Fullcourt Press is our bi-weekly look at the latest headline news from around the league. We'll examine stat trends, injuries, depth chart battles and schedule breakdowns, along with notable performances throughout the NBA season.

On Tuesday, June 28, the NBA held its annual draft. Andrew Bogut heard commissioner David Stern announce his name from the podium first, followed by Marvin Williams, Deron Williams and Chris Paul. Boston exceeded the most expectations by taking No. 1 ranked high school phenom Gerald Green in the first round and stealing Ryan Gomes with the 50th selection later on.

Now free agency has officially started and many teams will be receiving drastic facelifts. The World Champion Spurs and Eastern Conference champion Pistons are each expected to re-sign the core players and make another serious run at a title next year, with Miami, Indiana and Phoenix -- among others -- expected to put up big fight.

In this concluding edition of Fullcourt Press, we will break down some major attention-grabbing events to look forward to this season, as well as some up-to-date important news.

Interesting Stories for 2005-06:

  • The return of Ron Artest to the hardwood after a sports-record 72-game suspension will definitely be under the media microscope. Before receiving the penalty, the 2003-04 Defensive Player of the Year was emerging into the elite class in Fantasy, averaging 24.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.0 APG and 2.1 SPG. If -- and it's a major if -- he can keep his head on straight, he'll be a legitimate All-Star candidate and will help put Indiana back in a position to compete for a title. He's an all-around Fantasy stud and warrants draft consideration in the initial three rounds of your draft.
  • T.J. Ford (bruised spinal cord) was cleared to resume physical contact activities by Milwaukee's medical staff just before the draft. When healthy, he's one of the quickest point guards in the league and is a pure point guard in the truest sense of the term. After sitting out the entire 2004-05 season, expect Bucks' fans to hold their collective breaths the first time their floor general takes a hard fall. Realistically, expect 7.0 PPG, 6.0 APG and 4.0 RPG for the former Texas standout. Jamal Mashburn's comeback bid remains doubtful -- he might be hanging 'em up in the near future.
  • After a bitter divorce overblown by the media, legendary coach Phil Jackson decided to rejoin the Lakers after a one-year layoff. He led the fabled franchise to a three-peat Dynasty before fading into the sunset. If Kobe Bryant and Jackson can develop a better relationship, they could re-emerge into bona fid Championship contenders within a year or two. The matchup against Shaquille O'Neal and the Heat will be heavily scrutinized as well.
  • One intriguing story will be the hopeful comeback bid of former Bull Jay Williams He got into a serious motorcycle accident fracturing his pelvis, severing a main nerve in his leg and tearing three of the four main ligaments in his left knee. One doctor even told him he would never walk again. After the accident, Chicago nullified his contract and waived him. However, the former No. 2 selection is able to run again and plans to hold a workout for teams in late summer. "I think 95 percent of the battle is mentally overriding the capacity to do well physically," Williams said in May. "Physically, I think I am doing great. I am running up and down the court and I am doing drills that I never thought I would be able to do again. Actually, I am just working my butt off." Don't be afraid to take a late-round gamble on the Williams.
  • The league's newest class of point guards -- Shaun Livingston, Jameer Nelson, Sebastian Telfair, Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Raymond Felton -- will be trusted to run the show for each of their teams, and should be targeted as cheap sources for assists and steals. Their presence has cut into the job security of Marko Jaric, Damon Stoudamire, Speedy Claxton and Raul Lopez.
  • The Charlotte Bobcats made some drastic steps towards improving their future by landing local superstars Raymond Felton and Sean May within the top-14 selections. With the addition of Rookie of the Year Emeka Okafor, the young 'Cats have a formidable frontcourt with an up-and-coming floor general. Brevin Knight did a great job running the show, but is expendable because of his age. Felton should get a lot of burn right away.
  • Free-agent bonanza has officially started in the league Friday. The headline names that will be on the top of a lot of franchise's wish lists include Joe Johnson, Ray Allen, Jamaal Magloire, Andre Miller, Larry Hughes, Antoine Walker, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

Around the league:

  • Eddy Curry received a plan to resume physical activity Thursday after meeting with noted cardiologist Dr. David Cannom in Los Angeles. He became a restricted free agent at midnight Thursday and plans to begin working out with trainer Tim Grover at Hoops the Gym. The Bulls can match all offers for Curry during the free agent recruiting period, which runs from Friday until July 22. However, there remain several question marks surrounding his irregular heartbeat followed by three months of inactivity. His deal is expected to be incentive-driven with clauses involving his health, weight and performance.
  • Damon Jones decided not to exercise the option year of his contract with the Heat on Thursday and was to become a free agent. He can negotiate with teams starting Friday, but cannot sign with the Heat or any other club until July 22.
  • The Wizards extended qualifying contract offers to Kwame Brown and Steve Blake. Washington now has the right to match any offer another NBA team makes them this offseason. There was some speculation Brown, the former No.1 overall selection, would not be back in the nation's capital after being suspended during the postseason. However, Washington president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld clarified those rumors. "There is no saying that (Brown) won't be back with us. We'll explore all of our options. We'll meet with him and his representatives and see where we are. There is a possibility that he will be back with us."
  • Seattle made qualifying offers to Vladimir Radmanovic, Reggie Evans, Damien Wilkins and Ronald Murray. Ray Allen and Antonio Daniels are expected to each test the free-agent waters.
  • The Knicks and Suns pulled off a Draft Day deal that shipped three-point bomber Quentin Richardson to New York in exchange for Kurt Thomas. The move will strengthen Phoenix's defense and toughness, while N.Y. gets one of the league's best perimeter threats.
  • Cuttino Mobley declined a $6.374 million player option from the Kings for next season and has become an unrestricted free agent. He averaged 17.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 3.4 APG in 43 games last season with Sacramento. He hasn't ruled out a return to Sac-town, but wants to test the market, according to the Kings. They also extended offer sheets to forwards Darius Songaila and Maurice Evans, making them restricted free agents.
  • The "amnesty rule" of the new collective bargaining agreement could lead to Michael Finley, Allan Houston and Brian Grant being cut from their current teams in a cost-saving maneuver. Finley is owed $51 million over the next three years under his current deal -- he'd still be paid his contract by the Mavs, but it wouldn't count toward the luxury tax. Phoenix is expected to try to sign the veteran swingman if Mark Cuban does decide to part ways with Finley.
  • The Cavaliers dealt Jiri Welsch to the Magic in exchange for the rights to Orlando's second-round selection, which turned out to be Martynas Andriuskevicius. Andriuskevicius is a seven-foot-three Lithuanian who's presence could help the Cavs re-ink fellow countryman Ilgauskas, who has officially declared for free agency. Cleveland is expected to be $25 million under the cap and has made re-signing Big Z their No. 1 priority this offseason.

A brief farewell

This edition of Fullcourt Press will officially be my last article for CBS.SportsLine.com. It has been an honor and a privilege to cover the National Basketball Association over the past year, and I will greatly miss providing the headline news of the hardwood to our great customer base. I'd like to give a special thanks to my co-workers David Gonos, Dan Dobish, Michael Fabiano, Mark Swanson, Peter Madden, Mike Levine, Bill Grubbs, Mitch Zayas, Carey Dunn and Robb Monteiro for their support and assistance. You guys will be missed.

Please e-mail your unique commissioner rules to us at fullcourt@sportsline.com. Be sure to put Attn: Full Court in the subject field. We will highlight some of the more interesting ideas in Fullcourt Press when the Fantasy season comes to its conclusion.

Matt Lawrence is the champion of the 2005 Sportsline.com Head-to-Head Experts Fantasy Basketball League.