EXPANSION DRAFT CHATTER AROUND THE NBA

SACRAMENTO BEE - June 21, 2004
In areas he can control, Geoff Petrie is looking at players to choose with the 26th and 48th picks in the NBA draft Thursday. Whom the Kings select might be affected by any players lost to the Charlotte Bobcats in Tuesday's expansion draft. Petrie said he cannot divulge what players were protected from the draft - he said he can't even tell the players. But swingman Gerald Wallace is among those expected to be unprotected.

Wallace's agent, Rob Pelinka, didn't return phone calls seeking comment, but league sources confirmed Wallace will be there for the Bobcats to select. The Kings' top pick in 2001 will be 22 years old on July 23 and has one year remaining on his contract at $1.65 million. His age and salary make him a prime prospect for the Bobcats to see if consistent playing time will encourage consistent production.

EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE - June 21, 2004
The Suns and the expansion Charlotte Bobcats appear to be closing in on a trade that’s been the subject of speculation for months: a deal that would allow the Suns to unload the contract of center Jahidi White and clear enough salary space to go after bigname free agents such as Kobe Bryant, league sources said Saturday.

Under the concept, which has been bandied about for months, the Bobcats would agree to take White, who has one year and $5.9 million left on his contract, if the Suns gave them at least a firstround draft pick and $3 million in cash. Such a trade, which could be announced during Tuesday’s expansion draft, would give the Suns about $14 million to go after free agents.

The Suns acquired White early last season when the club got off to a slow start, in part because of a lack of interior defense. White averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14 minutes per game last season.

NEW YORK TIMES - June 20, 2004
The Charlotte Bobcats, to begin next season as the league's 30th franchise, will hold their expansion draft on Tuesday. Each of the 29 other teams is allowed to protect eight players on its roster. The Bobcats may select from the remaining players, but they cannot take more than one from each team.

Several notable players were left unprotected, including Washington's Jerry Stackhouse, Dallas's Antoine Walker, Chicago's Antonio Davis, Miami's Eddie Jones and Brian Grant, Houston's Maurice Taylor, the Knicks' Allan Houston, the Nets' Kerry Kittles and Portland's Ruben Patterson.

The Bobcats could easily select a team that would make the playoffs, but they would exceed the salary cap and be stuck in a rut for years to come. That is why all those big-name, big-contract players were made available in the first place.

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER - June 20, 2004
If there is one thing the NBA and the Charlotte Bobcats have learned while preparing for the expansion draft, it's that it's hard to keep a secret. For the last week, the Bobcats, the league's 30th franchise, have been in possession of the names of available players they may select in Tuesday's draft. (The Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers, the two teams in the NBA Finals, had to submit their players on Thursday.)

The list was understood to be a secret one, under orders from the league office, but that hasn't stopped lists from being published. And front-office executives, sensing a lot of hurt feelings, are not happy.

"The league sent a memo saying anybody who gives up a list will be subject to a fine," 76ers president and general manager Billy King said. "It's unfortunate people are speculating, because it's not supposed to be." Full story

DALLAS MORNING NEWS - June 20, 2004
Any Mavericks plans could be impacted by Charlotte. The Bobcats have the option of taking Antoine Walker in the expansion draft Tuesday. In turn, they could ship Walker to another team, perhaps New York, which might try to get in the Shaquille O'Neal derby with Walker as part of a package.

However, Walker's agent, Michael Higgins, said Saturday that he doubts his client would end up in LA. "The Mavericks have less than zero to do with what happens Tuesday," he said.

SALT LAKE TRIBUNE - June 20, 2004
The Jazz don't want to lose Sasha Pavlovic in the expansion draft Tuesday, but their four-strong depth at his position make the prospect more palatable, Kevin O'Connor said Saturday.

"When we drafted Sasha, we looked at it this way: We didn't have a shooter," said O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president of basketball operations. "We didn't have Raja Bell signed, we didn't have Gordan Giricek on board. With Andrei [Kirilenko], Matt [Harpring], and Gordan and Raja, now we've got five guys, with Sasha, at that position."

The Jazz would like to keep the 20-year-old forward, who started 14 games and averaged 4.8 points during his rookie season. But O'Connor hinted -- and another NBA source confirmed Saturday -- that no deal with the Charlotte Bobcats is in place, or was even proposed before the Jazz turned in their expansion-draft list.

"We're in conversations with them," O'Connor said, and not necessarily just about Pavlovic. Though he's irritated that the supposedly secret expansion lists became public almost immediately, "there's some people on that list that certainly intrigue us," he said. Full story

AKRON BEACON JOURNAL - June 20, 2004
• It doesn't appear that the Cavaliers will be able to peddle Kevin Ollie to the expansion Bobcats at any price. The new franchise simply doesn't want any long-term contracts. Ollie has four years left.

• Of the players left unprotected to the Bobcats, two whom the Cavaliers would have interest in -- in a trade through Charlotte -- would be Eric Piatkowski of the Houston Rockets and Chucky Atkins of the Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers offered Piatkowski a contract last summer before signing Ira Newble. Atkins is a reliable veteran point guard. The knocks are that Piatkowski is coming off a poor season with the Rockets and that Atkins has a three years left on his deal worth more than $14 million.

NEWARK STAR LEDGER - June 20, 2004
One cannot be sure whom the Charlotte Bobcats will pick in Tuesday's expansion draft, but they are about to acquire their starting center. Any minute now, the Bobs will take JAHIDI WHITE (along with a future first-round pick) off Phoenix's hands, just so the Suns can clear more cap space to go after KOBE BRYANT. It's a big load: White will make $5.9 million in the final year of his deal, which represents one-fifth of Charlotte's cap. An educated guess on some future Bobs: Either DAHNTAY JONES or TROY BELL from Memphis, JUAN DIXON, BRIAN SKINNER (if he doesn't opt-out), MATT CARROLL, TAMAR SLAY , GERALD WALLACE , BRANDON HUNTER , DeSHAWN STEVENSON , CEZARY TRYBANSKI , Utah rookie SASHA PAVLOVIC , and -- if they come cheaply -- free agents MARCUS FIZER and KEYON DOOLING .

