July 3rd: "George on the move?"

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

Dantley gets second shot in charge

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Agent Mark Bartelstien said Saturday the Nuggets had preliminary talks with him about free agents Eddie House, Devean George, Tony Delk, Darius Songaila, Aaron Williams and Jake Voskuhl

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

The bidding heats up

The Kings are one of six teams to make an offer to Bonzi Wells.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Monday, July 3, 2006
Story appeared in Sports section, Page C1

By the time the NBA free-agency period ends, Bonzi Wells might be back in a Kings uniform.
But two days into negotiations, the Kings have plenty of competition for the shooting guard. Wells' agent, William Phillips, said he already has received six offers, including one made by the Kings on Saturday that is believed to be for more than the midlevel exception (approximately $5 million). Phillips has made a counteroffer and is waiting to hear back from Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie.

While Phillips wouldn't disclose the origins of the other offers, he said his optimism regarding Wells' market appeal has been warranted.

"There were some teams that called that kind of raised our eyebrows -- one in particular," Phillips said. "There was a very, very good conversation with them."
The Kings have had their own conversations outside of Wells, inquiring about former New Orleans point guard Speedy Claxton, center Joel Przybilla, former Kings forward Darius Songaila (most recently with Chicago), and former Los Angeles Lakers small forward Devean George.

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

Draft shows UCLA's progress

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Sagar Parikh

Click Here for more articles by Sagar Parikh

By Sagar Parikh
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
sparikh ( a t ) media.ucla.edu

NEW YORK — For years, UCLA basketball had been expected to produce top-flight draft picks. All-Americans such as Ed O'Bannon and Baron Davis being selected in the NBA lottery had been the norm.

But for the past six years, UCLA has been out of the mix. All of its top-flight recruits under Steve Lavin fizzled out, and none ever reached their potential in terms of getting to the NBA.

But that all ended on Wednesday, when All-Pac-10 performer Jordan Farmar was selected by the Lakers in the first round.

It wasn't so much that Farmar went in the first round, but the fact that Farmar was taken by such a high profile team as the Lakers, and people (such as ESPN's Dick Vitale) were talking about UCLA basketball again.

Even the New York Knicks fans, shocked by their team's selection of South Carolina's Renaldo Balkman, took a second out of their misery to cheer for the man they recognized for his performance in this year's NCAA Tournament.

It was a sign of the progress that coach Ben Howland has made during his first three years in the program.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, a man most Lakers fans agreeably dislike, came up on the big screen at Madison Square Garden to marvel at the professionalism Farmar showed during his workouts and during his interviews, and recognized his knowledge of the game at the young age of 19.

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

Farmar goes to Lakers

EL SEGUNDO — Strutting into his first press conference as a professional basketball player, Jordan Farmar couldn't have looked any more at home.

Less than twenty-four hours after being selected as the No. 26 pick in the NBA Draft by his hometown Los Angeles Lakers on June 28, Farmar was introduced by his new general manager, Mitch Kupchak. In Farmar's comments, he spoke as if he knew all along that fate would place him in what he deemed a "perfect situation."

"I couldn't have asked for a better outcome," Farmar said. "If I had to draw it up again, I wouldn't take it any other way."

Dressed in a trim teal suit with a sleek orange tie and Italian loafers, the former UCLA point guard held up his new purple and gold No. 5 jersey with Kupchak standing beside him. While the photo flashes popped back and forth, Farmar winked at his little sister, Shoshana Kolani, who was sitting in the front row, showing the poise and confidence that defined his two-year stay in Westwood.

If Farmar was only acting this calm, he sure is in the right city.