***The Official 2010 Free Agency Thread***

[King Taharqa 322]

BOSTON - The Boston Celtics' new Big Three will stay together to try for a second NBA title.

Jesus Shuttlesworth confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday night that he has agreed to a US$20-million, two-year contract to return to Boston. With Kevin Garnett under contract, Paul Pierce on the verge of a new four-year deal and coach Doc Rivers also agreeing to return, the Celtics can keep together the core of their 2008 NBA championship team for at least two more years.

Shuttlesworth's agent, Lon Babby, told the AP that the second year of the deal is a player option. NBA teams are not allowed to sign free agents until Thursday.

Shuttlesworth, who turns 35 this month, averaged 16.3 points last season as the Celtics reached the NBA finals for the second time in three years. After Boston lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games, Shuttlesworth said, "It's obvious I don't want to be anywhere else."

Shuttlesworth joined the Celtics in the summer of 2007, joining with Pierce to lure Garnett to Boston to form a new Big Three that won an NBA title in its first season together. The next year, with Garnett injured, the Celtics lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

With the team struggling at the all-star break this year, general manager Danny Ainge considered trading Shuttlesworth and trying to make the team younger by rebuilding around point guard Rajon Rondo. Instead, Ainge kept the core together and the team rewarded him by returning to the finals.

Shuttlesworth was inconsistent against the Lakers, hitting an NBA finals-record eight three-pointers in Game 2, then going 0-for-16 from three-point range over the next three games. But Rivers never wavered in his support, praising Shuttlesworth's defense and also the way he forces opponents to cover him wherever he is on the floor, opening up space for his teammates.

The Celtics said he was their top priority in the off-season.

But shortly after the finals ended, Pierce opted out of the final year of his contract, and Rivers discussed taking a sabbatical so he could spend more time with his family. When they both decided to return — Pierce agreed last week to a four-year deal worth a reported $61 million — all that was left was for Shuttlesworth to re-sign.

In a 14-year career for Milwaukee, Seattle and Boston, Shuttlesworth is second all-time in three-pointers and fifth among active players with 20,965 points.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AoxFcZ5tQeDeTiSU9_rdJG0UPKB4?slug=capress-bkn_celtics_allen-3879762

[CarolinaPanthers8789 4,525]

Adrian Wojnarowski: Jermaine O'Neal has agreed to sign with the Boston Celtics, a league source tells Y! Sports. Twitter

The Dallas Mavericks have reached agreement on a six-year, $55 million contract to re-sign center Brendan Haywood, a league source told Yahoo! Sports. Haywood came to Dallas in the middle of last season in a trade that also delivered Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson to the Mavericks. Haywood averaged 8.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks during 28 games for the Mavericks. Yahoo! Sports

[tarheelblue89 2]

Celtics continue to get...older?

[CarolinaPanthers8789 4,525]

John Schuhmann: Outlaw contract is flat. $7M every year. Nets still have $23.5M of cap space. Twitter

Denver Nuggets restricted free agent forward Linas Kleiza signed a four-year, $18.8 million offer sheet with the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, his agent, Bill Duffy, told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher. The Nuggets, who made a qualifying offer to Kleiza last month, have seven days to match the Raptors offer. ESPN.com

[DynastyRTR 0]

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/07/08/nets.outlaw/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2

League sources confirmed that the New Jersey Nets, not waiting to hear that they've been officially rejected by LeBron James tonight, have agreed to terms with Clippers free agent small forward Travis Outlaw on a five-year, $35 million contract.

http://www.nba.com/news/features/aldridge.2010.freeagency/index.html#?ls=iref:nbahpt2

- A league source tells TNT's David Aldridge that Mavericks free-agent center Brendan Haywood is returning to Dallas on a six-year, $55 million deal. The sixth season is not fully guaranteed, but the deal also includes more than $7 million in potential incentives for Haywood, one of the top centers available on the market.

[Zaximus 4,442]

Jermaine O'Neal still has some gas left in his tank, he wasn't bad at all last year for Miami and was pretty healthy. Good sign for the C's (unfortunately).

[DynastyRTR 0]

LeBron will surprise most and sign in NJ. they will still have enough cap to sign someone like David Lee, then make a trade for a SG, or just sign someone like J.J. Redick.

PG-Devin Harris

SG-J.J. Redick

SF-LeBron James

PF-David Lee/Derrick Favors

C-Brook Lopez

[DynastyRTR 0]

or not...lol. amazing how many Heat fans there are all of a sudden huh? reminds me of aint fans almost....nah, no one's that bad...

[C47 1,395]

Fisher will stay in L.A.!!!

http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2010/07/derek-fisher-to-return-to-the-lakers.html