DESERET NEWS - June 19, 2004
Speculation continues to the swirl that the Jazz, who have exposed swingman Sasha Pavlovic to Charlotte for Tuesday's NBA Expansion draft, are trying to work a deal of sort some — perhaps one that would persuade the Bobcats not to select Utah's 2003 first-round draft choice.

"The Jazz has multiple first-round picks in the 2004 NBA draft," the Charlotte Observer reported, "so it has the resources to send some compensation Charlotte's way."

Pavlovic was left unprotected in part, it is believed, so the Jazz could instead protect restricted free agent guard Mo Williams. Utah apparently feared Charlotte would take Williams, and the Jazz — evidenced by the fact the team says he is expected to play in the Revue — apparently are intent on re-signing their 2003 second-round selection. Jazz boss Kevin O'Connor was said to be feverishly working the phones Thursday, evidently talking trade with multiple teams.

LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS - June 19, 2004
Rick Fox wasn't offended when he heard the Lakers had exposed him for next week's expansion draft. In fact, he endorsed the move. In any case, he probably won't be selected, which makes the whole discussion moot. The Lakers protected eight of their 10 players under contract, leaving Fox and 21-year-old center Jamal Sampson exposed. Sampson has been told that the Charlotte Bobcats intend to select him in Tuesday's expansion draft, and Fox has heard the same from Lakers officials. Expansion rules allow Charlotte to draft just one player from each NBA franchise, so if the Bobcats take Sampson, Fox is safe.

"I should be able to retire as a Laker,' Fox said Friday. Fox has known for some time that he would be left unprotected, and he took it in stride. "It's the wise decision. If you take emotion out of the mix, it's the intelligent decision,' he said.

If Charlotte does select Fox, he said he will consider retiring. "It would force me to think about those things,' he said. "I wouldn't say it's a guarantee.'

And if the Lakers' breakup becomes too much to bear, Fox might decide to retire anyway, rather than play for a rebuilding team. "I hope some clarity comes in the next month,' he said, "because there's going to be some choices I'm going to have to make.'

FT. LAUDERDALE SUN-SENTINEL - June 19, 2004
While it is unlikely the Heat will lose a player to Charlotte in Tuesday's expansion draft, with the salaries of Eddie Jones and Brian Grant making such a move prohibitive, it is possible the Heat bolsters itself with a player forwarded from the Bobcats. "We have discussions with Charlotte almost every day," Pfund said, "and there are some thing that could affect the draft."...

TORONTO STAR - June 19, 2004
Meanwhile, Rob Babcock said he couldn't comment on a Star story saying the Raptors had left Alvin Williams, Lamond Murray and Milt Palacio exposed in Tuesday's expansion draft to stock the Charlotte Bobcats.

However, he did say there is a chance the Raptors — and several other teams — will be talking to Charlotte about trade possibilities. The Bobcats could select a player from another team and move him to the Raptors in some pre-arranged deal, or they could take one of the three exposed Raptors and ship him to some other club.

"It has been active; all the teams have had discussions with Charlotte because there are a lot of things that could be done," said Babcock. The Bobcats have to select 14 players in Tuesday's draft without regard for salary but will be limited to a salary cap of about $30 million by opening day in October.

DETROIT NEWS - June 18, 2004
Change is inevitable. Just ask the Pistons. After a day in which Metro Detroit celebrated the franchise’s first NBA title in 14 years, a key question will come to the forefront: Which player could be headed to the Charlotte Bobcats?

Each NBA team was required by the league to submit a list of players who would be made available to the Bobcats in the expansion draft. The Bobcats begin play next season. The list was due by noon Thursday. Not every player on the list will be selected.

John Hammond, vice president of basketball operations for the Pistons, refused to comment on the team’s decision.

“I really can’t say anything, because it would result in a substantial fine by the NBA,” Hammond said.

Still, most thought the possibilities included center Elden Campbell and forward Corliss Williamson. Campbell refused to comment, and Williamson tried not to worry about it.

“If I were to get traded or die tonight, it would all be worth it,” Williamson said. “I got my ring.”

NEW YORK POST - June 18, 2004
The Knicks could make a bigger killing in the expansion draft Tuesday than the regular draft. Isiah Thomas confirmed the Knicks are in discussions with the Bobcats about a trade. The Post reported yesterday Isiah had spoken to Charlotte prez Ed Tapscott about trading Othella Harrington, who's in the final year of his contract and whom the Knicks protected, for a player the Bobcats can select in Tuesday's expansion draft.

The Bobcats could also have interest in Dikembe Mutombo, whom the Knicks also protected and is in the last year of his pact, and their second-round pick. Heading the list of players piquing Isiah's interest is Aaron McKie, who has a long-term deal the Bobcats aren't crazy about.

The Knicks are unsure of their 2-guard position because of Allan Houton's knees. Other notables the Bobcats could pick for the Knicks are Ruben Patterson, Marcus Fizer, Lorenzen Wright and Danny Fortson. Houston was left unprotected so the Knicks can shop Harrington and Mutombo.

"We spoke with Allan," Thomas said after winning Father-of-The-Year along with Tommy Lasorda and Gen. Richard Myers, "and he was fully supportive of it. The only way we can continue to improve our team is through trades. Some of the contracts we have are very tradeable contracts. Strategy-wise, we thought high-priced salary players on the list were a pretty safe risk. We're having discussions with Charlotte and a lot of other teams about trying to improve our talent."

TORONTO SUN - June 18, 2004
The Raptors are willing to let Alvin Williams, Lamond Murray or Milt Palacio get away for nothing in return. According to league and Charlotte sources, the Raptors have left those three veterans exposed for the draft next Tuesday that will stock the NBA expansion Bobcats. There is no guarantee one of the players will be taken, though. The Charlotte Bobcats need to choose only 14 players from the 29 other teams and cannot select more than one from any franchise. The chances of them taking either Williams or Murray are remote, unless the Bobcats obtain one of them in order to move them to another team.

"We're not interested in guys who have three or four years left on their contracts," Charlotte general manager and coach Bernie Bickerstaff told the Charlotte Observer. "The guys we're looking at all have one year remaining."

