Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade considers former Florida Gators power forward Udonis Haslem one of his best friends. That is likely one reason why he took almost $3 million less than cohorts forward LeBron James and power forward Chris Bosh when signing with Miami a few days ago – to free up some money to re-sign Haslem.

Unfortunately for Wade and perhaps the Heat as well, Haslem has drawn interest from at least two other teams who have put solid and tempting offers on the table. First the New Jersey Nets and then the Dallas Mavericks each offered him a three-year, $20 million contract over the weekend, hoping to lure Haslem with a guarantee of more money and significantly more playing time.

Though he has spent almost his entire life playing basketball in the state of Florida, loves his home (as evidenced by his back tat) and wants to stick around, Haslem may be at the point in his career where the guarantee of a few million more per season significantly outweighs the ability to play with a close friend.

The Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz have been mentioned previously as teams who had expressed interest in Haslem.

A seven-year NBA veteran, he earned $7.1 million last season but is being looked at by New Jersey and Dallas as a full mid-level exception player. Miami can currently only offer $1.1 million per year – the veteran’s minimum – but will likely be able to up that offer as their available salary cap gets clearer.

Haslem has averaged 10.0 points and 8.1 rebounds throughout his career.

Photo Credit: Gary Dineen/Getty Images

Youth was a strength for Florida Gators baseball (47-17) this past season, and the 2010 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team has recognized that by choosing two Florida freshmen – pitcher/designated hitter Brian Johnson and shortstop Nolan Fontana – to represent their country in a number of upcoming competitions.

.Johnson and Fontana are two of 22 college baseball players who will take somewhat of a world tour over the next few weeks.

The U.S. will play against minor league teams on its home soil, then a five-game series against Korea, face the Japanese Collegiate All-Star Team in a friendly at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE, travel to Taiwan, for four games against Chinese Taipei and conclude their tour at the FISU World University Championship in Tokyo, Japan.

The U.S. will be going for its fourth consecutive FISU World title (2004, 2006, 2008).

Before he started his senior year of high school or prepared to join the Florida Gators in Gainesville, FL, as the team’s highest rated commitment since guard Nick Calathes, five-star 2011 recruit Brad Beal (St. Louis, MO) decided to represent his country by accepting a nomination to USA Basketball’s U-17 Men’s National Team in order to compete in the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship for Men in Germany.

With his team taking home the Gold Medal on Sunday by easily defeating Poland 111-80, Beal completed a stellar stretch in which he was his country’s most consistent player. For that, he was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament with 18.3 points per game and 47.7 percent shooting from downtown (31-of-65). Here are his individual statistics from the event:

Friday, July 2 – 82-70 win vs. Argentina
Beal: 11 points, 4-11 FG, 2-5 3-PT, 4 REB, 3 AST, 4 BLK, 3 STL [35 minutes]
Saturday, July 3 – 102-66 win vs. Lithuania
Beal: 16 points (team-high), 6-10 FG, 2-6 3-PT, 3 AST, 3 STL [24 minutes]
Monday, July 5 – 113-73 win vs. China
Beal: 20 points, 5-12 FG, 5-11 3-PT, 4 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL [22 minutes]
Tuesday, July 6 – 132-64 win vs. Egypt
Beal: 18 points (team-high), 6-10 FG, 4-7 3-PT, 3 REB, 2 AST, 2 BLK [17 minutes]
Wednesday, July 7 – 112-75 win vs. Serbia
Beal: 20 points (team-high), 8-14 FG, 2-7 3-PT, 3 REB, 2 STL [25 minutes]
Friday, July 9 – 105-70 win vs. Australia
Beal: 25 points (team-high), 8-13 FG, 7-9 3-PT, 3 REB [22 minutes]
Saturday, July 10 – 103-80 win vs. Canada
Beal: 17 points, 6-14 FG, 4-11 3-PT, 4 REB, 2 AST, 2 BLK, 5 STL [32 minutes]
Sunday, July 11 – 111-80 win vs. Poland
Beal: 19 points, 7-13 FG, 5-9 3-PT, 5 REB [31 minutes]

Joining Beal on the FIBA All-Tournament Five was five-star power forward James McAdoo, a heralded recruit and North Carolina commit.

