The Blazers have until June 30 to exercise a $7.8 million option to retain Andre Miller for next season. 

"I just let (agent Andy Miller) deal with it," Miller said Friday. "As long as I'm healthy, I'm going to be playing basketball, that's how I see it. I'm past proving myself to make some money. I consider myself a leader on the court and lead by example and habits, you know, that's the best I can do." 

Miller has remained remarkably healthy despite being well into his thirties.

Greg Oden will be a restricted free agent during this offseason and the Blazers are almost certain to extend the qualifying offer.

But there are also reports that the Blazers may make a four-year, $40 million offer.

"The way I look at it," he said, "is that it's not their move. It's my move. Everyone says it's their move. I think it's my move." 

There is inherent risk in offering long-term money, but it could prove to be a below market contract if Oden remains healthy.

As one Eastern Conference executive put it on Friday, "If you know Oden is a 1-in-20 shot to come back and be a factor, you have to take it. Because not signing him, you have a 0-in-20 shot of being there if he does. 

"Still, $40 mil makes you think." 

Both Jason Richardson and Earl Clark will be free agents this offseason and each have expressed interest in re-signing with the Magic.

"I would definitely love to play here for a long time," said Richardson.

"I don't want to play anywhere else," said Clark.

The Magic acquired both players in a December trade with the Suns.

Neither player has opened contract talks with Orlando.

The Nuggets went 18-7 down the stretch after the megatrade of Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks. Nuggets executive Masai Ujiri would like to build off that momentum.

"We're going to try to keep the core together and build from here," he said. "That's the goal."

Asked specifically about Aaron Afflalo, an off guard who averaged 12.6 points per game in a breakout season, Ujiri said there's "no question" he will be a Nugget for years to come.

The New York have elected not to buyout the contract of Chauncey Billups for the 2010-11 season.

The Knicks had until Friday to pick up the option or pay Billups a $3.7 million buyout.

"Carmelo (Anthony), Amare (Stoudemire) and Chauncey are a great nucleus, as we continue to look to improve our team going into the offseason," Knicks president of basketball operation Donnie Walsh said in a statement. "Chauncey is an extremely talented and experienced point guard -- we are very happy to have him back."

The 13-year veteran missed three of the Knicks' four playoff games, all losses, to the Boston Celtics after straining a knee tendon late in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

The Knicks would have to get lucky, but one of their targets this summer is to bring Wilson Chandler back into the fold, The Post has learned.

Chandler, who was dispatched to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony trade, will be a restricted free agent, and a source said he would love to return to the Knicks. And the Knicks would love to have him back, as coach Mike D'Antoni believes he's the perfect versatile fit for his system who does so many things, including rebound. Chandler's Nuggets trail Oklahoma City 3-1 in the first round.

Chandler's new agent is Happy Walters, who also represents Amar'e Stoudemire and Knicks surprise reserve standout Shawne Williams, also a free agent whom the Knicks would like to bring back.

The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to terms with Zach Randolph on a four-year, $71 million contract extension that keeps him with the club through 2015, sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard.

Of the $71 million, $66 million is fully guaranteed and the fourth and final year of the deal is a player option, sources said. Randolph has incentives based on individual and team achievements of $1.3 million each season, according to sources.

The extension comes after the Randolph led the Grizzlies to their first playoff victory in 13 tries.

Michael Jordan believes the Charlotte Bobcats can become a destination franchise for the NBA's best players.

"I like to think that we're one of the teams that's a destination," said Jordan on Wednesday. "Why can't Charlotte be that destination?" Jordan asked rhetorically. "It has been in the past. It was. Why not now? I like to think we have the organization to do that. And I will do everything I can."

Sources say the Bobcats took a major financial hit this season, but Jordan insists they will have money to spend on players.

"I don't want people to think we're not willing to spend," says Jordan. "I want to spend money for a team that's going to get us in the top four (in the Eastern Conference), the top three."

He adds: "We haven't put ourselves in position to do that yet because of some of the stipulations of our contracts. And now this is the first time we feel like we're going to have a pretty good summer because we have some flexibility. We want to invest. To get where we have to go, we know we have to."

The Associated Press asked Chris Paul if his relationship with Michael Jordan was strong enough to consider signing with the Charlotte Bobcats when he becomes a free agent in 2012.

Paul grew up in the state of North Carolina and the Bobcats could be positioned to have cap space that summer.

"I think guys do and will want to play for MJ," Paul said. "Who better to learn from? . . . . Now that he has a team, he's like a kid in a candy store," Paul said of Jordan. "He's so happy because he's one of those guys that no matter what, he can't get away from the game. . .

"I thought about (playing near home in Winston-Salem) then when I got drafted," Paul said of the potential of playing pro ball in his home state. "But that feels like that was so long ago now."

Paul's comments on Twitter indicated he felt as though his words were taken out of context.

"Come on now people," Paul tweeted, "I did 3 different interviews about the Jordan Brand Classic this morning and was asked if Michael Jordan had influence on free agent signings and I said at the end of the day guys want to win...they askd would I want to return home and I told them I'm focused here in NO and that's the future and anything can happen...Hate when people try to turn things around just to make it a story.. #slowdown."

Eddy Curry will not be joining the Miami Heat.

Yahoo!’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Heat’s decision was largely due to Curry’s poor conditioning, with Curry carrying more than 350 pounds on his 7-foot-frame.

Several NBA teams, including Miami, are expected to monitor his progress over the summer and consider the possibility of bringing him to training camp next season.