Gary Moore, personal manager for guard Allen Iverson, said Friday the Nuggets "seem to be very willing" to offer Iverson a multiyear contract if he were to opt out of the final year of his current deal by the June 20 deadline. But Moore, who said he recently began talks with Denver brass about Iverson's future, declined to discuss how many years the Nuggets might be willing to give Iverson or offer monetary figures. Rocky Mountain News
Iverson can opt out of a deal paying him $20.84 million next season and become an unrestricted free agent July 1. Most observers don't believe Iverson would opt out unless it was to sign a new contract with the Nuggets. Rocky Mountain News
It also is not believed the Nuggets would sign Iverson to a multiyear deal unless he agreed to take less money next season. Shortly after Denver's season ended April 28, Moore said he would have discussions with the Nuggets about Iverson, who turns 33 on June 7, possibly opting out and signing a three-year deal. But a source at the time described the Nuggets, deep into the luxury tax, as wary of committing extra dollars to Iverson. Rocky Mountain News
Obviously, a key factor would be what the contract numbers might be. If Iverson, in exchange for additional contract years, were to sign a new deal that paid him $5 million less next season, the Nuggets would save $10 million due to the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax. Rocky Mountain News
Pat Riley gave up his dual roles as Heat president and coach more than a month ago to focus solely on running the team. But he remains a man with a split focus this week. One one hand, he's evaluating potential draft picks this week while attending the NBA's pre-draft camp Patriley_2 at the Disney complex just outside of Orlando. On the other, Riley remains in preliminary talks with the agent for Heat forward Shawn Marion regarding a potential contract extension. Miami Herald
Riley said negotiations with agent Dan Fegan have been "productive" as Marion heads into the final 30-day window of the opt-out clause in his contract. But you have to wonder just how "productive" those talks are when the two sides clearly want different things. Miami Herald
Marion, who can opt out of the final year and $17.8 million of his contract to become a free agent on July 1, has long said he wants long-term stability and a place where he can finish the final four, five or even six seasons of his career, provided he stays relatively healthy. Miami Herald
Which likely means Marion, a four-time All-Star, still considers himself a $13-15 million a year player. But Riley, who is committed to a clear-salary-cap-space-by-2010-to-resign-Wade-and-another-potential-max-player financial model, values things a bit differently. Miami Herald
Committing any significant salary and years to Marion, 30, would run counterproductive to the Heat's plan to clear as much space as possible by 2010. And, as Riley would tell you, there's a chance to be a "room team" as early as 2009. Miami Herald
Should negotiations break down and Marion opt in for the $17.8 million, there's a chance Marion could mope, demand a trade and rekindle some of the issues that came up during that bad ending in Phoenix. And that isn't exactly the way you'd want to start the Erik Spoelstra rookie coaching campaign. Miami Herald
Pistons insiders told ESPN.com it appears to be a 50-50 proposition whether Flip Saunders will return next season to coach the fourth and final year on his contract, having come up short in the conference finals for the third consecutive year after inheriting a team that was coming off consecutive trips to the NBA Finals. ESPN.com
All of the Pistons' starters except for Tayshaun Prince are at least 30 years old, and there's a strong possibility Dumars will break up the core of Prince, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Wallace and Antonio McDyess in an effort to rebuild around Jason Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey, Amir Johnson and Aaron Affalo. ESPN.com
