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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.

Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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7-6 Insider Rumors

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  • 7-6 Insider Rumors

    Nets unwilling to break bank for Martin

    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Kenyon Martin
    Nets
    Nets
    Nuggets
    Sixers
    Hawks Jul. 6 - The price is set at $85 million over six years and Martin will begin this week to see which team will make the initial offer and if the Nets will match it. Future Nets owner Bruce Ratner has given orders to his people to make Martin their top priority but stopped short of saying that they would sign him at maximum dollars, the Bergen County Record reports. The danger for the Nets is the three teams pursuing Martin (the Nuggets, Jazz and Hawks) all have enough cap space to sign Martin without having to make any sign and trade moves with the Nets.
    "Both he and his agent have stated publicly and privately they're looking for a max-out contract. That's what they're looking for and the market place will determine what it is," said Nets CEO Rod Thorn. "Then we'll go from there. Everything is speculation until you see what happens. I don't want to speculate about it. When we get it, if we get it, we'll go from there."



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Manu Ginobili
    Spurs
    Spurs
    Nuggets
    Suns Jul. 6 - Less than a week into free agency, Ginobili has already visited the Nuggets and Jazz, and his agent will speak with the Hawks this week. "He wants to make up his mind," agent Herb Rudoy told the Rocky Mountain News. "He wants to get this moving."
    According to the San Antonio Express News, the free agent swingman told Spur officials this weekend that he would like to remain in San Antonio if they would give him a deal making him an important part of the franchise for years to come. Ginobili's market value may come in the offer from another team.



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Mehmet Okur
    Pistons
    Pistons
    Jazz Jul. 6 - The Pistons are on the clock and have until July 24 to decide if they will match Utah's offer of $50 million over five years for Okur's services. Jazz senior vice president Kevin O'Connor and Okur's agent Marc Fleisher confirmed that both sides have come to an agreement and should the Pistons choose not to match the offer, Okur will become a member of the Jazz. The Pistons are expected to offer Rasheed Wallace a contract beginning at $10 million per season which would keep them from offering such a deal to Okur.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Adonal Foyle
    Warriors
    Warriors? Jul. 6 - Accordingo to The Contra Costa Times, Foyle has reached an agreement with the Warriors on a five-year deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but it is believed that Foyle will be getting a raise from the $17 million he made over the last four years. "I'm really excited," Foyle said. "I'm looking forward to great things from the Warriors in the next five years." Foyle was also being recruited by the Celtics and Magic.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Mark Blount
    Celtics
    Celtics
    Sixers
    Heat Jul. 6 - Blount lives in Florida. He plays golf in Florida. Now, the Miami Heat are hoping that he wants to play for a team from the state. "It'd be interesting," Blount said in the Palm Beach Post. "They had a good year. I'm sure I could help them and they could help me."
    The Sixers have only their midlevel exception to offer Blount, but they're throwing it all at him and hoping that it is enough. Team president Billy King has already made the offer to Blount's agent Mark Bartelstein and is awaiting an answer, the Philadelphia Daily News reports. "We've been talking since the first day," Bartelstein said. "I don't think much has changed. Mark has had a good relationship with Jim O'Brien, but until both sides agree, it's irrelevant. We're talking. For now, let's leave it at that."

    Blount hasn't yet opted out of his contract with the Celtics that paid him $950,000, a bargain for centers these days, but is already talking about a new lucrative deal. "It would be definitely a good team and definitely a good contract," he said. "If I can't get both we'll see what happens."



