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Thursday, July 19, 2001
Johnson will back up Van Exel
ESPN.com news services
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DENVER -- The Denver Nuggets have signed free-agent point guard Avery Johnson.
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| Johnson |
Johnson was offered a three-year deal worth an estimated $14.4
million to join the Nuggets as the backup to Nick Van Exel.
Johnson received the Nuggets' midlevel exception, which was
expected to be worth $4.5 million for the first year.
Free agents were eligible to begin signing contracts on Wednesday.
Before the league and the players' union agreed on the new
salary cap, the limit increased on an interim basis Wednesday
morning from $35.5 million to only $35.96 million.
For the past several days, Johnson and his wife Cassandra remained in Denver, looking for a home and for schools for their two children.
Johnson, 36, who played for the Nuggets in 1990-91, won an NBA title in 1999 with the San Antonio Spurs, for whom he played the last seven seasons. He started 20 games for the Spurs last season,
averaging 5.6 points and 4.3 assists, and he provides solid leadership.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets continued to negotiate with Kiki
Vandeweghe, the front-runner to become the team's new general
manager.
Vandeweghe, currently the Dallas Mavericks' director of player development, interviewed for an assistant-coach position with the Nuggets last month but indicated a desire to get into management.
Vandeweghe, who played for Denver in 1980-84, met with Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke for a second time Tuesday night. Nuggets president and head coach Dan Issel said a third meeting is planned this week.
"I talked with Stan and Kiki this morning, and they both sound
optimistic that we can work something out," Issel said. "We want
Kiki here. If it's in the role of general manager, we'll have to surround him with some experienced people. If we can come up with some position that combines his player-development skills and his desire to work in the front office, I think he'd like to be with us.
"Kiki brings a lot of things to the table. He's one of the
premier player-development people in this league right now. He gets
a lot of credit for the improvement that Dirk Nowitzki and Steve
Nash showed this past season. He's very bright, and he knows a lot
of people around the league."
Issel said there was "not as much immediacy" in reaching agreement with a general manager as in signing free agents.
McKie nets $42 million, seven-year deal
PHILADELPHIA -- Aaron McKie, the NBA's sixth man of the
year, signed a seven-year, $42 million deal to stay with the
Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
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| McKie |
The deal guarantees McKie $35.5 million, but could reach $42
million with incentives.
"I didn't know if it was just negotiation tactics or whatever,
but it got sticky," McKie said. "This is my home. I love the
city. I love the fans, the energy they bring. I didn't want to
leave."
McKie, who grew up in Philadelphia and starred at Temple, agreed
to terms with the Sixers last week. He couldn't sign a contract
until the NBA lifted its 2½-week moratorium on free agent signings
at midnight Tuesday.
Dikembe Mutombo, the NBA's defensive player of the year, agreed
to terms last week on a four-year deal worth more than $65 million.
Sixers general manager Billy King said Mutombo will sign his
contract Thursday.
"The two top priorities were Dikembe and Aaron," King said.
"I'm glad we're able to get that accomplished and the next step is
to figure out what to do with Todd (MacCulloch.)"
The New Jersey Nets have agreed to a six-year, $33.75 million
deal with MacCulloch, the Sixers' backup center. Once the contract
is signed, Philadelphia has 15 days to match the offer because
MacCulloch is a restricted free agent.
McKie averaged career highs in points (11.6), rebounds (4.1),
assists (five), steals (1.39) and minutes (31.5). He started 33 of
the 76 games in which he played during the regular season mainly
because of injuries to point guard Eric Snow.
McKie again replaced Snow in the starting lineup during the
playoffs and averaged 14.6 points in the postseason, helping the
Sixers reach the finals for the first time in 18 years.
"Aaron gave us everything," King said. "He gave us points
when we needed buckets. When we needed defense, he gave it to us.
When we needed him to play point, he did everything. He played
small forward. He is like Bobby Jones when the Sixers were in their
heyday."
McKie received offers from at least two other teams, including a
lucrative deal from the Atlanta Hawks.
Raptors keep Jerome Williams with seven-year deal
TORONTO -- Forward Jerome Williams signed a seven-year,
$40.8 million contract with the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
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| Williams |
Williams, also known as 'Junk Yard Dog,' quickly became a fan
favorite in Toronto after being acquired from Detroit on Feb. 23.
The 6-foot-9 forward said Vince Carter made him feel welcome as
soon as he joined the team.
"Vince weighed into my decision," Williams said. "He was the
first player on the team to step up and be a part of the 'Junk Yard
Dog' dog pound. The high socks and the head bands started with
Vince Carter, so that was his way of showing the dog that he wanted
me to stick around."
Williams averaged five points and four rebounds and 14.5 minutes
last season for the Raptors. He has averaged 6.2 points and 6.4
rebounds in his career.
