News from August 1. The following is from ESPN SportCenter. Boston signed unrestricted free agent Pervis Ellison to a 6 year contract believed to be worth about $12 million. Ellison will wear #43. Trade: Phoenix traded Mark West to Detroit for two 2nd round draft picks, one in 1996 and the other in 1999. This is seen as an attempt to free up money to sign unrestricted free agent Danny Manning, who wants to play for Phoenix. News from August 2. (From ESPN SportCenter:) Trade: Washington traded Michael Adams to Charlotte for 2nd round draft picks in 1996 and 1997. The NBA disapproved the contracts of Horace Grant with Orlando and A.C. Green with Phoenix. The league claimed that the contracts were designed to circumvent the salary cap with the use of the Dudley clause (one year option out clause). Grant's contract included the clause and Green's contract was a results of using the clause to become an unrestricted free agent and then re-signing with the team (teams can re-sign unrestricted free agents for any amount - no salary cap limitations). Chris Dudley's contract, with the first instance of the option out clause, was disapproved by the league last year and then taken to court. The judge ruled in favor of the contract (thus validating it) but said that if the clause became a trend, it would basically destroy the cap. Citing that ruling, the league felt they were justified in challenging Grant's and Green's contracts. Basically, the league wants the Dudley clause loop hole closed. If he passes his physical, Richard Dumas (Pho) will join a team in Greece, the same team that Roy Tarpley was on last year. Dumas is currently suspend by the league for drug abuse. (From radio WBAP:) Speaking of Roy Tarpley, his Greece team has made him a contract offer and is pressing him to make a decision. Tarpley is currently suspended by the NBA and is waiting for the league to reinstate him; their decision of whether or not to reinstate him is currently under review and won't come until late August or so. Dallas, who owns Tarpley's NBA rights, also have a contract on the table for Tarpley, but it can't signed until the league reinstates him. (From the Austin American Statesman:) Cleveland re-signed Bobby Phills. Washington re-signed Mitchell Butler to a 4 year contract. (From radio KILF:) Charlotte fans have reason to be upset with the management. Not only did they lose the Grant sweepstakes, but they also lost Danny Manning in going after Grant. Manning had wanted to play for Charlotte and had a meeting scheduled with them last week. Charlotte cancelled the meeting to focus on getting Grant and Manning left very upset with the team. He later visited Phoenix and that is where he now wants to play. News from August 3. Charlotte has scheduled a news conference for today and is expected to announce the signing of unrestricted free agent Robert Parish. (From radio KILF:) Cleveland has reached an agreement with unrestricted free agent Michael Cage. Indiana has reached an agreement with unrestricted free agent Byron Scott. The deal is believed to be worth $5 million for 3 years. And someone did get a home video of Michael Jordan's first home run and has already made a deal for it. News from August 4. The following is from ESPN SportCenter and WTBS. Charlotte signed unrestricted free agent Robert Parish to a 2 year, $5.5 million contract with a 3rd year option worth $2 million. Parish will wear #00. News from Austin 5. The following is from the Dallas Morning News. Minnesota announced that the team is being sold to Glen Taylor, a businessman and former state senator from Mankato, Minn. The sale is subject to league approval. Toni Kukoc, a restricted free agent, says that he has agreed to 6 year, $26 million contract with Chicago. That would make him the highest paid Bull ever. Phoenix and A.C. Green has filed a suit against the NBA over the league's invalidating the contract between Green and the team. Said Marc Fleisher, Green's agent, "A year ago, we were given a green light by the NBA to enter into a contract with the Suns. The league's decision now to disapprove A.C.'s contract with Phoenix is without merit." Roy Tarpley's agent says that they are leanning towards returning to the NBA instead of rejoining the Greek team, Olympiakos, that he has been playing with for the past three years. He says that they have not given a "definite no" to Olympiakos, who wanted an answer this week. The Greek team reportedly has an offer of less than $2 million for next year on the table. Dallas, who owns Tarpley's NBA rights, has a multi-year, multi-million contract on the table with the contingency of the NBA reinstating him. No offical word on the exact amount, but it is rumoredly close to Tarpley's asking price of $3 million per year. Miami signed Matt Geiger to a multi year contract. Milwaukee signed Marty Conlon to a 2 year contract. San Antonio named Larry Alexander VP for administration and communications and promoted Tom Jones to director of media services. News from August 11 We finally know what to call the new Vancouver franchise. They announced their name as the Vancouver Grizzlies. Their colors are turquoise, bronze, and black. News from August 14. Roy Tarpley did