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By Sam Amico / The Amico Report

ON THE MOVE, AND THEN SOME

Latrell Sprewell to Minnesota, Glenn Robinson to Philadelphia, Keith Van Horn to New York, Terrell Brandon's contract to Atlanta ...

I can't type fast enough, and I'm not even close to being finished.

How about Robert Horry in San Antonio? Speedy Claxton in Golden State? And who knows where Indiana's Brad Miller will end up?

Heck, I haven't even had a chance to mention how Juwan Howard signed with Orlando yet -- and I'm not even sure I should. After all, considering the recent flurry of player movement, the Magic and Howard are old news. Or as my teen-age niece might say, "That's so five minutes ago."

Anyway, there's more. Gilbert Arenas signed with Washington, and don't you just have to wonder what Larry Hughes is thinking?

I bet Hughes is thinking, "Hey, I thought I got away from Arenas after the guy beat me out of a starting job in Golden State. And now he's HERE??"

Be honest, out of all the teams Arenas was rumored to sign with, did you really think he would end up with the WIZARDS?

Not that there's anything wrong with the Wizards, it's just that Arenas was supposed to go to Denver ... then the Clippers ... then back to Golden State. He was supposed to play somewhere in the West, as Arenas himself said the West is exactly where he preferred to be.

So what on Earth is he doing in D.C.?

The list goes on.

James Posey is leaving Houston for Memphis, Lamar Odom is visiting Miami, P.Diddy wants to buy the Knicks. Hey, don't we all?

By the time you catch your breath, somebody somewhere is holding a press conference and handing a jersey to somebody new.

In order to make sense of it all, you have to try to break it down and look at each team. And that is exactly what I'm about to do:

MINNESOTA: By the time you read this, the Timberwolves probably have already obtained Sprewell in a four-team trade involving New York, Atlanta, and Philly. And all they had to give up was Brandon, who has scrambled eggs for knees and is about to retire. Anyway, the Timberwolves simply have done a masterful job of building around Kevin Garnett. There's Sprewell, Sam Cassell, Troy Hudson, Michael Olowokandi, Wally Szczerbiak, and no more Joe Smith. I highly doubt the Wolves are finished dealing, as there are a lot of guys in the lineup who love to score, but few to do the dirty work. So look for Szczerbiak to be traded for another big body.

NEW YORK: Van Horn can be very good, as long as your team doesn't make the playoffs. I'm not trying to pick on the guy, but hey, it's the truth. He always seems to fade when his team needs him most. I can't imagine what's gonna happen to the poor guy in New York City. Van Horn is also a power forward, the one position in which the Knicks don't need anyone -- as they already have Kurt Thomas, Clarence Weatherspoon, Othella Harrington, rookie Michael Sweetney, and maybe even Antonio McDyess. Who's next? Karl Malone? But like Minnesota, the Knicks probably aren't done shaking things up.

ATLANTA: Apparently, the idea is to save money by dumping Robinson's contract and picking up Brandon's, which expires in January. Other than that, the Hawks could use an owner, a new coach, and most of all, some kind of plan. I've come to like the Hawks, largely because no one else pays them any attention. But I have no idea what they're doing, and I'm not real sure they do either.

PHILADELPHIA: I love these guys. Don't ask why -- I just do. Maybe it's because Allen Iverson is so much fun to watch, or because I've always been a big fan of fellow Northeast Ohioan Eric Snow. As for Glenn Robinson, well, he's lazy and he shoots too much, but I think the guy is awesome. That's probably because he reminds me of so many of the players from my youth. He's not flashy, he's not muscle-bound -- he just says give me the ball and watch me light it up. The Sixers will be more relaxed under new coach Randy Ayers, and I think it's going to work out just fine.

ORLANDO: No one's really saying much about the Magic -- but they should. Tracy McGrady is a modern day George Gervin, and with Howard, Drew Gooden and Gordon Giricek, Orlando has become a true darkhorse. Plus, I loved the Magic's draft, as Reece Gaines and Keith Bogans were a couple of absolute steals. And let's not forget how the Magic signed point guard Tyronn Lue away from Washington, and re-signed Andrew DeClerq. OK, I was being sarcastic about DeClerq, but hey, someone has to play center, right?

SAN ANTONIO: Robert Horry is the Phil Jackson of players. In other words, like Jackson, Horry is smart enough to always sign on with the best team. It makes you look a lot better. And even though losing Claxton is a bit of a setback, Horry will give the world champs another clutch shooter off the bench. A very underrated addition.

DENVER: Last week I wrote that point guard Andre Miller will re-sign with the Clippers. How's that for an expert opinion? The truth is, Miller will remain a Nugget, and don't you kind of feel excited about these guys? Granted, Howard is gone, and Miller looked like a CBA lifer last season in L.A., but I still expect to see some improvement. That's mainly because rookie Carmelo Anthony is the type of player around whom you can really start something good.

Finally, knowing my luck, all of these trades and signings will fall through, and this was just a complete waste of our time. That is, unless you take pleasure in knowing that I had to type really fast -- and still couldn't keep up.

SUMMER NOTES

-- Former Arizona point guard Jason Gardner is playing on Phoenix's summer roster and word is, he has a shot to make the team. Even if he doesn't set with the Suns, Gardner's quickness and ability to take care of the ball has drawn interest from several teams.

