The Knicks met with free-agent point guard Andre Miller on Monday, the Daily News has learned.

According to a team source, the meeting between Miller and Knicks president Donnie Walsh took place at the Knicks training facility in Greenburgh. It is not believed that the Knicks made Miller an offer. Miller is hoping to sign for more than the mid-level exception of $5.8 million.

A more plausible scenario for the Knicks would be to work out a sign-and-trade with the Sixers. Chris Duhon would almost certainly be included in a deal for Miller.

After receiving an improved offer last week and taking a few more days to deliberate, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash notified the Phoenix Suns over the weekend that he is accepting the Suns' two-year extension offer worth an estimated $22 million, according to team sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that Nash is expected to formally announce his decision via his Twitter feed later Monday.

The Suns offered Nash a two-year, $20 million extension two weeks ago in addition to the $13.1 million he's owed next season, then bumped it higher in a meeting in Las Vegas last Wednesday attended by Suns owner Robert Sarver, president of basketball operations Steve Kerr and Nash's agent Bill Duffy.

The terms of Scott Brooks’ contract have become a little clearer.

The Thunder coach signed a two-year deal that could keep him in Oklahoma City at least through the 2010-11 season, The Oklahoman has learned. The Thunder, per team policy, does not divulge contract details and announced on April 15 that Brooks signed a "multi-year” deal. But the team has an option clause written into the contract that could keep Brooks with the Thunder through the 2011-12 season.

Financial terms of the deal are unclear, but the contract is believed to be worth more than $1.5 million annually. The agreement allows Brooks, 43, an opportunity to continue to establish himself as a coach while growing with the Thunder’s young core of talent.

Brooks is entering his first full season as a head coach. He guided the Thunder to a 22-47 record last season after replacing P.J. Carlesimo, who was fired 13 games into the season.

Just one more Summer League game and next week's Team USA minicamp stands between (Jerryd) Bayless and the next meaningful basketball he will play: training camp. Asked for his early thoughts on earning time at the point guard spot during camp this year, Bayless made eye contact and stated very clearly, "It's a battle." Asked if he would be content with settling into a backup role, he said, "Obviously, Steve [Blake] is the starting point guard but I don't think Steve would want it any other way [than a battle]. I don't think he just wants me to come in and just mess around. I'm going to come out there and battle him. You never know what could happen." Bayless also admitted that his approach to camp would be different than last year, "I'm in a different place... Last year I kind of knew I was bound to be a backup. This year, Coach is giving me an opportunity and it's up to me."

Shooting guard Morris Almond, Utah's former first-rounder, added 14 points on 6 of 12 shooting and could be offered a free-agent contract.

(Jordan) Hill's mixed showing increases president Donnie Walsh's interest in signing free agent Tim Thomas. But Walsh wants to first make sure Lee is in the bag as his free agency enters Day 20. Walsh said he expected a resolution to Lee's situation this week, but a lot depend on the Blazers, who are mulling signing Lee to an offer sheet.

The Knicks are trying to reel in (David) Lee for $7 to $8 million per season. Lee's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said of the Knicks negotiations: "We're not close to a deal right now."

Former NBA coach Eric Musselman has turned down an offer to coach a professional team in Russia.

Musselman, who coached the Golden State Warirors and Sacramento Kings, informed Spartak St. Petersburg over the weekend that he would not take the job. He was the second ex-NBA coach tied to the opening, as Spartak spoke with Tim Floyd -- formerly of Chicago and New Orleans -- before reaching out to Musselman.

Musselman coached the Warriors from 2002-04, compiling an overall record of 75-89 and improving the team's win total by 17 games in his first season. He went 33-49 in his lone season with the Kings (2006-07).

He currently serves as an NBA analyst on FOX Sports Radio and color commentator for college basketball broadcasts on Comcast SportsNet in California.

Prior to becoming a head coach in the NBA, Musselman coached in the CBA for nine seasons, compiling the second-best winning percentage in league history (270-122, .688) behind current Denver coach George Karl. He also had several stints as an assistant in the NBA, including time spent under Chuck Daly and Doc Rivers in Orlando, and Mike Fratello in Memphis.

(Olympiakos) have set their eyes on Denver Nuggets forward Linas Kleiza. The club is looking for a replacement for Giorgos Printezis who signed with Unicaja and Kleiza looks like a good option. Redplanet.gr reports that the player is asking for 3.5 million euros per season which is more than (Olympiakos) are willing to pay to secure his services.

