Vandeweghe's agent eager

[ducks]

Vandeweghe's agent eager
Aaron J. Lopez, Rocky Mountain News

The agent for Denver Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe hopes to begin preliminary negotiations on a possible contract extension for his client next week.

Warren LeGarie said Friday he is trying to schedule a meeting with Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke and is optimistic a deal can be reached this summer.

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"The lines of communication are definitely open," LeGarie said.

Vandeweghe, hired by Kroenke in 2001, is in the final year of a deal that will pay him $800,000 in base salary for the 2005-06 season.

He is one of the lowest-paid GMs in the NBA despite orchestrating a turnaround that has seen the Nuggets make two consecutive playoff appearances following a nine-year postseason drought.

Though his salary is relatively low, Vandeweghe's stock is high.

He was courted by the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this month, and his market value would figure to be similar to that of Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge, who signed a three-year extension worth more than $10 million last week.

"I don't think it's based on what Danny Ainge got or anyone else," LeGarie said. "It's based on what Kiki has done with the Nuggets. You don't want anyone going (into the season) as a lame duck in the last year of their deal, especially in light of all the positive things that have gone on."

Vandeweghe declined to comment on his status as he focuses on preparing for the upcoming NBA draft. He reiterated that he remains under contract and his preference is to remain with the Nuggets.

"Absolutely. That's all you can say," Vandeweghe said.

Kroenke and his representatives also have declined to comment on Vandeweghe's contract, saying they do not want to negotiate through the media.

MARTIN RECOVERING: Less than two weeks removed from arthroscopic knee surgery, Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin is pain-free and on the road to recovery.

Martin remains on crutches following surgery May 16, but he has been cleared to lift weights. Rehabilitation on his left knee likely will begin next month.

"They didn't give me no time frame yet. Just take it week by week," Martin said. "I'm going to stay on (crutches for now), so I don't risk nothing. I've heard too many horror stories about knees, so I'm being extra cautious."

Martin missed only four games because of chronic knee soreness but his mobility was severely limited for much of the regular season and the playoffs.

"I'm a totally different player with no pain," he said. "I'm not worried about, 'OK, I can jump this play?' Different things like that go through your mind when you have an injury nagging at you. I'm good. Just happy to get it over with and move forward."

BACK TO BUSINESS: After spending three weeks with his family in Milwaukee, Nuggets coach George Karl is ready to dive into his summer to-do list.

Finalizing his coaching staff remains one of Karl's priorities, and he said Tim Grgurich could be among the candidates to join him as an assistant next season.

Grgurich, who spent more than six seasons as Karl's assistant in Seattle and Milwaukee, has one year left on his contract as an assistant with the Portland Trail Blazers but could be looking for work after the Blazers hire a new coach.

Nuggets assistants Scott Brooks and Adrian Dantley are under contract through June 30, and Doug Moe is expected to return for another season. Karl said he expects to know more about his staff after the draft.

TALENT SCOUTS: The Nuggets worked out six players in advance of next month's draft Friday, and 12 more player are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

[sickdsm]

"Can you name the two NBA general managers who passed on Amare Stoudemire and Dwyane Wade in consecutive drafts? You might be silent, but you're not stupid. You know why this question was addressed to you. You're in the process of deciding whether to sign your GM to a contract extension, and this might give you pause. The answer to the question is Jim Paxson and Kiki Vandeweghe. One of them has already been fired." Rocky Mountain News


"Vandeweghe passed on Stoudemire twice, to take Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Nene Hilario, a decision likely to pursue him like a stalker for years. He passed on Wade to take Carmelo Anthony, as most other GMs would have." Rocky Mountain News

"Four years into his (Vandeweghe's) first GM gig, the jury is still out. He has rebuilt the Nuggets into a playoff team, but he's done it mostly by the numbers. He stripped the cupboard bare, which made for one long winter, then used the resulting boatload of salary-cap room to sign Andre Miller, Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin." Rocky Mountain News