Goran Dragic signs with Phoenix Suns

Goran Dragic (GO-ran DRAG-itch), a 22-year old Slovenian point guard, has signed a four-year deal with the Phoenix Suns. The Suns are trying to find a backup and eventual replacement for the 34-year old, two-time NBA MVP, Steve Nash.

“(Goran) has to come and has to compete for a backup spot behind Steve,” Phoenix’s General Manager Steve Kerr said. “Hopefully he’ll learn and develop behind Steve and potentially be our starter someday. We’ll see if that happens.”

“It’s difficult adding a guy who can fill the role of point guard and we feel he has an excellent chance at doing that and are thrilled to have gotten him.”

Right now, the 6-4 Dragic is one of Europe’s up-and-coming European guards. Left-handed, Goran is more a pass-first point guard with a fiery, competitive edge, and a shaky outside shot. Dragic plays similarly to Manu Ginobili with a lot of herky jerky movements and slick, savvy moves around the basket.

Dragic was the 45th overall pick of 2008’s NBA draft, and required a buyout by Phoenix in order to come to the NBA. “When I was a kid, it was my dream to play in the NBA,” the left-handed point guard told the Arizona Republic after the draft “It was my wish that the Suns pick me.”

The Suns convinced Tau Ceramica, the club that owned Dragic’s rights, to relent on his contract which disallowed a buyout until next season. The Suns contributed the maximum $500,000 of the $2 million required buyout. Though owned by TAU, the combo-guard was loaned to Union Olimpija last season where he averaged 9.7 points, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals in 13 games for the Adriatic club.

NBA.com comes up with this evaluation of Dragic:

Listed at 6-4. Dragic possesses a 6-7 wingspan to go along with his wiry frame that allows him to defend taller players. A southpaw, he’s crafty with the ball and can slice through the lane in. He looks a little like fellow countryman and Sacramento King guard Beno Udrih on the floor, but he is much more athletic.

Goran Dragic grew up idolizing Sasha Danilovic, dreamed of playing in the NBA, and was so excited about the prospect of playing in the NBA that he spent 42 hours on a plane roundtrip from Europe to Phoenix, so the Suns could get one last look at him before the draft. All in all, Dragic spent less than 2 hours doing workout and drills before hopping back on a plane.

That experience hasn’t dampened his spirits at all, the young guard that played for Union Olimpija last season is ecstatic at the prospect of being in the NBA, “Amaré, Shaq, Steve Nash are some of the best players in the NBA. These were players I watched as a kid and it was my dream to play with them. I like to play fast-break basketball like they do here in Phoenix, play defense and pass the ball to my open teammates.” Dragic said.

Along with Sasha Vujacic, Rasho Nesterovic, and Beno Udrih, Dragic will be the fourth Slovenian in the NBA this season, he would have been the fifth had Bostjan Nachbar not decided to return to Europe and sign with Dynamo Moscow.

Argentina’s Prigioni earns Supercopa MVP after leading Tau to glory

ZARAGOZA (Supercopa ACB) – It didn’t take long for Argentina’s Olympic bronze-medal winning point guard Pablo Prigioni to add more silverware to his trophy cabinet.

The 31-year-old playmaker of the Albiceleste in Beijing buried six three-balls and finished with 22 points to fire Tau Ceramica to an 86-85 win over hosts CAI Zaragoza on Saturday in the final of the Supercopa ACB.

Tau had a comfortable 68-58 advantage early in the fourth quarter but then struggled against a zone employed by Zaragoza, who went on a 19-2 run for a 77-70 lead.

A Prigioni three with under three minutes remaining stopped the rot and closed the gap to 77-73, yet Zaragoza looked as if they would prevail after a three-point play by Lewis re-established an 80-73 advantage.

Prigioni struck again from long range to keep Tau within striking distance and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Mirza Teletovic eventually hit a three to give Tau an 85-83 lead.

A Lewis basket to left the score knotted at 85-85 but Tau’s Serbian shooting guard Igor Rakocevic drew a foul by Zaragoza’s Lucas Victoriano and made the second of two free throws for a one-point lead.

Prigioni and Co then breathed a sigh of relief as his fellow Argentina Olympian Paolo Quinteros was off target with a running long three-pointer right at the buzzer.

"It was a very intense game that we controlled for the majority of the time but the (2-3) zone in the fourth quarter took us out of our rhythm,” Prigioni said.

“When they looked as though they were going to win, perhaps they thought it was all over and that is when we showed our desire to win the title and won.

“The fact that we showed this desire proves that we always aspire to the maximum.”

Lewis had 19 points to lead Zaragoza, while Quinteros weighed in with 14.

Jackson returns to Lakers relaxed

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Don't be fooled by Phil Jackson's tan and relaxed demeanor. He's still upset about missing out on another NBA title last summer.

"There's still a little angst and anger there," the Los Angeles Lakers' coach told reporters Friday at the team's practice facility.

The Lakers lost the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics in six games in June, costing the Hall of Fame coach a chance at his league-record 10th coaching title.

