Random News

[alby]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2179816

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Miami Heat:

The Charlotte Bobcats will not match the Heat's offer sheet for restricted free agent forward Jason Kapono.

Kapono joins his third team in three years. The former UCLA standout averaged 8.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 81 games last season with the Bobcats, the team's inaugural year. He also had 35 double-digit scoring games and ranked 13th in the league in 3-point shooting.

"This is a great opportunity for him to play for a team that is vying for a championship," Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff said Monday. "We didn't want to stand in his way and we appreciate the professionalism and commitment he gave to our franchise last season."

In two seasons, Kapono has averaged 6.8 points and 1.8 rebounds with Cleveland and Charlotte. He was drafted by Cleveland with the 31st pick in the 2003 draft before Charlotte selected him in the 2004 expansion draft.

Also Monday, the Heat signed former University of Miami star forward Darius Rice and free-agent guard Kevin Braswell. Rice and Braswell spent last season with the Florida Flame of the NBA's developmental league and averaged 10.5 points and 11.3 points, respectively.

Philadelphia 76ers:

Forward Lee Nailon signed with the 76ers after averaging a career-high 14.2 points last season with the New Orleans Hornets.

The 6-foot-9, 238-pound free agent will be joining his sixth NBA team.

The former TCU player has averaged 8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in five seasons with Charlotte-New Orleans, New York, Atlanta, Orlando and Cleveland. He averaged 4.4 rebounds in 68 games last season for the Hornets.

The 76ers also signed free agents Steve Castleberry, Olu Famutimi, Herve Lamizana, James Thomas and Ime Udoka.

Dallas Mavericks:

Guard Erick Strickland is back with the Mavericks.

Strickland, who played with the Mavericks from 1996-2000, signed with the team on Monday.

Dallas also signed forward Kaniel Dickens and guard Samo Udrih to round out its training camp roster.

Strickland, 31, has played in 501 NBA games, 196 of them with Dallas where he averaged 9.8 points and 3.4 assists. Last season, the 6-3 Strickland averaged 4.9 points and 1.9 assists in 62 games with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The nine-year veteran also played with New York, Vancouver, Boston and Indiana.

Los Angeles Lakers:

Forward Corie Blount, who played for the team from 1995-99, has signed a partially guaranteed contract with the team, spokesman John Black said Monday.

Blount, an 11-year veteran, most recently played for the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls during the 2003-04 season, averaging 4.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 62 games.

"It's a good opportunity for me to come back here where I basically know what to expect from Phil," Blount said, referring to Lakers coach Phil Jackson. "I played my first two years for Phil in Chicago."

The Lakers begin training camp Tuesday at the University of Hawaii.

Houston Rockets:

The Rockets rounded out their training camp roster, signing guard Dion Glover.

A 1999 first-round pick of Atlanta, Glover played in seven games for the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs last season, averaging 3.6 points.

The 6-5 Glover spent his first five seasons with Atlanta before playing one campaign with Toronto. He has career averages of 8.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 294 games.

The Rockets on Monday also signed a pair of undrafted rookies -- guard Keith Langford and forward Chuck Hayes.

Houston begins training camp on Tuesday.

New York Knicks:

Guard Steven Barber and forward Otis George signed with the Knicks, joining the team as free agents after being passed over in the draft.

Barber, a 5-10 rookie who played for three years at Texas-Arlington, was fifth on the school's career scoring list. The 6-8 George played four years at Louisville.

Washington Wizards:

The team completed its training camp roster by signing a pair of former New Jersey Nets: forward Awvee Storey and guard Billy Thomas.

Storey played in nine games and scored eight points as a rookie last season with the Nets. Thomas played in 25 games as a rookie in New Jersey, averaging 3.7 points.

Thomas also spent last year's training camp with the Wizards and was released at the end of preseason.

The moves give the Wizards 17 players on the roster as they prepare for their first practice Tuesday at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va.

[alby]

Amare signed an extension with the Suns today.

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Stoudemire proud of his '$100 million summer'

Associated Press


PHOENIX -- Amare Stoudemire, who jumped from high school to stardom in the NBA, signed a five-year contract extension Monday with the Phoenix Suns worth about $73 million.

The extension kicks in after this season and has an opt-out clause after the 2009-10 season.

He signed the contract a month shy of his 23rd birthday as the Suns gathered for media day preceding the start of their training camp in Tucson on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-10, 245-pound power forward played out of position at center and dominated opponents last season for the high-scoring Suns.

Known for his breathtaking slam dunks and uncanny quickness, Stoudemire averaged 26 points per game, fifth-best in the league, as a key member of a Phoenix team that won an NBA-best 62 games.

"It's huge for the franchise," said teammate and last season's MVP Steve Nash. "He's the cornerstone of this franchise."

Stoudemire, the No. 9 pick in the 2002 draft, won the rookie of the year award over Yao Ming in 2002-03 and has improved each season. He averaged just under 30 points a game in last year's playoffs -- 37 against Tim Duncan in the Western Conference finals.

The signing follows a lucrative deal with Nike last month.

"I've just been working on my game the whole summer to try to take us to the top," Stoudemire said. "This has been a $100 million summer for me, so I'm very proud of that. I'm just looking forward to bringing the championship home right here in Phoenix."