Archive: July, 2009
The 76ers got the call a little before 2 p.m. They fell short in their attempt to add unrestricted free agent Hakim Warrick to their roster.
A source familiar with the situation confirmed that the 6-9 Warrick, a onetime star at Friends Central, has agreed to the terms of a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. Warrick, via agent Bill Duffy, is believed to have accepted a deal worth $3 million, even though the Sixers supposedly offered slightly more, dipping in to a portion of their $5.8 million mid-level exception.
The source said that Warrick, who spent the previous four seasons of his NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies, saw a better opportunity for playing time with the Bucks. Warrick was listed with a salary of $2,119,102 last season when he averaged 11.6 points and 5 rebounds
Former Sixers guard Andre Miller says he is out to prove the critics wrong — again.
This time, his targets are the critics who are underwhelmed with Portland’s decision to sign Miller to a 3-year contract that could be worth as much as $21 million.
“I don’t really care what they think,” Miller said in an interview 95.5 The Game in Portland. “They probably didn’t want me in Philadelphia when I got moved there and there was no expectations when I got traded for Allen Iverson, so I mean, I went in to that situation and pretty much proved the critics wrong. I helped the team get to the playoffs and definitely could have helped the team get to the second round - we were close to getting to the second round for two years.
Sixers forward Thaddeus Young scored 12 points in 19 minutes to help the Blue to a 100-81 victory over the White in a Team USA intrasquad exhibition game Saturday in Las Vegas.
The game capped a U.S. National Team minicamp, which gave the players exposure to the international game and to the Team USA officials who will select the roster for the world championships next year and the 2012 Olympics. Twenty players took part in the camp.
Young was 6-for-9 from the field with two assists and three steals.
Andre Miller, the 76ers' unrestricted free agent, officially signed with the Portland Trail Blazers just before 7 tonight.
Miller had agreed to terms earlier in the day, but Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard waited until the deal was finalized before releasing the information.
The Blazers did not release length of term or dollar figures, but ESPN is reporting a three-year contract worth $21 million, with $14 million guaranteed in the first two years and the rest in a non-guaranteed third year. Miller earned $10.3 million with the Sixers last season.
Andre Miller has agreed to terms with the Portland Trail Blazers, agent Andy Miller has confirmed to the Daily News.
The deal is believed to be for two or three years with a starting salary higher than the mid-level exception of $5.8 million. Portland had $9 million in salary cap space meaning the Blazers did not have to do a sign-and-trade with the Sixers.
The Blazers turned their attention to Miller when they could not finalize a deal with David Lee of the New York Knicks. Negotiations with Miller picked up speed in the last 24 to 48 hours.
Theo Ratliff has gone from backing up Samuel Dalembert to backing up Tim Duncan.
Ratliff, a 76ers' unrestricted free agent, has agreed to a one-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs for a little more more than $1.3 million, the minimum salary for players with at least 10 years of service in the NBA. He spent last season with the Sixers on a similar contract.
Ratliff, 36, who entered the league as a first-round draft choice with the Detroit Pistons in 1995-96, will be playing his 15th season.
What does it say when the 76ers need a couple of big men to help fill out their roster, and the best names could turn out to be Primoz Brezec and Chris Mihm?
A source familiar with the Sixers' situation suggests a grouping the team could be considering internally includes Brezec, Mihm, Aaron Gray, Ryan Hollins, Jared Reiner, Jake Voshkuhl, Adonal Foyle and Earl Barron.
OK, we'll wait while you catch your breath.
While waiting for a final resolution to the ongoing saga of Andre Miller and the 76ers, here is a handful of other stuff concerning the team and some local players with other NBA teams--
1) The Sixers have signed first-round draft choice Jrue Holiday, the No. 17 overall pick in the first round. According to the rookie wage scale that is part of the collective bargaining agreement, the No. 17 pick is slotted at $1,261,900 and $1,356,600 in two guaranteed seasons with options for third and fourth seasons. Those figures, by the way, can be negotiated up a maximum of 20 percent.
2) According to a source familiar with the Sixers situation, the Sixers struck out on a one-year offer of $2.3 million to Golden State Warriors free agent guard C.J. Watson. Undrafted out of Tennessee, Watson appeared in 32 games with the Warriors in 2007-08 and averaged 9.5 points and 2.7 assists in 77 games (18 starts) last season. He seems bound for the Orlando Magic.
The Sixers have signed first-round draft pick Jrue Holiday, selected 17th overall last month.
Contract terms were not announced, but first-rounders receive guaranteed 2-year contracts with an option for a third year and an option for a fourth.
Holiday, 19, a guard from UCLA, started all five games for the Sixers/Nets entry in the Orlando Pro Summer League. He averaged 8.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, a team-high 3.0 assists and a team-high tying 1.60 steals in 29.0 minutes per game.
The 76ers have been contacting a variety of free agent guards to help fill out the roster for the coming season. That list, according to a source familiar with the situation, includes Juan Dixon, who has played before for new Sixers coach Eddie Jordan with the Washington Wizards.
In no particular order, the Sixers have also reached out to Bobby Jackson, Jason Hart, Carlos Arroyo, Tyronn Lue and Brevin Knight.
Lou Williams, Willie Green and first-round draft choice Jrue Holiday are the Sixers' only guards for the moment, although Andre Iguodala is likely to log some minutes in the backcourt. President/general manager Ed Stefanski has been searching for an additional backcourt player who can play some minutes and help with the development of Williams and Holiday.
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.
