NBA Free agent Mourning set to sign with Nets

The Mavericks had hoped to sign the veteran center.
DALLAS (AP) -- Alonzo Mourning will sign a free-agent contract with the New Jersey Nets next week, Dallas owner Mark Cuban said Friday.
The Mavericks had been interested in signing the former All-Star, but now will have to look elsewhere to fill their void in the middle.
"We found out that Zo is going to NJ," Cuban wrote in an e-mail. "Why? A variety of reasons I can't go into, but foremost is that he felt he had less competition in the East."
Cuban deferred further comment to Mourning and his agent. A Nets spokesman would not confirm the deal and a call to Mourning's agent, Jeffrey Wechsler, was not immediately returned.
Leaving Heat
Pat Riley, president and head coach of the Miami Heat, released a statement Friday that said Mourning would not be returning after failing to reach an agreement on a new deal.
Riley did not say where Mourning would be playing next season.
"Zo has received an opportunity that is impossible for us to match," Riley said. "We each really wanted to make this work, but both sides realized that it was probably time to make a change."
Riley called Mourning the cornerstone of the franchise for the last eight years and thanked him for his contributions to the team on and off the court.
Mourning can't officially sign with the Nets until next Wednesday.
In an interview in Miami on Wednesday night, Mourning said he was flattered by suggestions that teams were offering him contracts as part of an overall effort to woo free agent Jason Kidd.
"I want to win. Jason wants to win," Mourning said, responding to a question about the possibility of playing with Kidd. "Who wouldn't want to play with Jason Kidd? Come on, man, he's the best point guard in the league. If you're a player and you're worth anything, obviously you would want to play with a point guard like Jason Kidd."
Plenty of offers
Mourning said he had received at least five offers, but told supporters Wednesday night at the start of his annual South Florida charity event, Zo's Summer Groove, that there was a possibility he would be leaving the city. He had completed a seven-year, $105 million contract with the Heat.
"It's been a trying time for me," Mourning said. "One way or another, it will all end Wednesday."
Mourning was diagnosed with a kidney disease in October 2000, and missed the first 69 games of that season. He played the full 2001-02 season, averaging 15.7 points and 8.4 rebounds, but missed all of last year when the ailment worsened.