Here's an exclusive look at the NBA's 2004 free agent list.
KEY - (P) Player Option; (T) Team Option
Atlanta Hawks
Restricted - Michael Bradley (T), Joel Pryzbilla, Zeljko Rebraca
Unrestricted - Jason Collier, Obinna Ekezie, Stephen Jackson (P), Mamadou N'diaye, Wesley Person, Bob Sura, Jacque Vaughn
Other - Travis Hansen (No salary protection if waived before 8/15, thereafter 100%)
Boston Celtics
Restricted - Ernest Brown, Brandon Hunter (T), Chris Mihm
Unrestricted - Dana Barros, Mark Blount (P), Michael Stewart (P)
Chicago Bulls
Restricted - Jamal Crawford, Ronald Dupree, Marcus Fizer, Linton Johnson, Jannero Pargo, Paul Shirley
Unrestricted - Kendall Gill
Cleveland Cavs
Restricted - Carlos Boozer (T), Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje
Unrestricted - Lee Nailon, Eric Williams
Other - Jeff McInnis (Salary Protection of $300,000 if waived before 7/1, thereafter 100%)
Dallas Mavericks
Restricted - Marquis Daniels
Unrestricted - Travis Best, Steve Nash (P), Antoine Walker (P), Scott Williams
Other - Jon Stefansson (No salary protection if waived before 12/15, thereafter 100%)
Denver Nuggets
Restricted - Chris Andersen, Jeff Trepaigner
Unrestricted - Jon Barry, Ryan Bowen (T), Michael Doleac, Mark Pope, Rodney White
Other - Marcus Camby (Player option on a non-guaranteed contract), Francisco Elson (Salary protection of $50,000 if waived before 7/21, thereafter 100%), Voshon Lenard (Salary protection of $250,000 if waived before 7/14, thereafter 100%)
Detroit Pistons
Restricted - Mehmet Okur
Unrestricted - Tremaine Fowlkes, Darvin Ham, Lindsey Hunter, Mike James, Rasheed Wallace
Golden State Warriors
Restricted - J.R. Bremer
Unrestricted - Brian Cardinal, Calbert Cheaney, Erik Dampier (P), Adonal Foyle, Avery Johnson, Nick Van Exel (P)
Other - Popeye Jones (Non-Guaranteed Contract)
Houston Rockets
Restricted -Mike Wilks
Unrestricted - Mark Jackson, Scott Padgett
Indiana Pacers
Restricted - Jamison Brewer
Unrestricted - Kenny Anderson, Anthony Johnson (P)
Other - James Jones (Salary protection of $310,000 if waived before 12/1, thereafter 100%)
LA Clippers
Restricted - Matt Barnes, Keyon Dooling, Josh Moore, Quentin Richardson, Bobby Simmons
Unrestricted - Doug Overton
Other - Marco Jaric (No Salary Protection if waived before 7/1, thereafter 100%)
LA Lakers
Restricted - NONE
Unrestricted - Kobe Bryant (P), Derek Fisher (P), Horace Grant, Karl Malone (P), Slava Medvedenko, Gary Payton (P), Bryon Russell
Other - Jamal Sampson (No salary protection if waived before 7/15/04, thereafter 100%), Luke Walton (No salary protection if waived before 11/15, thereafter 100%)
Miami Heat
Restricted - Rasual Butler, Loren Woods
Unrestricted - Rafer Alston, Bimbo Coles, Samaki Walker, John Wallace, Wang ZhiZhi
Other - Jerome Beasley (No salary protection if waived prior to 7/15. Salary protection of $150,000 if waived between 7/16 and the first game of the regular season, thereafter 100%), Udonis Haslem (no salary protection if waived prior to 7/15. Salary protection of $200,000 if waived between 7/16 and the first game of the regular season)
Milwaukee Bucks
Restricted - NONE
Unrestricted - Damon Jones, Brevin Knight, Toni Kukoc, Brian Skinner (P)
Other - Dan Gadzuric (No salary protection if waived prior to 8/1)
Minnesota Timberwolves
Restricted - Trenton Hassell
Unrestricted - Fred Hoiberg, Troy Hudson (P), Darrick Martin, Oliver Miller, Latrell Sprewell (P), Gary Trent
New Jersey Nets
Restricted - Kenyon Martin, Tamar Slay
Unrestricted - Brandon Armstrong, Hubert Davis, Rodney Rogers (P)
New Orleans Hornets
Restricted - Courtney Alexander, Maurice Carter
Unrestricted - Stacey Augmon, Steve Smith, Robert Traylor, Shammond Williams
New York Knicks
Restricted - NONE
