Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Arbitrator: Wolves' pact violated cap

By Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 24, 2000

NEW YORK -- Commissioner David Stern can void the one-year contract between Joe Smith and the Minnesota Timberwolves because an arbitrator found that the team and former agent Eric Fleisher violated the league's salary cap with a secret agreement, the NBA said Monday.

Stern can fine the Timberwolves up to $3.5-million, order them to surrender draft picks and suspend owner Glen Taylor and key front office personnel.

If Stern voids Smith's current contract, he will be free to negotiate with any team, including Minnesota.

"It's a complete victory for Joe Smith," players union attorney Ron Klempner said, adding that the league had sought to take away Smith's so-called Larry Bird rights and bar Smith from re-signing with the Timberwolves should the commissioner void Smith's contract.

Smith, 25, has played under two one-year contracts for the Timberwolves, who cannot exceed the salary cap to re-sign him until Smith has been there for three seasons to earn his "Bird rights."

Smith has a one-year contract for this season. Privately, he had agreed to a lucrative long-term accord, the league said.

Taylor agreed in writing, in a 1999 document prepared by Fleisher, to offer Smith a multiyear contract that would begin with the 2001-02 season, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported.

Taylor said neither coach and general manager Flip Saunders nor vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale knew about the agreement, the paper reported.

Smith's current agent, Dan Fegan, said his client would negotiate with the Timberwolves and other teams if his contract is voided.

The league has long suspected that such secret agreements exist, but no team had been caught red-handed like the Timberwolves.

Smith averaged 9.9 points a game and 6.2 rebounds last season. He was the first overall selection in the 1995 draft out of the University of Maryland.

Smith has averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 362 career NBA games, including 268 starts.

76ERS: Rookie guard Craig "Speedy" Claxton had an MRI exam that confirmed he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Sunday's exhibition game against Utah.

The exam revealed no additional damage to the knee.

Team physician Jack McPhilemy said Claxton will have surgery at a time determined after the swelling goes down.

With a week left before the season opener at New York, the Sixers are scrambling to find another point guard.

Claxton, a star at Hofstra, was drafted specifically to back up point guard Eric Snow, who missed several games during last season's playoffs because of injury. But Claxton was probably going to get more than just backup minutes.

"The way he was playing, he was going to be a big part of our team," said coach Larry Brown, who called Claxton's injury "a killer" to the team.

The injury gives Jermaine Jackson and former Temple star Pepe Sanchez a better opportunity to make the team. Brown said he didn't want to play Aaron McKie at the point, even though he did it last season.

Preseason games

MAGIC 117, CELTICS 113: Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady scored eight points in the final 2:38 for host Orlando.

McGrady had 20 points, including a three-point play that gave the Magic a 114-108 lead with 1:26 remaining.

Hill gave Orlando the lead for good with a dunk. He finished with 16 points in 17 minutes.

Antoine Walker led Boston with 32 points.

Darrell Armstrong scored 18 points, and Bo Outlaw had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Orlando.

The Magic outscored the Celtics 25-10 from the free-throw line en route to a 64-52 halftime lead. Boston got back into the game with a 31-point third quarter and tied the score at 106 on two free throws by Vitaly Potapenko before Hill and McGrady took over down the stretch.

RAPTORS 91, PACERS 80: Vince Carter scored 33 points for host Toronto.

Indiana's Austin Croshere shot 13-of-18 from the free-throw line and had a team-best 22 points.

Pacers coach Isiah Thomas was booed each time he appeared on the scoreboard. Thomas was in Toronto for the first time since leaving the team as general manager in 1997.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright

Gary Shelton