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Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 19, 2001
Webber reportedly to stay a King
After a delayed start, the free-agent market opened Wednesday with Chris Webber reportedly deciding to stay with the Sacramento Kings.
A few players signed contracts with new teams as an 18-day moratorium on free-agent signings expired. Patrick Ewing went from Seattle to Orlando, Eddie Robinson moved from Charlotte to Chicago, Tyronn Lue left the Lakers to play for Washington, and former San Antonio guard Avery Johnson signed with Denver.
Ewing, who made $14-million with Seattle last season, will earn about $2.25-million with the Magic.
"It wasn't a money issue," Ewing said. "It's about being somewhere where you're wanted, somewhere where you can make a difference, somewhere where you can be happy."
Other signings, including Horace Grant's move to Orlando, were held up while the attorneys from the league and the union argued over which revenue streams should be included in salary cap calculations.
Some 18 hours after the cap was supposed to be adjusted, it was increased from $35.5-million to $42.5-million after the league and union resolved their standoff.
"We worked through our differences and reached a mutually satisfactory agreement," said Joel Litvin, the NBA executive vice president of legal and business affairs.
The increase of $7-million from last season's cap of $35.5-million represented the second-largest year-to-year jump since the cap was instituted for the 1984-85 season. CELTICS: Free-agent guard Milt Palacio agreed with the team on a two-year contract worth about $1.43-million.
HAWKS: The team said it has agreed to terms with backup center Nazr Mohammed. Terms were not disclosed. The actual contract would not be signed until today, the team said.
NETS: The team officially signed off on the exchange that brought Jason Kidd to New Jersey and sent Stephon Marbury to the Phoenix Suns. Veteran center Chris Dudley also came to New Jersey in the five-player deal that sent Marbury, forward Johnny Newman and center Soumaila Samake to Phoenix.
RAPTORS: Forward Jerome Williams signed a seven-year, $40.8-million contract.
76ERS: Aaron McKie, the league's sixth man of the year, signed a seven-year, $42-million deal to stay with Philadelphia. The deal guarantees McKie $35.5-million, but could reach $42-million with incentives.
WIZARDS: The team re-signed forward Popeye Jones.
ORLANDO 57, HOUSTON 52: Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 16, including six straight down the stretch for the visiting Miracle. McWilliams-Franklin, who started for the Eastern Conference in Monday night's All-Star Game in Orlando, also had a season-high 13 rebounds.
MINNESOTA 68, SEATTLE 58: Svetlana Abrosimova had a career-high 21 points as the host Lynx extended the Storm's losing streak to five games. Abrosimova, Minnesota's top pick in the April draft, set a franchise record for field-goal percentage with 8-for-9 shooting.
MIAMI 68, CHARLOTTE 48: Sandy Brondello tied her season high with 23 points as the host Sol routed the Sting, running its winning streak to a franchise-high five straight.
NEW YORK 80, DETROIT 67: Tari Phillips had 20 points and seven rebounds as the visiting Liberty won its sixth straight game. The Liberty, who took a half-game lead over the Cleveland Rockers in the Eastern Conference, shot 57.4 percent from the field and scored 18 off 17 Shock turnovers.