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Saturday, July 4

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Hours after agreeing in principle to a five-year contract with the Trail Blazers, free agent Hedo Turkoglu abruptly ceased negotiations and appears headed to the Toronto Raptors, a person directly involved in the negotiations told CBSSports.com. "Hedo is headed to Toronto," said the person, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. "To sign." CBSSports.com

Then, according to sources, something crazy happened. Hedo Turkoglu shifted course, deciding late in the day that he wanted a different house. The Raptors had been serious in their pursuit of Shawn Marion and Carlos Delfino. Now the most likely scenario is that they'll be renounced or traded, along with Anthony Parker. To clear the kind of cap room that would be required to sign Turkoglu would probably take renouncing every free agent Toronto has, including Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Jake Voskuhl and some cap holds from players overseas. That would give the Raptors room to offer Turkoglu more money than Portland was offering -- although there are plenty of details left to be worked out, especially as Toronto may first try to trade some of those players instead of letting them go for nothing. Toronto, as a roster and a city, offer an international flavor that Portland does not have. And with similar money, that proved more appealing than anyone had thought it would. ESPN.com

In a sudden rush at the end of a frenzied week, the Toronto Raptors have remade their roster and signed free-agent forward Hedo Turkoglu, The Globe and Mail has confirmed. The versatile Orlando Magic forward appeared poised to sign with the Portland Trail Blazers until a late bid by the Raptors -- in excess of $50-million over five seasons for the 30 year-old -- caused the change of heart, even as Turkoglu was in Portland visiting with the Trail Blazers. Turkoglu had agreed on a five-year, $50-million (all currency U.S.) deal with the Blazers, but will sign with the Raptors for more than $10-million a season. Signing Turkoglu means the Raptors will have to renounce their rights to their existing free agents – Shawn Marion, Carlos Delfino and Anthony Parker – to create the cap space for Turkoglu. Toronto Globe and Mail

An already crazy free agent period in the NBA got downright bizarre on Friday, with the supposed sure deal between Orlando free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu and the Portland Trail Blazers falling apart late in the afternoon, and the veteran, late Friday evening, making a verbal commitment to the Toronto Raptors on a five-year deal that will pay him in excess of $60 million, according to league sources. NBA.com

A league source divulged late Friday that Portland's offer to Turkoglu was actually $57 million over five years, not the $50 million that has been reported. But by deciding to renounce their rights to the free agents, the Raptors can give Turkoglu a deal averaging more than $12 million annually. They only have a little more than $48 million committed for next season, including the first-year salary of rookie swingman DeMar DeRozan, taken ninth overall. NBA.com

Free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu changed his mind Friday and decided not to join the Portland Trail Blazers, opting instead to accept a five-year $53 million offer from the Toronto Raptors, sources told ESPN.com. ESPN.com

A source close to the discussions said Turkoglu had given a verbal commitment to the Blazers on Thursday, then alerted the team on Friday morning that he was having second thoughts. By mid-afternoon Pacific time, the Blazers were told the deal was dead and Turkoglu would be signing with the Raptors. Turkoglu will make about $3 million more over the life of the contract than he would have made in Portland, but a bigger reason for his change of heart, a source told ESPN.com, was his desire to play in Toronto, a more international and cosmopolitan city -- one with a large Turkish population -- and his familiarity with the Eastern Conference after having spent the last five seasons with the Magic. ESPN.com

Earlier Friday, ESPN.com's Henry Abbott reported that Turkoglu had agreed in principle to a deal with the Trail Blazers, citing sources. The report, which said the deal couldn't be formally signed until the NBA salary cap is set next Wednesday, followed a Wednesday night dinner in Orlando between Turkoglu and Blazers head coach Nate McMillan, followed by two days of negotiations. After ESPN.com reported the agreement in principle, several news organizations confirmed it, using sources, before the deal fell apart hours later. ESPN.com