Williams, 29, has four years and $25 million (all figures U.S.) left on his contract; the 31-year-old Murray has two years and about $10 million remaining. Palacio, 26, has one year at just over $1 million to go. The Bobcats could take one of Williams or Murray and flip the player to another team in a pre-arranged deal, but there's little likelihood of that. Neither has created much trade buzz, Williams because of health issues, and the Raptors could find no takers for Murray when he demanded a trade last February.

Palacio, however, might be attractive to the Bobcats. He has a small contract and he played well enough early last season — before suffering a knee injury — to show he can play backup minutes.

NEW YORK POST - June 17, 2004
Bill Strickland, agent for Allan Houston, said the Knicks' rehabbing guard does not feel dissed by team prez Isiah Thomas for leaving him unprotected in Tuesday's expansion draft. The expansion Bobcats are not expected to pick Houston because they'd have a tough time fitting his $17 million wage under their downsized salary cap, which is 75 percent of the rest of the league.

"I thought Isiah handled it in a classy way," Strickland told The Post. "We were made aware of it and what his thinking is. Allan was fine and understanding why. He called ahead of time, explained the situation, showed a great deal of respect to Allan, who had a chance to chat with him directly."

Isiah wanted to protect Othella Harrington and Dikembe Mutombo because both are in the final years of their contracts, appealing to Charlotte, plus they have trade value. The Post has learned Isiah has spoken to Bobcats prez Ed Tapscott about trading Harrington, who wants out, for a potential player the Bobcats may select in the draft.

WASHINGTON TIMES - June 17, 2004
An NBA source, speaking under condition of anonymity, confirmed yesterday the Washington Wizards will make Jerry Stackhouse, Juan Dixon and Christian Laettner available to the Charlotte Bobcats when the NBA conducts its expansion draft Tuesday. A list of NBA players that made its way onto ESPN.com on Tuesday included the three players, plus Lonny Baxter. However, the source was unable to confirm Baxter's name was included.

The Bobcats, who will begin play next season, must select at least 14 players from the list and can take as many as 29. They are not permitted to take more than one player from any team. Wizards president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld is not required to comment on the players. NBA teams are permitted to pay the Bobcats as much as $3 million or offer draft choices to the expansion team to persuade it to select or not select a particular player.

BOOTH NEWSPAPERS - June 17, 2004
Elden Campbell got what he came to Detroit for. He joined the Pistons last off-season looking for an opportunity to play. And he wanted to win a championship. Campbell got both, serving as one of several unsung heroes off the bench as the Pistons claimed their first NBA title in 14 years, winning the best-of-seven NBA Finals, 4-1, with a 100-87 series-clinching win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

"I'm really enjoying it. It's been a long time coming," Campbell said.

There's a good chance there won't be a repeat for the 14-year veteran, who was left unprotected by the Pistons for the Charlotte Bobcats' expansion draft, which will be held on Tuesday. Campbell, who will be in the last year of his contract next season, seems an ideal pickup for the expansion team. He will make about $4.4 million; the Pistons can offer up to $3 million and draft picks to make Campbell more enticing to the Bobcats.

Regardless of what happens next season, Campbell has no regrets about his time in Detroit, especially considering how this season turned out.

"First year (in the NBA), I made it to The Finals -- no cigar. You think that's going to happen all the time, but there are no guarantees or promises that it's going to happen," Campbell said. "So, here I am, 13 years later."

SAINT PAUL PIONEER PRESS - June 17, 2004
Timberwolves center Ervin Johnson has been left unprotected for the NBA expansion draft, which will take place on Tuesday when the Charlotte Bobcats begin stocking their roster for their inaugural season, according to a report in the Charlotte Observer.

Johnson, 36, has one year remaining on his contract and will make $4.99 million next season. The 6-foot-11 center made 16 starts in the playoffs, averaging 2.7 points and 4.7 rebounds. He appeared in 66 regular-season games, averaging 1.9 points and 3.5 rebounds.

Kevin McHale, Wolves vice president for personnel, declined an interview request on Wednesday.

SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS - June 17, 2004
The Indiana Pacers have protected 17-year veteran Reggie Miller from being picked by the Charlotte Bobcats during next week's NBA expansion draft, according a list obtained by the Charlotte Observer. The Pacers did not protect guards Jamison Brewer and Anthony Johnson, forwards Austin Croshere and James Jones and centers Primoz Brezec and Scot Pollard, the newspaper reported. That means the Bobcats could select one of those players in the expansion draft on Tuesday.

Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh has repeatedly refused to comment on the list.

If the report is correct, the Pacers protected Miller, center Jeff Foster, forwards Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, Al Harrington and Jonathan Bender and guards Jamaal Tinsley and Fred Jones. Protecting Miller would help the Pacers avoid losing another popular veteran to a new team, as happened the last time NBA held an expansion draft.

When Toronto and Vancouver entered the league in 1995, Walsh gambled that neither team would be looking for a high-priced veteran and left Byron Scott unprotected. The Grizzlies selected Scott.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE - June 17, 2004
Talk persists that Charlotte is trying to move up from the fourth overall pick to land either Emeka Okafor at No. 1 or Dwight Howard at No. 2. The Bobcats could drive the draft order because they have the flexibility of making deals pegged to the expansion draft, held two days before the June 24 NBA draft.

"I need to focus on us," John Paxson said. "We've played out every scenario. I have no control over what Orlando or Charlotte [does]. We don't know what the Clippers are going to do. I can only worry about us."

TORONTO STAR - June 17, 2004
The Bobcats have to choose 14 players in an expansion draft Tuesday and there is always a chance they could take someone from another team and flip him to the Raptors in a pre-arranged deal. Among the centres reportedly available are Minnesota's Ervin Johnson, Lorenzen Wright of Memphis, Phoenix's Jahidi White, Brian Skinner of Milwaukee and Seattle's Jerome James. Getting a big man through free agency or trade to help Chris Bosh and Marshall is what the Raptors seem intent on doing since they remain focused on guards in the regular draft.

SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS - June 16, 2004
The Milwaukee Bucks have decided to expose guard Erick Strickland to the National Basketball Association expansion draft, a newspaper reported Wednesday. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, quoting an unnamed league source, said the Bucks had decided to protect forward Marcus Haislip from the draft. Strickland played in 43 games last season, averaging 5.4 points, 2.1 assists, and 13.3 minutes. Haislip played in 31 games, averaging 3.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 8.5 minutes.