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Greg Ostertag
    Jazz
    Jazz
    Mavericks
    Suns
    Bucks
    Raptors Jul. 5 - Often during his career with the Jazz, head coach Jerry Sloan didn't know whether to slap Ostertag or hug him. Now that the center is a free agent, things haven't changed much. "Given his druthers," Jazz owner Larry H. Miller told the Deseret News, "(Jazz coach) Jerry (Sloan) definitely would want to have Greg back." The problem stems from Sloan's love of Ostertag as a person and hate he has for him as a player. "It doesn't surprise me," Miller said, "because I think Jerry really likes Greg. And that makes Jerry's frustration all the greater. I think Jerry has a very strong affinity for Greg -- and just wishes he could transfer some of his own intensity to Greg. But he just can't do it."
    As a result, the Jazz are still one of the teams pursuing the center, but at a much lower price than the $8.6 million he was making per season. "Though we've had our ups and downs, and we've knocked heads once or twice, Jerry's a great guy," Ostertag said. "Don't get me wrong. At times he didn't agree with the stuff I was doing out there, and at times I didn't agree with the stuff he was doing. But I think that's with any coach-player relationship. Outside of that, he's a great guy. That's one relationship I hope will last forever, until one of us goes on."



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Avery Johnson
    Warriors
    Mavericks
    Spurs
    Hornets Jul. 5 - The desire to sign Johnson, a 39-year-old point guard, has as much to do with ability to coach in the future as it does to play in the present. Currently, the Mavs have a $1.1 million offer on the table, but Johnson is holding out for $1.6 million.
    "I'm looking for an opportunity where I can be stable for the next five-to-seven years in some capacity," Johnson told the Fort Worth Star Telegram. "I want to at least have the power to work with a coaching staff." The Mavs may be willing to up that offer with Steve Nash already gone and two point guards with a combined one year of experience left on the roster.



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Vince Carter
    Raptors
    ? Jul. 2 - Carter doesn't like the Raptors' new general manager (Rob Babcock). He doesn't like their lottery pick (Rafael Arajuo) and, according to ESPN's David Aldridge, wants out of the city as soon as possible. The Raptors, however, seem to be in denial, and have not granted Carter permission to seek a trade.
    "I really don't know anything about that (report)," general manager Rob Babcock told the Toronto Star. "I don't know where that came from. I had a good conversation with Vince and nothing's led me to believe that's changed. Until he comes in and tells me he wants something, that's what I'm going to go on."



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Steve Nash
    Mavericks
    Suns Jul. 2 - Nash reached a verbal agreement on Thursday to sign with the Phoenix Suns. As first reported by ESPN.com's Marc Stein on Thursday afternoon, Nash agreed to a six-year package worth more than $65 million -- with the sixth season partially guaranteed and the Suns holding a team option for the full amount in Year 6.
    According to sources, the Suns' offer was nearly $20 miller richer than Dallas'. Although Mavs owner Mark Cuban did not want to lose Nash, he was reluctant to give the 30-year-old Nash more than a four-year guaranteed contract.



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Marcus Camby
    Nuggets
    Nuggets Jul. 2 - Reports in the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News indicate Camby has agreed to terms with the team on a new contract that will run either five or six years.
    "I'm extremely happy that this appears to have worked out," Camby said in a statement issued by agent Rick Kaplan. "I've said all along that Denver was my first choice. And I'm glad that Kiki (Vandweghe) and (owner Stan) Kroenke were able to make it happen."



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Jamal Crawford
    Bulls
    Bulls
    Knicks Jul. 2 - The Knicks may be talking the loudest about Crawford, but it's still the Bulls who can put up the most money. "We made several preliminary phone calls, and Aaron [Goodwin] was one of the first persons we contacted," general manager John Paxson told the Daily Southtown. "The first thing we have to do is figure out the landscape, so it's early in the game. But we want Jamal to know we want to keep him here. We've invested a lot of time in him."
    Goodwin mentioned that the Bulls also called him prior to Chicago's selection of point guard Ben Gordon. "It was a sign of respect," said Goodwin. "They said they wanted a three-guard offense. At the end of the day, talk is cheap. We'll see if it's just grandstanding. If Chicago decides not to be a player, then the doors are open."



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Ray Allen
    Sonics
    Sonics Jul. 2 - While there have been reports the Sonics are shopping Allen, his agent claims he is working on a contract extension with the team, and the team denies it is seeking a trade.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Quentin Richardson
    Clippers
    Clippers
    Nuggets Jul. 2 - Richardson isn't waiting around for the Clippers to decide on Kobe Bryant. Along with best friend and former teammate Darius Miles, who is also a free agent, he visited the Nuggets after being put near the top of Denver's wish list.
    "They called at 12 o'clock at night for me and my best friend," Miles said. Of course, the Nuggets are also very interested in Manu Ginobili, Kenyon Martin and others. But the prospect of being reunited with each other might persuade Richardson and Miles to sign with Denver.



