James Posey, after deciding not to exercise the option on the final year of his contract yesterday, is a free agent with what may be one of the largest markets of the summer. The fact that there is a limited pool of teams with significant salary cap space (Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies) does not bode well for the biggest names (unrestricted free agent Gilbert Arenas, restricted free agents Luol Deng and Andre Iguodala) this summer, but Posey's lower-level aims are likely to draw a bigger crowd. Boston Herald
The Celtics forward reportedly is looking for a midlevel deal that starts at approximately $5.8 million and carries over 4-5 years. The C's split their midlevel exception last season between Posey and guard Eddie House. The NBA champions may be reluctant to spend the full amount on one player this time, especially if the exception extends into a long-term deal. Boston Herald
A league source said yesterday the valuable swingman's dance card will be top-heavy with contenders that appreciate more than ever the intangible ways Posey can contribute to a championship team. Posey now lists two NBA titles on his resume, after helping the Celtics to a championship last month and the Miami Heat to the 2006 crown. Boston Herald
Posey, now looking for a long-term deal and what will be the best contract of his career, could be hurt by teams waiting for 2010 or even next summer, which also is expected to feature a better free agent crop than this offseason. Boston Herald
Celtics management is under the impression P.J. Brown is leaning toward a return to retirement, though an attempt will be made to discuss the issue with him. Boston Herald
The Wizards achieved a major free-agency goal Monday when two-time All-Star forward Jamison signed a four-year, $50 million contract. The deal also serves as an expensive piece of bait to lure Arenas, who had said he would not return unless the team also kept his friend. Houston Chronicle
The Knicks are expected to offer Chris Duhon a two-year deal worth roughly half of the mid-level exception, totaling around $6 million, according to NBA sources. A playmaker who has struggled with his shooting going all the way back to his days at Duke, Duhon averaged 5.8 points on 39% last season for the Bulls. NY Daily News
The Knicks are interested in Sacramento's Beno Udrih, but he wants a five-year deal. The Knicks don't want to add anything to their cap beyond July 2010, when LeBron James and other marquee players can become free agents. NY Daily News
Addressing the possibility of leaving Cleveland in two summers when he's a free agent, and all the talk about the Knicks and Nets trying to get far enough under the salary cap to have enough money to offer him a King's ransom, LeBron James Monday did not totally rule it out. "They have a right to dream about it," he said of Knicks and Nets fans. "I can't take that away from them." So the dream will continue for the Nets, who already have positioned themselves for mega cap room in 2010, and the Knicks, who badly need to shed Eddy Curry or Zach Randolph in the next two seasons to have the financial wherewithal to land James. NY Daily News
LeBron James: "On draft day, I'm watching some of the younger guys coming into the league and they're saying, 'You know, teams are making trades (to sign) LeBron James in 2010,'" he said. "I just kind of laugh at that. I'm excited to be in Cleveland, and right now, I'm excited to be part of this Olympic team. It's kind of funny to me." NY Daily News
LeBron James had little interest in directly addressing his free-agent options in 2010, but he didn't blink when asked about it in a different way. "LeBron, what are your favorite cities?" "My favorite cities are New York; Washington, D.C.; Dallas, Texas; Los Angeles, Calif., and Akron, Ohio," he said. "What's your favorite borough?" "My favorite borough?" James said. "Brooklyn." NY Newsday
"Brooklyn is a great place here in New York City," James said. "Some of my best friends are from Brooklyn, so I definitely stick up for them." The friends, of course, include hip-hop artist Jay-Z, whose music has been on LeBron's iPod for years. "My friendship was way before Jay was a part-owner of the Nets, and I loved the Garden way before I got in the NBA," James said. "For some odd reason, whenever I get to the Garden, I always play well. So they want me to do it for 41 games instead of two games a year ... They have a right to dream." NY Newsday