It is believed that Turkoglu's preference for Toronto was not the only factor. Another person familair with the situation said Turkoglu wasn't the right fit for the Blazers and that the two sides had "different priorities." As always, money played a role, according to another source. By renouncing Marion, Delfino, and Parker, the Raptors could exceed Portland's offer by about $800,000 annually. It wasn't clear Friday night whether Portland drove a harder bargain after seeing Toronto's options dwindle; whether Colangelo swooped in with an 11th-hour bid; or whether Turkoglu's camp simply had second thoughts or believed it could get a better deal from the Raptors. CBSSports.com

A source says Turkoglu’s wife wanted badly to live in Toronto, a far more European-style city, and that’s where it appears the Turkish native is headed. The Raptors have embraced the Euro game under GM Bryan Colangelo, building a roster that includes Euro talents Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani. Yahoo! Sports

This time, it looked like a longshot. Turkoglu arrived in Portland Thursday, where he told The Oregonian newspaper he wanted to make a decision “the sooner the better.” Late yesterday afternoon, ESPN and CBS Sports reported that Turkoglu had agreed to sign a five-year contract with the Trail Blazers worth an estimated US$50-million. But league sources indicated the Raptors remained in the hunt, thanks in part to the city’s cosmopolitan nature. The Raptors, meanwhile, were frustrated by the fact that Marion was unreceptive to the team’s offer of a four-year deal beginning at US$8-million per season. National Post

After a hectic 24 hours of face-to-face negotiations, free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu on Friday rejected the Trail Blazers' $50 million offer and announced he will look for another team. "He's not coming," a source familiar with the negotiations said. In the end, it wasn't the money, it wasn't the team, and it wasn't the length of the contract. "It just wasn't the right fit," the source said. "When you are talking about that much money, everybody involved has to feel great. If you don't on either side, it doesn't work." Oregonian

DeMar DeRozan: Is Hedo really coming to T Dot? Really hope so! Twitter.com

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The Toronto Raptors had focused their free-agent efforts on re-signing forward Shawn Marion early Friday. The Toronto Globe and Mail reported that the Raptors have a four-year deal on the table worth more than $8 million per year, but sources close to the situation told ESPN.com later Friday that a verbal agreement is not imminent. ESPN.com

Before Turkoglu's change of heart, numerous league sources believed early Friday afternoon that the Raptors had reached an agreement on a three-year extension worth $24 million with Marion, who was acquired from Miami in February in a package for forward Jermaine O'Neal. But a Raptors source categorically denied that Friday afternoon. NBA.com

With or without Marion, Toronto is interested in free agent forwards Linas Kleiza and Raptors alumnus Carlos Delfino and has not abandoned hope of finding a way to retain Anthony Parker. Kleiza and Parker are also drawing interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who missed out on initial targets Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza. ESPN.com

The Blazers now go back to having about $9 million in salary cap space to bolster a team that won 54 games last season and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2003, but it was unclear where they would turn their attention after expending all their energy in pursuit of Turkoglu while several other free agent small forwards, including Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza, were negotiating deals elsewhere. One intriguing possibility could be Marion, who turned down a four-year offer from Toronto in excess of $30 million, a source told ESPN.com. ESPN.com

Gortat is ready to commit to the Mavericks and sign an offer sheet for the mid-level, starting at $5.6 million. “Those numbers are a little rich for a back-up center, a guy playing eight to 10 minutes (a game) behind my best player (Dwight Howard),” Smith said. “If it’s 5 (million), it puts you in a situation (financially) that you don’t recover from.” Orlando Sentinel

Another person familiar with the Blazers' plans said adding point guard Andre Miller, who was thought to have been their No. 1 target before the free-agent bell rang at 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday, is still a possibility. Given that Turkoglu will use up nearly all of Portland's $9 million in cap space next season, it would appear that a sign-and-trade for Miller would be the most realistic option, although details on Miller's situation have been scarce. CBSSports.com

Hedo Turkoglu has backed out of negotiations with the Blazers, which could pave the way for David Lee to Portland. "We had been talking, but we'll talk now," Lee's agent Mark Bartlestein told The Post last night. New York Post

With Memphis and Detroit making other moves and Portland involved with Turkoglu, the Knicks' chances of re-signing Lee for $7 to $8 million had seemed to increase. Bartlestein claims he's talked to nearly 15 over-the-cap teams who have proposed sign-and-trade deals with the Knicks for Lee. But because he is a base-year compensation player, it is difficult to make the math work under the CBA. New York Post

