THINKS THE EAGLES STOLE ONE
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.
3) Temple's Dionte Christmas, who went undrafted in June, joined the Los Angeles Clippers entry in the Las Vegas Summer League after playing for the combined Sixers-New Jersey Nets team in the Orlando Summer Pro League. He appeared in 5 games with the Clippers, making 2 starts, but shot just 4-for-15 from the floor (1-for-5 from three-point distance) and averaged only 2.6 points.
4) On the other hand, Villanova's Dante Cunningham, the third pick in the second round in June (No. 33 overall), led the Portland Trail Blazers in scoring in Las Vegas, averaging 18.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 47.6 floor shooting in four games. He committed just 5 turnovers in 125 minutes.
5) Tyreke Evans, from Chester and American Christian Academy, was the No. 4 overall pick in June, going to Sacramento. He led the Kings summer entry in scoiring at 19.2 points.
6.) Episcopal Academy's Wayne Ellington, who went No. 28 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, was their No. 2 scorer in Las Vegas, at 14.4 points.
7) And for those of you who had been rooting for the Sixers to take Ty Lawson of North Carolina at No. 17, the North Carolina point guard led the Denver Nuggets summer group at 17.2 points.
8) Finally, Sixers president/GM Ed Stefanski and coach Eddie Jordan are scheduled to be on hand Saturday for the 10th annual Beach Bash at Jack's Place in Avalon, N.J. Admission to the bar area for fans 21 and over will be $10, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Sixers Charities. Author Jennifer Grocki will be signing copies of her children's book, ''From A To Zone D,'' which teaches te letters of the alphabet through basketball terms.
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.
All of this is going on as the Sixers wait for a resolution of their situation with unrestricted free agent Andre Miller.
More on that coming in tomorrow's Daily News.
ORLANDO – It was as if Ed Stefanski took a measure of relief in announcing the Sixers’ hitherto speculated divorce from free-agent point guard Andre Miller is, in fact, probably going to be a reality.
“We have made an offer to Andre but they’re looking for a better offer from other places,” the Sixers’ general manager said today. “I’d say right now we’re in the mode of looking for a sign-and-trade that makes sense for both sides ... I’d say we’re far apart.”
Years? Money?
“It’s both,” Stefanski said. “To go long-term on a contract with an older point guard – we don’t see that as a viable option right now.”
Stefanski said that Andy Miller, Andre Miller’s agent, is currently “canvassing the league” looking for a workable sign-and-trade. Andy Miller said he wasn’t happy the Sixers now see Miller as a long-term liability.
“Age wasn't an issue when he was able to lead the team to the playoffs,” Andy Miller said.
It was believed that Miller, 33, wanted a multiyear deal that would pay him a least the $10.3 million he earned last season, when he helped lead the Sixers to the playoffs, scoring 16.3 points and dealing 6.5 assists per game. It was believed that the Sixers, having invested in youth at the position, were willing to give him a 1-year deal worth about $6 million, the midlevel exception.
Stefanski gave every indication that those beliefs were accurate. Today, the first day NBA executives could address free agency, Stefanski informed the Daily News that the approximate $6 million was as much as the Sixers could afford to pay Miller and stay below the $69.92 million mark, above which the NBA luxury tax kicks in.
Andy Miller insisted that Andre always wanted to return to Philadelphia and said they would continue to negotiate with the Sixers. Andy Miller also questioned the Sixers’ thriftiness versus their eagerness to win.
“I’m not sure whether the Sixers value [avoiding] the luxury tax or winning or losing or advancing in the playoffs as a priority,” he said.
Andy Miller was asked to compare the Sixers’ reluctance to re-sign Andre Miller long-term with the Mavericks’ recent reported 3-year, $25 million commitment to 36-year-old Jason Kidd – a huge pay cut, since Kidd made more than $21 million last season alone – Andy Miller indicated that Andre might be willing to sign for less than his salary last year, if a team is willing to commit to more than 1 year.
“Kidd didn't do any better [advancing] in the playoffs than Andre, and he’s 3 years older,” Andy Miller said (actually, the Mavs made it to the second round, unlike the Sixers). "Maybe [the Mavericks are] more committed to winning, I don’t know.”
