The team that won the Michael Finley Sweepstakes is the same team that just won an NBA championship.

Finley told ESPN.com on Wednesday that he has chosen to sign with the San Antonio Spurs, spurning a richer offer from the Miami Heat and the lure of an emotional return to the Phoenix Suns to reunite with close friend Steve Nash.

The Dallas Mavericks tried for weeks to move Finley to an Eastern Conference team to prevent him from joining the Spurs or the Suns. When it couldn't swing a trade before the Aug. 15 deadline to exercise the NBA's new amnesty clause, Dallas reluctantly waived the two-time All-Star, making Finley an unrestricted free agent and the target of an intense two-week courtship that also involved the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Miami's Pat Riley, Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett were among the big names to fly to Chicago last week to make face-to-face pitches to Finley. In the end, he went with the team that sent a one-man delegation -- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich -- to Finley's hometown.

The complete structure of the deal with San Antonio hasn't been finalized, including the length of the contract, but Finley will receive a starting salary of roughly $2.5 million this season.

"To be a part of a championship team, I'm excited," Finley said. "This is the closest I've ever been to a championship. I'm looking forward to the challenge of helping this team repeat."

Asked why he picked the Spurs, Finley said: "In a nutshell, they're already a championship team but they have room for improvement. And I feel my game can help them in the areas where they need improvement."

For every Suns fan pining for a morsel of hope that Michael Finley would have announced a return to Phoenix by now, here is a long-distance dedication from San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich.

"I'd be surprised if Phoenix wasn't his choice," Popovich told the San Antonio Express-News at a Spurs news conference welcoming ex-Finley teammate Nick Van Exel on Tuesday. "I think he's got a great opportunity to start there and play a lot of minutes. He's got great relationships with a couple of their players, Steve (Nash) and Raja (Bell, both ex-Dallas teammates). I think he'd be really comfortable there."

Alas, it means nothing until it comes out of the mouth of Finley or his agent, Henry Thomas. A Thomas assistant said Tuesday that Finley had not made a choice. A decision was expected early this week after Finley used the weekend to mull over in-person presentations from Miami, Phoenix, San Antonio and Minnesota.

Finley is either truly torn or still negotiating, creating more limbo for a Suns franchise that just went through the Joe Johnson ordeal. Phoenix is more than happy to wait out this one if it means landing Finley, waived by Dallas on Aug. 15 for luxury tax savings, for a $1.1 million salary this season.

The Suns have not been given any new timetable. Finley has no deadline, but given his private nature, he likely does not relish the spotlight of his most-wanted status.

Michael Finley was shocked when he was traded from the Suns at age 23. He said he thought they liked him. Nearly nine years later, he knows they do.

The Suns have extolled to Finley how much they love the idea of him playing for them again. Phoenix will hear if the feeling is mutual today or Tuesday, when the swingman, 32, is expected to announce his next career stop. Since being waived by Dallas for luxury tax savings two weeks ago, Finley has become as sought after as a parking spot in the shade.

He narrowed his options to Phoenix, Miami, San Antonio and Minnesota, all of which sent recruiting contingents to see him in Chicago last week.

With Finley aboard, the Suns plunk the sweet shooter into the starting backcourt with good friend Steve Nash and start talking title.

Without him, the expectations do not change much for a Phoenix franchise that can't replace Joe Johnson but has made moves to counter how it lost six of eight games to San Antonio last season.

The Suns' plate is full of wings. Phoenix's Shawn Marion, Jim Jackson, Raja Bell, James Jones, Leandro Barbosa, Boris Diaw and rookie Dijon Thompson all can man one of the wing positions.

The Cavs remain stymied in their efforts to sign free agent point guard Damon Jones. Jones, who started for Miami last season, apparently would like to return to Miami.

But Miami is pursuing free agent forward Michael Finley, who has yet to decide on his next team.

If Miami uses its $5 million salary cap exception for next season on Finley, it likely won't make a suitable offer to Jones. The Cavs still have $3.7 million they could offer Jones next season.