Turkoglu leaving Orlando also affects their other free agent, Nate Robinson. As the Knicks await word on Jason Kidd's decision, they are anxious to see if Robinson will sign an offer sheet on July 8 with another club. The Knicks would have 10 days to match -- and that obviously would depend if they sign Grant Hill or Kidd. According to a person familiar with the situation, two of Robinson's five most serious inquiries have come from the NBA Finalists -- the Lakers and Magic. If Turkoglu winds up in Toronto, Orlando might get serious with Robinson. New York Post

Other teams who have made inquiries are the Blazers, where Robinson is beloved by Nate McMillan and Brandon Roy, Miami and the Bulls, who are in need of bench scoring after Ben Gordon's defection to Detroit. Last season, Robinson proved to be one of the league's best sixth men and had a Player Efficiency Rating that ranked sixth among point guards, ahead of Kidd and Bucks point guard Ramon Sessions. New York Post

Ric Bucher: FYI: Phx can deal Big Ben for Ty Chandler anytime they want. They're checking all other options before going down that road. Twitter.com

If anyone was alarmed by the Internet rumor posted Friday that the Bulls and Pistons are talking about turning the Ben Gordon free-agent signing into a sign-and-trade that would send Allen Iverson to the Bulls, don’t worry. There is no chance of that happening. In fact, a team source confirmed that the Pistons have not even asked about doing a sign-and-trade for Gordon. One reason teams might talk about such a thing is Gordon could get a sixth year on his contract if he re-signs with the Bulls and is traded to Detroit. Most people believe the approximately five-year, $55 million deal for Gordon is already above market value, so a sixth year hardly seems necessary. Arlington Heights Daily Herald

The Celtics hit the 35-year-old free agent with a Big Three press on Thursday, showering him with everything from the camaraderie of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to the usual pitch about Celtics history. “Oh yes, we heard about that,” said Wallace’s agent, Bill Strickland. “He’s well-aware of that. He (played at) North Carolina, so that kind of thing matters to him.” Something else in the Celts’ pitch, however, caught Wallace’s ear. “One thing I liked that Danny (Ainge, executive director of basketball operations) said (Thursday) is that if they sign Rasheed, that won’t stop him from adding further to the team, because they are committed to winning,” Strickland said. Boston Herald

In other news of free agents not to be, a league source said the Cavs have not yet contacted free-agent big man Rasheed Wallace. The Boston Celtics are making a hard push for him, and he is reportedly going to visit the Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs next week. Things are expected to slow down in the free-agency process with the holiday weekend at hand. The Cavs are keeping a close eye on what happens with the Raptors. After breaking off talks with the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, Hedo Turkoglu might end up in Toronto and it could have an impact on the Cavs' options. Yahoo sports reported the Raptors are considering renouncing their rights to Anthony Parker and Shawn Marion in order to sign Turkoglu. The Cavs have had talks with Parker and also may be interested in Marion if the Raptors don't re-sign him. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Jason Kidd is expected to make a decision on his future no later than Wednesday, the first day that teams can actually sign free agents, according to a person close to the veteran point guard. Kidd returned to his home in Dallas to contemplate his next move. The Knicks, who hosted Kidd on Tuesday, have offered him a three-year contract worth approximately $18million. The Mavericks' three-year offer is closer to $25 million. New York Daily News

At the opening of his Vancouver health club, Suns point guard Steve Nash said he will meet with agent Bill Duffy next week to discuss his future. Whether that be a contract extension, trade demand or agreement to a waive him that would save the Suns $5 million of his $13 million guarantee. Sources have told The Post Nash is unhappy in Phoenix. Nash told The Post recently: "In a lot of ways it'd be amazing. But it's not simple. A lot of stuff has to go right for me to be in New York." New York Post

In an effort to entice point guard Mike Bibby to join the 76ers, team president and general manager Ed Stefanski offered the Atlanta Hawks' free agent a one-year deal this week, said a source who was close to the situation. But Bibby apparently wasn't interested and ruled out the Sixers on Thursday. Philadelphia Inquirer

