NO PRESSURE ON MCDYESS: The only pressure on Antonio McDyess to transform the Phoenix Suns from a .500 club into a contender will come from the young forward himself.
"I don't expect him to lead us to the promised land right now at age 23," coach Danny Ainge said Wednesday after the Denver Nuggets dealt McDyess to Phoenix in a three-way deal that also involved the Cleveland Cavaliers."He's got a lot of guys around him who can help him carry that burden in K.J. (Kevin Johnson), in Jason (Kidd) and Rex (Chapman) and Danny (Manning) and Hot Rod (Williams)," Ainge said. "It's a great situation for him to be in."
RICHMOND A NO-SHOW? Perhaps only Mitch Richmond knows for sure.
One day before the beginning of training camp, the Sacramento Kings don't know if the five-time All-Star player will be in attendance.
"I've talked with Mitch within the last four or five days, and I've had many conversations with his representative," Geoff Petrie, the team's vice president of operations, said Wednesday at a media luncheon. "But at this point I can't tell you for sure that he is going to be in camp."
The Kings have repeatedly said they are not able to renegotiate Richmond's contract because the team doesn't have any flexibility under the salary cap.
Richmond is due to make $3 million this season and $2.5 million next year.
MAVS RE-SIGN FINLEY: The Mavericks and cornerstone guard Michael Finley agreed to a five-year, $42 million contract extension literally one minute before the NBA's deadline Wednesday night.
Finley earlier rejected the team's five-year, $40 million offer and had planned to become a free agent after the upcoming season.
NUGGETS INK WILLIAMS: Forward Eric Williams, a possible starter for the Denver Nuggets this season, had his contract extended, the team announced late Wednesday.
Nuggets vice president Allan Bristow made the announcement, but no terms of the deal were released. The team was facing a deadline on Wednesday to extend the pact with Williams.
HAWKS TAB BOND: The Atlanta Hawks signed free agent Walter Bond, the team said Wednesday.
Bond, a 6-foot-5 guard, has three years NBA experience with the Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks. Last year, he played in Greece.
PISTONS SIGN POLLARD, O'BANNON: The Detroit Pistons agreed to contract terms with 1997 draft picks Scot Pollard and Charles O'Bannon, coach Doug Collins said Wednesday. The 6-foot-11 Pollard, drafted out of Kansas, was the team's first round draft choice and 19th overall pick in June's NBA draft. O'Bannon, a 6-foot-5 guard and forward from UCLA, was the 32nd overall pick.