It figures: mere hours after reports that the Nets were in "serious talks" with the Orlando Magic to trade for superstar Dwight Howard, Orlando has made it clear that they aren't planning on trading the face of their franchise (for now). For what it's worth, according to Yahoo Sports, Howard "is not a happy camper" with that decision. Which means we can all look forward to going through all this again in four months!
Oh Well: Orlando Says They Won't Trade Dwight Howard (For Now)
Knicks Cancel Tonight's Game Because Of... Asbestos
The Knicks won't be able to play their game against the Orlando Magic because of some maintenance problems. The team issued a statement:
Following last night’s Rangers game, during overnight maintenance of Madison Square Garden, which included cleaning asbestos-related materials in the attic above the ceiling, some debris fell into the Arena.more ›
Last Night's Action: Nets Making a Move?
Last Night's Action: Still the Knicks
Magic 112, Knicks 102: As fun as it is to jump on Eddy Curry and his 80:1 pound/rebound ratio, the Knicks have other problems. Dwight Howard made things difficult for one of the Knicks big men -- though the other, Zach Randolph, did manage to have 23 points on 13 rebounds -- but the New York shooters' failure to back them up the frontcourt cost the Knicks this game. The perimeter players didn't play...
Forget Brown, Knicks Go Green Tonight
Gothamist would expect Chicago area sports teams to wear special green uniforms just because it's a city that dumps green dye into their river (our rivers can be greenish, thanks to other factors). But when we were checking out the Knicks' website, we learned that the Knicks will wear green uniforms for the first time, thanks to special sponsor, Tourism Island. And while Gothamist thinks this is lame, we understand why the Knicks undertook the sponsorship, beacuse if they ever needed the luck of the Irish, it's tonight, as they will be playing the first place Detroit Pistons. There will be other Irish tie-ins, like the entertainment, food specials (corned beef?), and giveaways, but we're pretty sure that most fans will be drowning their sorrows in beer so they forget the loss.
Gothamist 2004 NBA Mock Draft, Version 2
The offseason in the NBA has just begun and we’ve already seen the most dominant player in the league and the reigning scoring champion both involved in trade talks. This should set the stage very nicely for tonight’s draft.
On Down, One To Go
The NBA's Expansion Draft was held last night, so now Charlotte Bobcats have the beginnings of a roster. They chose a total of 19 players, but most of them will not be with the team on opening night next year. The Bobcats chose nine restricted free agents, which automatically turned them into unrestricted free agents, allowing those nine players to negotiate a new contract with any team in the league except for the team that left them unprotected in the draft. Got that? Click here for the rest of the expansion draft rules.
Gothamist 2004 NBA Mock Draft, Version 1
With the Pistons Championship firmly in the books, the offseason is now underway. The other 28 teams that stopped playing a long time ago have been feverishly preparing for next week’s draft for some time now.
Feel Lucky?
Unlike last year's draft, which had high schooler LeBron James as the top prize, this year's draft seems to be short on impact players and long on potential. When the draft finally comes around at the end of June, expect to hear the word "upside" at least 70 times. Perhaps Gothamist will keep a count. UConn junior Emeka Okafor, fresh off a national title, figures to be the top selection this year.

