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Published: July 2, 2008
Paul appears close to deal with Hornets
NEW ORLEANS -- Chris Paul's agent plans to travel to New Orleans today to try to complete a contract extension that would keep Paul with the Hornets for an additional three to five years.
Lance Young, a senior director of the sports-marketing and management company Octagon, said yesterday that he has talked with General Manager Jeff Bower of the Hornets by phone and that they are in general agreement on the terms of an extension for Paul, who has one season left on his current contract.
"We seem to be pretty much on same page," Young said. "A little tweak here and there, and we'll probably get it done in the next 48 hours."
Paul, an NBA All-Star and recent selection to the U.S. Olympics team, is seeking the maximum pay allowable under the league's collective-bargaining agreement, or about 25 percent of the NBA salary cap with 10 percent raises going forward. Such a deal would pay Paul from $60 million to more than $80 million, depending on the length of the contract.
"It could be three, four, or five years. We haven't really got into any details yet," Young said. "Chris wants to stay with the Hornets. It just depends on how long he's going to be there."
Tuesday marked the first day NBA teams could begin negotiations with free agents or current players who are seeking extensions. Paul led the NBA with averages of 11.6 assists and 2.7 steals last season and was second to Kobe Bryant in the MVP voting.
More basketball
■ The Charlotte Bobcats have declined to pick up a team option on the contract of forward Othella Harrington, making him an unrestricted free agent. The move yesterday was no surprise after Harrington missed 71 games in two seasons with the Bobcats because of two surgeries on his left knee. He played in only 22 games last season.
The Bobcats also aren't expected to re-sign unrestricted free agents Derek Anderson and Earl Boykins. The team has nine players under contract, not counting draft picks D.J. Augustin, Alexis Ajinca and Kyle Weaver and restricted free agents Emeka Okafor and Ryan Hollins.
■ The Los Angeles Clippers want to keep Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, each of whom has opted out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent. As soon as the two made their intentions known, team president Andy Roeser said that the Clippers will be aggressive in trying to persuade them to stay.
Brand, a longtime star who played in just eight games last season because of injuries, has said he intends to remain with the Clippers. He had $16.4 million left on the contract he signed in 2003. He has averaged 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds during his nine years in the NBA.
Maggette, who was due $7 million, led Los Angeles in scoring last season with 22.1 points a game and has been with the Clippers since the 2000-2001 season, longer than any other current player.
■ The Portland Trail Blazers have reached an agreement to sign Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez, who had previously announced his intention to join the NBA. The Trail Blazers, who acquired Fernandez in a trade with Phoenix during the 2007 NBA Draft, could not announce the agreement until yesterday because of league rules.
■ The NBA hired Army Maj. Gen. Ronald L. Johnson yesterday as senior vice president of referee operations, a newly created position to help strengthen the league's officiating programs after the Tim Donaghy scandal.
The move splits the role of Stu Jackson, the executive vice president of basketball operations, into two positions, a plan Commissioner David Stern announced last fall. Johnson will oversee all aspects of officiating, and Jackson will continue to handle all other domestic and international basketball matters.
■ Ben Howland, who has coached UCLA to the Final Four of the NCAA men's tournament each of the past three years, agreed to a new seven-year contract yesterday.
The deal, which adds one year to the agreement he signed last October, will run through the 2014-15 season and includes a guaranteed $1.97 million for next season and $2.3 million in the final season of the contract. The incentive package from his previous agreement, a maximum of $235,000, is retained in the new contract.
■ A former Cincinnati staffer under Bob Huggins has joined Presbyterian as an assistant men's coach.
The school said yesterday it has hired Mark Berger. Berger has worked with several college-basketball standouts, including Kenyon Martin, Ruben Patterson and Danny Fortson with the Bearcats.
Berger has been head coach at Western Texas Junior College the past two years.
Football
■ Appalachian State's 34-32 victory over Michigan last season has been nominated for an ESPY award in the Best Upset category, ESPN announced yesterday.
Appalachian will be up against the New York Giants, for their Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots; Fresno State, for its College World Series championship; and Da'Tara, for its win in the Belmont Stakes. ESPY winners will be determined in fan voting, and the awards show will air at 9 p.m. July 20 on ESPN.
■ The Chicago Bears signed defensive tackle Marcus Harrison to a four-year contract yesterday and agreed to four-year deals with wide receiver Earl Bennett and cornerback Zack Bowman.
■ Wide receiver Joe Jurevicius of the Cleveland Browns had his second knee surgery since January on Monday, a procedure that could prevent him from reporting to training camp on time.
Jurevicius had swelling and discomfort in his knee related to his first operation.
■ Two University of Georgia players have been arrested and jailed on charges of simple battery.
The Athens-Clarke County Jail report shows offensive linemen Justin Anderson and Trinton Sturdivant were both released within hours of their arrest on Monday night on $1,500 bonds.
Sturdivant, 19, is a starting tackle from Wadesboro.
Anderson, 20, is a guard from Ocilla, Ga.
Miscellaneous
■ The Southern Conference officially welcomed Samford as its 12th member yesterday.
The school, in Birmingham, Ala., had competed in the Ohio Valley Conference for the past five years.
Samford's first Southern Conference competition will be Sept. 26, in a women's soccer game against Elon. Its first SoCon football game will be Sept. 27, also against Elon.
■ Athletics Director Greg Amodio of Duquesne University signed a five-year extension yesterday that extends his contract through the 2013-14 academic year.
Amodio had one year left on his previous contract. Ron Everhart, the men's basketball coach, signed a three-year extension last week that also runs through 2013-14.
Since being hired in August 2005, Amodio has hired Everhart and Suzie McConnell Serio, a former WNBA coach of the year and now the women's basketball coach, and upgraded Duquesne's football program.
The Dukes formerly competed in non-scholarship NCAA Division I-AA football, but is now giving scholarships and is joining the Northeast Conference. The school will continue to play in the Atlantic 10 Conference in basketball.
Amodio also dealt with the on-campus shootings of five men's basketball players in September 2006. The basketball team was later given the United States Basketball Writers Association courage award for overcoming the shootings to more than triple its win total from the previous season.
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