• The biggest news is in L.A., where Elgin Baylor is out of his coma and going buck wild. They originally were into Vlad “The Impaler” Radmanovic, but once he agreed to a deal with the Lake Show, they instead went after Tim Thomas and got him. He signed for their full mid-level exception over 4 years. Really screws the Suns, who not only lost a guy they really needed but lost him to a team in their own division.
• The Clips then scrambled and went after Sam Cassell. The Hawks had thrown out a 2 year, $13 million deal and Sam was ready to bite. The Clips matched it and got him to stay in L.A.
• Peja Stojakovic is gone to N’awlins/OKC. Hornets GM Jeff Bower overpaid (5 years, $64 million!), but then again, where else are they going to spend that cash? Big signing for the Hornets, if Peja can be anything like he was in his Sacto heydey.
• With Sam I Am off the board, I hear the Hawks are going hard after Speedy Claxton, which I’m pretty pumped about. Not only would we get a player named Speedy, but they’d get one of the more underrated point guards in the L.
• I hear several teams are after Mike James, including: Houston, Minnesota and (surprise) Dallas. Dallas? Yep, Dallas. They already re-signed Jason Terry, but they want to use James and Jet together, I guess. Think McHale wishes he still had Sam Cassell?
• Carmelo immediately accepted the Nuggets max contract offer, but LeBron James is causing palpatations all over Ohio by not responding to the Cavs as of yet.
• This isn’t free agency news, but how about that Bucks/Raptors deal? Toronto loses Charlie Villanueva, but they pick up TJ Ford, who’s going to be a huge difference for them, making them even more uptempo and getting the ball around to their other guys. The Bucks get Villanueva, who’s fine and all, but are Mo Williams and Charlie Bell really their long-term answers at the point?
