Sunday, July 13 Slovenian center's wish list narrows to three teams -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ESPN.com news services Free-agent center Rasho Nesterovic has narrowed his wish list down to two teams (Minnesota and San Antonio) and one long shot (New York) and plans to choose from among those destinations by Tuesday, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports. The Spurs, struggling to make use of their $15-plus million in salary-cap space despite winning the championship last month, have been pursuing Nesterovic aggressively since missing out on Jason Kidd, Alonzo Mourning and P.J. Brown. The Spurs are also in talks with Indiana's Brad Miller. Nesterovic already has a seven-year offer on the table worth more than $50 million from the Wolves, who desperately want to keep Nesterovic alongside Kevin Garnett on their front line. Minnesota was also hoping to add power forward Juwan Howard, but the Orlando Sentinel reported in Monday's editions that Howard has picked the Magic over the Wolves. The Knicks' presence on the 7-footer's list of finalists is due largely to Nesterovic's fondness for New York City. The Knicks can't offer Nesterovic more than the $4.9 million mid-level exception and are unlikely to tempt Minnesota with sign-and-trade offers. Agent Bill Duffy told ESPN.com that Nesterovic is in his native Slovenia, huddling with family to make the decision by Tuesday. Wednesday is the first day free agents are permitted to sign contracts. If the Wolves can hang onto Nesterovic, that should enhance their chances of luring Howard, who has also drawn significant interest from Orlando and Detroit -- with the Magic looming as the team most likely to beat Minnesota out. If the Spurs miss out on Nesterovic, which would be another significant blow in their attempt to replace the retiring David Robinson, the list of desirable free-agent big men would be down to two: Indiana's Miller and the Los Angeles Clippers' Michael Olowokandi. Indiana is intent on keep Miller as a front-line sidekick to Jermaine O'Neal, but the Spurs' cap flexibility would allow them to challenge any Pacers bid. Olowokandi, meanwhile, is drawing strong interest from Memphis, with the Grizzlies positioned to offer the Clippers a future first-round pick and the expiring contract of Wesley Person ($7.7 million) in a sign-and-trade deal. Miami and Denver are also said to be interested in Olowokandi, but Heat president Pat Riley has openly hinted at holding onto the club's cap space until next summer, while the Nuggets have focused their free-agent activity on swingman Corey Maggette and three point guards: Andre Miller, Gilbert Arenas and Tyronn Lue.