Unrestricted - Vin Baker, Penny Hardaway (P), DerMarr Johnson
Orlando Magic
Restricted - Britton Johnsen, Zaza Pachulia (P), DeShawn Stevenson
Unrestricted - Derrick Dial, Steven Hunter, Tyronn Lue (P), Sean Rooks
Other - Keith Bogans (Salary protection of $155,012 if waived before 7/15, thereafter 100%)
Philadelphia 76ers
Restricted - NONE
Unrestricted - Zendon Hamilton, Amal McCaskill
Other - Willie Green (No salary protection if waived before 8/1. Salary protection of $150,000 if waived between 8/1 and 10/1, thereafter 100%), Kyle Korver (No salary protection if waived before 8/1. Salary protection of $150,000 if waived between 8/1 and 9/30, thereafter 100%)
Portland Trail Blazers
Restricted - Desmond Ferguson, Darius Miles
Unrestricted - Vladimir Stepania (P)
Other - Omar Cook (Non-guaranteed contract), Eddie Gill (Non-guaranteed contract)
Sacramento Kings
Restricted - Darius Songaila
Unrestricted - Rodney Buford, Vlade Divac, Tony Massenberg, Anthony Peeler (P), Jabari Smith
San Antonio Spurs
Restricted - Devin Brown (T), Matt Carroll, Alex Garcia, Manu Ginobili, Jason Hart, Hedo Turkoglu
Unrestricted -Bruce Bowen (P), Robert Horry (T), Sean Marks, Charlie Ward, Kevin Willis
Seattle Supersonics
Restricted - Richie Frahm, Leon Smith
Unrestricted - Brent Barry, Jerome James (P), Vitaly Potapenko (P), Ansu Sesay
Other - Ronald Murray (No Salary Protection if waived before 8/2, thereafter 100%)
Toronto Raptors
Restricted -Robert Archibald, Roger Mason Jr. (T), Morris Peterson
Unrestricted - Corie Blount, Michael Curry, Dion Glover, Lamond Murray (P), Milt Palacio (P), Rod Strickland
Other - Roger Mason Jr. (Non-guaranteed contract)
Utah Jazz
Restricted - Carlos Arroyo, Jarron Collins, Gordon Giricek, Maurice Williams
Unrestricted - Tom Gugliotta, Mikki Moore, Greg Ostertag, Michael Ruffin
Washington Wizards
Restricted - Lonny Baxter, Etan Thomas
Unrestricted -Mitchell Butler, Chris Whitney
Other - Steve Blake (Salary protection of $100,000 if waived before first regular season game, thereafter 100%)
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Will the Suns rise again in the West?
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Thursday, April 29
Considering the regularity with which the sun rises and sets every day, why is it most observers are always a day behind when it comes to getting a handle on the Phoenix Suns?
In 2002, the conventional wisdom was the Suns would be the worst team in West. They had traded away star Jason Kidd for the erratic Stephon Marbury, drafted a high school kid, Amare Stoudemire, to play power forward and had a gimpy, washed up Penny Hardaway playing small forward. Their starting group of power forwards -- Jake Voskuhl and Scott Williams -- induced snickers. An emerging Shawn Marion seemed like the only real selling point in Phoenix.
That season was Marbury's best ever; Marion put up all-star numbers; Stoudemire became the first high school player ever to win Rookie of the Year; Hardaway found his groove; and Voskuhl and Williams combined to become a pretty decent presence in the middle. The Suns ended up in the playoffs and scared the heck out of the eventual world champion Spurs in the first round.
In 2003, the conventional wisdom said the Suns were the best young team in the league. Marbury had turned the corner and had just received a nice fat contract extension. Joe Johnson, after a stellar summer league performance, was ready to take over from Hardaway. Marion was now an all-star. Stoudemire had a shot at becoming an all-star. The draft had yielded two impressive prospects, Zarko Cabarkapa and Leandro Barbosa, who were supposed to step in and contribute immediately. The Suns were deep, athletic and poised to take on the big guns of the West.
