today and Wednesday. In today will be Delonte West, a 6-foot-4 guard from St. Joseph?s; Romain Sato, a 6-5 guard from Xavier; Michel Morandais, a 6-5 guard-forward from Colorado; and Tony Dobbins, a 6-4 point guard from Richmond. In Wednesday are Chris Duhon, a 6-0 guard from Duke; Trevor Ariza, a 6-7 forward from UCLA; and Cleiton Sebastiao, a 6-11 forward from Brazil and Oklahoma Baptist. The Pistons have left forward Corliss Williamson unprotected and available, but because of his contract (three years and more than $18 million remaining), the Bobcats aren?t expected to select him. ?Guys we?re going to give opportunity to are guys who are in the last year of their contracts,? said Bernie Bickerstaff, the Bobcats? general manager and coach. ?Guys should be hungry that they?re going to get the chance to play.? Agent Michael Higgins told the Dallas Morning News the Knicks are trying to acquire Antoine Walker if he is chosen by the Charlotte Bobcats in today's expansion draft. Bernie Bickerstaff yesterday indicated the Bobcats are not going to take Walker, however, so the Knicks will have to deal with Dallas directly. Still, it raises an interesting question: Can a point-forward type coexist with Stephon Marbury? Former Maryland guard Juan Dixon, easily one of the most liked players on the Washington Wizards, might have played his last game for the team. Dixon, drafted with the 17th pick overall in 2002, might be too tempting to pass up when the Charlotte Bobcats begin to build their roster for their initial season via today's expansion draft. The 6-foot-3 Devin Harris, who averaged 19 points a game as a junior, also is reminding teams of the speed and scoring tears that made him Big Ten Player of the Year. He works out with Tim Grover, Michael Jordan's trainer. And he knows whom to keep happy. "They (the Suns) already got a star in the making in Amar? (Stoudemire), so just feed him," Harris said. Phoenix is the only team to work out Harris twice. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said he's impressed with Harris' defense and shooting. Happy Birthday: George Mikan, the former Minneapolis Lakers great who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., turned 80 years old Friday. GM Billy Knight said Monday the high number of picks gives the Hawks flexibility to pursue many different options. According to Knight, the Hawks have worked out 50 to 60 players within the past month, including likely first-rounders Ben Gordon, Josh Smith, Jameer Nelson, J.R. Smith and Shaun Livingston. Will they keep all five picks and stockpile young talent? Will they keep their three second-round picks or trade some of them for a late first-round draft choice? It appears that Knight is not a believer in quick fixes. He says he likes to think of franchises as ocean liners, and instead of trying to "stop on a dime" and turn things around, it is best to "swing it out wide and start turning it in." Speculation has Raptors GM Rob Babcock open to trading Vince Carter, but that's a natural thought when a new boss takes over and sees a team in desperate need of fixing. Carter won't listen to innuendo about himself. He's busy enough keeping up with rumors from around the league. "It's going to be interesting," Carter said. "Rosters you see right now won't be the same next season. It's pretty exciting. Everything's going to be even. Definitely, I'm tuning in to see what happens." The expansion Bobcats might try to entice the Magic not to snare the player the Bobcats want, believed to be Connecticut center Emeka Okafor. That would mean the Magic would take Atlanta high school star Dwight Howard. In an exchange of one of the NBA's top point guards for perhaps its most dynamic scorer, the Rockets were close Monday to sending Steve Francis to the Orlando Magic for two-time scoring champion Tracy McGrady. No longer "The Franchise," a clearly disappointed Francis braced himself to no longer be the Rockets' point guard after his agent, Jeff Fried, told him Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said the trade to the Magic was close to complete. The deal would also send forward Kelvin Cato and guard Cuttino Mobley to the Magic and bring the Rockets veteran forward Juwan Howard, point guard Tyronn Lue and a player exposed in tonight's expansion draft, likely guard Reece Gaines, the Magic's first-round pick last season. "I spoke to Carroll, and it was not a done deal," Fried said. "It's close. It's subject to a few contingencies." Dwight Howard may find himself on the bench next season, according to Portland