formally turn down Greece Olympiakosa's contract offer for next season. Rumor from Dallas has it that Tarpley now is leanning towards playing for Dallas next season [but that could just be politics]. News from August 16. San Antonio has interviewed Garfield Heard (Ind assistant), Bob Hill (Orl assistant), and Randy Pfund (former LAL coach) for their vacant head coach position. Dick Harter was named as an assistant coach by Portland. Atlanta signed journeyman Jim Les. Les will wear #35. Brent Price (Was) underwent successful ACL surgery on Monday. He is expected to miss the entire season. News from August 17. In case you were curious, Argentina finished 9th and Spain 10th in the World Championship games. [thanks to Justin Ridge for the info] Minnesota fired coach Sidney Lowe. Assistant coaches Jim Brewer and Chuck Davisson were also fired. Team president Bob Stein had a few weeks ago also been fired and replaced by Rob Moor, new owner Glen Taylor's son-in-law. Minnesota now joins San Antonio as the two teams (excluding the expansion teams) in need of a head coach. Jason Kidd is in Dallas looking for a place to live. His agent is meeting with GM Norm Sonju to start contract negotiations. News from August 18. New Jersey hired Jerry Eaves as an assistant coach. New Jersey signed 1st round draft pick Yinka Dare to a rumored 5 to 6 year contract worth $9 to $10 million. He will wear #11. Jason Kidd (Dal draft pick) signed a contract with Nike worth $15 million for 8 years. Apparently Superman's playing days are officially over (for now). The LA Lakers hired Kurt Rambis to perform scouting and other tasks. Restricted free agent Olden Polynice re-signed with Sacramento. Minnesota named Kevin McHale as assistant general manager. Rob Babcock was from scout to player personnel director. News from August 19. The NBA disapproved the new contract between Toni Kukoc and the Chicago Bulls claiming that it circumvented the salary cap. Kukoc had used the opt-out clause from his rookie contract to become a restricted free agent. Teams are allowed to resigned free agents without consideration to the salary cap. Sacramento renounced the rights to Wayman Tisdale and signed unrestricted free agent Frank Brickowski into Tisdale's salary slot. News from August 22. John Paxson (Chi) made official what many had expected - he has retired after 11 years of playing in the NBA. He will continue working with the Bulls as a special instructor and possibly as radio commentator. Seattle re-signed unrestricted free agents Vincent Askew to a 1 year contract and Steve Scheffler to a 3 year contract. News from August 24 LA Lakers signed restricted free agents Nick Van Exel and Antonio Harvey to multi year contracts. Look for the NBA to disapprove Van Exel's contract as he had used the opt- out clause to become a restricted free agent. Josh Grant, restricted free agent for Golden State, will play in Spain next season for Valencia. Doug Christie (LAL) underwent surgery on his left ankle to remove calcium deposit. He is expected to be out for 8 to 12 weeks. John Battle (Cle) underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to removed loose cartilage. He is expected to be out for 4 to 6 weeks. Sacramento re-signed restricted free agent Lionel Simmons. Correction: Seattle signed Steve Scheffler to the 1 year contract and Vincent Askew to the 3 year deal. [I had them reversed.] Rumors: Miami and Chicago are talking about Scottie Pippen. Rumors still indicate that the Heat are offering Rony Seikaly and one other player - Glen Rice or Steve Smith. Washington is also persuing Pippen. News from August 25. San Antonio signed unrestricted free agent Moses Malone. Terms of contract were not disclosed. The team physician for Indiana recommended Damon Bailey, the Pacer's 1st round draft pick, to undergo surgery on both knees. News from August 26. Boston signed Eric Montross, their 1st round draft pick, to a rumored 11 year, $17 to 20 million contract. Older news: [From the Dallas Morning News] 8/14 The cost of success. Houston has raised the prices for all of the seats at the Summit, except for the $11 seats. The $18 seats are now $22.50; $23 now $29.50; $29 now $37.50; $40 now $52.50; and $46 now $65.50. 8/17 Denver named Tommy Sheppard as director of media relations. 8/24 Miami named Ed Badger as an assistant coach and signed him to a multi year contract and resigned assistant coach Alvin Gentry to a multi year contract. News from August 30. As expected, the NBA disapproved Chris Dudley's new contract with Portland stating that the contract was an attempt to circumvent the salary cap. New York re-signed unrestricted free agent Herb Williams. Golden State re-signed restricted free agent Keith Jennings. Restricted free agent Oliver Miller visited Detroit. Phoenix has stated that they will match any offer made for Miller. Older news: Unrestricted free agent Alaa Abdelnaby signed a one year contract with Sacramento. News from August 31. San Antonio hired Hank Egan, Paul Pressey, and Dave Cownes as assistant coaches. Charlotte signed 2nd round draft pick Darrin Hancock to a multi year contract. Unrestricted free agent Randy White signed a 1 year contract with Peristeri (Athens, Greece).