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Troy Hudson
    Timberwolves
    Raptors?
    Timberwolves Jul. 2 - Raptors GM Rob Babcock contacted agent Bill Neff to express his team's interest in Hudson, and the call was well received. "Toronto is intriguing," Neff told the Toronto Star. "It's a team that could use a point guard, apparently."
    The agent stopped short of committing at all to Toronto, instead mentioning that there were several other teams interested in his client and that Minnesota still wanted to retain Hudson's services. "I'm only in a hurry to get Troy the best opportunity," Neff said. "I think it's going to move at a glacial pace at first. But Toronto has a chance."



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Brent Barry
    Sonics
    Rockets
    Sonics
    Nuggets Jul. 2 - Sources tell Insider the Rockets are going hard after Barry, although he has said he wants to return to the Sonics.
    "I just don't know what's going on at this point," Barry told the Seattle Times earlier this week. "I'm nervous, excited and anxious at the same time. I haven't had any contact with people. Arn (Tellem) has heard some things, but officially I can really start seeing what's out there (today)."

    Barry denied reports the Sonics already had offered him a three-year deal for $18 million and acknowledged that the Nuggets have been after him for a while.



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Erick Dampier
    Warriors
    Jazz
    Grizzlies
    Mavericks Jul. 1 - The Grizzlies have been after Dampier for more than a year and are actively trying to recruit him now that the center is an unrestricted free agent. The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports the Grizzlies are trying to put together a sign and trade package for the center since they are over the salary cap and have only their midlevel exception to offer. Dampier is looking for a multi-year deal starting at $10 million per season.
    "I came and checked the team out," Dampier said. "I have a lot of friends there, and it will be close to home. Plus, I like the fact that they're an up-and-coming team. If they had a center, maybe they would have advanced in the playoffs." The Mavericks are also in pursuit of Dampier either as their center of the future or as another piece to lure Shaq away from the Lakers. The Dallas Morning News is reporting that the Mavs have already contacted the Warriors with three different sign and trade scenarios.



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Paul Pierce
    Celtics
    ? Jun. 29 - Pierce's name popped up in a rumor with the Bulls just days before the draft. Danny Ainge denies he's shopping Pierce, but, at the same time acknowledged that given the team's situation (a whopping five players with one or fewer years of experience) he has to listen to offers. Expect them to come for Pierce in bunches. With Ricky Davis, Jiri Welsch and draft-pick Tony Allen in the backcourt, perhaps Ainge feels he can move Pierce if someone is willing to give up a big in return.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Jason Kidd
    Nets
    ? Jun. 29 - Rod Thorn denies they're shopping Kidd or anyone else, despite persistent rumors that new owner Bruce Ratner has asked him to slash payroll. "We'd like to have a team that's not a (luxury) tax payer," Thorn said in a statement Monday. "We'll work to get in that direction over the course of time. It's not something that's necessarily going to have to be done this year."
    However, the Nets, who had one of the highest payrolls in the league last year ($61.3 million), know it will be impossible to keep that goal if they re-sign Kenyon Martin in free agency this summer and Richard Jefferson to an extension in the fall.

    Kidd, Martin and Jefferson, combined with Alonzo Mourning's long-term deal, likely would put the Nets over the cap. Moving Kidd may be the only way to keep the rest of the young core intact. They won't give him away, but if they can find a veteran team for which Kidd would be willing to play -- and that would be willing to give up a young point guard -- they may have to pull the trigger.



