'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol:12

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 923&lc=NBA

Andy Miller said he has, so far, only contacted Sixers General Manager Ed Stefanski to introduce himself as Andre's new agent. Miller -- the agent -- said the two parties have yet to discuss business except to agree they should sit down sometime soon and, well, discuss business.

There's a possibility that meeting could happen in State College during Training Camp (Sept. 30 - Oct. 5). But it also could be postponed until after the team returns.

Andy Miller said he has "no preconceived notions" about where this deal is going.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... 923&lc=NBA

It's not unusual for the Detroit Pistons' Rasheed Wallace to begin training camp in great shape. But maintaining it for an entire season is another story. Keeping Wallace's body in tip-top condition beyond the first couple months of the season was a topic of discussion between new Pistons coach Michael Curry and Wallace this summer.

It's too soon to tell how that will play out this season, but Curry said he likes where Wallace's physique is heading into training camp, which begins next week. "Arnie Kander (Detroit's strength and conditioning coach) we feel is the best in the business," Curry said. "I don't think we've taken full advantage of him over the last few years. (Wallace) has done a really good job of that this summer."

The benefits of a better-conditioned Wallace can pay off in many ways for a Detroit team that is again among the handful of serious title contenders this season. As a starter, a well-conditioned Wallace gives Curry the flexibility to play the 6-foot-11 big man for longer stretches, if needed. Improved health would be especially beneficial for Wallace and the Pistons in the playoffs, which, in recent years, has been a time when Detroit collectively played some of its worst basketball.

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http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=1726

Euroleague.net reports: Perennial Serbian League champion Partizan has improved its roster for the upcoming 2008-09 Euroleague season by inking power forward Stephane Lasme to a one-year deal. Lasme (203, 25) arrives from the Miami Heat, where he averaged 5.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 16 NBA games last season, during which he also played for the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBDL.

InsideHoops.com editor says: I’ve seen Lasme just enough to feel that he could help an NBA team’s deep bench. A solid 9th-13th man worth giving a shot. The overseas experience should help him a bit.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketbal ... 9397.story

It has been believed since Donnie Walsh took over the Knicks in April that Stephon Marbury's tumultuous days as a Knick were numbered. Now the matter is days from being official, Newsday has learned. Several persons with knowledge of the situation have indicated that the Knicks are planning to part ways with Marbury by the end of the week. One caveat is the approval of Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, who must sign off on yet another multimillion-dollar payoff for his NBA team. Marbury is in the final year of his contract, which is to pay him $21.9 million.

The Knicks will likely place Marbury on waivers and, once he clears, begin negotiating a buyout. Marbury will then be free to sign with another team; the Miami Heat have a desperate need at point guard. Though removing the controversial Marbury from the locker room is believed to have been a foregone conclusion for some time - the old addition-by-subtraction theory - it is also well known within the walls of 2 Penn Plaza that Walsh is having trouble getting comfortable with the idea of handing someone nearly $20 million to go play for another team. Especially when that player might be in the best shape of his career and focused - yes, rarely a word attributed to Marbury - to prove a great deal of critics wrong.

Make no mistake; all indications from those who have seen him are that Marbury is physically more ready for this season than the previous two. The left ankle is healed after surgery last January to remove bone spurs. His weight is reportedly down to 200 pounds after he spent the summer training in Southern California - "Running the Hollywood Hills," as has been repeatedly said from those in his camp. He has refreshingly been mostly under the radar throughout the summer, with nary a bizarre interview to be seen on YouTube (OK, he did have his "Starbury" logo tattooed on his skull). Marbury, who created a huge divide between himself and teammates after he went AWOL in Phoenix last November, stayed to himself with his workouts at the MSG Training Center this offseason until yesterday, when he joined the other Knicks veterans in pickup games. One observer from yesterday's workout noted the uneasy atmosphere among the other players. "You could just feel the hate," the person said.

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http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=1728

The Phoenix Suns announced today that the club has signed Slovenian guard Goran Dragic (GORE-on DRAG-itch) to a multi-year contract. “It has been a lengthy process, but we’re happy to announce the signing of Goran Dragic,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Steve Kerr. “He is a talented young point guard who we believe has a very bright future.”