They certainly seem more willing to mortgage their future.
A report on ESPN.com today indicated that the NBA salary cap and luxury tax could both again fall in 2010, as they did in 2009. That could limit how much money in multiyear deals teams are willing to commit now. It also could limit the number of multiyear deals teams are willing to agree to now.
Stefanski insisted that the deal veteran point guard Mike Bibby, 31, agreed to with Atlanta this week has no bearing on negotiations with Miller. Bibby, whose representatives contacted the Sixers, reportedly agreed to a 3-year deal worth about $6 million annually to stay with the Hawks. He made almost $15 million last season.
Given the market for free-agent point guards, all of this means that the Sixers will look to youngsters Lou and Jrue.
“The second option is, Lou Williams is going to have a great opportunity here,” Stefanski said. “We’ve been grooming him for 4 years. We gave him a contract last year to play basketball.”
And the Sixers didn’t select Jrue Holiday with the 17th overall pick for nothing. Stefanski had just finished watching Holiday practice before tonight’s Orlando Summer League game when he addressed the Miller matter.
“The kid …we’ll see how he progresses,” said Stefanski, who allowed that a veteran backup might be necessary. “We’ll obviously go out and look for a guy for that position, too.”
Stefanski said that any veteran signed now would have to beat out Williams for the job. Williams, 22, saw time as Miller's backup in key situations last season. He averaged 12.8 points and 3.0 assists last season but has never started a game in the NBA. He signed a 5-year, $25 million extension last summer.
Holiday is a 19-year-old who played shooting guard at UCLA last season, his only collegiate experience.
“We’re going to grow with them,” said Stefanski.
Given the new cap issues and future cap considerations, Stefanski appeared unwilling to commit too much to Miller, despite Miller’s obvious value.
“The marketplace has changed dramatically,” Stefanski said. “Andre Miller did a very nice job for us. Where we are stationed right now – to go long-term is not a prudent decision for our franchise.”
When agent David Falk recently called the 76ers about Atlanta Hawks point guard Mike Bibby, it apparently was mostly about checking out the marketplace in a difficult economy.
As it turned out, staying home became the best option. In a development reported by Sekou Smith of the Atlanta Journal Constitution and confirmed by the Daily News, Bibby has agreed to remain with the Hawks via a three-year contract. The Journal Constitution estimated the value of the deal at $18 million.
The Sixers discussed the possibility of a one-year contract, but--according to a source familiar with the situation--never made a formal offer. The Sixers' thinking was that Bibby might consider a one-year deal, allowing him to again become an unrestricted free agent next summer when a number of teams will have stockpiled salary cap space.
The Sixers remain interested in acquiring a veteran point guard, possibly to start and to help mentor first-round draft choice Jrue Holiday. They have been negotiating with Andy Miller, the agent for Andre Miller, their unrestricted free agent, but seem far apart on money and length of term.
Andy Miller told Jason Quick of the Oregonian in a blog post on OregonLive.com that Andre Miller would be ''a good fit'' for the Portland Trail Blazers and that he ''puts them over the top'' because the Blazers ''desperately need a starting point guard to take the pressure off Brandon Roy.''
The Bibby agreement comes on the heels of Jason Kidd agreeing to a three-year contract worth a reported $25 million to remain with the Dallas Mavericks, and former Simon Gratz High star Rasheed Wallace taking a two-year deal to join the Boston Celtics.
Bibby averaged 14.9 points, 5 assists and 3.5 rebounds with the Hawks last season.
This is Andy Miller, the agent for 76ers unrestricted free agent Andre Miller, doing his j-o-b:
In a blog post by Jason Quick of the Oregonian on OregonLive.com, Andy Miller described Andre Miller as ''a good fit'' for the Portland Trail Blazers, who were rebuffed the other day by Orlando Magic free agent Hedu Turkoglu, who instead opted to agree to terms with the Toronto Raptors.
The Blazers' interest in Miller, though, remains unclear, but Andy Miller was quoted as saying ''It's a good fit, and I think Andre Miller puts them over the top. They desperately need a starting point guard to take the pressure off Brandon Roy. Andre would be able to control the floor and give that team better direction in the open court. It's their team, and they've made great progress, but at some point you have to make a leap forward.''
