NBA CAP TO BE ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK; MORE MONEY FOR ROOKIES?

     The NBA this week will finalize a league-wide salary cap for
the coming season.  The "ceiling could hit" between $15.8M-16.2M,
an increase from last year's $15.175M.  NBA teams hope to use the
increase to sign 1st round picks.  76ers owner Harold Katz said
he needs an estimated $1M more in space under the cap to sign his
first round picks, Sharone Wright and B.J. Tyler, and said the
"sum would probably be made up by 'restructuring' contracts of
signed veterans (Frank Lawlor, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 9/20).  The
signing of Wright may have an impact on other rookie deals.  The
Bullets and Timberwolves both have had trouble signing 1st round
picks Juwan Howard and Donyell Marshall.  The Wolves have
apparently "invited trade feelers" on Marshall.  Bullets GM John
Nash: "We hear the cap is going to be less than $16M and that is
going to cause problems for some teams" (Richard Justice,
WASHINGTON POST, 9/20).
     GRANT WORKS WITH MAGIC:  Horace Grant signed an NBA-
approved 5-year deal with the Magic.  The contract, which has a
two-year, early-release option, comes a week after a federal
judge ruled that Grant's first contract violated the NBA salary
cap (mult., 9/20).