Then disaster struck. Marbury became selfish again. Johnson was erratic, and Penny looked old. Marion's shot faltered. Stoudemire kept improving, but constant injuries kept holding him back. Cabarkapa went down with an early season injury. A trade of Bo Outlaw and Jake Tsakalidis to the Grizzlies backfired, and the Suns suddenly were too small to defend the paint. Frank Johnson lost his job. Assistant Mike D'Antoni took over. Then, GM Bryan Colangelo pulled the plug.
In the most shocking trade of the season, he sent Marbury and Hardaway to the Knicks for Howard Eisley, Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, Maciej Lampe, the rights to Milos Vujanic and the Knicks' No. 1 pick.
The hottest young team in the NBA just went up in smoke. As Suns fans freaked and commentators everywhere scratched their heads, Colangelo remained calm. The team had realized early in the season it wasn't going to win a championship with Marbury at the helm. His selfishness was already causing rifts in the locker room. With a huge extension under Marbury's belt, the Suns had to act quickly to trade him away while they still could.
In the process, the team slashed $31 million in payroll and actually positioned itself to be roughly $7 to $9 million under the cap this summer. Owner Jerry Colangelo subsequently put the team on the market and sold it within weeks of the regular season ending.
With new owners coming in (Colangelo remains the team's CEO, and his son, Bryan, remains the GM), a lottery pick, and lots of free-agent cash to spend this summer, the Suns have the potential to be one of the most improved teams in the league again next year.
How will they do it? Here's a look at what to expect as Insider continues its summer blueprint series.
Suns Summer Blueprint
DRAFT: The Suns currently own the No. 6 pick in the draft, but all signs point to them attempting to move the pick this summer in an effort to clear more cap space.
That may change if the Suns get the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in the draft. However, with just a 6.4 percent shot at getting No. 1, that scenario is pretty unlikely. Drafting sixth, the team could find another point guard or a European big man to create depth, but the team really doesn't need either right now.
What the Suns really need is more cap room. That No. 6 pick amounts to a $2.1 million cap hold on their roster. The team would really like to package the pick along with Jahidi White (who makes $6.2 million in the last year of his deal) to a team with lots of cap room like the Bobcats. A trade like that could put them as much as $15 million under the cap next season.
FREE AGENCY: Free agency could be the key to the Suns' turnaround next season. The team wants to add a superstar in the backcourt to complement Stoudemire. If the Suns can figure out a way to trade their pick and White, they'll have plenty of money to throw at Kobe Bryant.
The Suns are hoping to have enough cap room to make a run at Kobe Bryant this summer.
If they can't clear the cap space, the Suns will likely look to either make another trade to land the star they've been looking for or use the money wisely to add a few missing pieces. They've had their eye on the Pistons' Mehmet Okur for some time and have enough cash to make him an offer the Pistons would be unlikely to match.
McDyess and Keon Clark both come off the books this summer, but neither is expected to be re-signed.
The other big news on the free agency front concerns Vujanic. Vujanic, widely considered the top point guard in Europe, is currently in Italy playing for one of the top teams in Europe. He's had an excellent season and now has a top U.S. agent who will be in charge of handling a buyout this summer.
Vujanic (who wisely turned down a chance to play for the dysfunctional Knicks last summer) sounds like he's ready to come to the NBA this year if the money is right. Expect the Suns to lure Vujanic here this summer. He'd be a great addition to their backcourt.
TRADES: Here is where things could get interesting. If the Suns can't clear the cap room or get turned down by Kobe, they have enough assets to make a great trade for a star if they want to. The Suns would likely be willing to part with their first-round pick, Marion and possibly even Johnson to land another star.
With star swingmen like Tracy McGrady, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, and, at the point, Steve Francis, all potentially available, the Suns would have a nice pool of players to pick from. The Magic would likely be the most interested in making a trade with the Suns.
The Magic would likely demand Marion, Johnson and the No. 1 for McGrady. Trading McGrady away would be tough to swallow in Orlando, but the two young swingmen plus the extra lottery pick would give the Magic a serious headstart in the rebuilding process in Orlando. If the Magic could turn their two number ones into Emeka Okafor and a point guard like Devin Harris or Ben Gordon, they would be in business with a very nice young core.