Trail Blazers General Manager John Nash. "What we're seeing is players with size and potential but you don't see the finished product," Nash said. "There are very few players in this draft that are ready to step in and play meaningful minutes in the NBA. . . . I don't know that Dwight Howard is capable of stepping in and playing right now." Another who might struggle in his rookie season is Shaun Livingston, a 6-6 point guard favored for his height and passing skills but who, at 175 pounds, is considered too thin to withstand the pounding of an NBA season. Luol Deng concedes that he might not be in his current position if not for former 76er Manute Bol. Deng, a 6-foot-7 small forward from Duke University, has entered Thursday's NBA draft and could be selected as high as No. 3 by Chicago. He isn't expected to drop below No. 5, where Washington picks, after having averaged 15.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in his only college season. Like the 7-7 Bol, who played for the Sixers from 1990 to 1994, Deng is a native of Sudan and a member of the Dinka tribe. His father, Aldo, served in the Sudanese parliament and became the country's minister of transportation before moving to Egypt to get away from Sudan's civil war. While in Egypt, he met Bol, who introduced Luol Deng's older brothers to basketball. Author Charley Rosen -- he wrote "Maverick" with Phil Jackson -- commenting on "I, Max" on how Hamtramck's Rudy Tomjanovich would fare as the Zen Master's successor: "Rudy is one of the best people in the history of Western civilization ... but he's kind of a passive personality. He's the kind of guy that Kobe would just eat for lunch." Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., introduced a "Bad Boys Are Back" resolution in the House of Representatives congratulating the Pistons. It might be the first time the words "Fear the 'Fro" were uttered in the chamber. Pistons Coach Larry Brown should have seen it coming Monday night. He was a guest on ?The Late Show with David Letterman? and was forced to deal with a fashion nightmare from his past. Letterman showed a 1976 photo of Brown coaching in the ABA All-Star Game wearing a sky-blue polyester shirt and tight denim patchwork overalls. ?This is when Larry was on the cast of ?Hee Haw?, ? Letterman joked. Brown had a good laugh at the fashion faux pas, one of many jokes he shared with Letterman. The two talked about the Pistons, winning the championship and Brown?s career. Longtime Bulls announcer Johnny "Red" Kerr underwent hip surgery Monday at Rush North Shore Hospital. He will remain hospitalized for most of this week but is expected to make a full recovery. Benmaller.com</div> Stop copying and pasting stuff from other sites.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Clippers have separated themselves from the NBA pack as the most ardent suitor for Shaquille O'Neal's slighted services. Several seasons ago, owner Donald Sterling preferred remaining coach-less during the summer simply to save salary. Now he's prepared to do whatever it takes, it appears, to acquire Shaq as well as extend his substantial salary several seasons in order to keep him beyond the next two. An entrenched LA monitor reveals how much the Clips ? $3.8M under the $43.8M cap ? want to do business. Elton Brand ($10.96M), Corey Maggette ($7M), two of their three best players (Quentin Richardson is a restricted free agent) and Melvin Ely ($1.63M) are readily obtainable. That shows they've got a serious thing for Shaq. O'Neal must agree to reenlist with the Clips before anything is consummated; they're not going to turn over that much talent to the Lakers on a one or two year rental</div> Now that part of the article is hard to believe. I don't believe Sterling is committed to taking on any large contracts, especially one in the size of Shaq's. To also say that he he wants to extend that huge contract to what Shaq is asking for, basically makes this article bogus IMO. Although as a Laker fan before a Clipper fan I'd love to see the Lakers aquire Brand, Maggette and fillers, it's just not a possibility IMO. The Clippers' whole team salary is totalled at around $30 million not $40 million as said in the article.I don't think there's any way they can make it work. Is this article a joke? cause if it is I wouldn't be surprised..
I just put the quick hits up. To read the entire column go to BENMALLER.COM As for the Shaq to Clippers. Many insiders are saying that the Clips want him. They feel he will help fill the arena that they share with the lakers.