Sources close to the process have told ESPN.com that Michael Finley and agent Henry Thomas have invited the leading suitors to Chicago for sitdowns in Finley's hometown as opposed to launching into a series of recruiting trips.

The Miami Heat's Pat Riley and Stan Van Gundy were the first to visit Finley on Monday, with delegations from the Phoenix Suns (Tuesday), San Antonio Spurs (Thursday) and Detroit Pistons (TBD) also scheduled for visits this week.

There is likewise a chance that the Minnesota Timberwolves will be the fifth team to get an up-close chance to woo Finley, with the most prominent casualty of the NBA's new amnesty clause apparently intent on a deliberate evaluation of his options. The 10-year veteran was waived by the Dallas Mavericks late last Monday and became an unrestricted free agent after clearing waivers Thursday.

Riley, Minnesota star Kevin Garnett, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and ex-Dallas teammate Steve Nash are among the luminaries who have personally reached out to Finley by phone since he was released.

The Heat will make a full-court press to sign free agent swingman Michael Finley during an expected visit to South Florida early this week.

Eager to impress him, the Heat has placed 20 posters of Finley wearing a Heat uniform on light poles on streets next to AmericanAirlines Arena. One associate said Sunday he expected Finley to visit with Heat officials today.

The Heat is believed to be offering Finley the full $5 million mid-level exception. Finley, who averaged 15.7 points for Dallas last season, has strong interest in the Heat, sources said, but associates said he also in recent days has been considering San Antonio, Detroit and Phoenix.

The Pistons and Heat could each offer $5 million. The Spurs could offer slightly more than $2.5 million, but the Suns could offer only the $1.1 million veteran's minimum. Finley is believed to have already spoken with Heat president Pat Riley.

Antoine Walker's physical gave the Heat cause for pause, so much so that his contract is now guaranteed for four years instead of the original six year, The Boston Globe reported.

Walker, acquired in a 13-player deal from the Boston Celtics, and his agent Mark Bartelstein feel that Walker will earn the entire six-year deal in the long run.

"I believe Antoine will get every dollar of the six years," Bartelstein told the paper. "I don't think anything will change. From a practical standpoint, nothing has changed. We think he'll get every dollar of the six years and it won't be an issue at all."

Bartelstein also emphasized that Walker did not fail the physical.

"What happened is, there were some concerns about some issues," Bartelstein told The Globe. We addressed the concerns and I believe he's going to get the full $53 million of his contract."

Shandon Anderson and Steve Smith want to return, but Miami -- awaiting word from Michael Finley -- remains noncommittal.

The Heat are reportedly the frontrunners for Finley and would be forced to the majority of their remaining funds to sign the free agent.

Some published reports Friday said Finley, a free-agent guard/forward from Dallas whom the Pistons covet, was a certainty to sign with Miami.

But several league officials contacted Friday said that's not accurate and that the Pistons are still thick in the Finley waiting game.

It seems clear that Finley, 32, who cleared waivers Thursday, isn't rushing into a decision.

His top two choices appear to be the Heat -- home of Shaquille O'Neal, a revamped roster and high expectations for 2005-06 -- and the Pistons, who can offer the same money ($5 million) for a job backing up Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton.

Minnesota, Denver and San Antonio also reportedly have talked to Finley's representatives. Finley became a free agent after the Mavericks bought him out under the NBA's new amnesty clause.

The Heat and Pistons are again battling it out; this time for Michael Finley, arguably the best available unsigned free agent.

Although several media reports indicated that Detroit and Miami are joined by San Antonio and Phoenix in trying to woo Finley, three NBA officials contacted on Tuesday said that Finley will decide between Miami or Detroit.

"It only makes sense that he would play for either Miami or Detroit," said a league source whose team was among those who contacted Finley's agent, Henry Thomas, after the 32-year-old became a free agent late Monday night. "They (Pistons and Heat) have the most money to offer him, and they provide him with the best chance at playing time while competing for a championship. "