NBA roundup: Knicks reportedly acquire Bargnani
The New York Knicks have reached agreement on a deal with the Toronto Raptors that will bring Andrea Bargnani to the Knicks, the New York Times reported.
According to the report, the Knicks will send the Raptors a package that will include Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, one first-round draft pick and one second-round draft pick.
The deal still needs league approval.
The 7-foot Bargani, the first overall pick in the 2006 draft, averaged 12.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 35 games for Toronto last season. He hit 39.9 percent of his field-goal attempts.
Bargnani is owed close to $23 million over the next two years, and has played in only 66 games over the last two seasons due to injury.
Novak averaged 6.6 points and hit 42.5 percent of his three-point shots last season. Camby, 39, averaged 1.8 points last season.
---Soon-to-be-free-agent center Dwight Howard is not trying to force the Los Angeles Lakers to fire coach Mike D'Antoni to help the team's chances of keeping him, ESPN.com reported.
ESPN sources indicated that Howard does not want to play for D'Antoni and feels he is not a good fit for the coach's system but will not try to control the team's decisions.
Howard is scheduled to meet with Houston Rockets representative in Los Angeles when free agency begins at 12:01 a.m. Monday, according to ESPN.
---The Houston Rockets waived guard Aaron Brooks and guard/forward Carlos Delfino, the team announced.
The 6-foot-6 Delfino played in 67 games and started five for the Rockets this past season. The Argentine averaged 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.01 steals.
Brooks played in just seven games for the Rockets this past season -- his fifth with the franchise -- and averaged 1.4 points and 0.9 assists.
---Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Mareese Speights opted out of the final year of his contract, electing to become an unrestricted free agent.
The 6-10, 255-pound Speights averaged 10.2 points and 5.1 rebounds for the Cavaliers. The five-year veteran was set to make $4.5 million next season.
