May 2001 Basketball Wiretap
The Timberwolves went back to their future Monday by finalizing a contract with Joe Smith, the wandering Wolf who has returned from a yearlong, NBA-imposed absence.
Smith, who played for the Wolves in 1998-99 and 1999-2000 before spending last season in Detroit, signed a six-year deal worth about $34 million last week, which the league approved Monday.
Frank Hughes of the News Tribune reports that maybe there's another reason why Seattle didn't match Portland's Offer Sheet on Ruben Patterson. Sources tell Hughes that Patterson's signing may be part of some larger discussions the Sonics and Blazers might be having that could send point guard Gary Payton to the Blazers.
One unconfirmed rumor had Payton and overweight teammate Vin Baker heading to Portland for Damon Stoudamire, Dale Davis and Bonzi Wells - although Aaron Goodwin, the agent for Payton, Baker and Stoudamire, said he would not "participate" in a deal that sacrifices Stoudamire for his other two clients.
The Desert News reports that Jazz free agent is close to signing with the Dallas Mavericks, according to a Jazz source who called the Mavs' signing of the former University of Kansas star "imminent."
Johnny Ludden of the San Antonio Express News reports that Bruce Bowen has officially signed with the Spurs. The contract will pay him about $716,000 this year and has a player's option that will pay $825,000 next year, though he will probably opt out to be paid with San Antonio's midlevel exception. His signing and the expected signing of Danny Ferry means that there is likely no place on the Spurs roster for Sean Elliott.
Eric Karabell of ESPN writes that -- behind Finley, Nowitzki and Nash -- the Mavs are good, but that their softness underneath (Bradley, Zhizhi, J. Howard and Booth) will cause them trouble in taking it up a notch.
Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News writes of the unfortunate predicament of the Heat and Mavs, who play in American Airlines Arena and American Airlines Center, respectively. Despite the potential confusion in names, the two arenas are otherwise completely different in style.
Dirk Nowitzki and his agent, Holger Geschwindner, have yet to be contacted by the Mavs regarding an extension, despite numerous assertions by Mark Cuban that one would be offered before the 10/31 deadline, reports Dwain Price of the Dallas Star Telegram. Cuban has said that he will offer the maximum salary in an extension that he can, which would be between $90 and $95 million. Mr. Geschwindner is concerned that a deal won't get done before the deadline.