Dave Bing may run for mayor of Detroit
The AP reports: Businessman and former NBA great Dave Bing says he’s seriously considering running for mayor of Detroit because of scandals surrounding the incumbent and other problems in the city where he played for most of his Hall-of-Fame career. Bing said Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s legal and image troubles, a federal probe into a sludge recycling contract and Detroit’s underachieving public schools, are hampering the financially strapped city’s ability to attract business, investment and people. Reports of a physical confrontation last week involving Kilpatrick and a sheriff’s deputy who was trying to serve a subpoena on a mayoral ally only adds to Detroit’s growing embarrassment, Bing said. State police are investigating the incident.
Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Will Bynum to a contract. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“We are pleased to add Will Bynum to our roster,” said Dumars. “Will played well for us during summer league and we think he possesses skills that can help our team and provide depth at the guard position.”
Bynum averaged 11.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists with Detroit at the 2008 NBA Las Vegas Summer League. The Chicago native played last season for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli League where he averaged 10.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
The 6-foot, 185-pound guard played 15 games with the Golden State Warriors during the 2005-06 season, averaging 3.6 points and 1.3 assists per game. He was named 2005-06 NBA Development League Rookie of the Year after leading the league in scoring at 24.0 points per game with the Roanoke Dazzle.
Bynum began his collegiate career at the University of Arizona before transferring to Georgia Tech during his sophomore year. As a junior, he led the Yellow Jackets to the 2004 NCAA Championship game after making a game-winning layup against Oklahoma State in the Final Four and scored 17 points in a loss to Connecticut.
How to determine schedule for any team
The Oklahoman (Mike Baldwin) reports on a team’s 82-game regular season schedule: “Four games against division opponents. Four games against six out-of-division conference opponents. Three games against the remaining four conference teams. Two games against teams in the opposing conference. A five-year rotation determines which out-of-division conference teams are played only three times.”
2008-09 Salary Cap set to $58.680 million
The National Basketball Association today announced that the Salary Cap for the 2008-09 season will be $58.680 million. The new Cap goes into effect immediately as the league’s “moratorium period” has ended and teams can begin signing free agents and making trades.
The tax level for the 2008-09 season has been set at $71.150 million. Any team whose team salary exceeds that figure will pay a $1 tax for each $1 by which it exceeds $71.150 million.
The mid-level exception is $5.585 million for the 2008-09 season and the minimum team salary, which is set at 75% of the Salary Cap, is $44.010 million.
For the 2007-08 season, the Salary Cap was set at $55.630 million, the tax level was $67.865 million and the mid-level exception was $5.356 million.


