Updated: July 23, 2004, 4:20 PM ET
Kirilenko, Randolph, Gasol going for the max
Battier, the sixth pick in the 2001 draft, will be the first in a long line of third-year veterans looking to cash in this summer before the current collective bargaining agreement goes away. Fears that contracts will become more restrictive, with fewer guaranteed years and smaller max ceilings, along with fears that the luxury-tax threshold may become smaller, are forcing agents into action.
"I think it behooves everyone to get something done now," Battier's agent, Lon Babby, told Insider. "For the player, it may give them their last chance at a long, guaranteed contract. For teams, it may be their last poker chip to lock-up a guy they want long term."
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