Rarely has the NBA been more destabilized by front office turnover than this summer.

And the uncertainty has governed the way certain teams deal with each other.

``At one point we tried to make a deal with them as part of a three-way trade,'' Pacers general manager Larry Bird said of Atlanta, which as of Thursday had not hired a coach, or informed interim coach Terry Stotts that the job was his. ``But they didn't have anyone to talk to, so we decided that we had better pull out of there.''

Just imagine, then, what is happening to those free agents still attempting to find market value in a marketplace wracked with luxury tax phobia.

Remember Travis Best? Since attempting to play hardball with the Celtics over their minimum contract offer - only for the team to sign Mike James to an even lower number - the veteran point guard has found himself in a large journeyman pool.

While such minimum contract playmaker types as Kevin Ollie (Cleveland), Milt Palacio (Toronto) and Erick Strickland (Milwaukee) have found homes, Best is still attempting to find a deal resembling the $1.4 million he earned last year in Miami.

Best is now competing with players like Rick Brunson, Randy Brown, Mateen Cleaves, Bimbo Coles (remember him?), Tim Hardaway, Robert Pack and even bigger names like Mark Jackson and Rod Strickland for attention. Intriguing names like Brian Shaw and Kenny Anderson are still out there as well.

And according to Best's agent, Forest King, the lines of communication aren't that easy to follow.

Via Boston Herald

General Basketball

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