Lakers to keep Jordan Hill

Jordan Hill, a late-season bloomer for the Los Angeles Lakers last year, is set to sign a deal with the team after a protracted free-agency courtship.

Hill will sign a two-year deal worth "a little less" than $8 million, a league source told ESPNLosAngeles.com on Friday. Hill's decision came down to the Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Hill accepting less money to stay in L.A., according to the source. The contract also includes incentives that can increase his overall compensation.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak made one of his first calls at the start of free agency on July 1 to Hill's agent, Kevin Bradbury, but for a variety of reasons -- the Lakers' pursuit of Dwight Howard and Hill receiving attention from other teams among them -- it took nearly three weeks to strike a deal.

"Jordan is excited to play with Steve Nash and has the utmost respect for Kobe Bryant," Bradbury told ESPNLosAngeles.com. "With Mitch Kupchak and Mike Brown taking a chance on him last year at the trade deadline, he feels like he has some unfinished business with the Lakers and can't wait to compete for a championship."

Hill, who turns 25 later this month, was acquired by the Lakers from the Houston Rockets for Derek Fisher at the trade deadline in March.

It took the 6-foot-10 forward about a month to break into Brown's rotation as he sat with a sprained MCL in his right knee, but contributed when given an opportunity.

He logged three double-doubles over the course of six games from the second to last game of the regular season through Game 4 of the Lakers' first-round series against the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers won all three games.

Overall, Hill averaged 4.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in seven regular-season games with the Lakers, increasing those numbers to 4.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in the postseason.

Even though the Lakers are over the luxury tax limit and thus only have the mini mid-level exception (starting at $3 million in the first year) and the veteran's minimum contracts available to them to offer to incoming free agents, they held partial Bird rights to Hill, and could offer him a maximum of $3,632,450 a season for up to five years.

Hill still faces third-degree felony assault charges for an alleged February incident involving his ex-girlfriend when he was still a member of the Rockets.

Hill's attorney, Rusty Hardin Jr., who has worked for big-name athletes such as Roger Clemens and Adrian Peterson in the past, is scheduled to appear in a Houston courtroom on Tuesday to represent Hill. If convicted, Hill faces a sentence of two to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to the district attorney's office.

Another on-court question remains, of course, as to whether Hill will be the team's primary backup big man behind starters Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum or behind Gasol and Howard, should a deal be completed.

Hill was drafted with the No. 8 pick in 2009 by the New York Knicks, the first of three teams he's played for -- along with the Rockets and Lakers -- in the first three years of his career.

Suns re-sign Shannon Brown

the Phoenix Suns have re-signed guard Shannon Brown to a two-year, $7 million deal, a source told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

Brown averaged a career-high 11 points per game last season, his first with the Suns.

Cavaliers claim forward Jon Leuer

The Cleveland Cavaliers claimed forward Jon Leuer off waivers from the Houston Rockets on Friday.

Leuer averaged 4.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 46 games as a rookie last season for Milwaukee. The 6-foot-10, 228-pound Leuer started 12 games, averaging 7.7 points and 3.3 rebounds. He was traded to Houston last month and was waived by the Rockets on Wednesday.

Leuer, the 40th overall selection in the 2011 draft, played four seasons in college at Wisconsin and was selected first-team All-Big Ten as a senior after averaging 18.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Grant Hill excited to join Clippers

Maybe Grant Hill's decision to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers rather than the Los Angeles Lakers wasn't as difficult as many thought despite being recruited by former Phoenix Suns teammate Steve Nash to join the Lakers.

"I've been through this before where I've switched teams and I don't like to get into the process and the details and things of that nature," Hill said Friday. "All I'll say is that some things and some teams that were reported weren't true. ... We'll play the Lakers a couple of times this year, and hopefully Steve will pass me the ball like he used to."

Hill signed a two-year deal with the Clippers worth $4 million, while the Lakers reportedly were offering him a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum.

Despite his close relationship with Nash, who signed a three-year, $27 million deal with the Lakers last week, Hill decided to sign with the Clippers after being sold on the team by Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, who worked with Hill when he was the assistant general manager of the Suns, as well as Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups.

"I had some good conversations with (Del Negro) and I was impressed with the things that went on last year," Hill said. "Obviously (Blake) Griffin and his progression, Chris coming on board and Chauncey and some of the moves that were made this offseason were big. It just seemed like a good fit. It was a team that took a big step last season and hopefully we can take another big step this season."

Hill, who will turn 40 in October, recently had the same platelet-enrichment procedure done on his knee in Germany that Kobe Bryant had, and he said he felt re-energized. Hill started 46 of 49 games last season and averaged a career-low 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28.1 minutes.

"I feel good," Hill said. "I felt good before I went over there (for the procedure.) Bottom line is you want to play and you want to give yourself every opportunity to be right. It was really good. I feel good. It was worth the trip."

Hill's signing, combined with the offseason acquisitions of Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford and Ryan Hollins, round out the Clippers' efforts this offseason to revamp their bench and give them some much-needed depth, especially on the front line.

"There hasn't been one guy that wasn't our first choice that we haven't gotten," Del Negro said. "It's been great. We just feel very good about the people we're bringing in, the players, the talent and the chemistry of the team. We're building it the right way."

