Billups Becomes Free Agent

By Wendell Maxey
for HOOPSWORLD.com

It's offcial.

Chauncey Billups is a free agent.

The news came this morning from MLive.com where A. Sherrod Blakely reported he spoke with, "Billups' agent, Andy Miller, a few minutes ago who confirmed that the paperwork for Billups to become a free agent on July 1 has been filed with the league office, and with the Pistons."

Billups was due to make $6,819,000 next season in the final year of his contract.

Miller went on to say, "His (Billups) first priority is to re-sign with the Pistons. We'll see if we can get a deal done. And if that doesn't work out, then we'll have to explore other options available to us."

Orlando and Milwaukee have been rumored this offseason to be interested in Billups. Both teams are under the salary cap and in need of a point guard. However Joe Dumars may throw a wrench in those negotiations. The Pistons president maintains he will be able to re-sign Billups thus keeping him in Detroit.

Time will tell. But for now, Chauncey Billups is a wanted man and a free agent this summer.

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Parker, Spurs Close Out Cavs for Fourth Title

The Spurs continued to cement their status as one of the NBA's dynasties as they used a 83-82 Game 4 win in Cleveland on Thursday to complete their sweep of the young Cavaliers and capture their fourth NBA title in nine years.

Manu Ginobili poured in 13 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter, including six free throws in the final 24 seconds, to keep the charging Cavs at bay. Cleveland had scored the first 11 points of the period, but needed Damon Jones' 3-pointer at the buzzer to produce the final one-point margin.

Tony Parker finished with 24 points to become the first European-born player to earn the NBA Finals MVP Award. Parker averaged 24.5 points on 57 percent shooting and five rebounds for the series.

Tim Duncan, who had been named MVP in each of the previous three championship runs, tallied 12 points and 15 rebounds, and averaged 18.3, 11.5 and 2.3 blocks over the four-game set.

LeBron James finished his first Finals experience on a positive note, scoring 13 of his 24 points in the Cavaliers' strong fourth quarter to go along with six rebounds and 10 assists.

With title No. 4, the Spurs join the Celtics (16), Lakers (14) and Bulls (six) as the only franchises with that many. Veteran Robert Horry picked up his seventh ring, the most for any non-Celtic.

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Arenas Says He Will Opt Out of Deal in '08

By Ivan Carter

Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 10, 2007; Page E07

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas said last night that he will opt out of his contract after next season and become a free agent.

Arenas, who signed a six-year, $65 million contract in the summer of 2003, said his decision is based on family and business concerns rather than feelings about the direction in which the Wizards are headed as an organization.

"To me, it's just a smarter business decision to play next season, opt out and then be able to sign a long-term deal that is going to keep me in one place," said Arenas, who is recovering from left knee surgery and expects to be at full speed in time for training camp in October. "I'm not looking at anything else. It's just business. If something happens where they don't want me or they're going in a different direction, I can look elsewhere. But my intentions are not to leave."

Arenas also said he does not plan on hiring an agent. He parted ways with agent Dan Fegan last summer.

"I don't need an agent," Arenas said. "I can do all of this research myself."

According to the collective bargaining agreement, the most the Wizards could offer Arenas this summer is a three-year extension worth between $60 million and $70 million, but the deal wouldn't kick in until his original contract expires following the 2008-09 season.

Once he opts out, Arenas would be eligible to sign a maximum contract covering six years and worth between $90 and $100 million, depending on the salary cap. The Wizards will have an advantage however, because other teams would be able to offer him only up to five years.

Arenas has repeatedly expressed his desire to play for a championship contender but the Wizards suffered a setback this season when he and all-star forward Caron Butler suffered season-ending injuries. Washington was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second straight season.

The Wizards have several free agents, including guards DeShawn Stevenson and Jarvis Hayes and forward Andray Blatche and hold the 16th and 47th picks in the June 28 draft. Arenas said he'd like to see the Wizards acquire a "scorer off the bench" and improve the team's post play.

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Favored Spurs Won’t Underestimate Cavaliers

By ELIZABETH WHITE, Associated Press Writer

SAN ANTONIO, June 4 (AP) -- LeBron James may be the star of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the San Antonio Spurs know better than to ignore the other four players on the court.

"They wouldn't be in the finals without LeBron, we wouldn't be in the finals without Tim Duncan,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Sunday. "That goes without saying. But they still would not be in the finals, nor would we, if we didn't each have our supporting casts. Everybody else has to fit.''

San Antonio was 0-2 against Cleveland during the regular season. The Spurs lost their home opener to the Cavs, plus their January matchup in Cleveland, where the NBA finals will arrive for the first time later this month.

The Spurs held James to 19 points in the second meeting, but the Cavs put three other players in double figures in their 82-78 victory. Two other players scored eight points.

"We lost to them twice this season. They've been playing great,'' Duncan said. "They're on a high right now, playing with a lot of confidence. And they're going to be a tough opponent. We're going to have to really come out and shake this rust off quick this first game and really try to jump on them.''

After beating the Utah Jazz in five games for the Western Conference championship, the Spurs will have had a full week off by Thursday's start to the NBA finals in San Antonio.

Cleveland wrapped up the Eastern Conference championship on Saturday in Game 6 against the Detroit Pistons. James scored 20 points in that game, but it was rookie Daniel Gibson's 31-point performance that stole the show.

"Teams get to finals and teams win championships, and their team fits,'' Popovich said.

So do the Spurs. Their top three scorers, Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, have been together for the Spurs' last two championship runs, in 2003 and 2005. Duncan is healthy and said he's playing better basketball this year than in the last three. And the team turned midseason struggles around to take off on a 13-game winning streak and compile a 23-6 record after the All-Star break.

Still, the turnaround James has led in Cleveland over his four seasons there is what's grabbed the attention.

"I'm just hoping every once in a while they throw the Spurs in there, in between LeBron highlights, that'd be nice,'' Duncan said Sunday.

The experienced Spurs are going for their fourth championship in nine seasons. Duncan has been around for all three.

"I'm not sure how rare they think it is since they've been there quite often considering their young ages and time in the league,'' Popovich said. "But they know it's the finals and that would take care of any possible complacency I would think.''

San Antonio held opponents to just over 90 points a game during the regular season, leading the league. Cleveland was fifth, holding opponents to about 93 points.

"Cleveland's an excellent defensive team, they kind of snuck up on everybody. When you talk about defense people mention the Pistons and the Bulls this year, and Houston and San Antonio and that kind of thing. Dallas became a good defensive team under Avery (Johnson),'' Popovich said. "But Cleveland is right in that category with everybody else, it just hasn't been noticed yet.''

Popovich has reason to compliment the Cavs' defense. It's largely the same as San Antonio's.

Cleveland coach Mike Brown is one of several members of the Cavaliers organization, including general manager Danny Ferry and assistant coach Hank Egan, who used to be with the Spurs. Brown worked under Popovich as an assistant for three years earlier this decade.

"This is going to pretty much a situation where everybody knows what everybody's going to do,'' Popovich said. "There aren't going to be any secrets here, that's for sure.''

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