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.

Magic eye Lakers center Andrew Bynum as target in potential Dwight Howard trade

The Lakers and Magic have had talks about a possible deal, and plan to talk further about constructing a trade. No deals are imminent, and the process has remained fluid as teams have begun to inquire with more serious offers for Howard.

Sources say there is one other trade scenario for a significant player that intrigues Magic general manager Rob Hennigan, but that target is unclear. Before the Magic would agree to consummate a trade for Bynum, they would need to know they could sign him to a contract extension, sources said. Bynum is entering the final year of his contract in the 2012-13 season.

What’s more, Bynum wouldn’t nearly be enough to satisfy Hennigan’s desires for a return on Howard. The Lakers would need to send draft picks and absorb long-term money off the Magic’s payroll, sources said.

[Related: Hawks trade Joe Johnson to Nets; send Marvin Williams to Jazz]

The Lakers offered Bynum to the Magic for Howard at the March trade deadline, but the deal never materialized because Howard eventually waived his early termination option for this summer, and Orlando pulled Howard off the market.

The Magic are in no rush to make a deal for Howard, sources said. Howard is rehabilitating from back surgery in Los Angeles, and it’s unclear whether he would even be ready for the start of the regular season in November.




However positively the Magic feel about Bynum, they still need the Lakers to take back one of their expensive veteran contracts – Hedo Turkoglu or Jason Richardson – as part of any proposed trade. With Bynum, Orlando could use cap space to quickly retool its roster around him and become an Eastern Conference contender. Bynum is coming off his best season for the Lakers, averaging 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds. Still, his immaturity at times left Lakers coaches and officials unsettled about his disposition to be an every-night dominant player.

Howard told Yahoo! Sports on Sunday night that, ”There's only one team on my list and if I don't get traded there, I'll play the season out and explore my free agency after that.” Howard told Yahoo! Sports that he requested a trade during the season, and repeated that request again on Friday in a meeting with Hennigan in Los Angeles.

Nevertheless, the Lakers believe that once they bring Howard into their winning culture, the Hollywood celebrity scene and tradition of great centers, that there’s no team elsewhere offering salary-cap space to sign him in 2013 that could get Howard to leave for less money than they could offer him with his Bird Rights. The Lakers have wanted to know that Howard would sign an extension should they trade for him, but with the Nets' salary cap space gobbled up, the chances of Howard agreeing to a deal will likely increase dramatically.

[Also: Anthony Davis to likely miss Olympics after injuring ankle in workout]

Howard’s next Adidas deal will be worth significantly more money – perhaps even double – if he’s playing in the major market of Los Angeles or New York, sources told Yahoo!

The Magic have continued discussions with the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets, but aren’t enamored with the possibilities of players and picks that those teams can offer. Orlando likes Brook Lopez, but the prospects of paying the restricted free agent near a max contract is unappealing. Power forward Kris Humphries holds no appeal to Orlando, and a third team would be needed to give him a multiyear contract in a sign-and-trade deal.

The Lakers had been on Howard’s initial list of three preferred teams – along with Brooklyn and Dallas – but eventually dropped off. Part of the reason has been the frayed relationship between Howard and Kobe Bryant. Those two stars had a contentious phone conversation over a year ago about Howard’s potential offensive role with the Lakers, sources said, and there’s been an uncertainty between both about how they would co-exist on the floor.

Nevertheless, Bryant and Howard do have history together with Team USA, and there’s a belief among those who know them that the bond of chasing a title would ultimately bring them together.

“They would fight for the first week of training camp, and then be best buddies by the start of the preseason games," one league source who knows both Bryant and Howard well told Yahoo! Sports. "They need each other to win.”

Nets hoping to lure Williams after acquiring Johnson from Hawks

After spending the past 16 months recruiting Deron Williams, the Nets met with their free-agent superstar point guard yesterday to give him one last sales pitch.

Part of that sales pitch was acquiring six-time All-Star shooting guard Joe Johnson from the Hawks. The trade, which won’t be official until July 11, when the moratorium on signing free agents has been lifted, includes the Nets sending several players with expiring contracts — guards Anthony Morrow and Jordan Farmar, forward Jordan Williams and center Johan Petro — to Atlanta, along with a sign-and-trade of guard DeShawn Stevenson and Houston’s lottery-protected first-round pick in next year’s draft.