Suns introduce Michael Beasley

Michael Beasley says his marijuana issues are a thing of the past, and that he's ready to show the Phoenix Suns that their support for him is warranted.

The 6-foot-10 forward signed a three-year, $18 million contract with Phoenix on Friday, then faced questions about his past head-on at a news conference.

"I realize 10 minutes of feeling good is not really worth putting my life and my career and my legacy in jeopardy," he said, "so I'm confident to say that part of my career, that part of my life, is over and won't be coming back."

In June 2011, Beasley was ticketed for possessing marijuana and speeding in a Minneapolis suburb. He also has acknowledged that while playing for Miami, he twice violated the NBA's drug policy and entered a treatment facility in 2009.

Beasley credits working with former NBA player Norm Nixon for getting his priorities straight.

"I've really realized my potential," Beasley said. "I've really realized what I can do."

Suns general manager Lance Blanks was effusive in his praise of Beasley's honesty as well as the unquestionable talent he brings to the rebuilding Phoenix organization.

"Regardless of his past and regardless of any thoughts that people may have," Blanks said, "we are excited, I know I am excited, to embrace everything he is about and most importantly wants to be as a Phoenix Sun."

Blanks and coach Alvin Gentry talked of Beasley's infectious personality.

"You're around him and you want to embrace him and you want him to do well," Gentry said. "I think everybody here will be pulling for him."

Beasley, the second overall pick in the 2008 draft, played his first two seasons with Miami and the past two with Minnesota. He became a free agent when the Timberwolves declined an $8 million option to keep him.

There is no doubt that Beasley brings immense talent, whether he plays the small or power forward position. The former Kansas State player has averaged 15.1 points per game in his four NBA seasons. He has 10 career games of 30 or more points, nine of them the past two seasons, topped by a career-high 42 against Sacramento on Nov. 10, 2010.

The Suns sent Beasley a text shortly after midnight the day that contact with free agents was allowed and followed up with a trip to Los Angeles. The attention was a major factor in Beasley choosing Phoenix.

"I'd like to thank the organization for believing in me," he said, "giving me another chance, a better opportunity to grow as a person and a player. Like Lance said, I kind of want to take my past head-on. What happened, it happened. It happened in a growing process. I'm still a young man. I'm still learning today. The mistakes I made in the past are hopefully behind me. Hopefully, the Suns organization can be patient with my growing process. I'm just excited to get a start, excited to play basketball."

After playing in the more rigid systems of Miami and Minnesota, Beasley looks forward to running the court with the up-tempo Suns.

"The run-and-gun style of offense is something that not just myself but a lot of NBA players dream of playing in," he said. "But what really drew me was that I was No. 1 on their list. That really made me feel good as a person. Phoenix is the first and only team I met with this summer.

"Once the meeting was over, once the day was over, I felt good about coming to Phoenix and I didn't have to meet with any other teams. I really feel like they are sincere in everything they say. ... It makes me feel good that someone actually believes in me and someone is willing to give me a chance."

Jason Kidd apologizes for arrest

New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd took to Twitter on Friday to apologize for his recent arrest on a charge of driving while intoxicated.


"I regret any disruption my accident last weekend may have caused members of the community and want to thank the local authorities," Kidd tweeted.


He followed up with, "I'd also like to thank my family and friends for their support."


Kidd, 39, was charged with a misdemeanor after a single-car accident in the Hamptons. At around 2 a.m. Sunday, his 2010 Cadillac Escalade struck a telephone pole and went into the woods in Water Mill, a hamlet of the Town of Southampton, N.Y.


He was treated for minor injuries at Southampton Hospital.


The Southampton police told The New York Times that Kidd refused tests to measure the level of alcohol in his system. Kidd also declined a blood alcohol test at the hospital, according to the Times report.


The Times, citing paperwork filed by police for prosecutors, reported that Kidd told police, "I had a few drinks. I was going home from a club. I don't know what happened."

Williams stays with Nets; signs 5-year, $100M deal

After months of intrigue about his future, Deron Williams took to Twitter to announce where he will be playing next season.

“Made a very tough decision today....” Williams wrote, including a photo of the new Brooklyn Nets logo.


Suddenly, the Nets will enter Brooklyn relevant both in New York and in the Eastern Conference.

The superstar point guard’s decision to re-sign with the Nets Tuesday for a five-year contract for roughly $100 million, the maximum salary allowed under the salary cap, ensures Williams will be the unquestioned face of the franchise as it transitions to Brooklyn this fall.

he Nets, who were able to offer an extra year and over $25 million in salary more than any other team, only ever had serious competition from one other team: Williams’ hometown Dallas Mavericks. Both teams met with Williams in the New York metropolitan area Monday before the Nets won out.

Nets general manager Billy King took a huge risk when — after failing to land Carmelo Anthony — he acquired Williams from the Jazz in February 2011 for Derrick Favors, Devin Harris and two additional lottery picks, even though Williams could test free agency this summer without ever playing a game in the team’s new Brooklyn home. But that risk paid off, when Williams committed to the franchise for the foreseeable future.