“I like to compete,” (Ian) Mahinmi said. “When I play against someone like that, I like to go at him and see if he can guard me.”

Thabeet couldn't. At least not consistently and at least not without fouling eight times.

The former UConn All-American created more questions than answers for the Grizzlies with his uneven summer league play.

Thabeet finished with nine points and grabbed five rebounds, numbers that were actually better than his averages coming in. He is a project, which is not something a team wants to hear about a high lottery pick.

But Sunday's game also said something about Mahinmi. In the past, the knock on Mahinmi has been an aversion to contact.

There was no such knock Sunday. Mahinmi charged Thabeet almost from the jump.

“He was certainly aggressive,” said Spurs assistant Don Newman, who coached the summer league team. “Here's this guy perceived as one of the top guys to come out, and Ian was up to the challenge. That's what you want to see.”

It was a significant achievement for Mahinmi, who had hoped to use the summer to show the Spurs he can be a useful big man in a rotation that also will include Tim Duncan, Blair, Antonio McDyess and Matt Bonner. Mahinmi missed all but one game last season dealing with a nagging ankle problem.

Mahinmi is already under contract for the upcoming season, but the Spurs must decide by Oct. 31 whether to pick up his option for another season.

He is only 22, same as Thabeet. And he appears to be more ready for prime time than Thabeet.

“We wanted him to come out this week and show us what he could do,” Newman said. “I certainly think he helped himself.”

That's all Mahinmi wanted out of nine days in Las Vegas. Closing it with a Thabeet-busting was only icing on the cake.

“I like to compete against the best, and he's one of the upcoming best,” Mahinmi said. “I told myself to be aggressive from the start, and we'll see what happens.”

David Kahn heads for Spain today and meetings presumably with Ricky Rubio and his DKV Joventut team in a trip that Kahn says his only mission is to be “helpful” in facilitating Rubio’s contract buyout so he can play in the NBA this fall.

The Wolves, by NBA rules, can pay only $500,000 of a buyout that could cost as much as $6.6 million. But with European teams everywhere suffering financially from the global economic downturn — and DKV Joventut in particular financial trouble — it seems more and more likely a deal eventually will get done. If it happens and Rubio signed by the Wolves by fall, it probably will because Rubio’s Spanish club is desperate for that buyout money and because Rubio’s representatives will have lined up enough endorsement deals to pay for that buyout, and then some.

For most of the tournament, (Chris) Duhon rode in a golf cart and greeted the participants. But on the eighth hole, playing with former Duke point guard Jay Williams, whose NBA career was shortened when he fractured his pelvis and severed a main nerve in his leg, Duhon stroked a beautiful swing that sent the ball soaring on the straightaway.

"Chris has always been there for me," Williams said. "When I was at Duke he was wheeling me around in the wheelchair. It's funny when I first came to Duke, Coach Mike Krzyzewski said we're going to be family and be brothers for life. You hear somebody say that, but you don't think about it. Chris is all about giving back."

Duhon's mother, Vivian Harper, helped coordinate the event and greeted participants as they arrived before getting on the course to compete.

"My mom raised me to be respectful of others and also be thankful for the position that I am in," Duhon said. "There's a lot of people that had the talent and the opportunity, but for whatever reason didn't make it.

"I've been blessed to have great coaches, Coach Carlin, Coach K and even Scott Skiles in Chicago, guys who did it the right way and talked great values. That's how I tried to live my life by playing the game respect it."

Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor faced a lot of the same questions Sunday night in a TV interview with KSL Channel 5 that he did Saturday as the Jazz presented the newly re-signed Paul Millsap at their practice facility.

Q: Andrei (Kirilenko) went to the Peak Performance Project in Santa Barbara, Calif. How did that work out for him?

A: We sat down with him this year. With Andrei, I think this was the first year he was committed to saying, 'You know what? I've got to get stronger.' He was always worried about getting bigger, but I think as he looks at it, he knows now he's got to get stronger. And if he'll do that....We've stayed in communication with him about once a week. Supposedly he's up to 230 pounds and he ended the season at 218 and hopefully that's muscle mass on him. He's working with a trainer overseas. It's a commitment that he has to himself and to the team.

The pain has worn off now, with Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin concerned only with the physical kind and refusing to acknowledge the emotional.

He swears there are no hard feelings, that the criticism he endured related to his left ankle last season didn't linger like the injury itself. No, the healing process has run its course. And Martin, who missed 31 games in all while so many fans and some media questioned his toughness in the following months, is ready to bounce back.

