LAS VEGAS - Could NBA owners whose teams have bad contracts be getting another mulligan?

It's possible the NBA could end up bringing back the amnesty rule that resulted in teams saving millions of dollars in luxury tax during the summer of 2005.

When the NBA reached an agreement on its current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that summer, teams were allowed a one-time opportunity to waive one player and not have to pay any luxury tax on him. The player, though, got the full amount remaining on his contract, and that counted against the salary cap.

In all, 18 of the NBA teams used the rule, saving about $212 million in luxury-tax payments. Players waived included Michael Finley, Derek Anderson, Brian Grant and Ron Mercer. Finley's release from Dallas proved the most beneficial to another team as he helped San Antonio to the 2007 NBA title.

With NBA economy in peril and the luxury tax next summer possibly dropping by more than $5 million from $69.92 million, NBA commissioner David Stern has spoken to owners about the possibility of the amnesty rule again surfacing, although any possible resurrection of that rule likely wouldn't be put on the table until late in the collective bargaining process.

If such a rule were to be implemented prior to the summer of 2011, which is when the current CBA will expire if the NBA doesn't pick up the 2011-12 option, it likely would have to be approved by both players and owners. But it could end up being part of the next CBA, and there's a chance the current one could be torn up and a new one implemented prior to 2011.

Denver Nuggets coach George Karl said he's heard about the possibility of the amnesty rule returning in some form, and he believes it's a good idea.

"I think it could be something like we did (in 2005)," Karl told Pro Basketball News at the NBA Summer League. "It could be something that resurfaces (similar to the one 2005). Or it could be resurrected in a different way. Is there a way to address both the owners about the financial situation and the players association, where everybody could come to a happy conclusion?"

However, according to those in the know, there could be serious debate among the owners about whether they would want the return of such a rule. There are some owners of teams who haven't given out as many outlandish contracts that might not want to help out teams that have. Teams that have been more responsible then would be at risk of receiving less money back in luxury-tax payments from the big spenders.

Then again, the Spurs usually have kept contracts in check. And the amnesty rule benefitted them after rival Dallas let Finley go.

BZDELIK TO MINNESOTA?

University of Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik, a former Nuggets head coach and a longtime NBA assistant coach and scout, might not be near the top of the list, but that's no guarantee he doesn't have a chance of landing Minnesota's head position.

When Bzdelik got the Nuggets job in 2002, it was because several candidates turned down what was considered a less-than-ideal situation with a losing team. Minnesota's job falls into that category, so it's not out of the question some of the frontrunners would not take the job if it were to offered.

"When I was out in Las Vegas, there was conversation with Minnesota," Bzdelik, who had been at the summer league, told the Rocky Mountain Independent after the Website confirmed from a source that Bzdelik met earlier this week with Timberwolves general manager David Kahn. "Any further conversation would require permission from the University of Colorado."

The frontrunners for the Minnesota job are believed to be former NBA point guard Mark Jackson, Dallas assistant and former NBA head coach Terry Stotts, Los Angeles Lakers assistant and former NBA head coach Kurt Rambis and Houston assistant Elston Turner. While Turner might be more inclined than the other three to take the job, it's not out of the question any of them might deem it not the right move.

Besides, if Kahn wasn't genuinely interested in Bzdelik, why would he be talking to him so late in the process? Bzdelik is highly regarded enough in the NBA that Chicago executive John Paxson flew to Denver last year to interview him for his team's head position, although the job eventually went to Vinny Del Negro.

Bzdelik has been at Colorado the past two seasons after an impressive two-year run at Air Force. Before that, he showed in his Denver stint he can have success with a very young NBA team, which is what he would inherit in Minnesota.

Bzdelik went 17-65 on a Nuggets team that in 2002-03 that had little talent and was essentially playing for lottery ping-pong balls in a hope to draft LeBron James. The Nuggets settled for Carmelo Anthony and added some solid free agents, but it still was a shocker when Bzdelik led them in 2003-04 to their first playoff berth in nine years.

Still, Bzdelik, who was never on the greatest terms with then general manager Kiki Vandeweghe, ended up being fired in December 2004.

COULD PAUL BE TRADED?