Bucks general manager Larry Harris said that he was not allowed to comment on the expansion list. Milwaukee center Brian Skinner is also included on the list of unprotected players, but he is expected to opt out of his contract and become a free agent later this month.

ARIZONA REPUBLIC - June 16, 2004
Our good friend at the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, reporter Rick Bonnell, has compiled the complete, top-secret NBA unprotected list. We were disappointed to find out it isn't a lineup of the league's deadbeat dads. Turns out it's just the players teams have left exposed to the Charlotte Bobcats for the upcoming NBA expansion draft.

These are the guys who are usually getting old and are way overpaid. Their teams may even bribe Charlotte with cash, draft picks, beer and barbecued ribs just to make these guys and their contracts go away. We realized there are so many players on the list with ties to the Suns that we were able to compile a Suns All-Unprotected Team. Full story

INDIANAPOLIS STAR - June 16, 2004
The players the Indiana Pacers left unprotected for the NBA expansion draft contained no major surprises, according to a list obtained by The Charlotte Observer. The expansion draft will be June 22 , unless the NBA Finals go to a seventh game, in which case it will move to June 23.

The Pacers, according to the Observer, did not protect Jamison Brewer, Primoz Brezec, Austin Croshere, Anthony Johnson, James Jones and Scot Pollard. Pacers president Larry Bird and CEO Donnie Walsh refused to confirm the list's accuracy. It falls in line with expectations, however. Although Croshere and Pollard are established veterans, the expansion Charlotte Bobcats are unlikely to claim them because of their high salaries. If the list is accurate, the Pacers protected 17-year veteran Reggie Miller rather than cutting a deal with the Bobcats for their agreement not to select him. The Pacers' decision to protect Miller also indicates a belief that he will return next season.

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER - June 16, 2004
If a supposedly "official" list circulating is accurate, the 76ers have made veterans Greg Buckner, Marc Jackson, Todd MacCulloch, Aaron McKie and Derrick Coleman available for the June 22 NBA expansion draft.

The Charlotte Bobcats, who will begin play next season, must select a minimum of 14 players and can take as many as 29. They cannot take more than one from any team.

If the list is correct, it would mean the Sixers protected Allen Iverson, Eric Snow, Samuel Dalembert, Kenny Thomas, Glenn Robinson, Willie Green and Kyle Korver. Amal McCaskill and Zendon Hamilton, who will become unrestricted free agents July 1, were ineligible for either list. Sixers president/general manager Billy King declined to comment on the Sixers' list.

CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER - June 16, 2004
Ira Newble may have played his last game with the Cavaliers all because of next week's expansion draft. According to a list released by the Charlotte Observer, Newble, Kevin Ollie, Ruben Boumtje Boumtje and Jason Kapono were all left unprotected. At least one of the four could be gone.

"I don't want to start from the beginning with an expansion team because I just came from a non-winning team [the Atlanta Hawks]," Newble said. "I want to stay in Cleveland because I see the future and this is a playoff-bound team. But if I'm selected, that's [Cavs' loss]. I'm going to play wherever I go and get my check."

The Charlotte Bobcats will become the NBA's newest team this fall. They will select at least 14 players from 14 teams. The Bobcats can't take more than one player from each team. Last week, each NBA team submitted a list of protected and unprotected players. Teams have been allowed to leave restricted free agents unprotected. If the Bobcats select any of those players, they become unrestricted free agents and cannot sign with the team that left them unprotected.

The chances for the Bobcats to select Ollie or Newble is slim because of their ages and contracts. Ollie, 31, signed a five-year, $15.8 million last season and Newble, 27, signed a five-year deal last season worth $14.8 million. Boumtje Boumtje is an unrestricted free agent and it is unlikely the Bobcats will make him an offer, but Kapono, a rookie last season, could get selected because of his two-year minimum salary. Bobcats General Manager Bernie Bickerstaff recently told reporters he's looking for young players and players without long contracts.

SALT LAKE TRIBUNE - June 16, 2004
The Jazz's decision to expose Curtis Borchardt and Sasha Pavlovic was supposed to be a secret. Instead, the Charlotte Observer on Monday reported the list of veteran players who have been made available to the expansion Bobcats.

Kevin O'Connor is upset. Asked about Utah's decision to expose the 20-year-old Pavlovic, a first-round pick last year, O'Connor said, "I'm not allowed to speak about our list. But obviously somebody did . . . [and] it's terrible."

Teams were required to send their list of exposed players to the league Friday. By Monday, the list had already been made public.

DETROIT NEWS - June 16, 2004
It appears more likely that the Pistons will leave Elden Campbell unprotected and available to the Charlotte Bobcats in the June 22 expansion draft. The Pistons also will entice the Bobcats to take him by offering a future draft pick and $3 million in cash. That way, the Bobcats would only be responsible for $1.4 million of the final year of Campbell's contract.

"I really don't want to talk about that right now," Campbell said.

The Pistons had considered leaving either Campbell or Corliss Williamson unprotected. They figured, correctly, that the Bobcats would shy away from the three years and $18 million Williamson has left on his contract. By clearing Campbell and the $4.4 million off their books, the Pistons would have a better chance of re-signing both Rasheed Wallace and Mehmet Okur this summer.

SALT LAKE TRIBUNE - June 15, 2004
The first clue to the Jazz's summer makeover has been revealed, but its meaning may not be understood for another week or two. Sasha Pavlovic, Utah's first-round draft pick a year ago who averaged 4.8 points per game in his rookie season, was not among the eight players withheld by the Jazz from next week's expansion draft, an NBA source with knowledge of the expansion list confirmed Monday. Also eligible to be drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats on June 22: Center Curtis Borchardt, Utah's 2002 first-round pick.

Borchardt's extensive injury history made his exposure logical, but Pavlovic -- who started 14 games as a 20-year-old rookie and scored in double figures 11 times -- was widely expected to be protected. That the Jazz would risk losing a young, inexpensive player so soon after using a first-round pick to select him is a surprise. Full story

LOS ANGELES TIMES - June 15, 2004
Center Predrag Drobnjak and guard Keyon Dooling, who opened last season as starters, were among the players left unprotected by the Clippers for the June 22 expansion draft, NBA sources said Monday.