Dragic’s rights were acquired by the Suns on June 26, 2008, in a draft-day deal with the San Antonio Spurs, who selected him with the 45th overall pick (second round). Phoenix sent San Antonio the draft rights to 48th overall selection Malik Hairston, as well as a 2009 second-round pick and cash. The 2009 pick was obtained from the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 3, 2005, in exchange for Zarko Cabarkapa. Just 22 years old, Dragic joins the Suns with four years of international professional experience. Most recently, the 6-3, 190-pound point guard spent the 2007-08 season with Union Olimpija in Slovenia and helped to lead his club to both the Slovenian League Championship and Slovenian Cup. Against top competition in Euroleague play last season, Dragic averaged 9.7 points, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 13 games. Likewise, he tallied 12.0 points, 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals in 28 Adriatic League games. A quick guard with a knack for getting to the basket, Dragic shot 60.9 percent from the field in Euroleague play and 61.0 percent in the Adriatic League.

The lefthander began play in Europe’s top leagues in 2004-05 with Geoplin Slovan and was named the 2005 Slovenian League Newcomer of the Year. Dragic also received All-Star recognition in 2008 in the Adriatic League as well as 2006 in the Slovenian League. The newest Sun has been a member of the Slovenian Senior National Team since 2006. Dragic’s play during the 2007 European Championships in Spain included 28 minutes of action in the Slovenian’s upset victory over Tony Parker and France to win Group D of the tournament. He was also a member of the Under-20 National Team in both 2004 and 2005.

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http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=1730

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has picked up the option on the contract of Head Coach Eddie Jordan, keeping him under contract through the 2009-10 season. Per team policy, financial terms of the contract were not released. “Eddie has done an outstanding job and has been instrumental in making us a perennial playoff team, so we are pleased to reward that success by picking up the option on his contract,” said Grunfeld. “We are very excited about the upcoming season and feel that this team is ready to progress to another level under Eddie’s leadership.”

Jordan has compiled an overall record of 196-214 (.478) in five seasons as head coach of the Wizards and is currently the third-longest tenured head coach in the NBA behind Jerry Sloan (Utah Jazz) and Gregg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs). He has led the team to the playoffs the last four seasons (making the Wizards the only Eastern Conference team other than Detroit to do so), compiling a 171-157 (.521) mark during that span. “I’d like to thank (Wizards Owner) Abe Pollin and Ernie Grunfeld, my assistants and the players for their confidence in me and for putting the pieces in place for us to continue to build on what we’ve already accomplished,” said Jordan. “This team has proven it can compete at an elite level, and I have high expectations for what we can achieve moving forward.”

Jordan, a Washington DC native, was originally hired by the Wizards prior to the 2003-04 season. After his first year, he led the team to a 20-game improvement and their first playoff berth in eight seasons (as well as their first playoff series win since 1982). The team has made the playoffs each year since. Jordan represented the Wizards as the head coach of the 2007 Eastern Conference All-Star Team by virtue of the team having the best record in the Eastern Conference heading into the All-Star break. Jordan is third in total wins and total games coached among head coaches in franchise history and needs just seven wins to pass Wes Unseld and move into second place for total wins (behind Gene Shue).

[nasty daddy]

http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=1731

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent forwards DerMarr Johnson, Linton Johnson and Taj McCullough. Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not released. But it’s quite likely that all three signings are just “training camp additions” with nonguaranteed deals. Chances are, all three will be cut during or after camp. But of the three, Johnson is most likely to stick, followed by Johnson. McCullough is a distant long-shot.“DerMarr’s experience and versatility, Linton’s athleticism and defensive ability and Taj’s play with our summer league team gives them a chance to compete for a roster spot,” said Grunfeld. “We’re looking forward to training camp as an opportunity to evaluate how they might fit into the mix at the small forward position.”