Florida head coach Billy Donovan was in attendance for the final few games of the international competition, hoping to seal the deal on Beal’s commitment while scouting five-star small forward Adonis Thomas (Memphis, TN) and four-star PF Johnny O’Bryant (Cleveland, MS).

Photo Credits: FIBA

Florida Gators redshirt sophomore wide receiver Frankie Hammond, Jr. will plead guilty to driving under the influence after being arrested on June 13, according to Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel, who spoke with Hammond’s attorney, Huntley Johnson.

Johnson believes Hammond will serve a minimum sentence as he is a first-time offender and has admitted to his mistakes.

“I think [our plea] will be accepted,” Johnson told the Sentinel. “He’ll get the same treatment as somebody else [former defensive end Carlos Dunlap]. He’s accepting responsibility, and he’s going to be better for it.”

Dunlap got six months of probation and 50 hours of community service after pleading guilty to the same offense in January.

Hammond, after immediately being suspended from all team activities by University of Florida administration, returned to working out with the team this week. He was arrested for DUI and possession of alcohol by a minor just under a month ago.

As OGGOA exclusively reported on June 15, the Gators adopted an “if one falls, all fall” mentality that was taught in practical application immediately after an impassioned meeting the team held following Hammond’s arrest.

He is not expected to receive more than a one or two-game suspension.

From OGGOA‘s original story on Hammond’s arrest:

Hammond was allegedly “speeding, swerving and driving” with two open 750-ml bottles of Crown Royal whiskey in his car (one in the back seat, one in the trunk). He was traveling faster than 45 miles per hour on Gale Lemerand Drive at 2:09 a.m.; [UF] campus is a 20-mph zone.

The police report described Hammond as “uncoordinated” with “glassy” eyes and slurred speech. He failed his on-site sobriety tests and registered breath samples of more than double the legal limit (.08) at .188 and .191.

1 » Seemingly one of a few free agents unable to be re-signed by the Miami Heat after the team acquired guard Dwyane Wade, forward LeBron James and power forward Chris Bosh, former Florida Gators PF Udonis Haslem is currently weighing his options of what team to join next. According to various reports, the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, Utah Jazz and New Jersey Nets all have interest in signing the NBA veteran who earned $7.1 million last season. It is also being mentioned that Miami does desire to keep Haslem but can currently only offer him a veteran’s minimum contract of $1.1 million. However, should president and general manager Pat Riley work out dual sign-and-trades with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, respectively, the team could theoretically re-sign all of their roleplaying free agents. Haslem has averaged 10.0 points and 8.1 rebounds in his seven-year career.

In related news… Former Gators PF Chris Richard has joined the Chicago Bulls‘ summer league team after being waved by the team following the 2009-10 season.

2 » Florida is very conscious of its intellectual property being utilized without consent elsewhere – whether it is for a money-making gimmick or, apparently, the mascot of a small rural school in Arkansas. According to the Associated Press, the Two Rivers School District in Russellville, AR, is being forced to change “the look of its mascot after the University of Florida said it infringed on their trademarked Gator logo and design.” The school will need to spend approximately $8,000 to remove the brand new logo from their gymnasium. Public relations-wise, UF does not come off looking too good here, but the school must protect its intellectual property…and this logo is as bad as it gets!

Photo Credit: Gary Dineen/Getty Images

1 » Four-star wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers (Calhoun, GA) was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after getting into a fight early Friday morning with “seven to 10” of his Tennessee Volunteers teammates at a nightclub in Knoxville, TN. “I don’t know why. I don’t know what happened, but several of the guys started beating up the other customer,” club co-owner Sandy Morton said. “I want to guess there was seven to 10 guys beating up this one gentleman. [...] My husband saw them picking up bar stools and starting to swing them. […] There happened to be a friend of ours who was an off-duty police officer outside. He tried to help, and he ended up getting knocked out in the street and proceeded to be kicked while he was down on the ground.” Rogers, who was first committed to Georgia before swinging to Tennessee, was recruited heavily by the Florida Gators for quite some time.