Also left unprotected by the Clippers and eligible to be selected by the Charlotte Bobcats were Matt Barnes, Eddie House and Josh Moore. The maximum eight players were protected by the Clippers: Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Chris Kaman, Quentin Richardson, Marko Jaric, Bobby Simmons, Chris Wilcox and Melvin Ely.

CHARLESTON (WV) GAZETTE - June 15, 2004
The expansion Charlotte Bobcats are interested in selecting former Marshall star Tamar Slay, the New York Post has reported. The Post said the Nets have left Slay, Kerry Kittles, Alonzo Mourning and Rodney Rogers unprotected. Slay, a restricted free agent, fits the profile of a low-price veteran, typically preferred by expansion team. Slay, a second-round pick by the Nets in 2002, played just 22 games in 2003-04, averaging 2.4 points per game. The expansion draft will be June 22 or 23. The Bobcats must select at least 14 veterans, each off a different team.

FT. LAUDERDALE SUN-SENTINEL - June 15, 2004
NBA officials have confirmed the Heat has exposed guard Eddie Jones and centers Brian Grant and Loren Woods to the Charlotte Bobcats for next week's expansion draft. The decision is another indication that the team would be willing to unload the hefty contracts of Jones and Grant for nothing in return, other than the ability to get below the salary cap and reload the roster in trades or through free agency.

In exposing Grant and Jones, the Heat protected the low-wage likes of Malik Allen, Udonis Haslem and Jerome Beasley. Jones and Grant each have an additional three seasons, at about $43 million, remaining on their contracts, making it unlikely Charlotte would select them. Charlotte will be limited to roughly $28 million in salaries next season, making the $13 million due Jones or Grant particularly onerous.

In the June 22 expansion draft, the Bobcats will select a minimum of 14 players, but no more than one from each team.

Of possible interest to the Heat in the expansion draft would be players Charlotte could then trade to other teams, such as Timberwolves center Ervin Johnson, Suns center Jahidi White, Sonics center Calvin Booth, Kings swingman Gerald Wallace and Grizzlies center Lorenzen Wright.

MIAMI HERALD - June 15, 2004
The Heat has reportedly left Brian Grant, Eddie Jones and Loren Woods unprotected for the upcoming expansion draft. That means the Charlotte Bobcats cannot select any of the Heat's other players, including its entire young core. The Bobcats would be unlikely to draft either Grant or Jones because each has three burdensome years remaining on his contract. The Heat was set to part with Woods and would not consider losing him problematic.

MEMPHIS COMMERCIAL APPEAL - June 14, 2004
Grizzlies center Lorenzen Wright was left exposed for the Charlotte Bobcats expansion draft later this month, the Charlotte Observer reported in its Sunday edition.

Citing sources - likely within the Bobcats - the newspaper revealed that Wright, Troy Bell, Ryan Humphrey, Dahntay Jones, Bo Outlaw, Theron Smith, and Jake Tsakalidis have been made available to the Bobcats.

Griz brass remains tightlipped, abiding by league rules that prohibit teams from leaking the names of protected players. The deadline for teams to submit its list of unprotected players passed last Friday. Full story

DAILY BREEZE - June 14, 2004
In preparation for the upcoming expansion draft, every team not involved in the Finals was required to submit protected player lists by Friday. The Lakers and Pistons have until two days after the Finals conclude to submit their lists. The Charlotte Bobcats will draft 14 players from the league's 29 existing teams on June 22 (or June 23, if the Finals goes seven games).

Each team may protect a maximum of eight players, and no team can lose more than one player in the draft. Unrestricted free agents are exempt. The Lakers' decision on whom to protect is complicated by the fact that four players -- Malone, Fisher, Payton and Bryant -- can opt out of their contracts, making them free agents. The opt-out decisions won't necessarily come before the expansion draft. Also, the team holds options on Luke Walton and Jamal Sampson.

ALAMEDA TIMES-STAR - June 14, 2004
Chris Mullin has had plenty on his plate in the seven weeks since agreeing to the daunting task of steering the Warriors toward the NBA playoffs. He's found his coach and is in the process of losing his center. But don't judge him on that.

Short of talking Kobe Bryant into relocating to Oakland, his ability to transform Nick Van Exel into a long-term asset via the expansion draft will be the best gauge of the job he's doing. Make no mistake about it: If Mullin is creative enough in these next nine days leading into formal announcement of the Bobcats' roster, the Warriors will take a Carl Lewis-type lunge into a brighter future. The key to getting the Bobcats to take Van Exel and his $11.7 million contract for the upcoming season is a willingness to use the Warriors' 2005 first-round draft pick as bait.

If Mullin has confidence in Montgomery and his own ability to turn $20 million in cap room into an upgrade over Erick Dampier and Van Exel, giving up the pick is a no-brainer. After all, you're in essence parting with just a backup player when you trade a pick in the mid-teens.

Charlotte -- and just about every other team in the league -- wouldn't see it that way, however. Getting a first-round pick from Golden State, a team that's been stuck in the lottery mud for a decade, is perceived as stealing, so you know offering this gem would get the Bobcats' attention.

Mullin has labeled himself a risk-taker. Well, here's a chance to pay a modest price for an opportunity to explore what's behind Door No.1. Chris, let's make a deal.

BOSTON GLOBE - June 14, 2004
Chucky Atkins heard the news and took a while to digest it. He was told the Celtics left him unprotected in the expansion draft to stock the new franchise in Charlotte, N.C. It doesn't necessarily mean he won't be back in Boston. But it does signify to Atkins that the team doesn't want him back.

"If they aren't going to protect me," he said yesterday, "then I don't want to be there. Why would I want to be somewhere where they didn't want me? If you're going to leave me unprotected, that's a slap in the face to me. I could have stayed in Detroit."

Atkins was one of five Celtics' names that was published today in the Charlotte Observer as players being made available to the NBA Bobcats. The other four Celtics are Jumaine Jones, Ernest Brown, Brandon Hunter, and Michael Stewart. The eight Celtics who were protected were Paul Pierce, Ricky Davis, Jiri Welsch, Raef LaFrentz, Marcus Banks, Kendrick Perkins, Walter McCarty, and Chris Mihm. Full story

AKRON BEACON JOURNAL - June 13, 2004
Who's going to be the busiest person in the NBA the next two weeks? Try Bernie Bickerstaff's secretary.

