or two, people will feel very very good about what our owners

WASHINGTON -- Centre Marcin Gortat agreed to a $60 million, five-year contract Tuesday to remain with the Washington Wizards, according to a person familiar with the deal, a major step in the teams quest to keep the roster intact as much as reasonably possible following the end of a playoff drought. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal cant be signed until July 10 under NBA free agency rules. Gortat follows coach Randy Wittman, who was given a contract extension last month, and backup point guard Andre Miller, whose contract was guaranteed for another season on Saturday, as the third piece in team president Ernie Grunfelds quest to retain the key contributors who took Washington to the post-season for the first time since 2008. "Im proud to say Washington will be my home," Gortat tweeted Tuesday evening. Acquired for a first-round draft pick and injured centre Emeka Okafor as part of a five-player trade with the Phoenix Suns just before the start of the regular season, Gortat gave the Wizards a much-needed stronger presence in the paint to complement the backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal while taking some of the frontcourt load from power forward Nene. The 30-year-old "Polish Hammer" -- the only player from Poland in the NBA -- averaged 13.2 points and a team-high 9.5 rebounds, missed only one game and became a vocal locker-room leader. He was in the final year of his contract and became a free agent Tuesday, but he had made it clear he wanted to return to the Wizards, often speaking about next season as if it were a given that he would be back. Washington had to act quickly because Gortat was one of the top big men on the open market. The next priority for the Wizards is small forward Trevor Ariza, the teams best 3-point shooter and best defender. Ariza also is expected to attract several suitors as a free agent. "Got my man (at)MGortat back now waitin for my bro (at)TrevorAriza...Come on !!" Wall tweeted. Sony Michel Jersey .Y. -- Mike Zigomaniss goal at 5:53 of the third period stood up as the winner as the Rochester Americans hung on to defeat the visiting Hamilton Bulldogs 3-2 on Saturday in American Hockey League action. Rob Gronkowski Womens Jersey . - Dominika Cibulkova erased three match points in the second set Wednesday and beat Agnieszka Radwanska 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Sony Open. http://www.shoptheofficialpatriots.com/E...atriots-Jersey/. - Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II says the NFL has told the team it will not be docked a pick in this years draft for coach Mike Tomlins foray onto the field against Baltimore last November. Irving Fryar Jersey . Ellis had a season-high 37 points and two key assists late, Dirk Nowitzki led a fourth-quarter rally with 14 of his 35 points, and the Mavericks spoiled Howards best offensive night in Houston with a 123-120 victory over the Rockets on Wednesday night. Julian Edelman Youth Jersey .com) - Colorado forward P.Tim Leiweke has regrets.Jermain Defoe got homesick after less than a year in North America and wanted out. Toronto FC failed to make the MLS playoffs as promised. Good people lost their jobs.That was not part of the plan for the big-thinking president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.It meant, after some heavy lifting behind the scenes in the wake of Defoe, Leiweke has had to orchestrate yet another reboot of the MLS franchise.Were trying to get it right and were not done, he told The Canadian Press on Friday after Jozy Altidore was unveiled at the Air Canada Centre. I believe in the next week or two, people will feel very very good about what our ownership has committed to here. Its pretty remarkable.Defoe, and the gymnastics Toronto had to do to get him here, are behind him. The 32-year-old striker is back in England with Sunderland.In his place is Altidore, a 25-year-old American striker looking to reclaim his glory after a bleak stint in England.Altidore is seen as major boost if for nothing else that he wants to be here — and is being paid a lot to do so.We ended up with a guy who wants to be here and a guy whos very predictable, said Leiweke, essentially summing up the Defoe issue.Toronto has more moves to make, with possibly more big news to come in the form of a Grade-A attacking midfielder. But a lesson has been learned. Any new marquee addition will be a young talent committed to the cause.Leiweke sees that in star midfielder Michael Bradley and Altidore.In a franchise devoid of consistency, Leiweke says he sees some light at the end of the tunnel.We have a chance now to build around these two guys. Theyre young, theyre committed and they want to be here, he said. And they like each other, theyre best of friends. I think were in a fortunate position.Leiweke says Altidore wouldnt be a TFC player had it not been for Bradley. The 27-year-old Bradley is also helping recruit the desired attacking midfielder.Asked whether Bradley restructured his contract to help pave the way for Altidore, Leiweke said: I would say Michael went above and beyond the call of duty here.He is a remarkable young man and I am in awe of how he handled himself these last two weeks. He is a class act.Altidore has a five-year deal worth less than the reported US$30 million, according to the MLSE boss. That number, not oonly its not correct, its not close.dddddddddddd Speaking diplomatically about his last big-ticket purchase, Leiweke said its good to get Jermain settled. Were happy for him back in the EPL (English Premier League), he said. Its what he wanted.We understood he was homesick and we dont fault him for that. I think the only thing was the dance played as to was he really happy or was he not happy and if he wasnt happy then lets figure it out.Still Leiweke is not about to throw Defoe under that double-decker bus. The English striker collected 11 goals in his first 13 MLS games and Toronto never lost a game when he scored.But injuries and a desire to be elsewhere took their toll.Look Jermain was what we thought — which is a difference-maker, said Leiweke. He was a guy that would be just a pure gifted natural goal-scorer. And he was. And Jermain, by the way, was a delightful guy to be around. ... I think the only issue was the communication.Leiweke is grateful to Defoe in that Sunderland was not his first choice. But the striker knew it was the deal that did the most for Toronto, because of Altidore.It was a good experiment. It didnt work out as well as we had hoped. We have nothing but good things and wishes for Jermain. And we move on. Defoe told a different story than his advisers apparently.It was always an awkward communication, Leiweke said. Because if you talked to Jermain, hed be like Well, Im OK either way. But if you talked to his agent and those around him, there was no doubt that somewhere in July he had a change of heart. And, as I said, I do not blame him.I think it worked out as well as it could.In fact, Leiweke is cheering Defoe on in Sunderland.The more goals, he scores, the better for us, he said.We get some upside in this deal, he added when asked what that meant. Youll see in the very near future some of the things we did as part of this deal.That explains why the Defoe-Altidore deal is being described as a swap with cash considerations. Leiweke credited MLS vice-president J. Todd Durbin for helping shepherd the deal.We had to use our allocation, he said. Other clubs had a shot at him (Altidore). Fridays news conference to introduce Altidore came the same day as the deadline for Toronto season ticket-holders to renew at the same price as last year.Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter ' ' '