The Timberwolves extended qualifying offers to restricted free agents Ryan Gomes, Craig Smith and Chris Richard on Monday and chose to let Sebastian Telfair and Kirk Snyder become unrestricted free agents. The moves were a formality with the start of the free-agent bidding beginning today. By qualifying the three players, the Wolves retained their right of matching any offer they receive from another team. AP/St. Paul Pioneer Press
The Wolves did not extend a qualifying offer to Telfair because they would have had to pay the point guard $3.5 million next season. The team still wants to sign Telfair, who is entering his fifth season and played well when Randy Foye missed most of the first half of the season with a knee injury. AP/St. Paul Pioneer Press
Next season is beginning to look like a transition year - and that was before Monday night, when Baron Davis opted out of his contract and became a free agent. Davis still could re-sign. He says he likes the area and loves his teammates. He also loves Hollywood and as far back as April was seeking potential buyers for his South of Market loft. The Warriors, however, already are planning for BD's eventual departure, as well as that of Nelson, who has one year left on his contract and one eye on his Maui hammock. Contra Costa Times
Even before word spread that Davis had elected to become an unrestricted free agent by opting out of the final year and $17.8 million of his contract, I figured that this was a relationship souring quickly and due to expire soon. Davis was never going to forgive the Warriors for declining to meet his mega-demands for an extension this summer. The Warriors probably were never going to see as much quality play from him than they did in the previous three seasons. San Jose Mercury News
There's a tiny chance that Davis has an under-the-table deal with a team below the salary cap or soon able to get under and that he will walk away from the Warriors for nothing. If that is at all true, the Los Angeles Clippers are the only realistic team for that scenario - Baron is an L.A. native and the Clippers have tons of salary flexibility. San Jose Mercury News
Elton Brand also opted-out Monday and, if they renounce free agent Corey Maggette, the Clips could re-sign Brand for a decent contract or trade him for lesser money, then have room to sign Davis outright to a long-term contract worth $60 million or more. That's a hard one to envision given the Clippers' thrifty ways, of course. But if Brand immediately agrees to a cut-rate deal (say, for $12 million a year instead of $18 million per), then watch out. San Jose Mercury News
Brand would forgo the $16.4 million on the last year of his deal, a final decision he apparently made at Monday's deadline to notify the team and the league. Monday was the deadline for players with an option to opt out of their contracts to notify their teams and the league. Brand's agent, David Falk, told ESPN.com the forward wants to see the Clippers sign a quality free agent and try to assemble a winning team in Los Angeles. Press-Enterprise
Andrew Bynum can get a contract extension this summer from the Lakers. When his agent was told that Bynum suggested he would be willing to take less than the maximum of five years, $80 million, David Lee said they would be seeking the maximum. "He was talking as a 20-year-old," Lee said in a telephone interview Monday. "He had not consulted with his representatives. I think the Lakers know how we feel about this." The Lakers extended qualifying offers to Vujacic and Turiaf on Monday, which allows the team to establish a right of first refusal. Press-Enterprise
If Vujacic, whose offer was for about $2.2 million, and Turiaf, whose offer was for about $963,000, sign an offer sheet with another team, the Lakers can match the offer and retain them. Both Vujacic and Turiaf are seeking long-term deals and hope their agents can come to an agreement with the Lakers. Press-Enterprise
Davis and Ramasar could be maneuvering to get the Warriors to up their bid by forcing them to face the possibility of losing him for nothing. Remember, the Warriors can still pay Davis the most, unless they renounce his rights, which is doubtful. San Jose Mercury News
The most likely scenario is the sign-and-trade: Davis and Ramasar find an interested, over-the-cap team, but only can do the deal with any over-the-cap team if the Warriors are involved. Now, the Warriors would have some aching needs if they lose Davis, not the least being point guard. They could ask Detroit about Chauncey Billups, inquire with Memphis about half of its roster, including Javaris Crittenton. San Jose Mercury News
At the very least, Davis can expect to get a three-year deal as a free agent, and given the precarious state of his knees, he would have needed a gambler's heart to stick with what he had. Remember, there was only a very limited pretense about Davis' profound desire to stay with Golden State. Everyone knew that the real inspiration for his and his agent's "love the one you're with" act was the NBA salary cap and all its tentacles. San Francisco Chronicle
