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Zydrunas Ilgauskas' agent says the star wants to stay in Cleveland. David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

The agent for Sacramento Kings free-agent guard Cuttino Mobley said his client is getting a lot of interest, but the Nuggets are high on his list. Since the Nuggets may have only the midlevel exception to offer, a sign-and-trade may be needed to consummate a deal for him.
--Denver Post

[Andy] Miller would not discuss other teams that are interested, but the Los Angeles Clippers reportedly are one of them. Sacramento may want to include Mobley in a sign-and-trade after selecting shooting guards Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia in the past two drafts. Mobley declined to exercise his option on a contract that would have paid him $6.4 million this coming season. One sign-and-trade scenario could logically include Nene and Voshon Lenard, who are due to make a combined $6.5 million in 2005-06. Miller said Mobley has a strong relationship with Kiki Vandeweghe and coach George Karl, and has said that a visit to Denver isn't necessary for his client.
--Denver Post

Agent Tony Dutt said at least three teams have offered Seattle free-agent guard Antonio Daniels the midlevel exception, but he has not heard from Denver.
--Denver Post

With a quality center a top priority, the Hawks have been mentioned as an interested party for Cleveland All-Star center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, whose agent, Herb Rudoy, once represented Knight. "There's a good number of teams we're talking to about a sign and trade, and there are a couple of teams under the cap that are talking to me," Rudoy told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "We're also talking to [Cavs GM] Danny [Ferry] about Z returning. Z's thinking about [remaining with the Cavs]. He'd like to stay."
--Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Another intriguing rumor has a trade between the Hawks and Bulls, with Hawks power forward Al Harrington and Bulls center Eddy Curry as the principals. But like most everything else being bandied about, neither Hawks nor Bulls officials have verified such a deal has even been discussed.
--Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Just as significantly, Curry said he wanted to wait and see the Bulls' contract offer before deciding whether he wants to entertain the possibility of visiting another team that is interested. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks contacted Curry within the opening hours of free agency last Friday, and the Bulls have exchanged information with Curry's agent, Leon Rose, on parameters for a contract. If Curry remains with the Bulls, he could command a contract for as much as $67 million over six years compared to likely $52 million over five if he signed elsewhere.
--Chicago Tribune

The Rockets' interest in landing young, athletic frontcourt help will focus on perhaps the youngest, most athletic free agent available when Stromile Swift visits the team today. Swift, 25, will meet with Rockets officials today, an NBA source said Tuesday. Swift's agent, Andy Miller, said last week that Swift could be visiting Houston either today or Thursday, but Miller added that there were other teams pursuing the forward and that Swift had not told him of a preference.
--Houston Chronicle

[Andy] Miller said he also had spoken with Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson about forward Donyell Marshall. Dawson also has held talks with Mark Bartelstein, the agent for forwards Antoine Walker and Bobby Simmons. Because the Rockets are over the salary cap, they can offer only the mid-level exception, expected to be worth about $5 million for the first season of a contract.
--Houston Chronicle

Vasilis Spanoulis, the point guard acquired in the second round of the 2004 draft, was not among the players on the Rockets summer-league team to play in Minneapolis July 15-19. Spanoulis is rehabilitating a sore back and ankle after his season in Greece.
--Houston Chronicle

The Rockets will bring a few players with NBA experience to Minnesota, with three-year Timberwolves guard William Avery, a former first-round pick out of Duke, and former Bucks and Hawks forward Lonnie Baxter playing for the summer-league team.
--Houston Chronicle

The Wizards and Hughes's agent, Jeff Wechsler, have been in contact regarding a new contract and Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld has called the re-signing of Hughes the team's top offseason priority.
--Washington Post

The Wizards may also consider keeping one of the point guards on their summer league roster. Ed Cota, a teammate of Jamison and Haywood at the University of North Carolina; Gerald Fitch, one of the team's final cuts at the end of training camp last October; and undrafted rookie free agent Donnell Taylor, a star at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, will vie for training camp invitations and a possible roster spot when the Wizards open summer league play today in Las Vegas.
--Washington Post

They've been quiet about it to this point, but King opened the door more than just a crack yesterday, confirming the names of several free agents - including forwards Stromile Swift, of Memphis, and Donyell Marshall, of Toronto - whom they have contacted through their respective agents and representatives since July 1. The Sixers' priorities, though, still start with their determination to re-sign center Samuel Dalembert, swing man Kyle Korver and guard Willie Green. After that, they wanted to be sure other possibilities around the NBA were aware of their interest - primary, in some cases; fallback decisions, in others.
--Philadelphia Inquirer

When asked about guard Doug Christie, Hill said that Christie "preferred to be traded somewhere else. It's tough to trade people coming off surgery. Hopefully, he'll have a change of mind." Hill said that was at least his impression of the situation, but Assistant General Manager Dave Twardzik would not confirm or deny Tuesday whether Christie had asked for a trade. "We don't comment on things going on internally," Twardzik said
--Orlando Sentinel

Team President Isiah Thomas joined the team in Vegas with cell phone in hand, concerned more about free agency than a coaching search. Kwame Brown, Stromile Swift, Jerome James, Eddy Curry, Antoine Walker, among others, are the big men he's pursued. However 7-foot-3 center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, 30, appears too old for Thomas' tastes.
--New York Post

Starting today, the Nets will indulge Shareef Abdur-Rahim with red-carpet treatment in hopes of landing their top free-agent target. Over Abdur-Rahim's two-day visit to New Jersey, the Nets will attempt to persuade the 6-9 power forward to take either their $4.9 million mid-level exception or $4.9 million trade exception. Abdur-Rahim, who is also reportedly slated to visit Sacramento later, is the key to the Nets having a successful summer. While the Nets are also interested in free-agent forwards like Donyell Marshall and Stromile Swift and restricted free agents such as Kwame Brown, their ideal successor to Kenyon Martin is Abdur-Rahim.
--New York Daily News

The Nets, who have yet to make an offer, would ideally like to sign [Shareef] Abdur-Rahim to a four-year or five-year deal worth between $22 million and $28 million. Abdur-Rahim, however, could command a deal as large as six years and $38 million if he and the Nets can work a sign-and-trade with Portland for the $4.9 million trade exception before July 29, when the trade exception expires.
--New York Daily News