Jackson appeared tanned, rested and relaxed as he spoke with reporters about his summer of boating, swimming and spending time with his grandchildren. He also spoke of possible changes that could help Los Angeles win another title.

Although the Lakers have the core of their rotation back from last season, Jackson said he's not content with the status quo. Above all, he's eager to see how well Andrew Bynom mixes with fellow 7-footer Pau Gasol.

Bynum was in the midst of a breakout season when he suffered a partially dislocated left kneecap Jan. 13 and did not play again in 2007-08. The Lakers acquired Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 1, and he and league MVP Kobe Bryant led them to the finals.

Jackson wants to play Bynum at center, with Gasol moving to power forward and Lamar Odom shifting from power forward to small forward. There's also a chance that Jackson will start Trevor Ariza and use Odom as a sixth man.

"To adjust the two of them on the floor at the same time and Lamar at a wing spot is going to be our goal this year at training camp, to figure out how to do that," Jackson said. "Pau has a role to play on the floor with Andrew. He's got to face the basket a little bit more. So, yeah, we have some adjustments to make."

Jackson agreed that the Lakers lacked the necessary physical presence to compete with the Celtics in the finals. However, he said Bynum's return to form will solve some of the Lakers' lack of muscle around the basket.

"We know we weren't a muscular, physical team, but we were able to get to where we did by finesse and speed," Jackson said. "I was always impressed by our ability to be as resilient as we were."

Jackson said he did not disagree with Bryant's decision to delay surgery on his right pinkie until after the season. Bryant was injured Feb. 5, and played the rest of the season as well as in the Olympics with damaged ligaments.

The Lakers begin training camp Tuesday. They open the regular season Oct. 28 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Unicaja's Rodriguez out 3 months

Spanish powerhouse Unicaja suffered a season-opening blow on Tuesday with the announcement that signature swingman Berni Rodriguez will miss the next three months of action with an ankle injury. Rodriguez, who won the Olympics silver medal last month for Spain, has been diagnosed with a partial tendon tear and chronic instability in his left ankle. He will be operated on this week, the club said in its announcement. Rodriguez, 28, has played his entire career with Unicaja, debuting in the Euroleague during the 2001-02 season. He has been a part-time starter all decade, excelling with defensive energy and offensive opportunism. He had his highest scoring average ever, 10.8 points, while helping Unicaja reach its first Final Four, in 2006 at Athens, a year after the club also won its first Spanish League crown. Besides his Olympic medal, Rodriguez won the 2006 World Championships with the Spanish national team. . Rodriguez had appeared in at least one preseason game with Unicaja prior to being tested last week for ankle pain. The results of those tests, confirmed by further tests today, prompted the club to send him to Barcelona for surgery as soon as Wednesday.

Cavs acquire Mo Williams in three-team deal

Cleveland, OH - The Cleveland Cavaliers landed some offensive help for LeBron James in the backcourt on Wednesday, as they picked up point guard Mo Williams in a three-team trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City.

The Cavs acquired Williams while parting ways with guard Damon Jones and forward Joe Smith.

Jones will land in Milwaukee, along with former Oklahoma City point guard Luke Ridnour and swingman Adrian Griffin. Oklahoma City will receive Smith and Bucks forward Desmond Mason.

A five-year veteran, Williams averaged 17.2 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game for the Bucks last season. A second-round pick by the Utah Jazz out of Alabama in 2003, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Williams has five years and $43 million left on a contract he signed last summer with Milwaukee after posting similar numbers in the 2006-07 season -- 17.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game.

"Acquiring Mo strengthens our nucleus of players for both the short and long term," said Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry. "He is entering his prime NBA years and will be part of the foundation of our future success. Mo is a player that excels as a traditional point guard, but also brings an extra dimension with his scoring and versatility. His ability to push the tempo, get inside the lane, shoot from the perimeter and distribute the ball will be very valuable for us."

Jones, a 10-year vet, averaged 6.5 points and 1.9 assists per game for the Cavs last season.

Smith, sent to the Cavs by the Bulls in the massive trade that also sent Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak to Cleveland last season, averaged 10.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game between both clubs. The well-traveled former No. 1 overall pick out of Maryland has career averages of 11.9 points and 6.9 rebounds in 13 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers (twice), Minnesota Timberwolves (twice), Detroit Pistons, Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Bulls, and Cavs.

Mason, an eight-year vet out of Oklahoma State, scored 9.7 points and added 4.3 rebounds per game in 59 contests with the Bucks last season.

Ridnour tallied 6.4 points and 4.0 assists per game last season for the former Seattle Supersonics.

Griffin, a nine-year vet, averaged 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in 22 games with the Bulls last season. Chicago traded Griffin to Oklahoma City in February.

Jason Williams retires from NBA after 10 seasons

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Jason Williams announced his retirement Friday, ending his 10-year NBA career less than two months after signing with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Williams, who helped the Miami Heat to the NBA title in 2006, averaged 11.4 points, 6.3 assists and shot 39.6 percent from the floor in 679 games.

The point guard was drafted seventh overall pick in 1998 out of Florida by the Sacramento Kings and averaged 12.8 points and six assists as a rookie.

