Offers worth tens of millions of dollars are already on the table in the NBA's free-agent market, and a pair of trades - although not Charles Barkley's - have been finalized.
The free-agent market opened with a flurry Thursday after the league and the players union signed a new collective bargaining agreement. More maneuverings were in store for today.Gary Payton was offered a seven-year deal by five different teams, and his agent expects his contract to be signed by Monday and be worth no less than $70 million.
Shaquille O'Neal's agent said bidding on his client will be open for one week, and a long-term contract totaling $90 million might not be out of the question.
Two long-rumored trades were finalized after the 10-day moratorium on signings, trades and negotiations expired at 5 p.m. EDT.
The Los Angeles Lakers sent Vlade Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for the rights to high school phenom Kobe Bryant, the 13th pick in last month's draft, and the Milwaukee Bucks acquired center Andrew Lang from the Minnesota Timberwolves for a first-round draft pick.
By trading Divac's $8.5 million salary for the next two years, the Lakers freed money for a lucrative offer in hopes of luring O'Neal from Orlando.
Among the other players who can now negotiate with any club they choose are Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, Juwan Howard, Dennis Rodman and more than 15 others.
Aaron Goodwin, the agent for Payton, said he received five offers - from New York, Miami, Seattle, Milwaukee and Charlotte - of a seven-year contract.
"The only team we talked seriously with was Seattle. We'll meet with them again, and I think it can get done with them quickly, but we'll still talk to the other teams," Goodwin said.
Goodwin also said four teams - Indiana, Milwaukee, Boston and Detroit - made suprisingly lucrative bids for Antonio Davis, a free-agent forward from the Pacers.
David Falk, who represents Jordan, Dikembe Mutombo, Howard and Kenny Anderson, among others, worked into the night fielding offers. He did not return several phone calls.
Falk is a key player in the rumored deal that wasn't finalized, a three-way trade that would send Barkley to Houston, Sam Cassell and Robert Horry to Denver and Mutombo to Phoenix.
Barkley has been saying "the deal is done," but Mutombo, a free agent, must sign before be can be traded, and Falk is his agent.
O'Neal and his representative said bids will be accepted until July 19.
"Orlando is still the first choice and the likely place for Shaquille," agent Leonard Armato said. "However, I have advised him that he should carefully consider all of his options and make a well-reasoned, thoughtful decision.
"Shaquille has made clear that he does not want to drag out this decision, preferring to concentrate on the upcoming Olympics."
Falk also has to deal with the negotiations for Jordan, who reportedly planned to meet with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf on Thursday. Jordan has threatened to leave Chicago if the Bulls' opening offer isn't adequate.
Before the free agent frenzy began, lawyers from the league and the union reviewed about 300 pages of documents before signing them to end a year-long drama that included two lockouts, two ratification votes, two moratoriums and several 11th-hour compromises.
The six-year labor deal extends through the 2000-2001 season.
"The process has been a difficult one,' said Jeffrey Mishkin, the NBA's chief legal officer. "But I think we now have an agreement that will provide a constructive framework for the long-term relationship between the NBA and its players."
"We're very happy with the deal," said Jeffrey Kessler, the lead negotiator for the union. "It's fair to the players, makes the players association much stronger and should lead to a renaissance of the union."