DerMarr Johnson (6-9, 210) is a seven-year veteran who has seen action with the Hawks, Knicks, Nuggets and Spurs. He holds NBA career averages of 6.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in 136 games. A Washington DC native, Johnson was originally selected by Atlanta with the sixth overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft following his freshman year at the University of Cincinnati. He averaged 8.4 points and 3.4 rebounds for the Hawks in 2001-02, but missed the entire 2002-03 season after suffering four cracked vertebra in his neck following a car accident. He returned to the NBA with New York in 2003-04 and spent the next three seasons (2004-05 through 2006-07) with Denver. Johnson averaged 3.4 points in five games with San Antonio last season. Linton Johnson (6-8, 205) is a five-year veteran who has seen action with the Bulls, Spurs, Nets, Hornets, Raptors and Suns. He holds NBA career averages of 4.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 141 games after going undrafted out of Tulane University. Johnson had his best statistical run when he averaged 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds over the final 27 games for New Orleans/Oklahoma City after being acquired in a midseason trade with New Jersey. Johnson averaged 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds last season in eight games between Toronto and Phoenix.

McCullough (6-7, 227) averaged 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in five games with the Wizards’ entry in the 2008 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The rookie out of Winthrop averaged 11.6 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds as a senior last season and helped the Eagles to a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

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http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... ter-sports

Kings forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim retired because of a persistent right knee injury.

Abdur-Rahim, 31, played 12 NBA seasons for four teams, beginning his career in 1996 when the Grizzlies made him the third overall pick.

A 2002 All-Star, he averaged 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in his career and reached the playoffs once, with the Kings in 2006. He was in six games last season before getting season-ending surgery in December on his right knee. Abdur-Rahim played at Cal.

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http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=1732

New York Newsday (Alan Hahn) reports: It has been believed since Donnie Walsh took over the Knicks in April that Stephon Marbury’s tumultuous days as a Knick were numbered. Now the matter is days from being official, Newsday has learned. Several persons with knowledge of the situation have indicated that the Knicks are planning to part ways with Marbury by the end of the week. One caveat is the approval of Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, who must sign off on yet another multimillion-dollar payoff for his NBA team. Marbury is in the final year of his contract, which is to pay him $21.9 million. The Knicks will likely place Marbury on waivers and, once he clears, begin negotiating a buyout. Marbury will then be free to sign with another team; the Miami Heat have a desperate need at point guard.

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/ ... TE=DEFAULT

The Phoenix Suns have signed Slovenian point guard Goran Dragic to a multiyear contract and the team says he will play for the team this season.

The Suns acquired the rights to the 22-year-old left-hander in a draft-day trade with the San Antonio Spurs.

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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl- ... 6803.story

Still without the long-term security he had sought upon last season's acquisition from the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat forward Shawn Marion said today he would not allow that issue to diminish his enthusiasm for Saturday's start of training camp.

"We're still talking and negotiating, and it is what it is right now," said the versatile forward, who will earn $17.8 million this season. "Right now, my focus is on playing."

How long Marion remains with the Heat is another issue, especially with the selection of Kansas State's Michael Beasley with the No. 2 overall selection in the June 26 NBA Draft.Marion and Beasley are similar in that each is considered a swing forward, capable of scoring on the perimeter or around the basket. "I've always been out there being able to adapt to my situations," Marion said. "I think Beasley is definitely a young talent. We've just got to out there and just play and compete, that's all it's going to boil down to."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/six ... _more.html

As Gonzo mentioned this morning in his Page 2 column, and we mentioned here two days ago, 76ers point guard Andre Miller has a new agent. Miller has one season (at about $10 million) left on his current deal. I spoke this morning to Miller's new agent, Andy Miller. I did not mention how similar his name was to his new client's, but I did try and get a feel for when we might know more about Andre Miller's future as a Sixer.

Andy Miller said he has, so far, only contacted Sixers General Manager Ed Stefanski to introduce himself as Andre's new agent. Miller -- the agent -- said the two parties have yet to discuss business except to agree they should sit down sometime soon and, well, discuss business.