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Eddy Curry
    Bulls
    ? Jun. 30 - If Bulls general manager John Paxson has said it once, he's said it a million times. "There is no truth to those rumors whatsoever," Paxson said of Curry being on the trading block in the Chicago Sun Times. "That's a bunch of nonsense. I've always said that we want to improve our team and we're doing that, and we always listen when people have something to say. We have received offers for Curry, [Tyson] Chandler and Jamal [Crawford]. But we have received nothing worth paying much attention to.
    "We have no intention of trading them and we are not shopping them. In fact, since the draft I have not received one phone call from any general managers about any of our players. If somebody wanted to acquire Curry, they would have to make an offer that makes total sense because there aren't that many guys coming along with his size and his skill level. If we got to the point where we felt he couldn't become the kind of center we feel he can become, we would be interested in trading him. But we haven't gotten anywhere even close to that."



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Peja Stojakovic
    Kings
    ? Jun. 29 - The team would prefer to move Chris Webber, but given his injury history and bad knees, that seems impossible. Bad blood was created in Sacramento at the end of the postseason when Webber singled out Stojakovic for a poor postseason performance. Reports out of L.A. indicate the Kings have offered Stojakovic in a package to the Lakers for Shaq. If he's really available, they'll get a flood of offers.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Shawn Marion
    Suns
    ? Jun. 29 - The Suns were willing to include Marion in a deal for Tracy McGrady and now will look for other places Marion might fit. It sounds like the team is targeting its backcourt this summer and would like to move Joe Johnson to the three. Getting Marion's big contract off the books gives them a lot more flexibility to go after other pieces. While most teams believe he's overpaid, there's no doubt it's hard to find a small forward capable of averaging 20 and 10 on a nightly basis.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Shareef Abdur-Rahim
    Blazers
    Nets
    Sonics
    Jazz? Jun. 29 - There's a huge logjam in Portland right now, and Abdur-Rahim looks like the odd guy out. The Blazers and Nets seriously discussed an Abdur-Rahim-for-Kerry Kittles swap before the draft, and indications are they're still talking. The Sonics also have shown a lot of interest, and the Jazz could be in the mix here, as well.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Wally Szczerbiak
    Wolves
    Cavs?
    Bulls? Jun. 29 - Wally was the odd man out of the Wolves' starting five once the team traded for Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell. The Wolves are open to moving him once his base-year status expires Wednesday. The Cavs and Bulls have shown a lot of interest in Wally in the past.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Jason Richardson
    Warriors
    Bulls? Jun. 29 - It became clear toward the end of last season that Mickael Pietrus, not Richardson, was the real two guard of the future for the Warriors. Richardson is coming off a great year in Golden State and should be able to fetch some value in return. This is another place the Bulls might want to look if they're still willing to trade Tyson Chandler.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Jason Terry
    Hawks
    ? Jun. 29 - The team is rebuilding, and Terry wants out. The Hawks will have a number of suitors and urgently need to address some huge holes in their frontcourt. They can't move Terry without his permission until Sept. 25, but expect him to agree to almost anything at this point.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Al Harrington
    Pacers
    Cavaliers?
    Bulls?
    Knicks? Jun. 29 - Harrington asked for a trade at the end of the season. He's sick of coming off the bench and wants to take a bigger role on a lesser team. Larry Bird is willing to move him but has been careful to keep his options open. He wants to add some firepower in the backcourt or another big man to patrol the middle, and he needs Harrington as bait. If offers for T-Mac and Shaq fall through, a Harrington-for-Terry swap makes a lot of sense for both teams. Chicago, New York and Cleveland were said to be interested before the draft.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Caron Butler
    Heat
    ? Jun. 29 - The Heat deny they're trying to trade Butler, but the word from several GMs is Miami is using him as bait, hoping a team will agree to also take Eddie Jones for either a serviceable five or a veteran point guard. The Heat won't just give Butler away, but the truth is they're really set at both the two and the three with Dwyane Wade and Lamar Odom. Sooner or later, they've got to address their other areas.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Matt Harpring
    Jazz
    ? Jun. 29 - The Jazz know they aren't going to be totally successful obtaining everything they need in free agency and will have to use trade bait to get the rest. Harpring was great for them two years ago and was solid again last season before getting injured. But the team is loaded with swingmen and desperately needs help up front. If Harpring can buy them a player like that, he could be gone.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Antoine Walker
    Mavericks
    ? Jun. 29 - Remember two years ago when everyone began believing Walker actually was an asset? My, how times have changed. The only thing propping up his trade value these days is that he's in the last year of his contract. The Mavs want to move him in return for a big man. Will anyone bite?