"I really enjoyed all the warmth that I received from the fans
and the organization and just people in Canada in general,"
Williams said. "When I closed my eyes and pictured myself in a
different uniform, the only uniform I could think of was a Raptor
uniform."
Williams is expected to get more minutes now that Charles Oakley
has been traded to Chicago for Brian Skinner.
Toronto general manager Glen Grunwald said the team was no closer to signing free agent guard
Alvin Williams.
"We've made a tremendous offer to Alvin and we're waiting to
hear back," Grunwald said. "We've had some difficulty getting
Alvin done, which is part of the process, but again I remain
hopeful that Alvin will sign.
Chicago and Atlanta are also interested in Alvin Williams.
The Raptors are also trying to sign an extension with Carter,
who becomes a restricted free agent next summer.
"It think the signings help," Grunwald said. "Vince's biggest
concern is that he wants to play for a winning team that can
compete for a championship, and I think bringing these players back
shows that that's what we're doing."
Bulls sign Eddie Robinson to offer sheet
NEW YORK -- As expected, the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday
signed restricted free agent forward Eddie Robinson to an offer
sheet reportedly worth $32 million over five years.
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| Robinson |
The Charlotte Hornets have 15 days to match the offer.
The Bulls, who acquired veteran power forward Charles Oakley
last Friday, had more than enough room under the cap to make
Robinson a substantial offer and promised him a starting role.
The 6-foot-9, 210-pound Robinson was a swingman for the Hornets last
season and averaged 7.2 points and 2.9 rebounds, shooting 54
percent from the floor, in only 17.2 minutes per game.
In Chicago, Robinson, 25, would start alongside Oakley. Tyson
Chandler and Eddy Curry, the high school players selected by the
Bulls in the NBA Draft, will likely play at center and forward.
The Bulls on Wednesday also renounced the rights to guard Corey
Benjamin, forward Steve Goodrich and center Dragan Tarlac.
Celtics keep Palacio for two more seasons
BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics and free agent guard Milt Palacio have signed an agreement that will keep the guard with the team for two more years.
The team did not disclose terms of the deal, but the two-year
contract is worth about $1.43 million, according to Palacio's
agent, Bill Duffy.
Wednesday was the first day NBA teams could sign free agents.
"It's good for Milt," Duffy said. "He's not going to be able
to retire on this contract, but it's a good situation for him in
Boston."
Palacio, 23, appeared in 56 games in two stints with the Celtics
last season. He was with the team Dec. 6-Jan. 5, rejoined the team
Jan. 9 and was signed for the rest of the season Jan. 30.
Celtics general manager Chris Wallace said the team also has
started the process of offering Paul Pierce a contract extension.
"We're working on Paul," Wallace said. "I think Paul wants to
stay here, and we want Paul."
Pierce is eligible to sign a six-year extension which would kick in after the coming season. He is under contract for next season for $2.05 million.
Carter reportedly will return to Heat with three-year deal
MIAMI -- The Miami Heat apparently have decided that
Anthony Carter is their point guard of the future.
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| Carter |
The Miami Herald reported Tuesday that the Heat have re-signed
Carter to a three-year contract worth $12 million.
Signings cannot officially be announced until Wednesday.
A contract expension for Carter likely means the Heat will not
try to re-sign point guard Tim Hardaway, whose effectiveness in
the playoffs last season was severely hampered due to an ankle
injury. Miami was swept in the first round by the Charlotte
Hornets.
Carter, 25, who was signed by the Heat out of the CBA prior to
the 1999-00 season, averaged 6.4 points and 3.7 assists in 22.6
minutes per game last season.
Carter needs to improve his shooting, especially with the NBA
legalizing zone defenses. He shot just 40.6 percent from the
field last year and committed 10 turnovers in 69 minutes in the
playoff loss to Charlotte.
Hawks agree to terms with Mohammed
ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks said Wednesday they have agreed
to terms with backup center Nazr Mohammed.
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| Mohammed |
Terms of the contract were not disclosed. The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution earlier reported it was a five-year deal that
could earn Mohammed more than $28.5 million.
The actual contract would not be signed until Thursday because
of salary cap issues, the team said.
Mohammed joined the Hawks in a Feb. 23 trade that sent Dikembe
Mutombo to the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 12.3 points and nine
rebounds in 28 games with Atlanta, starting the last 19.
Mohammed, 23, is expected to play a backup role to Theo Ratliff,
who also came to the Hawks in the Mutombo deal, along with Toni
Kukoc. Atlanta traded for Shareef Abdur-Rahim on the eve of this
year's draft, further beefing up its front line.
The Hawks had a franchise-worst record of 25-57 last season.
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