gillette blades indeed

Cheeks has been the 76ers’ coach since 2005. Since coming to Philadelphia, Cheeks has a 113-133 record. Last season, the 76ers lost to Detroit in the first round of the playoffs.

Cheeks played 15 seasons in the NBA, the first 11 with Philadelphia. He retired as a player in 1993.

He agreed to a one-year contract extension in February that took him through the upcoming season. The latest extension was announced by team president Ed Stefanski, although terms were not disclosed.

Terms of Ratliff’s deal with the Sixers weren’t disclosed.

The 35-year-old Ratliff played 26 games for Minnesota and Detroit and appeared in 12 of the Pistons’ 17 playoff games.

Ratliff helped the Sixers to the best record in the Eastern Conference during the 2000-01 season, but was sent to Atlanta before the trade deadline in a multiplayer deal that brought Dikembe Mutombo to Philadelphia. Ratliff was an All-Star that season, but broke his wrist in early February, precipi

PHOENIX (AP) -The Phoenix Suns hired Alvin Gentry, Bill Cartwright, Dan Majerle and Igor Kokoskov as assistant coaches to Terry Porter.

Majerle, a former Suns player who is in the team’s Ring of Honor, hasn’t coached before. He had been a Suns broadcast analyst for the past four seasons.

Gentry, a 29-year coaching veteran, is the lone holdover from Mike D’Antoni’s staff. Gentry will return for his fifth season with the Suns.

Cartwright spent 10 seasons

The Sixers have been busy this summer after reaching the playoffs for the first time in three years. They signed two-time All-Star forward Elton Brand, added free-agent guards Royal Ivey and Kareem Rush last week and re-signed two of their most important players to long-term contracts, guard Louis Williams and forward Andre Iguodala.

Ratliff helped the Sixers to the best record in the Eastern Conference during the 2000-01 season, but was sent to Atlanta before the trade deadline in a mu

Bynum averaged 11.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in the Las Vegas Summer League. The 6-foot, 185-pound guard played last season for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli League and averaged 10.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -The Detroit Pistons have signed free agent guard Will Bynum. Terms of the deal were not released.

Bynum was named 2005-06 NBA Development League rookie of the year after averaging a league-best 24