With his own free-agent point guard, Andre Miller, apparently shopping his services, Stefanski is seeking a player who can run the team next season while 2009 first-round draft pick Jrue Holiday develops. However, a Miller return is not out of the question. Stefanski spoke with Miller's agent Wednesday, when NBA free agency began, and another source said the two had gotten nowhere. Philadelphia Inquirer

Bibby was, according to league sources, close to re-signing with Atlanta on Friday, and Kidd was taking the weekend to decide between three-year offers from the Mavericks and the Knicks, with Dallas in the driver's seat. NBA.com

Though a deal isn't done, amicable negotiations are going pretty well between the Nuggets and representatives of free agent Chris Andersen. "The Birdman" is the Nuggets' top free-agent priority, and both sides are hammering out a fair multiyear deal. Andersen's camp is hoping for a deal around $25 million for five years. The Nuggets are hoping to backload the contract and have Andersen make around $3 million next season, an NBA source said. Denver Post

Glen “Big Baby” Davis may not make is back to Boston. After a strong performance in the playoffs against the Bulls, he’s drawing interest from several teams, including Detroit, as a restricted free agent. Arlington Heights Daily Herald

According to sources, Washington looks like the favorite for Stephon Marbury's next gig after Boston came up with an initial offer of $1.2 million, the veteran's minimum. Flip Saunders and Marbury are intrigued about reuniting. Sacramento also has inquired about the guard. New York Post

Add guards Luther Head (Miami) and Shannon Brown (Lakers) to the list of players the Pacers have contacted. Indianapolis Star

With free-agent forward Trevor Ariza joining the Rockets, free-agent guard Von Wafer likely will be leaving them. A day after he was stunned with the Rockets’ agreement with Ariza, Wafer’s agent, Mitchell Butler, said the Rockets have shown little interest in keeping Wafer, 23, leading him to look elsewhere. Butler said he was “floored” that the Rockets pursued Ariza, rather than seeking to keep Wafer and Ron Artest, and said it is “definitely highly unlikely (Wafer) would be back.” “None of it made any sense to me,” Butler said. “We had a good conversation with them prior to free agency. I expected they would look at a center and then come back and look in-house.” Houston Chronicle

Originally drafted by the Lakers, Wafer was a spark off the bench for the Rockets while Tracy McGrady was out of the lineup due to injury. “They had a great young player in Von Wafer they could have nurtured,” Butler said. “His ceiling is to be determined. From what I heard, they made a halfhearted effort to keep Ron and no effort to keep Von.” Houston Chronicle

Ersan Ilyasova has already decided he's returning to the NBA this summer. Sport.es

David Andersen is close to leaving FC Barcelona for the NBA and all indications point to him joining the Atlanta Hawks. El Mundo Deportivo

Thunder draftee Serge Ibaka is seriously considering making the jump to the NBA this summer. El Punt

According to different league sources, the Cavs' only real chance of landing Artest ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers was finding a way to pay him more than the mid-level exception, which the Lakers used. That would have taken a sign-and-trade with the Rockets, and those discussions never got off the ground. For what it is worth, the Cavs made the first cut as Artest showed no interest in teams who called that he did not consider championship contenders. Artest has wanted to play in Los Angeles for years, trying to force his way there as far back as 2005 when he was banished from the Indiana Pacers until they could trade him. During that time in exile, Artest rented an apartment in L.A. and has kept a residence there ever since and now will be there full time. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Then there was Trevor Ariza, who apparently fell victim to one of the worst situations for a free agent: not knowing that he didn't know. When he publicly balked at the Lakers' initial offer, he didn't seem to be aware the world champs had Artest waiting on the other line prepared to jump at just about any offer. What happened after that is a mystery except to Ariza and his agent. A source said the Cavs presented the exact same offer to Ariza as the Houston Rockets, five years at the mid-level, which is expected to be around $33 million total. Cleveland Plain Dealer

