Washington Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the Wizards have extended a qualifying offer to guard Steve Blake and forward/center Kwame Brown making them restricted free agents. This provides the Wizards with the right to match any offer to both Blake and Brown.

Blake, who enters his third season, averaged 4.4 points and 1.5 assists in 43  games with Washington last season. He was selected by the Wizards in the second round (38th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft out of the University of Maryland.  He has averaged 5.4 points, 2.3 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 118 career games.

Brown averaged 7.0 points and 4.9 rebounds in 42 games last season with the Wizards. He has averaged 7.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in his four-year NBA career. Brown was selected by the Wizards with the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft.

Indiana, Portland, Boston, Dallas, Utah and Cleveland are interested in Sarunas Jasikevicius, according to league sources.

"He has a legitimate NBA game," Toronto Raptors General Manager Rob Babcock said last month during the Euroleague Final Four in Moscow.

Now that the league has a new labor deal in place, the player's agent, Doug Neustadt of McLean-based Octagon, can begin talking to teams on July 1 and hopes to strike a multiyear deal soon thereafter. For Jasikevicius, an NBA contract would mark the end to an amazing run as a superstar in Europe and the start of a new challenge as a rookie in the NBA.

"I know that my time is now," he said. "I'm very happy with what I've done, but the NBA has always been my dream."

The Nuggets might be able to snatch up a free agent or so after all. The Nuggets' front office is projecting the salary cap to approach $49 million. If so, the Nuggets would have about $8 million to offer a free agent in the first year of a contract.

If this is true the Nuggets need to have a few people in mind. While they won?t be able to snag up Michael Redd or Ray Allen unless a sign and trade happens, 8 Million dollars is a lot more than just the mid-level exemption.

The Nuggets main priority is to sign a two guard to play complement to Andre Miller. Larry Hughes might just be that guy.

Milton Newton is no longer in the running to become general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers

Newton, who is the Washington Wizards' director of player personnel, was not offered the job because of his inexperience according to a source.

It is possible that not hiring Milton, who is close with Pistons head coach Larry Brown, could mean Brown will not become team president but sources said the choice not to hire Newton will have no affect on Brown's decision.

With Newton out of the picture, Danny Ferry, director of basketball operations for the San Antonio Spurs, seems to be the frontrunner for the Cavaliers GM position.

According to sources, the Washington Wizards director of player personnel Milt Newton is now the leading candidate for the open general manager position with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Wizards President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld confirmed earlier this week that the Cavaliers requested permission to speak with Newton and interviewed Newton last week.

Newton, 39, has spent the past two seasons with the Wizards and has been involved in scouting and talent evaluation.

Newton is also being considered for the San Antonio Spurs director of basketball operations.