Wizards, Richmond Reach Deal

The salary cap foiled Mitch Richmond’s chances to go elsewhere, so he’s staying in Washington.

With the Wizards unable to work a sign-and-trade deal with Miami, Seattle, Golden State or Sacramento, Richmond agreed in principle this week on a contract with Washington that will make him the highest-paid shooting guard in the NBA this season.

The deal, first reported in the Washington Times, will pay Richmond $40 million over four years with most of the money guaranteed, according to a source close to the negotiations.

Richmond probably will receive $10 million in the first year of the contract, with annual raises of as much as 12.5% for the following three years.

A Wizards’ source said the deal is likely to be signed next week after Richmond returns from a vacation in Florida.

Richmond, 33, averaged a team-high 19.7 points for the Wizards last season after coming from Sacramento in the trade that sent Chris Webber to the Kings.

But that scoring average was also the lowest of Richmond’s career, and the Wizards were a disappointing 18-32 last season.

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The Seattle SuperSonics, who did a rebuilding job in the free-agent market after missing the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, signed forward Vin Baker to a seven-year contract believed to be worth $87 million.

Baker, 27, a four-time all-star coming off his worst season, had decided to terminate the remainder of his contract by opting for free agency as of July 1.

In a season shortened by the lockout, Baker reported to training camp about 20 pounds overweight, missed 16 games because of thumb and knee injuries and averaged 13.8 points and 6.2 rebounds.

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Miami Coach Pat Riley reached an agreement that will keep him in charge of the Heat well into the next century. No terms were announced. Riley also serves as team president, overseeing all aspects of the club’s operations.

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A brother of San Antonio Spur forward Sean Elliott said that he had no hesitation about donating a kidney for Elliott’s transplant and urged others to become organ donors.

“It’s something that I would have done for either one of my brothers. Fortunately for Sean and myself, I was a good match,” said Noel Elliott, 32, of the surgery performed Monday.

Sean Elliott, 31, who helped lead San Antonio to its first NBA championship in June, continues to recuperate at Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital. He is expected to be released next week.

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China will not release 7-0 center Wang Zhizhi of the five-time Chinese Basketball Assn. champion Bayi Rockets to play for the Dallas Mavericks, an official of the team was quoted as saying in Beijing. Wang was taken in the second round of the June draft. . . . The Charlotte Hornets signed free-agent center Todd Fuller. The 6-11 Fuller, 25, played in 42 games for the Utah Jazz last season, averaging 3.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 11 minutes per game.