Bickerstaff, the coach and general manager of the expansion Charlotte Bobcats, will run the expansion draft that will send the league into a tizzy, as literally dozens of teams could swap players, draft slots and future picks with him as the middle man.

Every team in the league has a battle plan for the June 22 expansion draft, and there will certainly be winners and losers in this rare period of player liquidity.

The Cavaliers are in the thick of it and could be one of the teams trying to be creative with Charlotte. It is believed that they have left Kevin Ollie, Jason Kapono and Ira Newble unprotected, meaning Charlotte can take one of them. Full story

HOUSTON CHRONICLE - June 13, 2004
The Rockets put together their list of players protected from the expansion draft, employing as many strategies as nearly any team. The Rockets might have wanted to leave their big contracts exposed, but the Charlotte Bobcats are not likely to take anyone featured on Cribs unless it is for another team. They could have exposed players who don't play, hoping to limit the on-court damage.

In the end, the Rockets likely did a bit of both. They protected Steve Francis, Yao Ming, Jim Jackson and Cuttino Mobley. They would like to give Mike Wilks another low-cost shot, and Bostjan Nachbar is worth another look at a relatively good price. That leaves two more players to be protected. Adrian Griffin, who barely played last season and might struggle to ever regain his form, is certain to have been left unprotected.

But now it gets tougher. Eric Piatkowski fell almost out of the rotation and is likely to be unprotected. If he is unprotected, the Rockets would have to choose one of three frontcourt players — Maurice Taylor, Kelvin Cato and Clarence Weatherspoon — to protect. Cato makes the most money but was a starter and has just two years remaining on his contract. The Bobcats are not looking for contracts like Taylor and Weatherspoon's, and they are not expansion-team players, making them the next most likely to be exposed.

The Bobcats must select 14 players, and league teams can lose no more than one player. For the Rockets, that most likely will be Griffin.

BOSTON GLOBE - June 13, 2004
The Celtics dutifully submitted their expansion list to the Bobcats and were sworn to secrecy as to whom they protected. They could protect eight players, excluding free agents (Mark Blount), and an educated guess would start with these six names: Paul Pierce, Jiri Welsch, Raef LaFrentz, Banks, Ricky Davis, and Chris Mihm. Kendrick Perkins also would be a logical protectee unless Ainge is certain he can get a better young center in the draft, like Robert Swift. That would almost make Perkins dispensible and maybe help someone like Walter McCarty land on the list. As for Atkins, his salary will make him unappealing to the Bobcats. But if Atkins is left unprotected (along with Jumaine Jones and Yogi Stewart), that could open up a protected spot for Brandon Hunter. Regardless of who's on the list, the Celtics don't stand to lose anyone of significance. The big loser in the expansion draft could well be Memphis, which could lose someone like Troy Bell, its No. 1 pick of a year ago who rarely played . . .

INDIANAPOLIS STAR - June 12, 2004
Pacers most likely to be protected include Ron Artest, Jonathan Bender, Jeff Foster, Al Harrington, Fred Jones, Jermaine O'Neal and Jamaal Tinsley. If they compensate Charlotte for not selecting Miller, they could protect another player from the group of Primoz Brezec, Austin Croshere, Anthony Johnson, James Jones and Scot Pollard.

Croshere and Pollard are unlikely to be drafted because of their high salaries, unless Charlotte has a prearranged trade. Bickerstaff has said he will avoid players with high salaries. Free agents Kenny Anderson and Jamison Brewer can't be selected. Full story

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS - June 12, 2004
William Strickland and Isaih Thomas spoke recently about another Strickland client, Allan Houston, one of five Knicks left unprotected for the June 22 expansion draft; the others are Shandon Anderson, Penny Hardaway, Dikembe Mutombo and Moochie Norris. The Knicks could lose a player, but Houston, Anderson and Hardaway all have lucrative contracts and the Charlotte Bobcats are reluctant to assume hefty price tags.

"Business is business," Strickland said. "Isiah is rolling the dice perhaps, but Allan looks at it like the Knicks are doing everything they can to improve the team. This allows the Knicks to protect a younger player who could help them."

Houston, who is scheduled to earn $47 million over the next three seasons, was limited to 50 games last season because of knee troubles - and Thomas could try to trade him this summer.

NEW ORLEANS TIME-PICAYUNE - June 12, 2004
Currently, the Hornets have 14 players on their roster, eight of whom are under contract for next season: guard Baron Davis, forward Jamal Mashburn, forward P.J. Brown, guard David Wesley, forward George Lynch, guard Darrell Armstrong, center Jamaal Magloire and forward David West.

The Hornets have three restricted free agents under contract, guard Courtney Alexander, who missed last season with a torn right Achilles' tendon, guard Shammond Williams, obtained in a February trade with Orlando, and guard Maurice Carter, signed as a free agent late in the season.

It's possible Alexander could be put on the protected list, because the team feels he has yet to reach his potential and, at 27, has more upside than Wesley, also a shooting guard, because of his size (6 feet 6, to Wesley's 6-1) and athleticism. If that happened, the Hornets had to make a decision on whom to leave unprotected. The most likely candidate would be Wesley. Wesley, scheduled to earn $4.455 million next season, makes his offseason home in Charlotte. Full story

ORLANDO SENTINEL - June 12, 2004
The Magic, according to league scources, will not protect DeShawn Stevenson, Reece Gaines, Zaza Pachulia and Britton Johnsen in the expansion draft. Stevenson, a restricted free agent who was acquired in a midseason trade for Gordan Giricek, was a surprise choice. The expansion Charlotte Bobcats can take up to one player from each team.

ARIZONA REPUBLIC - June 12, 2004
The Charlotte Bobcats received an expansion draft list of available players Friday that likely included Jahidi White and Howard Eisley of the Suns. Charlotte must take a player from 14 teams to start its initial roster. Although Suns officials are not at liberty to discuss names, it is believed that White is a strong candidate for the Bobcats if Phoenix provides incentives.

