Oberto's Agent: "Nothing's Imminent"

I don't know if I'm going to join you guys just yet. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

I just got off the phone with Fabricio Oberto's agent, Herb Rudoy, who informed me that while he has had "serious conversations" with the Wizards, they have not reached the point where the team has made his client "a formal offer."

Rudoy would not discuss the parameters of the proposed deal, but he made it clear that Oberto has been in contact with at least six teams and is no hurry to make a decision about where he will play next season.

"Nothing's imminent," Rudoy said. "Fabricio is going to take his time making this decision. It's not going to happen in the next few days. He's in no rush. We've been bombarded with opportunities. He wants to think about this."

I asked Rudoy about the possibility of Oberto returning to Europe, where played for seven seasons before joining the Spurs in 2005. Rudoy said, "His plan is to stay in the NBA."

A team source also told me that the team had not made an offer to Oberto. But there is no denying that they have interest in the Argentine. The Wizards are hoping that the presence of Spurs former assistant Mike Wells on Flip Saunders's staff can entice Oberto to come to Washington.

Oberto is coming off a season in which he averaged 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds. He had been bothered by arrhythmia (atrial fibrillation) the past few seasons and recently underwent a heart procedure that was aimed at correcting his irregular heartbeat. He would occasionally miss games after receiving eletro-shock procedure to get his heart back in time. After the procedure, he told the San Antonio Express-News that there shouldn't be any problems with his comeback. A few weeks later, he wound up being traded to Detroit.

The Wizards are looking for a bargain basement big man who is willing to play spot minutes and possibly go a game or two without playing. According to league sources, they have also reached out to the representatives for Chris Wilcox, Jason Collins, Jamaal Magloire, Sean Marks, Mikki Moore and Brian Skinner. Saunders said yesterday that there is a "realistic" possibility that the team could sign summer league participant Josh Heytvelt. One of their targets, Channing Frye, already signed with Phoenix, and another, Rasho Nesterovic, has been cozying up with the Toronto Raptors. Stay tuned. 

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