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Sixers Waive Webber

The Philadelphia 76ers waived forward Chris Webber on Thursday, making the five-time All-Star eligible to sign with another team after clearing waivers.

The Sixers completed the paperwork to buy out the remaining 1‚½ seasons on Webber's contract Wednesday, ending two disappointing years in Philadelphia. Once he clears waivers after 48 business hours, teams will be eligible to sign him.

Webber missed 11 of the last 14 games, officially with foot and ankle injuries. He was due nearly $21 million this season and $22 million next season.

Webber, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1993 draft, averaged 11 points and 8.3 rebounds in 18 games this season. He has career averages of 21.4 points and 10 rebounds.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2727797

Hello Lakers..!

I'm hearing a lot of talk on local radio and tv about him coming to the D!

He is a local product..you know /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Here is 2 things from SI's Truth and Rumors:

Chris Webber appears likely to pick the Pistons as his next team, two sources confirmed Thursday. An NBA source and a Pistons source said Webber is likely to choose Detroit instead of the Heat or the Lakers, the other front-runners.
-- Detroit Free Press

Free-agent forward Chris Webber and the Lakers took another step toward each other Thursday, with Webber's agent saying his client was highly interested in heading west, and the Lakers acknowledging they were more than willing to listen.
-- Los Angeles Times

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/s ... index.html

Chris Webber To Sign With Detroit

Chris Webber is going home.

Webber told ESPN.com on Monday via e-mail that he has chosen to sign with the Detroit Pistons, which will officially happen Tuesday after he clears waivers at 2 p.m. ET.

But first, Webber will spend the Martin Luther King holiday with family members after flying to his native Detroit ... and he says he'll attend the Pistons' home game as a fan Monday afternoon against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Pistons emerged as a strong favorite to land Webber from the moment his Philadelphia 76ers buyout became official Thursday. Webber, though, spent the weekend talking with two high-profile coaches to consider their teams as well -- Miami's Pat Riley and Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers -- amid a growing belief around the league that he had all but chosen Detroit.

With his hometown team, Webber will have the "an integral role" with a championship contender that he was seeking, as he described it to ESPN.com last Wednesday. He's expected to start at center for the Pistons alongside Rasheed Wallace.

Yet the clincher, according to sources close to the situation, is the ability for Webber to rebuild his relationship with the community that watched him grow up, which is obviously something no other suitor could offer.

Webber is more than a few years removed from his status as a local icon and openly shunned by the university where he became a famous name as a star of Michigan's Fab Five. He sees the opportunity to help the sputtering Pistons regain their standing as an East beast as a golden opportunity to reconnect with Detroit at large.

Dallas and San Antonio were on Webber's original list of preferred destinations along with the Pistons, Lakers and Heat. The Mavericks were never a serious contender because they couldn't guarantee playing time and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich decided early that he wasn't interested.

In Detroit, Webber will earn a pro-rated share of the league's $1.2 million veteran minimum, with $450,000 of that amount -- also pro-rated for the rest of the season -- picked up by the league office. Webber was scheduled to earn $20.7 million from the Sixers this season and $22.3 million next season, with the buyout believed to be paying him all but $5-7 million of that sum.

To help create frontcourt minutes for Webber, furthermore, Detroit has discussed a deal with Minnesota that would send center Nazr Mohammed to the Wolves for guard Marko Jaric, according to NBA front-office sources.

Mohammed began the season as Ben Wallace's replacement at center after signing a five-year deal worth just over $30 million. But trading him for Jaric would bring a more natural pecking order to the Pistons' forward rotation. Webber would pair with Rasheed Wallace in the starting lineup and Antonio McDyess, Dale Davis and fast-improving youngster Jason Maxiell would back them up, with the Pistons hoping that Webber's arrival gives a much-needed jolt to the slumping Wallace.

The Pistons are also looking for another perimeter player, having been foiled in their attempts to land Houston's Bonzi Wells and Toronto's Morris Peterson. Jaric's contract has one year less to run than Mohammed's in same price bracket, so the teams would be swapping problems if this trade goes through.

Jaric is openly eager to leave town after two seasons of major struggle following a controversial trade with the Clippers that cost Minnesota a future first-round draft pick in addition to Kevin Garnett favorite Sam Cassell. The Wolves have also been looking for more size up front in support of Kevin Garnett and a rejuvenated Mark Blount.

Yet no trade can be consummated before Tuesday at the earliest, with the Pistons and Wolves playing each other Monday and the NBA office closed for the Martin Luther King holiday.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2731833

Warriors, Pacers Complete 8 Player Trade

The Indiana Pacers traded Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday for forwards Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy as part of an eight-player deal designed to shake up two struggling teams.