"(The ankle) just needed rest," Martin said earlier this month while watching the Kings at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

"It's starting to feel much better now. I'm watching the workout tape from when we were (training) in Florida last (summer), and it's amazing watching the tape how explosive I was. It's starting to get back there. I'm not going to put a percentage on it or anything, but I feel damn good right now."

Before the Suns and Los Angeles Clippers closed the NBA Summer League on Sunday night, this year's No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, Clippers forward Blake Griffin, accepted the 10-day league's Most Outstanding Player Award at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Usually Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry avoids players who are restricted and this is the first offer sheet he's given in his four years as GM. However, the Cavs may be acting with some gamesmanship here as the Heat twist a bit while waiting to see if Los Angeles Lakers free agent Lamar Odom accepts an offer they have given him. Locking up (Jamario) Moon to an offer sheet prevents him to be used in sign-and-trades, which the Heat may have been looking at as well.

Miami has several young players at Moon's position, including Daequan Cook, Dorell Wright, Yakhouba Diawara and James Jones, and it may prevent them from matching. The Heat are also believed to be looking to save salary-cap space for next summer.

The Indiana Pacers will not match the four-year, $20 million offer the Toronto Raptors made to restricted free agent Jarrett Jack, Jack told The Indianapolis Star in a telephone interview late Sunday night.

"It took a minute, but I was able to secure a contract for four years," Jack said. "I'm looking forward to playing with Chris (Bosh) again. It will be like our freshman year (at Georgia Tech) all over again."

The Pacers had until today to make a decision.

Jack said he is scheduled to fly to Toronto today and a news conference is planned for Tuesday.

The decision by the Pacers not to match the offer is not surprising. The Pacers are financially strapped and want to avoid going over the NBA's $69.9 million luxury tax threshold. Matching the offer would have put them in a difficult position to make other roster moves.

"My hope is that we get (Anthony Carter) and (Linas Kleiza) back in a happy manner," (George) Karl said. "Free-agency right now, both of them are looking for a better deal than what is out there. Maybe they'll get it, maybe they won't. I would like to keep our team fairly intact from last year along with (Arron) Afflalo and Ty. I think that would be a good step. Our improvement is going to come with our younger players mostly meaning Nene, Melo and J.R (Smith). People don't understand that we are a fairly young basketball team. The nucleus, we have four or five guys under the age of 25 or 26 years of age. They made some big steps last year, but there is still a window of improvement there."

This is a difficult period for restricted free agents. They are not unrestricted, so they can't sign with any team and move forward with their careers. Their previous team has the rights to match any offer from another club or make a qualifying offer at its leisure for another season. So the restricted free agent waits for calls. They work out. And they are without a team -- at least for a summer.

Hakim Warrick is in this position. He watched his Memphis Grizzlies take on the Los Angeles Clippers in the Las Vegas Summer League hoping he returns to the Grizzlies and is part of their bright future. But nothing is official yet. He has yet to receive an offer sheet from another club and Grizzlies management is waiting to make a decision. At 27, Warrick is entering the prime of his career and could be an important contributor for a team on the rise.

But will that be in Memphis? The suspense is killing him.

"It's tough but like I said, you did your job during the season and you've just got to sit back -- and this is what you pay your agent for so you've just got to let them deal with it," the former Syracuse standout said. "I try not to mess with him too much, but every now and again, he'll call me and let me know a couple of teams and you get a little nervous."

First-round draft choice Hasheem Thabeet has signed with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The 7-foot-3 centre from Connecticut was the second pick in the draft. He is due to make about $7.7 million (all figures U.S.) over two years under the rookie salary scale.

Thabeet, the first Tanzanian-born player drafted by an NBA team, averaged 13.6 points, nearly 11 rebounds and 4 blocks per game at UConn last season.

Phoenix Suns forward Taylor Griffin walked to the free-throw line Sunday night during an NBA Summer League game against the Los Angeles Clippers and was greeted with some spirited trash talk from a group of nearby Clippers fans.

His younger brother, Clippers’ top pick Blake Griffin, stood a few feet away on the rebounding block and cracked a smile.

The brothers, teammates the past two years at Oklahoma and for most of their childhood growing up in Edmond, Okla., got their first taste of competing against each other professionally in Phoenix’s 87-70 victory.

“For me, it was just another game,” Blake Griffin said. “Of course I wanted him to do well, but this is a business and I’m more concerned with winning.”

Blake Griffin, who before the game was announced as the event’s Most Outstanding Player, got the best of his brother with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Taylor Griffin, a second-round selection of the Suns, had four points and six rebounds.