McGrady would be a great fit alongside Stoudemire in Phoenix. Throw in free agents like Okur, Vujanic and the rest of the Suns young players like Carbarkapa and Barbosa and the team would be ready to take off again.
COACHING: D'Antoni inherited a terrible situation in Phoenix and did the best with what he could. He's a good fit for the Suns. He likes to play an up-tempo type game and his European background has helped him relate to the plethora of international players on the Suns' roster. He's going to get another year to turn this thing around, and given D'Antoni's background, he may be able to do it.
FRONT OFFICE: Bryan Colangelo is one of the most underrated GMs in the league. He has a great eye for talent. The Suns have been one of the best drafting teams in the league over the past five years. He also has made solid decisions about cap management and rebuilding the team. Now that the ownership situation is taken care of (Bryan is now a part owner) his job should be secure and he can get busy rebuilding the Suns back into a contender.
If he can land a player of Kobe's or T-Mac's caliber this summer, the Suns should be able to hang with anyone in the West next year. If he has to settle for something less than that, the Suns still have enough talent to return to the playoffs next season. Either way, the future looks bright in Phoenix at the moment.
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Gentle giant must get tougher
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Thursday, April 29
Updated: April 29
3:03 PM ET
With 1:21 left in the second quarter of the Rockets' Game 5 loss to the Lakers, Yao Ming scored his last basket of the game? Yao sat on the bench with only three fouls for 16 minutes as Houston was eliminated from the playoffs.
The Rockets are alledgedly Yao's team, but Steve Francis led Houston in scoring, assists, steals, and minutes while finishing second in rebounds and three-pointers made during the playoffs?
"Overall, we didn't have the resolve," Yao said in the Los Angeles Times. "It was a confidence problem. Being young is part of the problem, but we don't want to continue to hide behind that."
Right now, Yao isn't getting the calls of a franchise player. But that'll change.
In what was billed as the matchup of the playoffs, Yao and Shaquille O'Neal played to a humdrum draw as smaller, less conspicuous players dictated what was left of a once promising rivalry.
It may be too late for Shaq.
It may be too early for Yao.
Shaq averaged 16.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game during the series on 51.5 percent shooting. Yao averaged 15.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks on 45.6 percent shooting.
But the two big men are at distinctly different points in their respective careers.
One just played the last game of his most productive season ever while the other is resting his sore knees hoping he doesn't embarrass himself in the next round.
One is older, fatter, prone to lapses in conditioning and defensive execution and just went 13 of 44 from the free throw line in five games. The other is at the peak of his physical form, standing 7-foot-6 without a hint of MSG on his waistline or jumpshot. He is also 8 years, 6 months and 6 days the junior, and went 13 for 17 from the free throw line.
"I don't think your habits change," Rocket head coach Jeff Van Gundy said in the Houston Chronicle. "I think they're borne out. ... I don't think you see jumps."
Van Gundy was talking about bad passes, general confusion, out of control possessions that often led to turnovers and an underlying mentality to shoot first rather than pass by his team. But he could have been talking about mental toughness and hunger.
"I think tenacity and toughness are talents and those two guys have those things," Van Gundy said in the Los Angeles Daily News. "I think that's a great addition to their team, along with their skill level. That said, I think we too have some of that in us. We just have to do a little better job late (in games) showing those things. I don't think those things come and go. You have them in you. I don't think you bring that out in somebody. That's innate. That's who you are."
He was talking about Laker veterans Gary Payton and Karl Malone. By omission, he could have been talking about Yao.
Yao never scored more than 21 points in a single game in these playoffs. He never had more than 11 rebounds in a game. He had a total of 7 blocks in 185 minutes of action.
Interestingly, after the first game, it was all downhill for the starting center for the Western Conference All Star team.
Game Two: 21 points in 19 shot attempts in 40 minutes.
Game Three: 18 points in 13 shot attempts in 42 minutes.
Game Four: 16 points in 15 shot attempts in 34 minutes.
Game Five: 10 points in 10 shot attempts in 32 minutes.
The Rockets' biggest problem is they are still Steve Francis' team.