Landing Johnson to play alongside Williams would give the Nets arguably the best starting backcourt in the NBA. Along with small forward Gerald Wallace, who re-signed in the opening hours of free agency Sunday afternoon, the Nets have a pair of savvy veterans to play alongside Williams if he re-signs — something he repeatedly said they needed to compile to become competitive.

“We have to get some veterans,” Williams said at his season-ending press conference in April. “Guys that know how to play the game of basketball, make the right plays, extra passes. That was the most frustrating part of this year.”

With Johnson in the fold, the Nets could show Williams a blueprint for a team he could pilot to be very competitive in the Eastern Conference this fall, when the team begins play in Brooklyn in the brand new Barclays Center. Besides Williams, Johnson and Wallace, the Nets also will match any offer for restricted free-agent center Brook Lopez and also are planning on using their mid-level exception to land Bosnian power forward Mirza Teletovic, who has range out to the 3-point line.

In addition, the Nets held on to MarShon Brooks, who is coming off a successful rookie season, and Gerald Green, whom they hope to re-sign in free agency. They also have the $1.9 million bi-annual exception to spend on free agents and can use a pair of small trade exceptions as well.

The Nets’ meeting with Williams yesterday came after the point guard sat down with the Mavericks earlier in the afternoon. Dallas always has been seen as the one team that could possibly pry Williams away from Brooklyn, thanks to the combination of offering him a chance to play alongside star power forward Dirk Nowitzki and to return to his hometown.

But the Nets are the only team that can offer Williams a five-year max contract, which would guarantee Williams roughly $100 million, and he would be the unquestioned face of the franchise as it makes the move to Brooklyn. The Mavericks, or any other team, could only offer him four years for about $75 million.

Money was a major reason why Atlanta was shopping Johnson, despite his talent. The 6-foot-7 swingman is owed roughly $90 million dollars over the remaining four years of his contract — a deal the Hawks agreed to just two summers ago in order to keep him from signing with the Knicks, where he would have been reunited with Mike D’Antoni and Amar’e Stoudemire, his coach and teammate in Phoenix before leaving for the Hawks several seasons earlier.

The move also means the Nets are likely out of any further discussions for Magic center Dwight Howard, whom they have chased since the lockout ended last year in the hopes of pairing him with Williams. Howard repeatedly has made it clear he would like to be traded to the Nets, but their window to land Howard all but closed back in March, when he inexplicably opted into the final year of his contract in the hours leading up to the March 15 trade deadline, keeping him out of free agency this summer.

Grizzlies make qualifying offers to 2 forwards

The Memphis Grizzlies have made qualifying offers to restricted free agent forwards Marreese Speights and Darrell Arthur.

Speights averaged 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in 60 games last season after being acquired from Philadelphia in January.

Arthur missed the 2011-12 season because of a torn right Achilles. His career average is 6.9 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Memphis can now match any offer Speights or Arthur gets from another team.

Williams returning to Jazz; Odom heads to LA

Mo Williams will be reunited with the Utah Jazz as part of a four-team deal that will send Lamar Odom back to Los Angeles for a second chance with the Clippers.

William's agent, Mark Bartelstein, initially told The Associated Press the deal was finalized about 3:45 p.m. MDT Friday, and the Jazz and Clippers officially announced it in releases three hours later.

The deal initially was believed to involve only three teams, but a fourth, the Houston Rockets, got involved after Thursday's draft. The Rockets received the rights to the Clippers' 53rd overall pick, Furkan Aldemir, and the Jazz sent the team's trade exception to Dallas. The Mavs also received cash considerations from Houston.

Williams must pass a physical but is expected to hold a news conference in Salt Lake City on Monday or Tuesday.

The Jazz drafted Williams in 2003 but allowed him to leave after one season, a decision that general manager Kevin O'Connor said was the worst he ever made.

Dallas faced a Friday deadline on a $2.4 million buyout of Odom's $8.2 million option for next season.

Williams' decision to exercise his $8.5 million player option cleared the way for the deal.

''He's really excited,'' Bartelstein said. ''This is where his career started. They've got a terrific young team. He thinks he can come in and bring real leadership. He's excited about that. They made it clear how much they wanted him. They did a good job of recruiting him.''

Williams played in 57 games as a rookie before going to Milwaukee. He eventually became a starter and was an All-Star as recently as 2009.

