Monday, July 7 Sweetney, Collison and Pietrus sign rookie deals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ESPN.com news services The New York Knicks, Seattle SuperSonics and Golden State Warriors all signed their first-round draft picks Monday afternoon. Mike Sweetney, Nick Collison and Michael Pietrus, respectively, signed three-year contracts. Sweetney, the ninth pick in last month's draft, will make about $4.95 million under the terms of the NBA's rookie pay scale. The details of Collison's and Pietrus' deals were not disclosed. Sweetney is expected to play for the Knicks' summer league teams in Boston next week and in Salt Lake City later in July. Pietrus joined Golden State's summer league team in Long Beach on Monday, along with Derrick Zimmerman, the Warriors' second-round draft pick from Mississippi State. The 6-foot-8 Sweetney left Georgetown after his junior year. The power forward was the seventh-leading scorer in school history with 1,750 points. He was the only player in the nation to rank in the top 20 in scoring (22.8 points, ninth) and rebounding (10.4, 15th). Collison, a 6-foot-9 forward, was the 12th overall selection. He averaged nearly 15 points and eight rebounds a game in four seasons with Kansas. He is a member of the U.S. Olympic team that will compete next month in Puerto Rico. The 6-foot-6 Pietrus, the 11th overall selection in last month's draft, was a three-time All-Star in the French league. The guard started for Pau Orthez in the French Pro A League last season, helping the club to its league championship.