Williams joined the Memphis Grizzlies three years later, and in 2001-02 averaged 14.8 points and eight assists. In four seasons with the Grizzlies, Williams became the club’s career assists leader.

He played for the Heat from 2005-2008, and started all 23 playoff games in Miami’s title run. He signed with the Clippers on Aug. 7.

Sixers ink Iguodala to new deal

Philadelphia, PA - The Philadelphia 76ers made it official on Monday and re-signed restricted free agent swingman Andre Iguodala to a new contract.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but a report in the Philadelphia Daily News said the two sides had agreed to a six-year pact worth $80 million.

Iguodala could have played the upcoming season on a one-year qualifying offer before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.

"We have maintained since the beginning of this process that Andre was a main priority for us because he is one of the best all-around young players in the league and an integral part to the success of our team," said Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski. "We are excited that we are able to keep a player with Andre's talent, athleticism and work ethic here in Philadelphia."

The Sixers selected Iguodala with the ninth overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft. He has played and started 322 of a possible 328 games in his four-year career, averaging 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

Last season, the 24-year-old Arizona product averaged a career-best 19.9 points with 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 82 games. He helped the 76ers reach the playoffs for the first time in three years

Cavs owner unhappy with talk of James leaving

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP)—LeBron James may wear a New York Yankees hat everywhere from his hometown of Akron to Beijing, but Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert thinks rampant speculation that the superstar will leave Cleveland in two years is “an insult to the city.”

Gilbert said James has given him no indication that he plans to leave for New York after his contract expires in 2010. He called the talk of his departure nothing more than conjecture from bored sports reporters.

“It’s kind of an insult to the city of Cleveland in my opinion—an insult to the Midwest,” said Gilbert, who spoke to the media at the Cavaliers’ suburban practice facility Thursday, a few days before the team opens training camp.

James has two years remaining on a contract extension he signed with the Cavaliers in July 2006. He has said that he can’t see himself playing anywhere else right now, and has declined to address what will happen in two years.

But his fondness for New York has helped prompt speculation that he will leave Cleveland for the New York Knicks or the New Jersey Nets, who are partly owned by his good friend, rap mogul Jay-Z.

James riled Cleveland fans last October when he attended an Indians playoff game against New York wearing a Yankees cap. He was wearing one again earlier this month on the sideline of the Dallas Cowboys—another of his favorite teams — before the Browns’ season opener.

James’ loyalty has been questioned by everyone in Cleveland from fans to newspaper columnists to Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who earlier this month said, “LeBron isn’t a Cleveland guy. … who knows if he even likes the Cavaliers?”

Edwards backtracked a few days later, saying it was only a sarcastic joke.

Speculation about James leaving escalated in the national media over the summer as he helped lead the U.S. Olympic basketball team to a gold medal in Beijing.

“People in your profession are very bored on both sides of the country. There’s no basketball going on so they write this stuff,” Gilbert said.

Discussions on a contract extension for James are still two summers away, said Gilbert, who is entering his fourth season as the Cavs’ owner.

“I think we’re one of the top organizations in the NBA,” Gilbert said. “I think we’re going to compete for a championship in the next year or two and we’ll worry about that summer when it comes.”

Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry added that he understands the speculation about James in 2010, but that it’s not the team’s present focus.

“We want to seize the opportunity we have in front of us right now,” he said.

The Cavaliers acquired point guard Mo Williams during the offseason, drafted forward J.J. Hickson and are largely returning with the team that lost to eventual champion Boston in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.

“I think we were literally closer last year than the year before,” said Gilbert, referring to their first trip to the NBA finals, in which they were swept by San Antonio.

Arenas undergoes knee surgery, could be out until December

Washington, DC - Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas underwent another surgery on his left knee on Wednesday, and told a Washington newspaper that he will not return to game action until December.

Arenas, who missed 66 games during the 2007-08 regular season before mounting an ultimately unsuccessful return for the end of the season and the playoffs, told the Washington Post on Wednesday that he plans on returning to play some time in December, meaning that he will miss at least the first month of the season.

The three-time All-Star has now undergone three surgeries in 17 months on the knee. He tore the left meniscus in the knee during a game against Charlotte on April 4, 2007, and missed the remainder of that season. He then needed additional surgery after playing the first eight games of the 2007-08 season. This latest procedure was done to remove debris from the knee.

"After Gilbert's normal course of rehabilitation was ramped up, he experienced some swelling and discomfort in his knee," said Wizards team physician Dr. Marc Connell, who performed the procedure at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC.

"A subsequent MRI showed that the knee is structurally sound. The decision was made to perform an arthroscopic lavage procedure, during which a moderate amount of debris was removed after saline solution was washed through the knee," said Connell. "The presence of debris is common with the nature of his previous injury. This was a proactive procedure that will enhance his rehabilitation process."

Arenas, who signed a six-year, $111 million contract this summer, averaged 19.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 13 games for the Wizards last season. The Arizona product has career marks of 22.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game in seven seasons with the Golden State Warriors and Washington.