-- Chicago rookie point guard Kirk Hinrich made just 5 of his first 34 shots in summer league play, including a 1-of-12 brickfest at the Rocky Mountain Revue. Still, the Bulls like how Hinrich has done a solid job of controlling the offense. Meanwhile, I've been particularly impressed with what I've seen from second-round pick Tommy Smith -- although he'll have a tough time making the team when you consider the glut of talented big men already on the roster.

-- Remember Jermaine Boyette, the sleeper from Weber State who I wrote about last week (he was playing for Houston)? Well, now he's on Utah's summer team, and while I expect him to play in the NBA someday, he might need a season or two in the NBDL first. Jazz fans are also keeping a close eye on second-year center Curtis Borchardt and point guard Raul Lopez, both of whom missed all of last season with injuries. Borchardt and Lopez are both playing summer ball, and if the Jazz could figure out a way to combine Borchardt's knees with Lopez's feet, they might really have something.

-- Yuta Tabuse, a 5-foot-8 Japanese point guard, has received a lot of minutes for Dallas this summer. The kid has potential, but hasn't played well enough to make the team -- at least, not this year.

-- Second-year swingman Qyntel Woods scored 37 points in Portland's first game at the Revue, while some guy named Pippen had zero. Honestly, the Trail Blazers have a guy named Pippen on their summer roster. No, his first name isn't Scottie -- it's William. Former Wyoming forward Josh Davis and Penn State swingman Gyasi Cline-Heard are also playing for Portland, as is Zach (Stephon's Little Brother) Marbury.

-- Carmelo Anthony has been his usual smooth self for the Nuggets, and so far, looks great. One of my all-time favorites, Jeff Trepagnier, is also on Denver's summer team. Trepagnier can't do anything but jump high and dunk, and I don't care. I have no interest in watching the guy shoot jumpers.

-- My favorite entry in any summer league is the Indiana 76ers. Or is it the Philadelphia Pacers? The real answer is, it's a combination of those organizations' rookies and free agents, who are playing in the Rocky Mountain Revue. I'm not sure why they're doing it, but I do know it's starting to make me warm up to the idea of contraction.

WELCOME, INDIANS FANS

I know I haven't written anything about the Cavaliers this week (a rarity for me), but I still wanted to take a moment to welcome you if you signed up for the newsletter through Cleveland Indians Report. Yes, people actually signed up for my newsletter about the NBA through a baseball-only Web site.

Anyway, I no longer live in Ohio, but I spent the first 24 years of my life growing up in Cuyahoga Falls, and was born in the same Akron hospital that gave the world LeBron James (and only about 72 years before him).

My family still lives there, and every time my wife and I go back to visit, we're amazed at how many people are already wearing Cavaliers jersey with James' name on the back. And some are people who still haven't figured out whether a basketball is inflated or stuffed. But that's just great.

READER FEEDBACK

From Liang Dal

Q: I was just wondering if you collect basketball cards?

A: Dear Liang, yes I do. In fact, I collect everything from NBA cards to pennants to media guides to pocket schedules (with my most prized being the 1973-74 Washington Capitals schedule). I do NOT, however, collect throwback jerseys. As my best friend likes to say about the current retro craze, "Don't you just love how all that stuff we threw away in the 1970s is now on sale for a hundred bucks?"

From Jeff Feinsten

Q: I attended the summer league in Boston and Washington's Kwame Brown was by far the best player there. What makes you think that he isn't going to be an All-Star this upcoming season. Have you seen him play?

A: Dear Jeff, I've seen Brown play enough to know that no one has ever been named an All-Star based on their performance in July. I don't dislike Brown, and I honestly hope he comes around. But I saw him play in Boston, too, and I just don't see the passion. At any rate, based on your question, it might be time for you to start demanding 10 percent of his salary.

From Will Pearson

Q: What do you think about the Pacers signing rookie free-agent Carl English to a reported two-year deal without ever seeing him play in a game? He just worked out for them in rookie camp, then signed a deal. Why wasn't this guy drafted if he is so good?

A: Dear Will, that's a good question. But from everything I've heard, English is a long-range shooter with a quick release, and reminds some scouts of former Hornet Dell Curry. Nobody was raving about Curry, either, as like English, he came from a college not known for it's basketball prowess (Curry went to Virginia Tech, English to Hawaii). Maybe the Pacers outsmarted everyone.

From Zach Williams

Q: Have you heard anything about former Oklahoma point guard Quannas White? I wanted to know if he was playing summer league ball, and if so, how he's doing?

A: Dear Zach, until you mentioned him, I had never even heard of Quannas White (obviously, I'm not a big follower of the college game). Anyway, White has played well for Seattle this summer, and stands a chance at being invited to training camp in the fall.

NEWSLETTER NOTES

-- It's subscription announcement time, as the Amico Report surpassed the 11,000-reader mark last week. My sister keeps trying to convince me to charge one dollar per subscription, but I am going to keep my promise and always keep the newsletter free. Besides, the minute I start charging is the minute my readership goes from 11,000 to 11. That said, thanks a lot for signing up and telling your friends!

-- You can sign up by sending your e-mail address to me at amicoreport@hotmail.com. Questions and comments can also be sent to that address, although you must use your full name for the question to be printed in the newsletter. Also, please include your hometown when e-mailing, for no other reason than to kill my curiosity.

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HAVE A GREAT DAY!