The Pacers also sent guard Sarunas Jasikevicius and forward Josh Powell to the Warriors, who gave up forward Ike Diogu and guard Keith McLeod.

"We feel we made a pretty significant trade for the franchise that will be good for both teams,'' Pacers president Larry Bird said in a statement. "We feel the players we got will make a significant difference in the franchise.''

Murphy, Dunleavy and Diogu had been reduced to high-priced backups for failing to measure up to new coach Don Nelson's expectations this season, while Jackson was dogged by legal troubles and attitude problems in Indiana.

"We have acquired players who will fit in very well with our particular style of basketball,'' said Chris Mullin, the Warriors' executive vice president of basketball operations. "As with any trade, we also had to surrender players that we like both on and off the court. I think this transaction will be good for both teams and all of the players involved.''

Harrington -- one of the Warriors' top targets in free agency last season-- averages 15.9 points and 6.3 rebounds this season, second in both categories to Jermaine O'Neal. Jackson has scored 14.1 points per game but embarrassed the club with an early-season fight at a strip club and a spat with coach Rick Carlisle last month.

Murphy, a former Notre Dame star who has been bothered by injuries this season, is averaging 8.9 points and 6.0 rebounds-- both his lowest totals since his rookie year. Dunleavy has scored 11.4 points in another disappointing season, so the deal rids the Warriors of three players who didn't fit with Nelson's ideas -- including two prominent targets of his criticism this season.

The Warriors pursued Harrington last summer, convinced the rangy forward could fit well into their new style of play. But Indiana won the bidding, swinging a sign-and-trade deal with Atlanta to bring Harrington back to the place where he began his NBA career.

Jackson, the sharp-shooting guard, has been almost nothing but trouble for the Pacers this season, beginning with a fight outside an Indianapolis strip club on Oct. 6. Jackson is scheduled to go to trial Feb. 12 for firing a gun during the fracas.

Last month, the Pacers briefly suspended Jackson for a heated exchange with Carlisle, who kicked him off the bench during a loss to Cleveland. The Warriors' last look at Jackson was impressive, however: Earlier this season, Jackson hit a 3-pointer with one second left in a 108-106 victory for Indiana at Golden State.

Both Dunleavy and Murphy have been disappointments to Nelson, and the veteran coach wasn't shy about pointing out their shortcomings to reporters and fans. They also lost their starting jobs to Andris Biedrins and Matt Barnes.

Murphy has been a capable rebounder and outside shooter at times in his 5‚½ seasons at Golden State but never became much more than a lanky perimeter player with sub-par defense.

Dunleavy, the No. 3 overall pick from Duke in 2002, has been a huge disappointment -- hurting with Warriors with everything from terrible play and unimpressive athleticism to an uncaring attitude and a tendency to blame teammates for mistakes.

Perhaps a change of scenery can rescue Dunleavy's career. Even the incredibly loyal Warriors fans at Oracle Arena have booed him loudly and regularly this season.

Diogu, the power forward who was the ninth overall pick in the 2005 draft, also didn't appear to fit into Nelson's plans for an up-tempo, small-ball attack. Coincidentally, the Warriors' reluctance to part with Diogu last season scrapped a proposed trade that would have brought Ron Artest from Indiana to Golden State.

The deal also gets the lavish contracts given to Dunleavy and Murphy off the books, freeing Golden State of about $80 million in salary commitments through 2011. Harrington and Jackson are also signed to long-term deals, but for less money and fewer guaranteed seasons.

Even Mullin, who signed Dunleavy and Murphy to their controversial contracts, criticized the forwards last week.

Donnie Nelson, Don Nelson's son who works for the Dallas Mavericks, has coached with the Lithuanian national team, so the Nelson family knows something about Jasikevicius, who could use a fresh start after failing to meet expectations in Indiana.

Powell was traded to Indiana last summer after his rookie season with Dallas, reaching the NBA Finals. His smooth game could also fit well with Nelson's style.

The Warriors acquired backup guard McLeod in a deal with Utah last summer.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2733891

LeBron Leads All-Star Voting

Gilbert Arenas pulled out another late victory.

The Washington star surged past Vince Carter in the final days of All-Star voting to claim the second Eastern Conference guard spot by 3,010 votes Thursday, the fourth-closest margin for a starting spot.

LeBron James, the MVP last year, led all players with more than 2.5 million votes for the Feb. 18 game in Las Vegas.