There's a possibility that meeting could happen in State College during Training Camp (Sept. 30 - Oct. 5). But it also could be postponed until after the team returns. Andy Miller said he has "no preconceived notions" about where this deal is going.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/six ... _more.html

Smith update. Jason Smith, who tore his ACL in August, and had surgery last Wednesday, is just beginning the long rehab process. Smith, the Sixers first-round pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, tore the ligament in his left knee during an NBA-approved camp in Vegas.

Smith's agent, Marc Bartelstein, said his client is back in Philly, working with the Sixers' staff. (The surgery was performed in New York City.) Bartelstein said right now Smith's rehab consists of range-of-motion exercises as well as swelling reduction.

"It's a big hurdle getting that surgery done," Bartelstein said. "Mentally, he's great, because now everything he does is working toward recovery."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10040

The Wizards had a busy day on Monday, extending the contract of head coach Eddie Jordan and signing three players to the training camp roster. The team announced that the option on Jordan's contract for the 2009-2010 season has been picked up, preventing Jordan from entering the season as a lame duck coach. Jordan originally signed the extension before the 2006-2007 season. "Eddie has done an outstanding job and has been instrumental in making us a perennial playoff team, so we are pleased to reward that success by picking up the option on his contract," Wizards team president Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement. "We are very excited about the upcoming season and feel that this team is ready to progress to another level under Eddie's leadership." The move continues an offseason in which the Wizards have committed to the pieces already in place within the franchise. After re-signing Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison to monster deals, keeping Jordan is a signal that the team's brass believe that the Wizards have the necessary personnel to be contenders in the Eastern Conference. Jordan will be the third-longest tenured head coach in the NBA, behind Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan (20 years) and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich (12 years). Jordan has taken the Wizards to the playoffs for the past four consecutive years, missing the postseason only in his first year with the team. Last season, the Wizards were ravished with injuries, but Jordan's motion offense led to a 43-39 record despite significant lost time for All-Stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. During this current postseason stretch streak, the Wizards have consistently finished the season above .500.

In addition to locking up Jordan for another year, the Wizards agreed to terms with thee free agents that could potentially fight for the team's 15th and final roster spot. DerMarr Johnson, Taj McCullough, and Linton Johnson all signed with Washington on Monday. The team also is rumored to be interested in free-agent point guard Juan Dixon. The pickup of the two Johnsons is of particular interest, as both DerMarr and Linton are considered swingmen that could compete for a back role for Butler, who is currently backed up by reserve forward Dominic McGuire. The reserve forward position is something the team is looking to fortify with the hopes of lessening the load on Butler. DerrMarr Johnson, at 6-9, 210-pound, was known as a tremendous athlete prior to a devastating car crash in 2002 in which he suffered a cracked vertebra. The sixth overall pick in the 2000 Draft, Johnson has bounced around the league for a bit and has a career average of 6.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He has played for the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, and San Antonio Spurs. He's a very offensive-minded forward, using his athleticism, length, and ball-handling to get to the rim, but has a jumper that is inconsistent. Linton Johnson is the opposite of DerrMarr in that he's primarily known as a defensive specialist and has been a journeyman in his own right. The 6-8, 205-pound swingman averaged 4.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in his 141 games with the Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets and New Orleans Hornets. Johnson is well-known for his aggressiveness in hitting the boards and ability to man-up perimeter players.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10031

Believe it or not, hoops nation, the 2008-09 NBA season is less than 30 days away. To help you get through the final month, HOOPSWORLD is breaking down each of the 30 NBA teams in order of their records from last season - worst to first. Each day we'll unveil two teams, one in the morning, one in the afternoon. You can see our previews of the entire NBA here! Now, without further ado... here's a look at the Detroit Pistons:

