Hopefully all the set deals still go through...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nba&id=2112514

Free agent signing date pushed back with labor deal still unfinished

Associated Press
National Basketball Association News Wire


NEW YORK -- With the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement still not finalized, the league's free agent signing period was delayed indefinitely Wednesday.

The league sent a memo to its 30 teams saying they will not be able to sign free agents on Friday, which was the original target date established by the league and the players' union for getting the new six-year labor deal into writing.

NBA official Tim Frank said no new target date was set, but a spokesman for the union said he expected the agreement to be finalized and free agents to begin signing by the middle of next week.

"We continue to make progress going through the issues. The goal is to have everything agreed to by July 22, then to draft the documents," union spokesman Dan Wasserman said.

Teams have been negotiating with free agents for nearly three weeks, and many of the most prominent players have already reached tentative agreements on new contracts. Among them are sharpshooters Ray Allen and Michael Redd agreeing to stay in Seattle and Milwaukee, forward Udonis Haslem staying in Miami and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas remaining in Cleveland.

Among players planning to change teams, guard Larry Hughes is moving from Washington to Cleveland, forward Donyell Marshall from the Raptors to the Cavs and center Jerome James from the SuperSonics to the Knicks.

Also, former overall No. 1 draft pick Kwame Brown will be dealt from Washington to the Los Angeles Lakers in a sign-and-trade deal for Caron Butler, free agent forward Stromile Swift will move from Memphis to Houston, forward Bobby Simmons will go from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Bucks, and guard Antonio Daniels plans to move from Seattle to Washington.

Among the best restricted free agents, whose teams have the right to match any offer, is 76ers center Samuel Dalembert. Philadelphia president Billy King has said the team will match any offer Dalembert receives.

Two of the teams with the most available salary cap space, Atlanta and New Orleans, have been unable to lure any prized free agents.

There is a chance that two-time All-Star Michael Finley of Dallas will become a free agent before the end of the summer.

Under one provision of the new collective bargaining agreement, teams will have a one-time chance ending in October to waive a player under contract and be relieved of any luxury tax liability for that player. Waiving Finley could save the Mavericks at least $51 million in luxury tax payments, and the Mavs would be barred from re-signing him until his contract expires after the 2007-08 season.

The New York Knicks are considering using the so-called "amnesty clause" to rid themselves of injury-plagued guard Allan Houston, who is due to earn about $40 million -- which would be subject to the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax -- over the next two seasons.

Among the remaining unrestricted free agents are Minnesota's Latrell Sprewell, Miami's Keyon Dooling, Atlanta's Tyronn Lue, Cleveland's Jeff McInnis, Boston's Gary Payton and Portland's Damon Stoudamire.

Also, Shaquille O'Neal is expected to opt out of the remainder of his contract with Miami, forsaking a $30.6 million salary for 2005-06, and sign a new long-term deal with the Heat.


[Edited by - HARDCOREKNICKSFAN on 07/20/2005 21:17:46]