Western Conference Starters

PG: Kobe Bryant
SG: Tracy McGrady
PF: Tim Duncan
SF: Kevin Garnett
C: Yao Ming

Eastern Conference Starters

PG: Gilbert Arenas
SG: Dwayne Wade
PF: Chris Bosh
SF: LeBron James
C: Shaquille O'Neal

With Yao unable to play, commissioner David Stern will choose a replacement for the West roster after the reserves are announced next week. Phoenix's Mike D'Antoni, who will coach the team, will decide who inherits Yao's starting spot.

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/b ... index.html

Infection Puts Pierce In Hospital

Celtics forward Paul Pierce, who has missed 23 games and all of Boston's franchise-record 15-game losing streak, was sent home from Detroit on Tuesday because of swelling in his left elbow and a low-grade fever.

An examination revealed that Pierce has an infection in the elbow and would need to be hospitalized for 24-48 hours. The Boston Globe reported that when Pierce arrived back in Boston team physician Brian McKeon lanced the infection at New England Baptist Hospital.

"[Pierce] said [Monday] that his elbow was bothering him," Celtics coach Doc Rivers told the Boston Herald. "They looked at it but it wasn't bad at all. But then this morning he came in and we were like, 'Oh, my gosh.' Eddie [Lacerte, the trainer] wanted him out of here quick. We'll see. It's infected and it's pretty big. And he's got a pretty high fever."

The infection is in the same elbow on which Pierce had offseason surgery for bursitis. He missed the final three games of last season due to discomfort from the condition.

Pierce hasn't played since Dec. 20. He was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left foot the next day and was expected to miss two to three weeks but only recently resumed light practicing with the team.

Pierce went with the team to Detroit, though he was not expected to play against the Pistons.

Boston went on to lose to Detroit 109-102, making the Celts 2-21 since Pierce went out.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2756343

Bulls Fine Thomas for Comments About Dunk Contest

The Chicago Bulls fined forward Tyrus Thomas $10,000 on Tuesday, one day after the rookie said he only was interested in the prize money at the NBA's slam dunk contest.

He later apologized "for any negative feelings that may have been caused by my comments."

The first Bulls player since Scottie Pippen in 1990 to participate in the event, Thomas was quoted in Tuesday's editions of the Chicago Tribune as saying: "I'm just going to go out there, get my check and call it a day."

When asked if being around some of the game's greats could be beneficial for a rookie, he responded, "I'm just into the free money. That's it. I'll just do whatever when I get out there."

The winner of the Feb. 17 event in Las Vegas gets $35,000. The runner-up earns $22,500, with the third and fourth-place finishers getting $16,125. Joining Thomas are defending champion Nate Robinson of New York, Orlando All-Star Dwight Howard and Boston's Gerald Green.

"This fine is an appropriate response to the remarks Tyrus made concerning his participation in the slam dunk contest," Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said in a statement. "It is a poor reflection on Tyrus individually and a poor reflection on the Bulls organization, and I am certainly disappointed."

Thomas apologized in a statement issued through his agents Tuesday night.

"I truly feel honored to be invited to participate in this year's slam dunk contest during next week's NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas," Thomas said. "The opportunity to represent the Bulls and the city of Chicago on a global stage is a privilege that I do not take lightly. I regret the extent to which my comments indicate otherwise."

Thomas has appeared in 41 games, averaging 3.5 points and 2.7 rebounds.

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/b ... index.html

John Amaechi Becomes First NBA Player To Come Out

John Amaechi, who played at Penn State and for five seasons in the NBA, will announce he is gay in an upcoming book.

The book, published by ESPN Books (owned by the Walt Disney Company, parent company of ESPN), is entitled "Man in the Middle." It is due to be released later this month.

Amaechi, born in Massachusetts but raised in England, would be the first NBA player to come out publicly. Few other men's professional major sport athletes have announced they are gay. Among them are football player Esera Tuaolo, baseball player Billy Bean and baseball umpire Dave Pallone.

NBA commissioner David Stern said a player's sexuality is not important.

"We have a very diverse league. The question at the NBA is always 'have you got game?' That's it, end of inquiry," Stern told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Amaechi, a 6-10 center, played for Cleveland, Orlando and Utah during five NBA seasons. He averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds before retiring from the league in 2003.

He is currently known in Britain as a television personality and for helping fund the Amaechi Basketball Center in Manchester.

He played collegiately at Penn State after transferring from Vanderbilt.

Amaechi will also be the subject of ESPN's "Outside the Lines" on Sunday (9:30 a.m. ET). The book will also be excerpted next week on ESPN.com and in the next issue of ESPN The Magazine.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2757105