It's official - the NBA is ready to get started

The NBA lockout ended officially yesterday. Team camps can open today. The Associated Press NEW YORK -- The NBA lockout was officially settled yesterday afternoon, and teams were told they can begin signing players, making trades and opening training camps at 2 p.m. today. Teams can immediately begin talking to their players, something forbidden since commissioner David Stern and union leader Billy Hunter agreed two weeks ago on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement. Opening night is less than 2 1/2 weeks away and the NBA is expected to release a new schedule by the end of the week. ''It's just a relief to know it's behind us,'' new Chicago Bulls coach Tim Floyd said. ''We have a chance to sit down and visit with players, talk to players, which is what this is all about.'' Earlier today, Day 204 of the longest and costliest work stoppage in league history, the laborious task of reducing the settlement into written form hit a few last-minute snags after lawyers for the owners and players spent the whole night meeting. In the meantime, the rumors kept coming and the plots kept twisting as teams maneuvered to get ready for the scheduled Feb. 5 start of the season. ''It'll get done. It always gets done,'' agent David Falk said. ''This just gives us more time to talk to people and refine our numbers.'' The main sticking point between the sides had been whether the new middle-class exception can be used for a three-year contract (the league's contention) or a six-year contract (the union's contention). The union won that argument, but a final snag developed over the league's insistence upon having discipline authority over agents involved in salary cap circumvention. Another snag concerned whether bonus money would be counted in trade calculations. It was not immediately known how those issues were resolved. Rod Strickland, meanwhile, was miffed at the offer the Washington Wizards made. The Washington Post said the Wizards offered $30 million for three years, with two additional years non-guaranteed, and had given Strickland a deadline of midnight tonight. ''I don't think he'll be back here,'' Falk told the Associated Press today. ''We're trying to get him to New York. He loves it that they have [Latrell] Sprewell, Allan Houston and Larry Johnson there, and he thinks they can win a championship. I'd like to get him there so Patrick [Ewing] can win a championship.'' Falk was exploring other options for Strickland, including several sign-and-trade deals that would send last season's NBA assist leader to another team. He said four or five teams were making bids, but refused to name anyone other than the Knicks. Dennis Rodman added a strange subplot to Tuesday's events as his agent, Dwight Manley, announced that Rodman was retiring. Hours later, the league's leading rebounder for the past seven seasons said he was more in a state of ''limbo'' than retirement. And Antonio McDyess put off until today a decision on where he'll play -- Denver or Phoenix -- but several signs seemed to be pointing to the Nuggets. ''It defies logic, in my opinion,'' Suns owner Jerry Colangelo said of the deliberations concerning McDyess. ''We think this is a great spot for him. He seemed very happy here. We love him as a young guy and a future star in this league. But a lot of things have happened this offseason.''