New Orleans star point guard Chris Paul insisted he was serious when he said there's a chance he soon could be traded.

Paul was interviewed Thursday by Pro Basketball News, and asked about his team's financial situation. The Hornets are staring at being well over the luxury tax, and might have to dump some big contracts.

"In this league, anything can happen," said Paul, at the summer league to watch his Hornets. "I can be dealt."

Paul then was asked that surely he can't be serious he could be traded.

"It's possible," he said. "It's possible."

The Hornets made a move last February to save money by dealing center Tyson Chandler to Oklahoma City. However, the trade ended up being rescinded after health concerns surfaced regarding Chandler.

Paul is hopeful the Hornets will end up retaining their key players, but knows nothing is certain.

"Right now, it looks like the same cast," he said. "But, if something happens, it happens. ... Me and (forward James Posey say to one another that) we've got to work with what we've got and go out and play hard."

Posey hopes the Hornets won't end up again dealing Chandler.

"You never want to see it," Posey said. "But I'm a player and my job is to go out there and play hard. ... You can't control that part of it (the Hornets' money situation). You've got to control what you can."

CARTER TO MEMPHIS?

While some believe it's a foregone conclusion free-agent point guard Anthony Carter will re-sign with Denver, that might not be the case.

A source told Pro Basketball News that interest between Carter and Memphis is "pretty strong." The Grizzlies wouldn't give Carter more than a one-year minimum deal, which is all the Nuggets will offer him.

However, the source believes the Grizzlies could steal Carter away because he's worried about his playing time being cut after the Nuggets last month traded for rookie point guard Ty Lawson on draft night.

If the Nuggets don't re-sign Carter, there's a strong chance they would sign point guard Marcus Williams, who is averaging 15.0 points and 9.0 assists in the summer league for Memphis, and had a league-record 17 assists in his first game.

"I think that's the plan," Williams said of going to Denver if Carter leaves. "They only have two (point) guards on the roster. Hopefully, I can make a push there if things don't work out here."

The Grizzlies are considering signing Williams. However, if they sign Carter, they wouldn't need Williams, and he would be in line to bolt to Denver.

Williams, who has career statistics of 6.1 points and 2.9 assists over three seasons, also said Indiana is looking at him "a little bit."

MORROW SCORES 47

Records are made to be broken. But after two days?

Golden State forward Anthony Randolph scored 42 points Tuesday to tie the NBA Summer League record that had been shared by Marcus Banks and Von Wafer. But Warriors guard Anthony Morrow shattered the record by rolling up 47 points in a 104-84 win Thursday over the Hornets.

"My teammates kept finding me," Morrow said. "I told my guys I wanted to be aggressive."

Morrow said he could hear fans chanting near the end of the game for him to get 50. Randolph, who had no problem with Morrow breaking his record, was hoping that would happen.

"It was great," Randolph said. "I was happy to see (Morrow) get it because he works hard. ... I told him, ‘You needed three more points.'"

GRIFFIN DOMINATES THABEET

It was No. 1 vs. No. 2. And it was no contest.

Power forward Blake Griffin, taken with the No. 1 pick in last month's draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, met up Thursday with Memphis, featuring No. 2 pick Hasheem Thabeet, a center. It was no surprise Griffin fared much better than Thabeet, perhaps the biggest underachiever of the NBA Summer League.

In the Grizzlies' 85-68 win, Griffin scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Thabeet shot an embarrassing 1-of-3, not making his first basket until 30 seconds were left in the game, and finished with seven points, three rebounds and seven fouls (players can't foul out).

It wasn't a surprise there was such a big difference in how the two looked. In his first three games, Griffin is averaging 20.3 points and 12.0 rebounds while Thabeet is averaging just 7.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in his first three.

Hall of Famer Walt Frazier, an analyst for MSG, came away very underwhelmed while watching Thabeet earlier in the week.

"Thabeet didn't really impress me," Frazier said. "He wasn't very assertive."

Chris Tomasson has covered the NBA for the bulk of the past 23 seasons, most recently the Denver Nuggets for the late, great Rocky Mountain News. He is a regular contributor to Pro Basketball News.