UPDATE: Sophomore safety Darren Myles, Jr. was also charged in the incident after being arrested for assaulting a University of Tennessee police officer and both resisting and evading arrest. Rogers was released on $1,000 hours after being arrested. More arrests are expected after conversations are held and tapes are reviewed.

2 » As readers of OGGOA are aware, we have been keeping you up-to-date with the trials and tribulations of former Gators defensive end Thaddeus Bullard – now known as Titus O’Neil to wrestling fans – in his quest to become a professional wrestler with the WWE. The Gainesville Sun was able to get a hold of Bullard and discuss a number of topics related to his new endeavor.

On joining WWE: “It’s the largest sports-entertainment company in the world. That’s what drives me. I want to compete at the highest level. I didn’t get in it to just go halfway. I’m in it to try to compete at the highest level I can.”

On his character: “My character is basically me being myself. What the WWE wants you to do is be yourself and then turn it up two or three notches when you are on camera.”

On his decision to wrestle: “I was always amazed at the physical things that they can do in a small amount of space. The entertainment aspect of it also appealed to me.”

On Tim Tebow as a pro wrestler: “I think [he] could pretty much do whatever he sets out to do. I’ve had the chance to talk to him a few times. He’s an amazing human being.”

With three perennial NBA All-Stars in guard Dwyane Wade, forward LeBron James and power forward Chris Bosh now committed to play for the Miami Heat, team president and general manager Pat Riley is in the process of filling out the remainder of his roster. Riley hopes that former Florida Gators guard/forward Mike Miller will go a long way to doing just that after quickly signing the widely desired free agent to a five-year, $30 million contract Friday morning.

The former Florida star decided to accept a deal rumored to be substantially less than a “big” sum of money also offered by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Miller, extended almost the exact same contract by the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers on July 1, was rumored to have been given a deadline of Thursday night to decide whether or not he would take the Heat’s offer.

Miami is able to bring in an additional free agent after trading PF Michael Beasley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 2011 second-round pick and the option to swap an undisclosed future first-round pick.

Teaming up with Wade, James and Bosh, Miller will have the opportunity to become the third former Gators star to win an NBA Championship with the Heat, following PF Udonis Haslem and point guard Jason Williams. San Antonio Spurs F Matt Bonner has also captured a league title.

He averaged 10.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists last year with the Washington Wizards, his only season with the team.

OGGOA RELATED: Knicks send Lee to Warriors via sign and trade

After waiting with bated breath for six-time NBA All-Star LeBron James to announce the destination of his choosing and being dejected when he selected the Miami Heat, the New York Knicks have agreed to send former Florida Gators forward/center David Lee to the Golden State Warriors in a sign-and-trade that will earn the former New York fan favorite $80 million over six years.

Lee – who met and spoke with a number of teams including the Heat, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns – will be a key frontcourt starter for the Warriors alongside Andris Biedrins.

In return, the Knicks are expected to receive a package of players including former LSU Tigers power forward Anthony Randolph, former Kentucky Wildcats guard/forward Kelenna Azubuike and and power forward Ronny Turiaf.

“David’s excited,” Lee’s agent Mark Bartelstein said. “[Golden State] put a lot of effort into trying to get him. It was a very difficult and complicated process that we went through. [...] I think he’ll fit in great with that style. They have a really interesting team. With Monta Ellis, Steph[on] Curry and David, they can make a run for the playoffs.”

Over the last two seasons, Lee has averaged 18.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.

Photo Credit: Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

OGGOA RELATED: Miller leaning toward signing with Heat for less