Five Guys Think... :Travis Heath Joe Dumars vowed to make major changes this offseason and simply didn't deliver. It doesn't matter how much one rationalizes it or denies it, hearing such a statement has a psychological effect on a player. Expect the Pistons to come out of the gate slow and end up chasing the Cavs in the standings all season long as a result. The Pistons still have plenty of talent. The problem is their leader already admitted publicly he didn't think this group could get it done anymore. That will effect the team this season and the result will be another year of underachievement and possible moves prior to next February's trade deadline.
1st Place, Central Division
Jason Fleming This is less an indicator of how good the Pistons are and more about how they view the regular season. Detroit can turn it on whenever they want, and the biggest challenge for new coach Michael Curry will be how he treats that mentality.
2nd Place, Central Division
Tommy Beer Every year some critics predict that age will finally catch up with the Pistons veteran-laden squad, but every year they continue to grind out victories. Detroit has won the Central four years in row, but has seen their season end in the sixth game of the Eastern Conference Finals for three straight years. Will one of those streaks end in 2009? The Pistons are going to need their bench to step up and produce quality minutes this season.
1st Place, Central Division

Wendell Maxey A new head coach in Michael Curry and the same potent starting-five can only mean one thing: another trip deep into the playoffs. It will help that a second unit featuring Rodney Stuckey and Amir Johnson is a year older and more experienced.
1st Place, Central Division
Yannis Koutroupis On paper this is the deepest team in the East. The championship window is slowly closing, but this Detroit team has what it takes to make it to the finals. It all revolves around how well they take to Michael Curry and his system, but the pieces are in place to win the East.
1st Place, Central Division

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10031

Top Of The List :Top Offensive Player: Richard Hamilton. While Chauncey Billups is right there with average, Rip does an incredible job not only scoring but wearing out the defense. Nobody in the league can run as hard for as long as Hamilton. It's like the guy never loses his legs on a jumpshot, no matter how much he burns up the hardwood on curls and dropbacks. Top Defensive Player: Tayshaun Prince. It's like Prince was hand-crafted by God to play defense in the NBA—tall, quick, and a wingspan comparable to that of a California Condor. Ever since that amazing block on Reggie Miller his rookie year, Prince has been one of the league's shining defense studs, and that won't change in '08-'09, especially coming off the emotional highs of winning an Olympic gold medal.

Top Playmaker: Chauncey Billups. Usually it's the point guard that sets things up for the rest of the team, and Billups is no exception. The only difference between him and a pure point is that once he's woven himself deep into the heart of the defense, he's just as big a threat to lay a teardrop or reverse layup as he is to dish it off to an open teammate. Top Clutch Player: Chauncey Billups. They don't call the guy "Mr. Big Shot" for nothing. When it comes to making the last shot, there's nobody Pistons fans would rather see with the ball in his hands.

The Unheralded Player: Rodney Stuckey. When Billups was injured last year, Stuckey came out of nowhere to develop into a more than affable NBA combo guard. With proper playing time (which he'll likely get as one of the first guys off the Detroit bench this season) he'll become quite a scoring threat. Maybe those early comparisons to Ben Gordon weren't so far off, after all. Best New Addition: Kwame Brown. It's not that the former #1 overall pick is an amazing pickup; it's just that Detroit didn't really add anybody but him. That said, he will add a little depth at center so that Rasheed Wallace can play more four.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10031

Who We Like:1.Chauncey Billups. He's getting older, but he's just as good as he ever was. "Mr. Big Shot" is still the man in Detroit, for now. 2. Rip Hamilton. Few guards in the NBA are harder to guard over 48 full minutes than Richard Hamilton. He runs defenders around the floor like cats chasing a laser pointer.

3. Rodney Stuckey. This young man is the future of the Detroit Pistons. If and when Joe Dumars makes a move to trade away one or more of his veterans, you can bet that Stuckey's name won't be involved in the deal. He's a Piston for now and for the future. 4. Tayshaun Prince. One of our favorite complementary players in the league, Prince does all the little things well. That's a big part of why he was the only Piston to win a gold medal this summer.

