Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News: "Elton Brand knows there is controversy and consternation in Los Angeles. He believes it is terribly misplaced. 'Whatever they're feeling today, it will definitely change tomorrow, once they know the facts,' he said. '[They'll know] Elton is who he was, it's not basically on him as it was perceived through so-called leaks.'"
Jonathan Abrams of the Los Angeles Times: "Countered Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy: 'After I supposedly gave him a take-it-or-leave-it offer, we raised the offer to $75 million and $81 million. They can spin this thing any way they want to try and spin it. The bottom line is, anything Elton ever wanted I did it for him. They stopped having communication with us more than a week ago.' ... Falk said that he found out, belatedly, that the Clippers had been negotiating with Brand without his agent. 'I didn't know it then, I know it now,' Falk said. 'I know it after the fact. It's probably the reason that the deal fell apart.' ... Said Dunleavy: 'I don't know what poisoned Elton against us. But obviously something did. I loved Elton as a player. I'm disappointed and hurt that he left us, but I wish him the best in his future career in Philadelphia.'"
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "If Andrew Bogut is worth $14.5 million to the Milwaukee Bucks, then what's Emeka Okafor's value to the Charlotte Bobcats?"
Jay Greenberg of the New York Post: "Rod Thorn brought the New Jersey Nets out of the wilderness once, so is trusted by Bruce Ratner to do it again. But it's not the owner, actually LeBron James, who will be the ultimate judge of Yi Jianlian, Devin Harris, Sean Williams and whatever other pieces Thorn has in place by 2010. Whether from Brooklyn, Manhattan or Oklahoma City, the free-agent-to-be James will get his basketball money to the max. Hardly does LeBron need to play two blocks or one borough away from Madison Avenue to be any more the recognizable pitchman he already is. If James's good buddy Jay-Z is part-owner of a bad team because Yi hasn't amounted to much more than a 7-foot hill of string beans, the Nets will pay big time for not having made a better trade of a valuable commodity like Richard Jefferson."
Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee: "When the smoke clears, presumably sometime between now and training camp, this is what you will see: Ron Artest on the trade market. Beno Udrih at point guard. Geoff Petrie and the wheeling, dealing -- and still-spending -- Maloofs engaged in an active offseason intended to accelerate the Kings' return to respectability. But it starts in the backcourt, with Beno. Signing Udrih was costly, significant, imperative. He is young (26) and healthy and skilled. He also is an opportunist a point guard who can pass and score, and whose potential offsets a razor-thin résumé. Whether he can lead a franchise revival and stay healthy remains to be seen. That's where his reputation will be altered or enhanced."
Monte Poole of The Oakland Tribune: "That noise you hear is the sound of the Warriors sliding back toward the NBA outback, from the periphery of the playoffs into the vacuum that comes with a 36-46 record. So ends a fun ride, all 16 months of it, from the January 2007 day when Jackson and Harrington arrived until the night in Phoenix three months ago when the Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs. The door swings open to an inglorious past. Tickets are available."
Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: "The Spurs reached agreement with Wizards guard Roger Mason Jr. on a two-year deal that will pay him a total of $7.5 million and still leave the Spurs in position to be major players in the talent-rich free-agent market of 2010. In about three weeks, Spurs majority owner Peter Holt and his partners will get a check from the league office, courtesy of the eight spendthrift owners. It will be for a little more than $3 million and will help the club maintain its reputation for doing everything in a first-class manner, from facilities to scouting to travel accommodations. These events are not unrelated. As much as an eye for talent is required of today's NBA basketball executives, so is a tight grip on the owner's purse strings. So when the Spurs missed out on signing Maggette, an immensely talented player with a reputation for selfish play and occasional churlishness, consternation was minimal at the team's headquarters on Spurs Circle."
Chris McCosky of The Detroit News: "While his fan base rants and raves, while some of his competitors pull off minor coups and others dish out oversized contracts to underwhelming talent, Joe Dumars waits. He has poked around. He has made some offers. He has explored some possible deals. But mostly he has stepped back from the fray. He knows when to hold them. Dumars, the Pistons' president, isn't trying to see how many introductory news conferences he can hold in July and August. He isn't trying to make headlines or appease knee-jerking fans by overpaying for a tier-two free agent. His mission is to improve the team, not change some of the names on the uniforms."
John DeShazier of The Times-Picayune: "On the day Chris Paul deservedly became the highest-paid Hornets player (a three-year extension worth $45 million, with a player option for a fourth year that could push the deal to $68 million), it was hard to dismiss the feeling that there should have been more, that CP shouldn't have been the only player answering questions about a new deal. The franchise has never spent its money more wisely and appropriately. But is anyone else getting the feeling that the plan New Orleans had entering free agency is being implemented a lot slower than expected? That, by now, the Hornets already should have agreed to terms with a free agent?"
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