Asked to recall the amount he let Williams leave Utah for, O'Connor on Thursday night shook his head and said, ''It wasn't that much.''

Bartelstein, who has several other players on the team, found it hard to fault the Jazz.

''Mo was a really young player at that time,'' he said. ''Kevin has wanted him back for a long time. Now, he's got him back. I think it's a great fit.''

Hornets select Davis with No. 1 pick in NBA draft

Anthony Davis hugged his college teammate, hugged his coach, and climbed on stage as the No. 1 pick.

Turns out, that was just the start of Kentucky's party at the NBA draft.

The Wildcats became the first school to have the top two picks and tied a record with six players taken overall Thursday night.

After the New Orleans Hornets made the long-expected selection of Davis, Charlotte followed by taking fellow freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Saying he was nervous even though his selection was no surprise, Davis shared an embrace with Kidd-Gilchrist, seated at a nearby table.

''My arm was shaking and my hands were sweaty. Got up and hugged Michael, my best friend, wanted to hug him for a minute,'' Davis said. ''When my name got called, wanted to make sure he stayed close.''

He did - following Davis as the next player to climb up and shake Commissioner David Stern's hand.

''It's crazy,'' Davis said moments after Kidd-Gilchrist's selection. ''Michael is a great player. We have two down and four more to go. Hopefully, all of them will go in the first round.''

They didn't, the only disappointment for the Wildcats. They settled for four in the first round and a tie with North Carolina, which won the race to four picks - all in the top 17 selections.

AP sources: Timberwolves making run at Pau Gasol

The Minnesota Timberwolves are trying hard to land Pau Gasol.

If they have to part with the highest draft choice in franchise history after just one season, the Wolves appear ready to do it.

That much became clear leading up to the NBA draft on Thursday, when Minnesota offered Derrick Williams in hopes of landing the second pick from the Charlotte Bobcats to help get Gasol from the Los Angeles Lakers, two people with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press.

The people requested anonymity because the talks were meant to remain private. The deal never came together before the draft began, and the Bobcats stayed at No. 2 and took Kentucky forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

The Timberwolves are expected to continue their pursuit of Gasol in hopes of putting him with fellow Spaniard Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love on a revamped roster aimed at returning the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

The Wolves' interest in Gasol has long been rumored, with the highly skilled big man considered an ideal fit for coach Rick Adelman's corner offense, and the kind of playoff-tested veteran needed on one of the youngest rosters in the NBA. He's close friends with Rubio, the Wolves' superb young point guard who is recovering from a torn ACL and hopes to be ready early next season.

Gasol has teamed with Kobe Bryant to win two titles in Los Angeles, but always seemed to catch the brunt of the criticism when things went wrong.

That happened again this year when he averaged just 12.5 points along with 9.5 rebounds in the playoffs, and the Lakers were eliminated in the second round by the younger, quicker Oklahoma City Thunder. He often appeared to get lost in the shuffle while Bryant and Andrew Bynum got most of the touches on offense.

He was the subject of trade rumors all season, starting before it began when Commissioner David Stern, operating as owner of the New Orleans Hornets, nixed a deal that would have sent Gasol to Houston as part of a package for Chris Paul to the Lakers.

''It has been a crazy year and a lot to deal with. ... Unfortunately, we had tough losses and things didn't really go our way for the most part,'' the four-time All-Star said at the end of the season. ''You just have to regroup and digest this loss and this season, and learn from it and move on.''

Kevin Garnett to re-sign with Celtics

Kevin Garnett isn't ready to retire.

Garnett has decided to return to the Boston Celtics and is expected to sign a three-year, $34 million contract, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The NBA's free-agent period begins at 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday and players can officially start signing contracts on July 11.

Garnett, 36, averaged 15.8 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Celtics last season. He was expected to draw interest from other teams, but his loyalty to coach Doc Rivers made him likely to return to Boston once he decided to keep playing. One NBA executive said Garnett would have only left the Celtics if they didn’t make him a solid contract offer.

The Celtics have several other free agents in Ray Allen, Brandon Bass, Marquis Daniels, Keyon Dooling, Jeff Green, Ryan Hollins, Sasha Pavlovic and Mickael Pietrus. Allen is expected to be courted by the Phoenix Suns.

The Boston Herald first reported Garnett's intention to re-sign with the Celtics.