"Getting to the first round is a 70," Yao said in the Daily News. "Getting to the second round 80, getting to the Western Conference finals 90 and getting to the championship 100."
Yao's problem was not a lack of effort. But he was physically and mentally exhausted after a grueling season that seemed to start as soon as his rookie campaign finished. His postseason stats, now that he has some, are officially lower than his regular season stats.
Nobody can question the advantages of having the tallest player on the floor to rotate your offensive and defensive sets around. Nobody can deny the matchup problems it creates for opponents that don't always show up in the boxscore. Everyone is aware of the marketing value such a rare specimen creates especially when he opens up a previously closed market of one billion customers.
But the best chance the Rockets had of winning Wednesday night's game was to ride Steve Francis because Yao Ming would never, at this point in his life, even think about taking the requisite amount of shots to dominate a game of such magnitude.
One of these days, Yao Ming may very well become the best center in the NBA and we're all going to miss it because we're too busy pretending that it's already happened.
Houston's Tough-Guy Act Withers
Mike Bresnahan / Los Angeles Times
A strangely normal finish
John P. Lopez / Houston Chronicle
Rockets riding learning curve
Jill Painter / Los Angeles Daily News
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Peep Show
NBA Insider
Thursday, April 29
Updated: April 29
2:21 PM ET
Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets are now questioning Kevin Garnett's manhood. "That's a cheap shot by a low-class type player," Nugget center Francisco Elson said in the Denver Post after telling reporters that Garnett gave him a low blow in the last game. "You don't do that. That's gay on his part. I told him that he was gay, too, for touching me in my private parts." And to be honest, Garnett could probably care less what Elson thinks. "I don't want his respect," Elson said. "I don't care about him anyway. Who's he? I don't care about him. We're on the court, trying to win the game. There's going to be retaliation on our part trying to win this game. I'm ready to go out there and play."
New York Knicks: Stephon Marbury better get used to having his boss looking over his shoulder. "The relationship we have is important," Isiah Thomas said in the New York Post. "Where he's trying to get to, very few small men have gotten to. To win a championship is the hardest thing he'll ever try to do in his life other than raising his kids. This is an era where people are called champions and called great who haven't necessarily achieved great or championship things. When I came in, Bob Cousy was [considered] the best. I wanted my name to be mentioned alongside of his when my career was over. I wasn't going to do that by scoring a lot of points. When it's all said and done, I'm hoping Stephon's name is mentioned alongside Cousy's and mine. That's the level he's got to get to as a small man. When you're talking Magic [Johnson] and Oscar [Robertson], they're different. We bow down to those kind of guys. They're bigger than we are. So our relationship is important."
Detroit Pistons: Let the bidding for Rasheed Wallace begin. "It has been a welcome change for him," agent William Strickland said in the New York Daily News. "He's very happy there . . . I've been very straightforward with him and he knows every one of his options. But right now, it's too premature to discuss free agency." Wallace has told friends that his first choice is the Knicks. But at the same time, he knows that the Pistons can offer him about $15 million a year while the Knicks are cap strapped and can offer only $5 million.
Dallas Mavericks: All things considered, Steve Nash doesn't think his team's 3-1 series deficit is such a bad thing. "There are a lot of kids younger than us who are fighting for their lives on the other side of the world," Nash said in the Dallas Morning News. "This isn't such a big deal. I feel pretty blessed being on this side of the world." With that said, the Mavericks think they have a pretty good shot at beating the Kings in Arco. "We have confidence we can win in this building," coach Don Nelson said. "Nothing is impossible. Our only goal is to get it back to Dallas. If you want your must-win game, this is it."
San Antonio Spurs: The much anticipated grudge match between Ron Artest and Bruce Bowen will have to wait until after the playoffs. "Neither one of them would probably score," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said in the San Antonio Express News. "They'd probably both beat the hell out of each other. They'd be suspended for the next game." And Bowen has one question before the action starts. "Who would referee that game?" Bowen said. "I think we would both foul out."
Bad blood flowing
Adam Thompson / Denver Post
Isiah wants more from Marbury
Marc Berman / New York Post
Agent says Rasheed likes Detroit, but ...
Frank Isola / New York Daily News
Nash says 'must win' overstated
Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News
Popovich has Bowen's back
Johnny Ludden / San Antonio Express-News