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Tyson Chandler
    Bulls
    Grizzlies? Jun. 29 - It sounds like Bulls GM John Paxson is going to break up the Baby Bulls, and our money is on Chandler to get the boot. Eddy Curry, because he plays center and can score with his back to the basket, is too rare a commodity. While Chandler's value may not be as high as it once was, he still has enough juice to bring a seasoned four in return. Wouldn't a Chandler-for-Stromile Swift deal work for both the Grizzlies and the Bulls? We're pretty sure Swift would agree to the sign-and-trade.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Shaquille O'Neal
    Lakers
    Mavericks
    Pacers?
    Grizzlies?
    Blazers? Jun. 28 - The Lakers have been holding out hope O'Neal would change his mind about wanting to be traded, but Sunday he reiterated his desire to leave L.A., even going so far as to put his Beverly Hills home on the market for $7.5 million, according to the L.A. Times.
    The Mavericks are considered to be the front-runner to deal for Shaq, but they are reluctant to part with Dirk Nowitzki, a condition L.A. has said is non-negotiable. Dallas reportedly is trying to interest the Lakers in a package headlined by Steve Nash. The Pacers, Grizzlies and Blazers are also possible trading partners for L.A., but a trade with Dallas makes the most sense by far.



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Rasheed Wallace
    Pistons
    Pistons
    Knicks?
    Sixers? Jun. 28 - After the Pistons won the NBA title, everyone assumed Wallace would re-up there. They can offer him more money than anyone else, and he seems like a perfect fit in Detroit. However, he has taken the stance that the money doesn't matter and wants to find a place where his family is most comfortable.
    The Pistons are still the heavy favorites to re-sign him, but two teams -- the Sixers and Knicks -- could be in the mix. Wallace grew up in Philly and has always wanted to play there. He has made his desire to play in New York clear for the past year. However, if he plays for either team, it would have to be via a sign-and-trade deal, or else he would have to take a pay cut and play for the mid-level exception (starting salary of about $5 million).



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Derek Fisher
    Lakers
    ? Jun. 24 - Fisher officially opted out of his contract with the Lakers with the intent of re-signing with the team on two conditions. First, he wants a shot at the starting point guard position. Second, he wants a nice raise from the $3 million he was making per season.
    "You only get so many opportunities to be a free agent in your career," his agent, Mark Bartelstein, said n the Los Angeles Times, "especially when you're in the prime of your career. ? It doesn't mean by any stretch he wants to leave the Lakers." One problem for his return could be the fact that incumbent starter Gary Payton has already opted to remain with the Lakers next season.



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Karl Malone
    Lakers
    Retirement? Jun. 23 - Salt Lake Tribune columnist Gordon Monson, who covered Malone in Utah for more than a decade, is saying that barring a miracle, Malone will retire having never won an NBA title. Malone opted out of his deal with the Lakers recently and said he would return only if his knee heeled 100 percent, which seems unlikely at his advanced age. Monson quotes an unnamed source saying that there is a "70-30 that things will stay that way" and that it would take a "complete 360" to change his mind.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Allen Iverson
    76ers
    Raptors? Jun. 22 - The rumor that had Allen Iverson trading places with Vince Carter appears to be just that. Both the Philadelphia Inquirer and Toronto Star are running stories stating that both franchises are not on the verge of making the deal happen. The rumor is said to have begun on a radio show in Philly and that show is now stating that they were only speaking in terms of speculation.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Kobe Bryant
    Lakers
    Lakers
    Suns
    Clippers
    Spurs Jun. 21 - Kobe has opted out of his deal and likely will take his time deciding where he wants to play next year. Sources close to Bryant told Insider over the weekend that his first choice still is to remain a Laker. The same sources contend Bryant had little to do with the Lakers' break-up. With at least one championship contender, the Spurs, clearing enough cap room to make a run Kobe, the Lakers will have serious competition for his services.


