Tom Enlund of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Bucks coach George Karl is still talking about the Glenn Robinson trade. While leading Team USA in the World Basketball Championships, Karl spoke to reporters about the trade and his team.

After the Bucks traded Glenn Robinson to the Hawks for Toni Kukoc, Leon Smith and a first round pick, there were many critics. Karl doesn?t understand why people question the trade. He points out that most naysayers are overlooking the fact that the trade could save the Bucks over $18 million. In the era of the luxury tax, that is huge.

Also, Karl expects Kukoc to be a major contributor next season and thinks the draft pick will be a good one. Finally, the trade allows Tim Thomas to start, which could give him a boost in the regular season.

Karl indicated that it is almost a foregone conclusion that the Bucks will be paying the luxury tax next season and he was confident that they will be able to re-sign Michael Redd and possibly Darvin Hamm as well.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Golden state warriors are interested in Milwaukee free agent Darvin Ham. They like his high-energy style of play and his strong locker room presence.

"If the Warriors made the first move and were a little assertive, they could trump everybody," Ham's agent, Steve Kauffman, said Friday.

He came. He saw. He answered questions.

Glenn Robinson began his career as an Atlanta Hawk by fielding questions ranging from basketball to personal and even discussed a long standing rivalry (since high school) with now teammate Alan Henderson.

In all, Robinson was very impressive in his first encounter with the Atlanta media, leaving some to wonder what all the negativity and character issues were about.

With new teammates Jason Terry and Henderson looking on, Robinson answered questions with such thought and optimism, you had to check his bio to make sure he didn?t major in ?Telling People What they Want to Hear? at Purdue.

RealGM's Jason Walker brings the details of the Robinson press conference as well as updates on the Hawks assistant coach hunt and the negotiations between the Hawks and Ira Newble.

Stephen A. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports on the trades the Sixers almost made. On Monday, the Sixers traded Mutombo to the Nets for Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch, but there were other deals discussed.

Last week, Mutombo was nearly a New York Knick (in a trade for Kurt Thomas and Latrell Sprewell) before he became a New Jersey Net. And, had it not been for the combination of Allen Iverson's arrest on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, followed by subsequent arrests of Bucks forward Glenn Robinson for allegedly assaulting his ex-fiancee and Coleman for suspicion of drunken driving, Robinson could have been traded for Coleman.

Sixers GM Billy King was on the phone with Milwaukee talking about inheriting the remaining three years and $32.66 million on Robinson's contract; he was trying to trade both Mutombo and Coleman in the same week. The major stumbling block stemmed more from appearances on the police blotters than play on the court.

Meanwhile, Ashley McGeachy Fox of the Inquirer reports that the Sixers are most likely not done dealing.

After the Nets trade, Philly is in the market for a veteran big man. Preferably one who can play both the center and power forward position. A report that the Sixers were interested in trading Derrick Coleman and Harpring to Miami for Brian Grant surfaced yesterday. That was apparently false because Grant's contract was too large and for too long. But a league insider said of the possible deal: "Miami would be the best for all three parties."

There are several free-agent big men who would fit Brown's criteria for a veteran center. Houston's Kevin Willis, who turns 40 next month, is 7 feet tall and averaged 6.1 points in 52 games, including five starts. Dean Garrett also is available. Minnesota traded the 6-11 Garrett to Golden State in February, and in 34 games last season, he averaged 1.1 points and 1.7 rebounds in 5.4 minutes.

Another veteran option could be Portland's Chris Dudley, who has said he is going to retire, or Chicago's Charles Oakley.

Chris Havel of the Green Bay Press Gazzette doesn?t like the Glenn Robinson trade and he lets everyone know how he feels. ?It is sad to envision Glenn Robinson packing a suitcase for Atlanta. Where does one buy luggage large enough to contain eight years worth of unrealized potential and nagging regret? More important, where does one buy luggage large enough to contain Sam Cassell??

In case you might have misunderstood Havels? opinion, he also writes, ?Cassell is a talented but selfish player who abuses his role as point guard, and the Bucks never will be NBA champions with him at the controls. Trading Robinson and keeping Cassell is like pronouncing the patient healed after removing the wart and leaving the cancer untreated.

The news isn?t all-bad from Havel. He admits that the Robinson-for-Kukoc trade has some merits. ?At least now we?ll find out if Tim Thomas is worth the loot, if Michael Redd can score consistently and if Allen can emerge from Robinson?s shadow, thin as it was.?