For LeBron James, the journey to repeat as the NBA's Most Valuable Player begins Monday morning. That's when the Cavs star will meet assistant coach Chris Jent at the team's practice facility in Independence. "LeBron is driven to win a championship," said Jent. "Most people have no idea how hard he works. He wanted to start last week, but I told him to rest his body. Let's start after July 4th." James will begin his day by meeting assistant trainer Mike Mancias. Sometimes, they lift weights. Sometimes, it's yoga. It always involves some stretching. "Six days a week, LeBron does some sort of workout, that's not counting his shooting drills," said Jent. "They do things to help his flexibility and balance. LeBron also has his own chef. He is extremely serious about being a better player." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Pistons president Joe Dumars is scheduled to have his first face-to-face meeting with Avery Johnson later this weekend regarding Detroit's coaching vacancy, according to NBA coaching sources. ESPN.com

Sources told ESPN.com that Dumars and Johnson, after discussing the job by phone, have planned to meet Sunday at Johnson's home in the Houston area, with Dumars intent on trying to hire his next coach before the Pistons begin summer-league play next week in Las Vegas. After former-Pistons coach Doug Collins pulled out of consideration earlier this week, ESPN analyst Johnson was widely regarded as the leading candidate for the position, which was vacated by Tuesday's firing of Michael Curry. ESPN.com

Joe Dumars is headed to Texas to try to woo Avery Johnson back to the sidelines, a source told NBA.com. The Pistons president is meeting with the former Mavericks coach for the first time Sunday at Johnson's home in the Houston area to discuss the opening. NBA.com

If Dumars or Johnson ultimately decides that the fit isn't right, it's unclear how Detroit will proceed. Sources said Dumars is a long-time admirer of Kuester's work -- and Kuester won raves last season in Cleveland for his impact on Mike Brown's offense -- but Dumars also appeared to make experience a prerequisite when he let Curry go, saying it was "a little bit unfair of me" to ask Curry to guide the Pistons through their transition as a first-time head coach. Proven veterans known to be interested in a return to head coaching include Del Harris, Paul Silas and Collins' fellow TNT analyst Mike Fratello. Sources with knowledge of Detroit's thinking maintain that former Pistons center Bill Laimbeer, who recently quit as coach of the WNBA's Detroit Shock to pursue NBA opportunities, is unlikely to be considered for the position. ESPN.com

With Avery Johnson no longer considered the inevitable choice, the candidacy of Cleveland Cavaliers assistant John Kuester has gained momentum in the Detroit Pistons coaching search, league sources said Friday. Johnson, the ex-Dallas Mavericks coach, is still in consideration, but Kuester and Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau have graded out favorably in GM Joe Dumars’ research, sources say. Kuester has a history with the organization as a Larry Brown assistant. Dumars will meet with Johnson this weekend. Sources say that Dumars had a lengthy telephone conversation with Thibodeau on Friday and is expected to speak with him again. Yahoo! Sports

Phil Jackson has just one more season left on the three-year contract he signed in 2007, but that doesn't mean the 63-year-old has ruled out coaching the Lakers beyond next season. "I don't think there's been any discussion of that with the Lakers, but that doesn't mean there couldn't be," agent Todd Musburger said. "Phil will make that decision at the right time. I think right now he's just happy to be healthy enough to come back next season." Riverside Press-Enterprise

We’ve all heard the rumors for years. They have been denied each and every time. I’ve listened and not taken the rumors seriously in previous iterations. But this time I’ve heard it from several people very close to the situation and in the league, with little room for doubt on their part: Warriors owner Chris Cohan is believed to be seriously considering selling his 80% stake in the franchise in the next year or two, according to the sources. (He took control of the franchise in January 1995.) In fact, one knowledgeable source said it’s “highly likely” that Cohan will sell most or all of his controlling interest in the team, possibly pulling back only if the current recession unexpectedly continues through 2011 and Cohan can’t get the price he wants. San Jose Mercury News

The sources did not give specific reasons for Cohan’s potential sell-off, and all of them noted that Cohan has spoiled soon-to-sell speculation several times in the past. But one source pointed to Cohan’s long-running battle with the IRS and another theorized that Cohan has wearied of the criticism he receives for the team’s run of disappointment, which includes 1 playoff season and 14 seasons in which the team did not reach the postseason. There are no immediately obvious candidates to purchase the Warriors, though there surely would be no shortage of interested parties. San Jose Mercury News

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