5. Jason Maxiell. Considering he'll be a restricted free agent next season, expect Maxiell to have a monster season. With word that he could start in place of an aging Antonio McDyess, it's not outrageous to expect more and more good things out of this young man.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10031

Strengths:Defense and experience. Last year the Detroit Pistons held their opponents' points per game to a league-low 90.07 and also were third in the league in opponents' field goal percentage (43.7%). They were third in the league in blocks and still have one of the best overall team defenses in the NBA. They've been playing together successfully for so long now that defensive rotations are as easy as breathing. And that's part of what makes them so good—this basic core of Billups, Hamilton, Prince, and Wallace have been together since winning the title in 2004. They've been deep in the Eastern Conference playoffs every year since then and probably will do so again this year, assuming nobody gets traded. Without question, that playoff experience and time together gives them a competitive edge.

Weaknesses:Offense, age, and rebounding. Even with Flip Saunders at the helm last year to boost offensive output, Detroit was still only 17th in the league in points per game. A lot of the heavy scorers missed time with injuries, but in general the Pistons win games by shutting other teams down, not by outscoring them. They're also 21st in the league in rebounding, which probably is due to their lack of frontcourt size. Maxiell, McDyess, and Wallace are all power forwards, so whenever one's at the five he's playing out of position and likely getting out-boarded. The biggest issue for this team is age. A lot of people think this group is past its prime and needs to be blown up. Will that be the case, or will this last hurrah in the Motor City return another NBA title? The Coach's Take :How do I inject that extra something into this team that has been the model of consistent inconsistency these last few years? Can I teach these old dogs new tricks, or do we just ride out the string? Will these veterans let me coach them? Our starting five speaks for itself, but outside of Stuckey and Maxiell, who are the bench guys who can change our fortunes? Is Amir Johnson ready? I have no idea what Kwame Brown will bring. I would just like to fast forward to the playoffs, because the regular season will be just like all the others. ----- Mike Moreau

The Burning Question :When will it be time for Pistons GM Joe Dumars to blow this thing up and start from scratch? Let's admit it—we all thought that the Pistons would do something over the summer to improve their roster. Picking up Kwame Brown wasn't exactly what he had in mind. If Detroit gets off to a poor start this year, expect Dumars to shop Billups, Hamilton, and 'Sheed to see what he can return. With promising youthful players like Stuckey, Maxiell, Arron Afflalo, and Amir Johnson, Detroit might look to cash in some of their veterans to add some picks, cap space, or more young players to the fray. If they team doesn't struggle, expect this to be the team's last shot at the title. If they don't win it in 2009 the cries for change will be louder than ever next summer.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/wizsign ... 80923.html

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Juan Dixon. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released. “Juan is a proven NBA player and we like what he brings to our team,” said Grunfeld. “He is a tough, hard-nosed competitor who can score and his familiarity with our system is an added plus.”

Dixon (6-3, 165) was originally selected by Washington with the 17th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft out of the University of Maryland, where he led the Terrapins to the NCAA title and captured Most Outstanding Player honors at the 2002 Final Four. During his first tenure with the Wizards, the Baltimore native averaged 8.2 points and 1.6 assists in 176 games over three seasons (2002-03 through 2004-05). “I’m excited to return to the area and to resume my career with the Wizards,” said Dixon. “I’m looking forward to the start of training camp and I’m ready to step in and contribute wherever Coach Jordan and the team sees fit.”

The six-year veteran has seen action with the Wizards, Trail Blazers, Raptors and Pistons and holds NBA career averages of 8.9 points and 1.7 assists per game. Last season, Dixon averaged 5.0 points and 1.8 assists in 53 games between Detroit and Toronto. The Wizards’ training camp roster now stands at 18 players. The team will hold camp from September 27-October 3 at the Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/b ... 7432.story

The Orlando Magic will take 16 players into training camp next week, adding small forward Jeremy Richardson and power forward-center Dwyane Jones to the roster.

Jones, 6 feet 11, 250 pounds, finished last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, participating in five playoffs games as a backup. Jones, 25, has played 74 NBA games over three seasons. Richardson, 6 feet 7, has played 33 NBA games since 2006, finishing last season with the Atlanta Hawks. He has played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs.

The 25-year-old out of Delta State is a scorer, averaging 25.3 points in 12 games last season with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Developmental League. Richardson and Jones join point guard Mike Wilks, point guard Anthony Johnson and shooting guard Mikael Pietrus as the Magic's new players.