    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Ron Artest
    Pacers
    Magic
    Grizzlies Jun. 21 - The volatile Artest, this season's Defensive Player of the Year, decided to skip the Pacers' mandatory exit interview at the end of the season, stating only: "There was nothing to talk about. We lost." Rumors have spread that he could be part of a package put together by Indiana and sent to Orlando for Tracy McGrady. But Pacers general manager Donnie Walsh seemed to quell that thought by saying to the Orlando Sentinel: "If there's going to be interest in doing a deal with us, [Magic GM John Weisbrod] is going to get back to me. He hasn't done that. I don't know where it stands."
    Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune writes that there may be another possibility and Artest may be headed to the Grizzlies, but doesn't give any other details beyond that.



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Bruce Bowen
    Spurs
    Spurs Jun. 14 - Bowen has become one of the best defenders in the NBA and maybe too good for the Spurs. This weekend, the swingman who was named to the NBA's All Defensive team opted out of his contract that would have paid him $4 million next season.
    "After the season Bruce had and the great recognition he received for being first-team All-Defense, this is probably a nice opportunity for him," general manager R.C. Buford said in the San Antonio Express News. The move makes Bowen an unrestricted free agent and gives the Spurs additional cap space approaching one maximum level deal many believe they will offer Kobe Bryant.



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Grant Hill
    Magic
    ? Jun. 10 - Believe it or not, there are teams out there who want Hill. Or, rather, the cap space Hill can potentially create. "I've had four or five teams call about Grant," Magic general manager John Weisbrod said in the Orlando Sentinel. "It's a little surprising."
    Of course, the acquiring team would still be on the hook for the remaining $47 million in salary, but it would come off the books if Hill reinjures himself and is forced to retire. The risk, though, is that Hill would refuse to quit and the team would be stuck with him and his contract. "It excites me that teams still want me and are willing to take a risk," Hill said, missing the point. "The bottom line is that I want to play and I want to play here."



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Alonzo Mourning
    Nets
    Nets Jun. 8 - The Nets hope Mourning comes back. Jason Kidd said he expects Alonzo to come back. But someone, obviously, forgot to check with Morning. "Barring a miracle, no, that is not my intention," said Mourning in the Bergen Country Record.
    "My intention right now is to continue to focus on making sure that this new organ that I have in me stays in me. I don't want to go through that procedure again."

    Mourning is still recovering from kidney surgery, though he has made constant appearances behind the Nets' bench. "As far as the possibility of me playing again, that is something that yes, being around the game, obviously I think about," he said. "But it is not an issue. The important issue is making sure that my body keeps its kidney."



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Vlade Divac
    Kings
    Kings
    ? Jun. 4 - Vlade Divac may be a free agent, but he's still a King at heart. "The Kings are my first option," said Divac in the Sacramento Bee. "I feel like a King. I came here six years ago because I believe in Geoff (Petrie) and the things we can do. It would have to be perfect situation for me to leave."
    Recently, Divac has considered teams like the Clippers and Lakers (where he started his career) and even retirement. But with the Kings' future in flux, he seems to want to stick around and see it through. "I think we have the best team in the league," he said. "It just has to click together. What really ticks me off is that I saw great talent, I saw opportunity, and we didn't capitalize. I don't know why it happened."



    WHO INTERESTED THE SKINNY

    Kurt Thomas
    Knicks
    ? Jun. 3 - Knicks head coach Lenny Wilkins mentioned the need for a stronger, bigger power forward, which immediately started speculation that the Knicks might use veteran Kurt Thomas as trade bait despite the fact that he had just signed a four-year extension worth about $30 million. The New York Daily News reports that any deal would have to include a 20 percent trade kicker that might scare off any potential suitors for Thomas. Besides, he is already the team's leading rebounder, second in blocked shots and, "I think everybody saw I could play with the injury," he said. "I don't think that will be a factor or anything."
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