Nuggets sign forward/center Chris Andersen

DENVER (AP) -The Denver Nuggets brought back Chris Andersen, signing the frontcourt player known as "Birdman'' on Thursday.

Andersen was reinstated by the NBA in early March after being kicked out on Jan. 27, 2006, for violating the league's drug policy.

The 6-foot-10, 228-pound Andersen played in five games for the New Orleans Hornets last season, averaging 1.2 points and 1.8 rebounds a game.

He is a high-energy player, something the Nuggets could use after losing Eduardo Najera to free agency and trading center Marcus Camby to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Andersen began his career with the Nuggets after being called up from the NBA Development League in 2001. He played three seasons for Denver before bolting for New Orleans.

While with New Orleans during the 2005-06 season, Andersen averaged 5 points a game, before becoming the first player thrown out for drugs since Stanley Roberts in 1999.

The NBA and the players' union aren't allowed to comment on the specifics of a drug test, but according to the collective bargaining agreement, a player can only be disqualified for a fourth positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, or a first positive test for "drugs of abuse.''

Andersen had not previously been suspended for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

The drugs on the "drugs of abuse'' list are amphetamines and its analogs, which include methamphetamine; cocaine; LSD; opiates, including heroin, codeine and morphine; and PCP.

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Charles Barkley tips well, pays busboy's tuition to Temple

By J.E. Skeets

Not sure how BDL missed this story yesterday — oh, that's right, we were busy setting the unofficial NBA marathon live chat record — but hey, better late than never.

Charles Barkley is giving his money away again. No, no, no, don't judge! This time, instead of feeding quarters into some slot machine or doubling-down on 14 at the blackjack table, Barkley's picked up the tuition for a busboy at a restaurant in Philly. From the Philadelphia Daily News:

"Sir Charles told [Christian] Abate he would like to help him with his tuition, and Abate wasn't sure how to respond. Barkley didn't give him much time, telling Abate that he had the length of Barkley's meal to decide. Abate wisely accepted.

"He's a nice kid," Barkley said of Abate on Friday. "He was working with kids, I loved that he wanted to be a teacher, and I wanted to help him," Barkley told us by phone between stops on a flight to Reno where he was making a speech.

While the little-more-than-15% tip may seem particularly special, it's not so unusual for Sir Charles. In fact, the lovable goof has given at least $3 million to schools and education in his home state of Alabama. He's a giver, not a golfer.

As SportsByBrooks so eloquently put it, Barkley is just like Robin Hood: "He tries to take from the rich, but since he’s not very good at it, he gives to the poor out of his own pocket." So noble. Thump Bump, Chuck.

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Sasha Vujacic might leave Lakers to play in Europe

Lakers reserve guard Sasha Vujacic, a restricted free agent, is prepared to leave the team and accept an offer from a European team in the next few days if the Lakers don't make him an offer he deems fair, according to a source in the Vujacic camp who spoke only on the condition of anonymity.

The source said Vujacic is seeking a multiyear deal from the Lakers averaging about $5 million a year. Vujacic was hoping for a six-year deal, but anticipated it could be a shorter contract.

• 

  Weighing his options

• Lakers' Sasha Vujacic might follow Josh Childress to Europe

Vujacic, who earned $1.76 million last season, was given a $2.6-million qualifying offer by the Lakers after the season to make him a restricted free agent.

He has not received an offer sheet from another NBA team. Teams were hesitant to make Vujacic an offer because they anticipate the Lakers would match it, the source said.

The Lakers made a qualifying offer to another of their free agents, forward Ronny Turiaf, but when Turiaf received a four-year, $17-million offer sheet from the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers declined to match it.

Because the Lakers are over the luxury tax, they would be assessed an amount equal to any sum they spend over it.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak has been negotiating with Vujacic's agent, Rob Pelinka.

"We are very aware of the global market as it has changed over the years. It was our desire to bring Sasha and Ronny back. It continues to be our desire to bring Sasha back," Kupchak said Thursday after hearing of Vujacic's ultimatum. "However, with the ever-changing marketplace that Europe has become, a player, in order to cover his bases, can negotiate with his NBA team and, at the same time, have a plan that allows him to have the possibility of going overseas."

Jumping from the NBA to Europe has become a viable option for several players, the latest being Josh Childress, who Wednesday revealed that he is leaving the Atlanta Hawks to play for Olympiakos, a Greek club, for a three-year deal worth about $20 million after taxes.

The 24-year-old Vujacic, a native of Maribor, Slovenia, just completed his fourth and best season with the Lakers. Vujacic averaged 8.8 points in 17.8 minutes this past season, shooting 45.4% from the field, including 43.7% from three-point range. In the postseason, Vujacic averaged 21.7 minutes, 8.1 points and shot 39.9% from the floor, including 39.2% on three-pointers.

Kupchak, while refusing to discuss numbers, said of the negotiations with Pelinka, "It's our intention to have a happy ending."

Kupchak says he agrees that the situation should be resolved in the next few days.

"When the free agency period rolled around," he said, "Sasha needed to get a feel of what the market would be like. After 20-something days, he's had enough time to get a feel. It's time this came to a conclusion."

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