The Suns can send $3 million and draft picks to Charlotte as enticement for taking White or Eisley. However, White's age (28), contract (one remaining year at almost $5.9 million), defense and rebounding make him more attractive than Eisley, whose age (31), contract (two years at close to $13.3 million) and shooting (36.8 percent last season) make him an unlikely selection.

THE OREGONIAN - June 12, 2004
Center Dale Davis, 35, is one of the eight players protected by the Trail Blazers for the June 22 expansion draft, according to the player's agent. Each NBA team had to submit its list of protected players on Friday, and agent Chubby Wells said Blazers general manager John Nash informed him that Davis was among the eight protected.

"We will not comment on our expansion list," Nash said Friday from Chicago.

Nash has said the team would protect its eight most valuable players and leave the other seven available for the expansion Charlotte Bobcats. Davis, who will make $10 million next year in the last year of his contract, was thought to be on the bubble. Wells said he thinks the Blazers want to keep Davis so they can use him in a trade this summer.

"He only has a year left on his contract, and that seems to be the en vogue thing, teams wanting to pick up a guy with a year left," Wells said. "But we will see. It's up to what the Blazers want to do."

Conventional wisdom says the Blazers protected their starting five from last season: Damon Stoudamire, Derek Anderson, Darius Miles, Zach Randolph and Theo Ratliff, as well as Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Ruben Patterson, the Blazers' top reserve, was another candidate to be protected, but the Blazers could have opted to protect Travis Outlaw, last year's first-round pick, possibly leaving Patterson vulnerable.

THE COLUMBIAN - June 12, 2004
The list is in an overnight envelope, sealed, and should arrive at the NBA's offices today. The Trail Blazers won't say who they protected from Charlotte in the expansion draft later this month, but here's a good assumption: Zach Randolph is not available. And here's a bad assumption: The Blazers protected their top eight players.

"That would not be a good conclusion," general manager John Nash said Thursday.

The expansion draft is scheduled for June 22, but would be pushed back a day if the NBA Finals go to a seventh game. Teams have to protect at least one player who is either under contract or a restricted free agent, and no more than eight. Charlotte will select at least 14 players no more than one from a team. That means it's far from a given that Portland will lose anyone. If they lose one under contract, the Blazers would receive a trade exception equal to that player's salary for next season.

Nash said the Blazers never considered protecting fewer than eight players before finalizing the list on Thursday. Exactly which of their 15 players are on that list is unclear. One strategy would have been to protect the top eight: Damon Stoudamire, Derek Anderson, Darius Miles, Zach Randolph, Theo Ratliff, Dale Davis, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Ruben Patterson. That would have left Omar Cook, Dan Dickau, Desmond Ferguson, Eddie Gill, Travis Outlaw, Vladimir Stepania and Qyntel Woods available.

But Nash indicated the Blazers did not follow that strategy. Full story

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER - June 12, 2004
Sonics center Jerome James has exercised his contract option to remain with the team. That decision was made last month, when he notified the team he intended to return for a third season at a salary of more than $5 million.

Marc Fleisher, James' agent, said yesterday he had been given indications a week ago the Sonics planned to protect James from the NBA expansion draft. But Fleisher has not heard since whether the Sonics actually included James on their final list of protected players, which had to be submitted yesterday.

Each NBA team can protect eight players from the June 22 expansion draft, making them unavailable to the Charlotte Bobcats. All teams except the Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers, both in the NBA Finals, had to submit protected lists by yesterday, but the league does not release those lists and teams risk being fined for announcing them.

It is likely the Sonics will choose between James and Vitaly Potapenko for the eighth and final spot. Six Sonics certain to be protected are Luke Ridnour, Ronald Murray, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Nick Collison and Vladimir Radmanovic. Antonio Daniels is likely the seventh.

TORONTO SUN - June 12, 2004
Raptors general manager Rob Babcock kept his cards close to the vest yesterday when asked which player, or players, his club exposed in the expansion draft. However, there are rumours the Raptors may have exposed veteran guard Alvin Williams -- the longest-serving Raptor -- and veteran forward Lamond Murray. Presumably, the Raptors wouldn't mind if they were freed of either Williams' contract (four years, $25.8 million US) or Murray's deal (two years, $10.1 million).

Other possibilities include guards Milt Palacio and Roger Mason, Jr. Morris Peterson is a restricted free agent but will be unrestricted if the swingman is chosen by the Charlotte Bobcats.

FREEDOM NEWS SERVICE - June 12, 2004
How does an opening Charlotte Bobcats' roster that includes former Charlotte Hornets guard David Wesley, former ACC standouts Rodney Rogers and Juan Dixon and youthful prospect Gerald Wallace get your attention as an NBA fan?

Well, those three players may be among the newest Bobcats following the upcoming NBA expansion draft. Full story

NEW YORK TIMES - June 12, 2004
The Charlotte Bobcats yesterday received the official list of players who will be available to them in the expansion draft on June 22 or 23. National Basketball Association rules prohibit the list from being disclosed, so the expansion Bobcats, who will play next season, could not comment on the players. "We have a number of directions we can take, and over the course of the next 10 days we will thoroughly explore all of our options," Bernie Bickerstaff, the Bobcats' coach and general manager, said in a statement.

The Bobcats received the names of available players from every team except the Lakers and the Pistons. Those two teams will send their unprotected lists to the Bobcats within 24 hours of the conclusion of the N.B.A. finals. The expectation was that most teams would try to fill the unprotected list with overpriced and underachieving players. Some of the names that leaked out yesterday from various sources indicated that that was the case.

One Western Conference team executive said that the Dallas Mavericks left Antoine Walker and his $14.6 million contract unprotected. Washington left Jerry Stackhouse exposed with three years and $22.5 million remaining on his contract.

Still, the most striking names were those not on the list. Reggie Miller, who has spent his entire career with the Indiana Pacers and who was rumored to be on the list, was not, according to an N.B.A. executive. Others who were expected to be on the list but were protected included Portland's Damon Stoudamire, who is entering the final year of his contract and will earn $15.7 million, as well as the Blazers' Dale Davis, who will earn $9 million next season.

One source familiar with the Knicks' plans confirmed that Allan Houston, Penny Hardaway, Shandon Anderson, Moochie Norris and Cezary Trybanski were left unprotected. The Nets left Kittles, Rodney Rogers, Alonzo Mourning and Tamar Slay unprotected, a source familiar with the Nets' plans said.