As last season ended, Davis sounded frustrated that he had finally been healthy enough to play in all 82 games and that the Warriors hadn't acknowledged his newfound durability with a contract extension. When the playoffs and then the draft went by without an extension offer, the feelings had to fester. San Francisco Chronicle
Plus, there has to be a big part of him that yearns for L.A. The Clippers, even if they re-sign Brand, appear to be one of the few teams with the kind of salary-cap room to accommodate Davis. He could go back home, to the movie world that he seems so eager to enter full-time someday. He and former high school teammate Cash Warren have a production company, and Davis just backed a documentary about gangs in Los Angeles. San Francisco Chronicle
The bottom line remains the same, however: Only the Sixers and Grizzlies have real space under the salary cap, and neither are believed to be pursuing Davis. Most other teams could only offer Davis a deal starting at the mid-level exception, which is expected to be around $6 million next season. That represents a two-thirds pay cut from the nearly $18 million that Davis walked away from. San Francisco Chronicle
It's why the Warriors were willing to let their trade exception expire Monday. Though Mullin was working the phones into the night, he was also working against the luxury tax. Any salary the Warriors took on would have pushed them closer toward paying a dollar-for-dollar tax penalty - a no-no under the Chris Cohan regime. San Francisco Chronicle
As it stands without Davis, the Warriors will have about $31 million in committed salary once their draft picks sign. That leaves roughly $38 million to spend before entering luxury tax territory, which was $67.9 million last year and figures to be a little more than $70 million next season. San Francisco Chronicle
The Warriors are also preparing for life without Mickael Pietrus and Matt Barnes, as one or both could leave. In any case, the Warriors almost certainly will be younger than they were last season, when they were the third-youngest team in the NBA. Contra Costa Times
Meanwhile, Mullin insists he'll match any offers received by restricted free agents Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins, each 22 and considered fixtures for the future. Contra Costa Times
Re-signing Kurt Thomas became an even greater offseason priority for the Spurs when Tiago Splitter, last year's first-round draft choice, re-upped with his Spanish League club in early June. "Whether Splitter was coming or not, Kurt Thomas was a guy we wanted to re-sign," Popovich said. San Antonio Express-News
Finley is another 35-year-old the Spurs harbor interest in retaining. The veteran guard endured an inconsistent 2007-08 campaign, but the Spurs value his leadership and would be open to bringing him back. San Antonio Express-News
Horry, who made $3.6 million last season, would prefer to remain with the Spurs. He has suggested that he would be willing to take a pay cut - perhaps down to the veteran minimum of $1.26 million - to make it happen. San Antonio Express-News
The Spurs also could turn to the 2001 draft for help: They could opt to bring in 6-foot-11 Lithuanian forward Robertas Javtokas, their second-round pick seven years ago, although it would require buying out his contract in Russia. San Antonio Express-News
Denver guard J.R. Smith, who has piqued the Spurs' interest in the past, is one such player likely to be available. He is a restricted free agent, but it is unlikely the Nuggets - who already are well over the luxury tax threshold - will be tempted to match a competing offer for him. San Antonio Express-News
Besides moving out spare bodies such as Stromile Swift (so they hope), they can use a $3.3 million trade exception acquired in the Jason Kidd deal to acquire an existing contract; and another $3.7 million exception created by the Keith Van Horn side deal that expires in October. Newark Star-Ledger
The Rockets began the free-agent recruiting period with an 11 p.m. call to Spurs guard Brent Barry on Monday, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said, but the team might already have hit a snag in its plan to bring back forward Carl Landry. The Rockets telephoned Barry as soon as NBA rules allowed in an effort to land the free agent, who got away last season when he was released by the Seattle SuperSonics but chose to return to the San Antonio Spurs. Houston Chronicle