In the post, Miller said his conversations with the Blazers during the weekend did not include sign-and-tr4ade scenarios.
The Sixers have had discussions with Andy Miller about a new deal for Andre Miller, but all reports have indicated that they remain far apart on salary and length of term.
The 76ers received an inquiry from the agent for Atlanta Hawks free agent guard Mike Bibby, but a source familiar with the situation said the conversation ''didn't go anywhere.''
The theory seemed to be that the agent was doing his due diligence, checking the market for his client. Bibby was listed on the Hawks' salary cap last season at more than $14.98 million, but is more likely to play the coming season for something in the range of the $5.6 million mid-level exception.
That conceivably could end up being with the Hawks, who have acquired Jamal Crawford ($9.36 million) from the Golden State Warriors and have drafted Wake Forest's Jeff Teague.
The Sixers have equally been doing their homework while they negotiate with Andy Miller, the agent for Andre Miller, their own free agent. The Sixers, according to the source, have been unwilling to accept Andy Miller's desire for a contract of three or four years for Andre Miller, who will turn 34 in March. Andre Miller was listed on the Sixers' cap at slightly more than $10.3 million last season.
For now, the source said, that is why both sides should be pursuing sign-and-trade scenarios.
As we have reported previously, the coaching staff for new Sixers coach Eddie Jordan will include Mike O'Koren, Aaron McKie and Jim Lynam. The Sixers officially announced the staff today.
O'Koren will carry the title of associate coach, with McKie and Lynam listed as assistant coaches.
McKie and Lynam are holdovers from last season under Maurice Cheeks/Tony DiLeo.
“I am excited to be joined on the bench by three coaches with a wealth of basketball knowledge and for whom I have a tremendous amount of respect,” Jordan said. “My staff has a common vision for this team and how we will play, and I truly look forward to working with them to achieve our goals.”
"We have a lot of great relationships in Washington," Charrisse said. "The way things ended [with the Wizards], there was no closure. It's a celebration of friendship."
A nice touch -- the invitations looks like Sixers game tickets. Among the guests was Ed Tapscott, the Wizards' coach after Jordan was fired, but no Wizards players.
The Jordans plan to buy a home in Philadelphia, but also keep the place in Maryland.
"It's the nature of the business," Eddie said. "You don't really think about it. You try to do your best on a daily basis, then make it last 20 years."
The 76ers/New Jersey Nets entry in the Orlando Pro Summer League will include two fresh first-round draft choices, with the Nets sending Louisville's Terrence Williams to pair with the Sixers' Jrue Holiday.
The Nets are also sending second-year man Chris Douglas-Roberts, plus a handful of free agents, most prominently point guard A. J. Abrams of Texas and forward Jeff Adrien of Connecticut.
In four seasons, the 5-11 Abrams knocked down 389 three-pointers, a Texas and Big 12 Conference record. The 6-7 Adrien finished his career as the Huskies' No. 3 rebounder (1,126). With 1,603 points, he is the first in the school's history to compile at least 1,600 points and 1,100 rebounds.
Nets assistants Tom Barrisse and Roy Rogers will join the Sixers' Mike O'Koren and Aaron McKie to share the coaching duties.
The joint team will practice Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then open a five-game schedule July 6 against the Indiana Pacers.
Phil Jasner joined the staff of the Daily News in 1972. He has covered the 76ers and the NBA on a full-time basis since 1981. He won the 2004 Curt Gowdy Media Award, presented by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to the sport during his career; he was a finalist for the award in 2001, when he also received a lifetime achievement award from the Professional Basketball Writers Association during the NBA Finals. He is a past president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association and the Philadelphia College Basketball Writers Association. Along the way, he has covered high school sports, the Big 5, the Eagles and the NFL, the World Football League, the North American Soccer League and what was then the Major Indoor Soccer League. He is a proud graduate of Temple University, and spent his early professional days at the Pottstown (Pa.) Mercury, Montgomery Newspapers (Fort Washington, Pa.), the Norristown (Pa.) Times-Herald and the Trentonian.
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for almost 20 years, working in the sports department the past 12 years. This is his first season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he has been the La Salle beat writer for the past six seasons.