DALLAS MORNING NEWS - June 12, 2004
Antoine Walker is among four players the Mavericks left unprotected for the expansion draft that will take place later this month. All NBA teams except for the two still playing in the NBA Finals had to submit their list of eight protected players to the Charlotte Bobcats by Friday. According to two sources, the Mavericks left off Walker, who started all 82 games last season after being acquired in a trade that sent Raef LaFrentz to Boston. They also left Tariq Abdul-Wahad, Danny Fortson and Tony Delk unprotected.

Walker, a forward, is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $14.65 million. If the Bobcats select Walker, it would give the Mavericks a trade exception for $13.5 million, which is what Walker earned this season. That exception could be used to acquire any player or players earning that sum.

The Bobcats must select at least 14 players in the expansion draft, and no more than one from each team. The thinking around the league is that Bobcats head coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff will search for financial bargains in the expansion draft, making it unlikely he would take a high salary such as Walker's. But since Walker's contract is up after next season, he may have some value in trade scenarios that could convince the Bobcats to take him.

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS - June 12, 2004
On Friday, the Bobcats received the list of players the Spurs and the 26 other teams not playing in the NBA Finals are protecting for the draft. Detroit and the Lakers will submit their lists after the conclusion of the Finals. The Spurs protected Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Rasho Nesterovic, Devin Brown and restricted free agents Ginobili, Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Hart.

Alex Garcia also was protected, but the team waived him on Friday after it had already submitted its expansion list to the league. Cutting Garcia gives the Spurs additional salary-cap flexibility — his $620,000 contract for next season was non-guaranteed — though the team may try to re-sign him if he clears waivers. Malik Rose, Matt Carroll and Charlie Ward, who can decline his $1.1 million option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent, were exposed to the Bobcats. Unsigned draft picks also are ineligible to be taken by Charlotte, so the Spurs did not have to protect Argentine forward Luis Scola. Scola is expected to try to join the Spurs this summer if he can successfully negotiate a buyout of his contract with his Spanish team.

The Spurs, who would like to shed the remaining five years and $32.8 million of Rose's contract from their payroll, can offer the Bobcats draft picks and up to $3 million to entice them to select Rose. Charlotte, however, is not expected to take him unless it is to trade him to another team because its first-season salary cap will be 34 percent smaller than that of the league's existing franchises.

Though the league is keeping the protected-player lists secret, Charlotte is allowed to make pre-draft deals with other teams to select or not select a specific player.

SALT LAKE TRIBUNE - June 12, 2004
If the Jazz thought the lottery was a bad experience, they expect even worse from the expansion draft.

    "I think it's probably going to be a little bit painful," Kevin O'Connor said on lottery night, "but those are the rules, and there's nothing you can do about them."

    They reluctantly followed those rules Friday, by informing the Charlotte Bobcats which two of their 10 eligible players they are willing to lose in the June 22 expansion draft. Each team is allowed to protect eight current contracts or restricted free agents, with the remainder available to stock the Bobcats.

The NBA is guarding the names of the unprotected -- each team must make a player available, regardless of how many eligible players it has under contract, but no team can lose more than one player -- in order to prevent them from being embarrassed. But it's not difficult to narrow down the possibilities on a team like the Jazz. Figure Carlos Arroyo, Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring and Raja Bell are too valuable to lose. Sasha Pavlovic and Raul Lopez, especially while they are rookie-contract bargains, have too much potential to let go. Gordan Giricek is a restricted free agent who wants to stay.

That leaves three logical candidates, one of whom could very well be an original Bobcat next season: centers Jarron Collins and Curtis Borchardt, or less likely, Mo Williams. (Unrestricted free agents Greg Ostertag, Tom Gugliotta, Michael Ruffin and Mikki Moore are not eligible for the draft.) All three have modest price tags and useful talents. Even Borchardt, who has missed 148 of a possible 164 games due to injury, could intrigue the Bobcats; because he has only one season remaining on his rookie contract, at $1.28 million, the 7-footer would represent a minimal risk for Charlotte.

    The Bobcats do not have to choose a Jazz player, but O'Connor admits that's too much to hope for, given their inexpensive salaries. "I would say we would be likely to lose somebody because of where we positioned ourselves price-wise," he said. "We don't have any gargantuan contracts to put out there."

CHICAGO DAILY SOUTHTOWN - June 11, 2004
It wasn't long ago when the line of teams interested in Antonio Davis, Scottie Pippen, Eddie Robinson or Jerome Williams would have been a long one.

Now the Bulls can only hope that the new Charlotte Bobcats will select one of those players in the NBA's expansion draft on June 22.

The four high-priced veterans and restricted free agent Marcus Fizer were believed to have been left off the Bulls' list of eight protected players, which teams were required to submit today. Full story

BERGON RECORD - June 11, 2004
The Knicks kept Allan Houston on their playoff roster when it was obvious he couldn't play. But New York isn't expected to protect the star shooting guard from the upcoming expansion draft. Houston should be among several high-priced players available for the Charlotte Bobcats to pick or use in a trade in the June 22 expansion draft.

Kerry Kittles will be on that list. League sources say the Nets will leave their starting shooting guard exposed today, when NBA teams must submit the names of protected and unprotected players. The league won't make the list public.

Unless there is a prearranged trade with the Bobcats and another team, it's unlikely Kittles, who will earn $9.8 million next season, or Houston, who earns $47 million through 2007, will be taken. Houston's contract and arthritic knees make him unappealing to Charlotte and most teams.

The Bobcats' salary cap in their inaugural season is 66 percent of the rest of the league's, or about $32 million for 2004-05. Houston will earn $17.5 million next season. Full story

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER - June 11, 2004
Front-office executive Ed Tapscott and general manager/coach Bernie Bickerstaff will look largely for young, inexpensive players, perhaps a couple of young veterans who can serve as mentors and leaders, possibly a couple of restricted free agents who would not count against their cap.

That leaves teams putting together lists that might expose players they think are expendable or, in some cases, with contracts they think would not be attractive to the Bobcats; the risk there is that the Bobcats could prearrange trades with other teams for players they select.

King would not discuss specifics of any Sixers list, but here's an educated guess: