The Timberwolves will hold Ricky Rubio’s rights indefinitely regardless of how long he plays in Spain.

However, if he stops playing basketball for one full year he can re-enter the draft and would be up for grabs again. The latest word out of Spain is that Rubio is planning on fulfilling his contract with DKV Joventut, meaning he won’t play in the NBA for at least two years.

For what it’s worth, the Timberwolves say they have not heard from Rubio’s camp that he is returning to Spain for two years.

Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman previously called Ben Gordon the top priority of the Chicago Bulls off-season, but that didn’t mesh with reality at least according to the club’s best scorer since he was drafted in 2004.

“I mean they didn’t pursue me at all. They didn’t even make an offer so it was pretty much a one-man race,” Gordon told ESPN radio in Chicago.

Forman declined comment on Thursday. He said when he was promoted to general manager in May that the Bulls wanted to keep Gordon, but that would have probably meant paying the luxury tax and sacrificing cap space they could have next summer.

Yesterday, the Detroit Pistons signed the guard to a five-year, $55 million deal.

This is irrelevant, but Rated-R, are you going to make it out to any Cal football games this year?

Details are out on Ron Artest’s signing with the Lakers. The deal is for five years and $32 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“I’m definitely going to L.A. — to sign, yeah,” Artest said in a phone interview. “Lakers, Lakers, Lakers. I’m in L.A. right now.”

Artest said that he met with owner Dr. Jerry Buss Thursday, has spoken with Phil Jackson and is meeting with his agent, David Bauman, tonight to finalize details.

This likely means Trevor Ariza will not be returning to the Lakers, but could be joining Artest’s former team, the Rockets.

“I don’t really care about the money,” Artest said. “I’ll play there for nothing.”

Taco Bell has struck a sponsorship agreement with the NBA, replacing a spot previously occupied by McDonald’s.

Financial terms of the multi-year sponsorship were not announced. The deal will include exposure for Taco Bell on ABC, ESPN and TNT which broadcast NBA games nationally.

Greg Oden has been working extensively with assistant coach Bill Bayno, who gives Oden an “A-plus” for his efforts.

He’s shown nice improvement on his defensive lateral quickness, while he’s working on several different counter moves on offense. It will be interesting to see if Oden can stay healthy this season, although we doubt it’s possible.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, sources say Trevor Ariza is nearing a decision in free agency.

Houston is the favorite, but Cleveland is in play and the Trail Blazers are also making a late run.

Wojnarowski posted earlier that the Rockets could offer a multi-year deal at the mid-level exception for Ariza. In simplest terms, he’d get about $5.7 million per year for four or five years.

The Los Angeles Times are picking up the Trevor Ariza story.

Since the Lakers are in the process of signing Houston forward Ron Artest, there’s almost no way they’ll match the Rockets’ offer if Ariza chooses to accept it. The deal is said to be for mid-level money, which would be roughly the same amount the Lakers him.

“I understand that they did sign Ron Artest,” Ariza said of the Lakers. “They did what they had to do. I understand it’s a business.”

Call us crazy, but Ariza would have been much better off checking his ego at the door and trying to re-sign with the World Champions, instead of joining a team that will be lucky to make the playoffs.

Richard Jefferson says Kidd is going to sign with the Knicks. Below is from a radio interview with him.

Is Jason Kidd attending your wedding?

"I do not know if Jason Kidd is attending, right now he’s dealing with free agency, and he’s gonna be a Knick. (Host: Ya think so?) Yes, well, yeah, I hope for him – he loves New York, we both really love New York. (Host: Wait, did he tell you he’s gonna play for the Knicks?) No, no, no, no, no, he never said those words, but I… (Host: Are you sweating right now) No, I’m not sweating right now!"

Trevor Ariza has made a verbal commitment to sign with the Houston Rockets, according to sources close to the process.

With at least five teams pursuing Ariza, the Lakers appeared unwilling to pay him more than the $5.6 million mid-level exception.

Looking at the bottom line on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, it says that Ron Artest has signed a three-year deal. From what I’ve heard, he signed a five-year deal worth $32 million, so we’ll see.

Ron Artest is on SportsCenter now and it is being said that he has reached a verbal agreement on a three-year deal, so it’s not a five-year deal worth $32 million as originally reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Donnie Walsh seemed to imply that the Knicks will have more salary cap flexibility in the summer of 2010 than currently projected.

“I have a little leeway which will leave me in good position for next year,” Walsh wrote. “I know what it is but do not talk much about it.”

It is not clear whether Walsh is referring to an unannounced player move that would reduce the Knicks’ salary cap burden. Eddy Curry and Jared Jeffries have the two largest contracts that remain on the team’s books for the 2010-2011 season.

Rodney Stuckey said Thursday he’s ready to become a floor leader for the Pistons this season.

“I have no choice,” Stuckey said of becoming a leader. “I just have to do it. The sooner I accept that role the better I will be as a player and as an individual.”

He was somewhat disappointing last season, but the Pistons will be relying on Stuckey to become their floor general this year. Whether or not he’s up to the task remains to be seen, but we think he’s got a good shot.

Jazz swingman Matt Harpring plans to let the Jazz know by the end of August whether he’ll be ready for training camp, or if he’ll retire due to a rash of injuries.

“Sometimes, I have thoughts of playing,” he said. “And then I have thoughts of not playing.”

Free agent forward Paul Millsap still doesn’t have any offers, with Oklahoma City and Utah looking like his main options.

The Jazz are still likely to match any offers he gets, but at this point, you have to wonder if the big deal he’s looking for will ever come. Millsap’s value would see a big boost if he stays in Utah and Carlos Boozer is traded, but he’s likely to come off the bench if Boozer stays and is healthy.

Free agent guard Allen Iverson is reportedly interested in playing for the Grizzlies, who recently traded for Zach Randolph.

In a column laced with sarcasm, Geoff Calkins suggests Iverson might be a good fit for the Grizzlies, who appear to have little interest in actually winning basketball games. Demand isn’t exactly high for Iverson after last season’s disaster, so it is possible he could end up in Memphis.

I don’t know what that Calkins guy is talking about. The Grizzlies seem interested in winning games to me. They’ve tried. They have a nice young core with Conley, Mayo, Gay, Gasol and Thabeet. It’s tough to build through the draft, but the pieces are there. Trading for a low-post scorer in Randolph also tells me something.

Restricted free agent big man Glen Davis is reportedly being pursued by at least four teams, in addition to the Celtics.

The Pistons, Grizzlies, Knicks and Spurs are all said to be interested, although Memphis may be out of the running after trading for Zach Randolph on Wednesday. The Pistons may now be his No. 1 suitor, after Davis dropped 20 points in 23 minutes on the Pistons in a January win.

Free agent big man Brandon Bass has been contacted by the New Orleans Hornets, although a deal isn’t imminent.

Bass is from Baton Rouge and would be a good fit with the Hornets; however, he would likely still be locked into a back up role in New Orleans, playing behind David West.

Just a tip: I had trouble with the link. I had to post it into a different browser.

The Blazers are believed to be dangling a 5-year, $50 million deal to lure Hedo Turkoglu to the Pacific Northwest. Turkoglu was given the red carpet treatment by the Blazers on Thursday.

“They are pretty interested, and I’m happy about it, because as a player, that’s what you want, interest from teams, especially good teams,” Turkoglu said. “They have been a good team the last couple of years. So to get an invitation from them makes you feel special.”

The Raptors are the other team competing for Turkoglu and could offer him more money, but are a team on the rebound. Turkoglu’s wife is said to have an affinity for the city of Toronto.

What a weird year of free agency. What on earth is Portland doing (on what possible Earth do they need Hedo for 5 years and 50 mil when they already have Brandon Roy). Orlando, Boston, and Cleveland seem to be saying ‘screw the long-term, let’s go for it now’. Detroit…wow. I have no idea what Dumars is doing.

Although I like the Artest move, Laker fans aren’t very happy with it, and it certainly wasn’t a necessary one. Unless the LA players don’t like Ariza (not out of the question, since he takes away Odom’s starting spot; of course Artest might end up doing the same thing.

Clearly, the team that signs Leon Powe will be winning it all.

If I was Lamar Odom, I’d be staring hard at reuniting with Dwyane Wade in Miami. If he isn’t happy with coming off the bench (and by all accounts he wants to be in a warm market), then I’d be aiming for Miami. Considering how great Wade is, teamed with the madness of Lamar, Miami might be ready to make the leap to title contender in a year, certainly two.

1) LA
2) Cleveland
3) San Antonio (the Last Dance)
4) Orlando
5) Boston (Last Dance Part II)
6) Denver (this is a really big if, I think the Nuggets peaked last year and won’t be as good, but I don’t see anyone else in the West as good as the two teams above them)
Last) Sacramento (John Wall sweepstakes!)

According to ESPN’s Henry Abbott, forward Hedo Turkoglu has reached an agreement in principle to join the Portland Trail Blazers.

The arrival of Turkoglu will put the Blazers on a small list of teams that will be picked to compete with the Lakers for the Western Conference title.

The Raptors did not waive center Patrick O’Bryant by July 1, making his contract guaranteed at $855,189.

O’Bryant had a few decent games when Andrea Bargnani was injured last season.

Despite some interest from the 76ers and contrary to earlier reports, it sounds like the Hawks and Mike Bibby may be close to an agreement for him to remain in Atlanta.

Bibby is said to want to return to the Hawks and the team may match his asking price. If it happens, the Hawks’ back court situation will become very interesting, with Bibby, Joe Johnson and newcomer Jamal Crawford all expecting to start; not to mention the lack of minutes that will be afforded to rookie point guard Jeff Teague if Bibby is back.

Despite what was being reported by a Spanish newspaper on Thursday, Ricky Rubio has still not made up his mind about where he will play next season according to a report.

Yesterday’s report said Rubio was heading back to Spain for two years, but that now looks like speculation on the part of the media. The simple fact is that Rubio and his people are still trying to decide the best course of action to take. That could easily mean he returns to Spain for two years, it could mean that he plays this season for the Wolves, or it could mean he’s traded to the Knicks or some other team.

The traveling entourage of big-named Celtics apparently impressed Rasheed Wallace, and it may only be a matter of time before he signs a two-year deal with Boston.

“Solid, thorough, cogent and very impressive,” Wallace’s agent, Bill Strickland said. “[They] definitely gave Rasheed and his wife something to think about.”

Wallace is believed to be deciding between Boston and San Antonio, while Cleveland and Orlando could also make a late push for his services. San Antonio, who is really in need of a starting center, seems to make the most sense on paper, but the Celtics might hold the upper hand after Thursday’s visit to Detroit, despite the fact he would likely come off the bench in Beantown.

Stephon Marbury is not likely to return to Boston after receiving a disappointing one-year contract paying $1.3 million — the veteran’s minimum.

“Thank you, Boston, for allowing the world to see me play again after all that went on in New York,” said Marbury, via e-mail to The Globe. “The fans treated me with open arms and that’s all anyone can ask for.”

The Knicks intend to sign shooting guard Morris Almond, as long as he performs well for their summer league team.

This news further signals the likely departure of Nate Robinson to free agency, although nothing is set in stone.

Jose Calderon was not healthy last season, but the point guard is in great shape again and hoping to have a big year for the Raptors.

“I had good numbers (12.8 points, 8.9 assists) but I was not the real Jose Calderon,” he said. “If I can get those numbers up a little bit, maybe to 15 and 10 or 15 and 9, and I am 100 percent, I know I can compete against all the point guards in the league.”

Antonio McDyess is being pursued by several teams, including the Pistons, where he played last season.

Other teams showing interest include the Spurs, Cavaliers, Celtics and Suns, but it’s still a mystery as to where he might land.

Jason Kidd reportedly has offers from both the Knicks and Mavericks, and will decide whether to forfeit about $12 million to play for Mike D’Antoni instead of returning to the Mavericks.

The Knicks offered Kidd three years at about $18 million, while the Mavericks offer is for three years, but closer to $25 million or $30 million. Kidd would love to play for D’Antoni and favors New York City because his children live there. Twelve million dollars is a lot of cash, but at this point in his career, Kidd could very well decide to play where he’ll be happiest.

The Bulls and Pistons could be working on a sign-and-trade deal that would keep guard Ben Gordon in Detroit, but send guard Allen Iverson to Chicago.

This may just be the thoughts of CBS’ Ken Berger, and not an actual plan the teams are discussing, but it’s probably worth noting that a deal could be worked out that would send Iverson to the Bulls. The Grizzlies, Bobcats and Heat are also said to be interested in signing Iverson.

The Magic are not likely to match the Mavericks’ reported mid-level offer to center Marcin Gortat, and are now pursuing free agent big man Rasheed Wallace.

“Those numbers are a little rich for a back-up center, a guy playing behind my best player (Dwight Howard),” general manager Otis Smith said.

Gortat could very well start for Dallas, but would see extremely limited minutes behind Howard, so it makes sense for the Magic to let him go. Wallace’s future is up in the air, with many teams still in the hunt for his services, including the Celtics.

Phil Jackson’s return to the Lakers bench this season is nearly guaranteed, with an expected announcement coming from the coach early next week.

ESPN reports that an NBA coaching source says it’s “99.9 percent” certain that Jackson plans on coaching the Lakers again as they defend their title. With the volatile Ron Artest now on board, getting Jackson back is even bigger news.

According to a report, Jason Kidd is expected to notify the Mavericks on Monday that he is going to accept their contract offer and stay with Dallas.

The Mavericks are offering Kidd somewhere around $18 million more than the Knicks, which is probably the main reason for this decision. If Kidd does shun the Knicks, they will still desperately be looking for a point guard to run Mike D’Antoni’s offense.

According to a report, Steve Nash’s agent is set to meet with Suns general manager Steve Kerr next week to continue discussions on a contract extension.

Nash has remained confident that a deal will get done, but has also named New York as the place he would like to get traded to if the deal falls through. With the Suns leaning towards keeping Amar’e Stoudemire, and the Knicks seemingly out of contention for Jason Kidd, there might be more to this story than we thought a week ago.

Pistons executive Joe Dumars told the media on Friday that it was “not a given” that Avery Johnson will be hired as head coach.

Dumars said Johnson was still being considered, and the only other candidate from his original shortlist is Cavaliers assistant John Kuester, whom he has not even requested permission to contact. This may be a bit of posturing, and Johnson still looks like the front runner to get the job.

As many as 12 teams are interested in the services of point guard Ramon Sessions, according to agent Jimmy “Chubby” Wells.

“We’ve not talked numbers yet with anybody,” Wells said. “The unrestricted guys will go first, and then it will get to the restricted (free agents). Once we get to that point, it will happen fast.”

Due to his restricted status, the Bucks remain in play to retain Sessions.

A number of sources said last week that the Hornets are again shopping center Tyson Chandler.

New Orleans general manager Jeff Bower could work on making a trade before he offers a contract to any free agent.

In addition, the Hornets could look to move one of their veteran guards, such as Morris Peterson, Antonio Daniels or Devin Brown.

The Hornets are also interested in bringing guard Jannero Pargo, who played overseas this past season, back.

The Nuggets are interested in veteran forward Grant Hill, according to an NBA source.

There are a number of teams interested in Hill, who the Denver Post writes would be a steal for any club at around $3 million annually.

The Mavericks are believed to be shopping center Erick Dampier, who has just one year remaining on his contract.

Dallas is close to signing restricted free-agent Marcin Gortat, which would allow them to trade Dampier without creating a hole in the paint.

The Raptors have offered free agent forward Shawn Marion a four-year deal worth more than $32 million, according to a report.

The deal could be worth as much as $34 million, according to the report, and is longer and more lucrative than the three-year, $21 million offer Toronto was reported to have made to Marion.

The Hornets are looking for help up front and have inquired about Mikki Moore.

The Times-Picayune originally reported the interest.

Moore finished last season with the Celtics after catching on as a free agent.

Rasheed Wallace is not expected to make a decision yet — for at least a week — on the Celtics’ offer of a mid-level exception contract, according to a report.

The report says that he will meet with teams next week, which takes a little bit of the luster off of Boston’s superstar recruiting session from Thursday. Orlando, San Antonio, Cleveland and Charlotte are among the interested parties, but the bottom line is that Wallace is going to keep his options open for at least a week.

Lakers big man Pau Gasol will play for Spain in the European Basketball Championships, according to a report.

Spain coach Sergio Scariolo will be working with the Lakers to develop a regimen that is “the best for the player,” but owners should be concerned that Gasol has played a lot of basketball over the past two years. Expect all parties to play it safe with him, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he got a bit less run this year than last.

The Blazers announced on Friday that they have not yet reached an agreement with free agent Hedo Turkoglu, despite reports to the contrary.

The deal cannot be made official until July 8th anyway, but for the moment neither the Blazers nor Turkoglu’s agent would confirm the agreement. The Raptors remain interested in signing Turkoglu, but right now all signs point to his signing with Portland.

The San Jose Mercury News reports that Warriors owner Chris Cohan is believed to be seriously considering selling his 80% stake in the franchise in the next year or two.

There is no indication of who might buy the team, and it should be noted that this isn’t the first time these rumors have been floated. Warriors fans are probably hoping there’s some truth in it, however, as their franchise has missed the playoffs 14 of the past 15 seasons.

It’s a Tim Kawakami story, so we’re naturally skeptical.

I have an update on the Shawn Marion situation with the Raptors. A four-year offer was given to Marion for $34 million; however, he is holding out for a five-year deal worth closer to $50 million.

There might not be any teams willing to pay $10 million a year for an aging role player, meaning Marion doesn’t have much leverage. Most observers feel that he will eventually sign with Toronto, partly because of his longstanding relationship with general manager Bryan Colangelo.

It is being reported that free agent Hedo Turkoglu has rejected an offer to sign with the Trail Blazers and has ended negotiations with the team.

There is no word yet on what caused Turkoglu’s abrupt decision, though details should emerge soon. For the moment, this seems to leave the Raptors as the favorite to sign Hedo.

The Rockets and their agreement with free agent Trevor Ariza makes it highly unlikely that Von Wafer will play in Houston next season, according to Wafer’s agent, Mitchell Butler.

“None of it made any sense to me,” Butler said. “From what I heard, they made a half-hearted effort to keep Ron and no effort to keep Von.”

He mentioned that several teams are interested in Wafer, but would not name them.

Pistons president Joe Dumars is scheduled to meet with head coach candidate Avery Johnson later this weekend.

Johnson seems like the front runner to take over in Detroit, even though Dumars, who wants to name a new head coach by Tuesday, said recently that Johnson’s hiring is “not a given”. Other known candidates include Cavaliers assistant John Kuester and Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau.

The Raptors and free agent Hedo Turkoglu have agreed on a five-year contract according to reports.

The deal is “in excess of $50 million” and to clear enough cap space the Raptors must renounce their rights to free agents Shawn Marion, Carlos Delfino, and Anthony Parker. (There are rumors of Marion being involved in a sign-and-trade, but so far nothing concrete has been reported.)

The Raptors are probably overpaying for Turkoglu, but until the dust settles we’re giving general manager Bryan Colangelo the benefit of the doubt.

The Cavaliers are reportedly interested in ex-Raptor swingman Anthony Parker.

The Cavaliers could acquire Parker via sign-and-trade, though Toronto’s $56 million bid for Hedo Turkoglu may have changed the equation. Parker, 34, is a reliable perimeter threat and would likely serve as Cleveland’s sixth man.

The Jazz are not expected to receive any luxury tax relief if veteran forward Matt Harpring retires for medical reasons.

Harpring has undergone three knee surgeries and two ankle surgeries, the most recent of which became infected and still hasn’t healed completely. Other options for Utah include buying out his contract or packaging him in a trade.

The Jazz recently considered trading Andrei Kirilenko to the Rockets for Tracy McGrady, but Utah ultimately ended the discussions.

McGrady’s expiring $23.2 million salary makes him the highest-paid player in the NBA next season, but it’s unknown how effective he’ll be (or even when he’ll return) after his recent knee surgery. The move could potentially save Utah $17.8 million in 2010-2011, but apparently they aren’t willing to trade a productive player for an injured star.

The Nuggets and free agent center Chris Andersen appear headed toward a long-term contract agreement. The Birdman hopes to make around $25 million for five years.

One complication is the Nuggets’ salary cap situation — they would prefer to “back load” the contract (paying Andersen around $3 million next season) to minimize their luxury tax payments. There’s no mention of other teams pursuing Andersen and it sounds like only a matter of time before the deal is done.

Free agent guard Mike Bibby reportedly plans to sign a three-year contract with the Hawks.

The 76ers (perhaps anticipating the loss of free agent Andre Miller) offered Bibby a one-year deal which he promptly turned down. Assuming Bibby does re-sign with Atlanta, Jamal Crawford could be the odd man out in the starting backcourt.

Now that Hedo Turkoglu has spurned them, the Trail Blazers may turn their attention to restricted free agent David Lee.

The Blazers are approximately $10 million under the cap, which happens to be the salary Lee is seeking. The Daily News reports that Portland “would likely have to negotiate a sign-and-trade to acquire him now” and Lee’s agent claims to have spoken with nearly 15 teams interested in sign-and-trades.

Stephon Marbury could be headed to the Wizards after turning down the Celtics’ one-year offer for the veterans’ minimum.

Marbury and Washington coach Flip Saunders are said to be “intrigued about reuniting.” The Kings have inquired about Marbury as well.

The Raptors offer to Hedo Turkoglu will pay him more than $60 million over five years, according to David Aldridge of NBA TV.

That figure is significantly higher than earlier reports, which pegged his salary closer to $56 million. Either way, the Raptors must renounce a host of their own free agents, including Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino (and potentially Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Jake Voskuhl). The deal can’t become official until Wednesday, and it’s possible Toronto will clear space via a few sign-and-trades before then.

The Lakers and Magic have both made serious inquiries about Knicks’ restricted free agent guard Nate Robinson.

The Trail Blazers and Bulls are also said to be interested in Nate, and the Knicks might decide to keep him if they don’t land another point guard (i.e. Jason Kidd, Ramon Sessions) via free agency. There’s been talk of him (Robinson) accepting the Knicks’ one-year qualifying offer.

Ben Gordon may find his way to Detroit via a sign-and-trade which would see Allen Iverson become a Chicago Bull.

Discussions between the teams have not reached serious levels, but by signing with Chicago and then being traded to Detroit Ben Gordon could get an extra year and more money.

According to Ken Berger, a person familiar with the situation said the Pistons would flat-out refuse to entertain a sign-and-trade for Gordon unless it provided significant savings. The Bulls, too, may not be eager to do business with Gordon, whose agent did not give the team a chance to match Detroit’s offer.

ESPN’s Ric Bucher suggested on his social networking page late Friday night that the Suns could get Tyson Chandler for Ben Wallace.

“They’re checking all other options before going down that road,” Bucher wrote.

The Lakers still want Lamar Odom back, but the free agent forward will have to lower this asking price. Odom is believed to be looking for $10 million annually, but the Lakers are already about $10 million into the luxury tax.

Luxury tax is paid for in a dollar-for-dollar penalty, so signing Odom for $10 million next season would result in a bill of $20 million.

The Los Angeles Times suggested a compromise on Friday night. The Lakers can sign Odom to a one-year deal worth $7.5 million, allowing him to test free agency again next summer.

Things have been relatively quiet in Indiana, but the Pacers have contacted free agent guards Luther Head and Shannon Brown.

The Pacers have just $8 million to spend this summer, and have said that they’d like to retain restricted free agents Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts.

The Bobcats are interested in free agent forward Brandon Bass. Though with DeSagana Diop, Nazr Mohammed and Vladimir Radmanovic under contract, they might need a sign-and-trade to acquire him.

Rick Bonnell reports that Bass has been offered a five-year deal worth more than $25 million, though it isn’t clear which team made the offer (probably not Charlotte). Other teams interested in Bass include the Mavericks, Magic and Hornets.

or has there been WAY more movement this offseason than usual?

The Blazers are said to be in serious discussions with free agent forward David Lee after losing out on Hedo Turkoglu.

Portland could offer all of its available cap space to Lee that would equal about $50 million over five years. The can also set up the deal so that the highest salary would fall in the 2010-11 season, when the Knicks will be trying to acquire LeBron James. The Blazers and Knicks could also agree to a sign-and-trade, although there are still several other teams after Lee’s services.

Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins says that he has not contacted the agents for Allen Iverson or Rasheed Wallace.

Iverson and Wallace, who both thrived under coach Larry Brown in the past, are unrestricted free agents.

Higgins also said that the team chose not to pick up point guard Sean Singletary’s $736,000 option for next season.

Timberwolves general manager David Kahn has received permission from the Blazers to talk with assistant coach Monty Williams. Williams has worked as an assistant in Portland for the last four seasons.

“I’m flattered,” Williams said earlier this week. “I’m someone who wants to be a part of a rebuilding process. But at the same time, I’m still a Blazer. So, there’s initial excitement, but in reality, nothing has changed. I’m looking forward to the process.”

Kahn has said that former Minnesota player Sam Mitchell isn’t a candidate for the job.

The Pacers haven’t made any headway in re-signing restricted free agents Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts.

Indiana president Larry Bird has made it known that he wants to retain both players.

Jack’s qualifying offer is worth roughly $2.9 million, while the offer for McRoberts is around $1 million for the 2009-10 season.

Free agency opened on midnight Tuesday, but nothing is imminent in Indiana.

The Bulls are in discussions to sign free agent guard Jannero Pargo.

The plan would be for Pargo’s presence to help offset the loss of Ben Gordon, who has verbally committed to sign with the Pistons. The Hornets are also interested in signing Pargo, who has played for both teams in the past.

Avery Johnson reportedly will seek a long-term deal to coach the Pistons, as it’s clear they’re in a rebuilding phase.

Johnson is said to be looking for a contract similar to the four-year, $18 million deal former Pistons coach Flip Saunders signed with the Wizards last month. This could cause a road block for Johnson to coach the Pistons, but he is still the top candidate at this point.

The Bobcats are looking to add a power forward through free agency.

Charlotte general manager Rod Higgins has contacted the agents for Antonio McDyess and Brandon Bass.

Both are unrestricted free agents.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers is scheduled to meet with free agent Grant Hill on Sunday, to discuss the possibility of Hill signing with Boston.

The Suns and Knicks are also pursuing Hill, though they obviously don’t offer the same chance at winning a championship as the Celtics. The frequently injured Hill played all 82 games last season, averaging 12 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in nearly 30 minutes per game.

ESPN’s John Hollinger reported on Saturday that Oklahoma City, one of the few teams with significant salary cap space, “is highly unlikely to splurge this summer.”

Paul Millsap’s options continue to dwindle. He has reportedly been contacted by championship-caliber teams offering the mid-level exception, but Utah would almost certainly match such an offer and he may not want to sign for less than $7 million per year. He might be forced to accept Utah’s $1.03 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent in 2010.

Real Madrid executive Jorge Valdano is considering making an offer to DKV Joventut for the rights to Ricky Rubio’s contract.

Valdano recently shelled out almost 200 million Euros for three soccer players, which makes Rubio’s buyout (5.75 million Euros) seem paltry by comparison. It’s unclear whether such an offer would affect the likelihood of Rubio playing in the NBA this season or next, but Rubio’s father did say last week that “the buyout clause makes going to the NBA unfeasible.”

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge hopes to re-sign restricted free agent Glen Davis as soon as possible.

Negotiations with Davis haven’t been the Celtics’ top priority, as they’ve been in hot pursuit of Rasheed Wallace and have the right to match any offers for Davis. Other potential suitors for Davis include the Magic, Spurs and Grizzlies.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban used his social networking page to deny reports that the team is pursuing Glenn Davis.

“Contrary to reports, the Mavs are not pursuing Glenn Davis. Great player, but we like our guys,” Cuban wrote on Sunday morning.

Allen Iverson could be asked to come off the bench by a potential suitor, but he doesn’t appear willing to do so.

Iverson, an unrestricted free agent and former MVP, hasn’t been mentioned very often in rumors.

When asked what he would do if his new team asked him to come off the bench, Iverson hesitated.

“I don’t know. I think I would retire,” the guard said.

Raptors president Bryan Colangelo was working the phones on Saturday, even after landing Hedo Turkoglu on Friday night.

Colangelo is trying to work a deal that would allow him to keep one of his current players or land someone in a sign-and-trade that would make more money for free agent Shawn Marion.

His exact plans weren’t known, but a number of sources kicked around the idea of Toronto trading Kris Humphries for a draft pick or other considerations.

Ersan Ilyasova has decided to leave Europe and return to the Bucks next season.

The site reports that he’ll sign a contract on Tuesday, but no deal can actually be announced until Wednesday. Despite that inconsistency, it appears Ilyasova will indeed sign with Milwaukee. He’ll join the frontcourt of Amir Johnson, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Kurt Thomas and Andrew Bogut.

The Spurs have agreed in principle to a contract with power forward Marcus Haislip, who has been playing in Europe since 2005.

The 28-year-old Haislip was the 13th pick of the 2002 draft and is considered one of Europe’s best free agents this summer. His acquisition isn’t expected to alter the Spurs’ search for another big man, such as Rasheed Wallace or Antonio McDyess.

Free agent big man Rasheed Wallace has committed to sign a contract with the Celtics.

The deal is expected to be two years at the mid-level exception (approximately $5.8 million), as the Celtics’ enthusiastic recruiting paid off in a big way. Rasheed was reportedly impressed by Danny Ainge’s promise that his arrival wouldn’t prohibit the Celtics from adding more talent to the roster.

It remains to be seen whether this affects Boston’s stance toward restricted free agent Glen Davis.

Free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu chose to sign with Toronto instead of Portland because, according to his agent, “Toronto was a better fit for him and his family.”

“Toronto’s offer was better [financially] than Portland’s was, but that wasn’t the driver here,” he added.

The five-year deal is expected to be worth $53 million, though figures as high as $60 million have been reported.

A lot has been made of Boston’s interest (and now confirmed signing) in Rasheed Wallace, but Danny Ainge says he’s still committed to bringing Glenn Davis back.

“We’d like to have it done soon,” Ainge said. "We have a lot of interest in Baby, and we have the ability to match. “We like Big Baby a lot, and we have every intention of keeping him.”

One NBA source believes that Boston’s pursuit of Wallace may affect their ability to sign Davis. The belief is that if the Celtics land the former Piston, one of Wallace’s suitors will make a sizable offer to Davis.

San Antonio, Orlando and Memphis are believed to have interest in Davis.

Magic general manager Otis Smith says that he will not take part in a sign-and-trade with the Raptors for forward Hedo Turkoglu.

Turkoglu agreed to sign with the Raptors after jilting the Trail Blazers.

Toronto can sign Turkoglu beginning on Wednesday, but may wait as they look to trade players like Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino instead of renouncing their rights.

So, basically, the Magic won’t sign Turkoglu and then trade him to the Raptors for something since Toronto is looking to “renounce their rights” or whatever.

The Trail Blazers talked with David Lee’s agent on Saturday, but are not yet prepared to sign Lee to an offer sheet for fear the Knicks will match it.

The Blazers might be interested in free agents Andre Miller or Lamar Odom, but it seems like Lee is their top choice; however, where he’d fit into Portland frontcourt is another question.

The Pistons and Grizzlies are out of the running for Lee, leaving a host of teams that would require a sign-and-trade to make his signing financially viable.

Point guard Jason Kidd has verbally committed to re-signing with the Mavericks.

The three-year deal is reportedly worth more than $25 million, all of it fully guaranteed. Kidd’s decision to stay in Dallas was widely anticipated. The Knicks made a strong push to sign him but couldn’t offer more than the mid-level exception.

Again, this is not a surprise. This has been anticipated for a few days now and Cuban was “really optimistic” from the beginning despite the Knicks being somewhat in the rear view mirror.

Sheed signs with the Celtics.

The Nets have officially signed Terrence Williams, the No. 11 pick in the 2009 draft, to his rookie contract.

Williams has guaranteed salaries of $2.1 million and $2.2 million during his first two seasons, with team options for his third ($2.4 million) and fourth ($3.1 million). He should get plenty of run this season, alongside Jarvis Hayes and Bobby Simmons on the wings.

Jazz center Kosta Koufos will not play during summer league because he dislocated his left ring finger nearly a month ago.

Koufos said he felt good but would rather “play it safe” with the finger. This isn’t his only chance to play organized basketball this summer as he will soon begin practicing with the Greek national team in anticipation of the European championships.

The Wizards are reportedly interested in free agent big men Rasho Nesterovic, Channing Frye, Jason Collins and Jamaal Magloire.

All four players would likely sign for the veteran’s minimum, and the Wizards aren’t in any rush, “as they hope to sit back and see who the best available candidates are left standing.”

A report disputes a different recent report that the Wizards are interested in signing free agent guard Stephon Marbury.

“I’m told the interest is only one-sided,” reports Mike Jones, “and Washington isn’t considering adding any more guards to what is an already crowded back court.”

Dwyane Wade isn’t sure whether he’ll sign a contract extension this summer, and he said on Monday that he feels the Heat are being left behind while other teams improve via free agency.

“It’s a lot of teams that got better real fast,” said Wade. “One thing I’ve come to realize here in Miami is never count out Pat Riley. You never know what he can cook up in the lab.”

Riley has been hesitant to make any major moves before Wade commits to an extension, though Wade did say in late June that he prefers to sign an extension sooner rather than later.

I don’t have a link for this, but with Charlie Villanueva leaving, recent acquisition Amir Johnson appears to be the Bucks starting power forward.

They are really in full-out rebuild mode, then. They should let Ramon Sessions walk in my opinion, ride Luke Ridnour at point guard for now and then next year, turn it over to Brandon Jennings. Michael Redd could be on the move. Joe Alexander, their eighth overall pick in 2008, should get a healthy dose of minutes at small forward, but it appears Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will be there. Andrew Bogut, returning from injury, is the man in the middle. Still, a decent young core is in place here.

Johnson was drafted out of high school in 2005, and the athletic 22-year-old is still developing on both ends of the court. He averaged 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in less than 15 minutes per game last season. He’ll likely share minutes with Ersan Ilyasova (if he comes over from Europe), Kurt Thomas (if he is still with the Bucks) and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (when he’s not playing small forward).

With Rasheed Wallace off the market, the Spurs are expected to offer Glenn Davis their mid-level exception.

Gary Tanguay of Comcast SportsNet New England does not believe that Boston would match the offer, especially with Grant Hill a strong possibility in Boston.

ESPN’s Ric Bucher wrote on his social networking page Monday that the Suns, Cavaliers, Nuggets and Spurs are interested in free-agent forward Channing Frye.

“Frontrunners for Channing Frye: Phoenix, Cle, Den. SA lurking. Not quite like Tor lurked on Hedo,” Bucher wrote on Monday afternoon.

Talks between the Jazz and Pistons regarding a trade involving Carlos Boozer and Richard Hamilton have reportedly continued.

The report doesn’t believe that Hamilton will fit with Ben Gordon in Detroit, and Utah has been rumored to prefer the younger Paul Millsap at power forward all along.

There have been rumors that the Thunder could be interested in forward Anderson Varejao.

However, the report writes that Oklahoma City is unlikely to make an offer to Varejao because of the close relationship between Thunder general manager Sam Presti and Cleveland’s Danny Ferry.

“They have a buddy-buddy system going strong, and the perception is Presti would not do anything to hurt Ferry’s team,” Bob Finnan wrote.

The Celtics are still looking to make some additions via free agency this summer.

They are interested in signing Grant Hill to their biannual exception, and it has been reported that president Danny Ainge is targeting free agent point guard Tyronn Lue as well.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers is still hoping that the team will re-sign Leon Powe, but will support whatever decision president Danny Ainge makes.

Boston decided not to tender Powe a qualifying offer as they wait to see how he recovers from reconstructive knee surgery.

“We want him back, but he needs to get healthy,” Rivers said. “He’s one of the favorites that I’ve coached, and I don’t say that often. When he’s done rehabbing, he can come back and play for us.”

ESPN’s Ric Bucher is reporting that the Blazers are not interested in free agent Lamar Odom.

Odom is a versatile forward with play-making skills but he isn’t much of a threat from the perimeter, which is one of the main reasons Portland was so high on Hedo Turkoglu. That could also explain their perceived lack of interest in point guard Andre Miller, who set a career-high last season by shooting 28 percent from downtown.

Point guard Travis Diener has exercised his player option to remain with the Pacers for the upcoming season.

This was a smart move by Diener, who will continue to play behind Jarrett Jack and T.J. Ford for as long as both players remain with the Pacers.

I seriously doubt that both Ford and Jack are back with the team next year.

The Lakers have re-signed guard Shannon Brown for two years and $4.2 million.

Brown played well late in the season and in the playoffs when the Lakers needed his help.

Now that the Mavericks have re-signed Jason Kidd and made an offer to Marcin Gortat, they have turned their attention to restricted free agent Brandon Bass.

Bass is probably looking for a five-year deal in the $25 million range, but the Mavericks are thought to have offered around $3.5 million per year.

“Brandon’s still very interested in Dallas,” his agent said recently. “We’re making headway. We’re just not there yet.”

Bass has also received interest from the Magic, Bobcats and Hornets.

The Mavericks are trying to work out a sign-and-trade with the Raptors for Shawn Marion.

The Raptors either have to renounce Marion (to clear cap space for Hedo Turkoglu’s signing) or work out a sign-and-trade, though their reluctance to take back salary has complicated the matter. Jerry Stackhouse would likely be included in any deal, since his $7 million salary is only partially guaranteed for next season. The source cautioned that the deal “may or may not happen” so stay tuned for updates.

Yao Ming is expected to decide within a few days whether or not to have surgery on his fractured left foot.

Yao can have surgery, which would probably keep him out all season, or he can pursue other options such as immobilizing the foot for three months in the hopes that it heals on its own.

Pistons president Joe Dumars met with head coach candidate Avery Johnson on Saturday, but they did not agree to a contract.

Johnson is still getting paid by the Mavericks through the 2010-2011 season, but he’s believed to be seeking a long-term deal worth around $5 million per season. If Detroit can’t work out a deal with Johnson they will likely turn their attention to Cavaliers assistant John Kuester or Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau. Johnson is the only one with head coaching experience.

The San Antonio Express-News refutes a report that the Spurs are on the verge of offering Glen Davis a contract worth their full mid-level exception.

The Spurs reportedly haven’t discussed any contract with Davis, and haven’t even contacted him since Rasheed Wallace signed with the Celtics on Sunday.

The Trail Blazers have reportedly contacted the Bobcats about trading for Gerald Wallace, but Charlotte isn’t likely to part with their star small forward.

Charlotte is trying to make the playoffs and drum up some interest in their flagging franchise, and the reaction of Bobcats beat writer Rick Bonnell is telling. “I’d be surprised,” he basically writes.

Grant Hill spent the day with the Knicks and said he is “very serious” about the possibility of signing with the team.

“I’ve always been a fan of the Knicks and the city,” Hill said. “Obviously, they’ve gone through a lot the last few years, but I’m a big fan of Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni, so I’m definitely interested. I’m just taking it all in.”

D’Antoni spoke about what Hill may be able to bring to the Knicks.

“Yes, he’s going to be 37 and you don’t know when he’s going to hit the wall, but he hasn’t hit the wall yet,” D’Antoni said. “If he was 25, we couldn’t get him anyway.”

Knicks fans’ worst nightmare: LeBron tells Ariza he’ll stay with the Cavs after next season. More likely, he was simply saying it to sway Ariza towards signing with Cleveland.

Just to follow up, last night at 11:33 p.m. Pacific, ESPN’s Ric Bucher is reported that free agent forward Trevor Ariza is said to be wavering on his commitment to the Rockets.

It would make sense that Ariza is rethinking his decision, especially when the Rockets may start the season without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, in addition to Ron Artest, who is going to join the Lakers. Ariza could be a star in Houston, but is possibly talking to the Cavaliers, which would make more sense, if his goal is winning instead of going to the first team he could find that offered him more “respect” than the Lakers.

I don’t know how Ariza could become a star in Houston. Can he even score 15 points per game?

Kosta Koufos is expected to miss all five summer league games with a finger injury.

Koufos suffered a dislocated ring finger on his left hand in a pickup game, and will miss all five summer league games. The Jazz were hoping to get a good look at him, but they at least know that Mehmet Okur coming back for another season.

Pistons president Joe Dumars is expected to make a decision on Tuesday as to whether Avery Johnson will be the team’s next head coach.

If the two sides can’t agree on a deal Dumars will probably move on quickly, turning to assistant coaches Tom Thibodeau (Celtics) and John Kuester (Cavaliers). Johnson still looks like the front runner, but his demands (probably in the range of four years, $20 million) could be too steep for a Pistons’ team that will still be paying Michael Curry in 2011.

The 76ers recently contacted the Rockets to see if they were interested in center Samuel Dalembert, which they weren’t.

Dalembert is raw offensively and doesn’t boast a great basketball IQ, limiting his upside. Couple that with a big contract and a brutal 15 percent trade kicker, and it’s easy to see why the Sixers are having trouble drumming up trade interest in him.

The Lakers are reportedly “balking” at Lamar Odom’s salary demands of more than $10 million per season, and the two sides remain far apart in negotiations.

Los Angeles signed Ron Artest to a very reasonable deal (approximately $6 million per season) but Kobe Bryant’s looming contract extension (as much as five years, $138.7 million) has them cost-conscious. The Blazers are one of the only teams in a position to make a competitive offer to Odom.

The Trail Blazers, unimpressed with the current free agent pool, are likely to “use their cap space to execute an financially uneven trade,” according to a report.

Because Portland is under the salary cap, they aren’t required to match salaries for the players being traded. They still might go after free agents Andre Miller, David Lee or Lamar Odom, but the “lopsided trade” angle opens up a host of new possibilities.

Free agent Mike Bibby and the Hawks have agreed to a three-year deal worth about $18 million.

Bibby is the most recent free agent to settle for a salary around the mid-level exception, though he may have accepted less money to re-sign with Atlanta. The Hawks will have a fairly stacked backcourt this season, with Jamal Crawford likely coming off the bench behind Bibby and Joe Johnson. Atlanta will now turn its attention to free agents Marvin Williams, Josh Childress and Zaza Pachulia.

Warriors owner Chris Cohan recently had serious discussions with a buyer for the franchise, possibly agreeing in general terms, but talks broke off when they couldn’t agree on a final price.

Cohan is having “severe financial problems,” including an ongoing battle with the IRS, and the Warriors aren’t exactly a lucrative asset at the moment. He won’t become solvent overnight, so stay tuned for updates.

Negotiations between the Mavericks and the agent for Brandon Bass are ongoing.

Dallas is believed to have made an upgraded offer recently, perhaps to $3.5 million annually.

“Brandon’s still very interested in Dallas,” agent Tony Dutt said. “We’re making headway. We’re just not there yet.”

Bass is reportedly receiving interest from Detroit and Orlando as well.

A half-dozen teams are reportedly interested in Utah’s C.J. Miles. Toronto, Boston and New Jersey are teams that appear to have interest in Miles.

Utah cannot trade Miles until July 25, the one-year anniversary of the Jazz’s decision to match the offer sheet Miles signed with the Thunder, unless Miles agrees to the deal.

I bet a lot more teams are interested than that. I’ve heard Boozer’s name in trade rumors (with the Pistons) and Kirilenko’s name (with the Rockets) and this doesn’t make any sense to me. Miles is really talented and is entering his fourth year in the league. He entered the league in 2006 coming straight out of high school.

Grant Hill has a one-year offer from the Knicks. Phoenix remains hesitant to get into a bidding war and will not match the Knicks’ offer if it is higher.

The offer was for one year and a portion of the Knicks’ mid-level exception. Hill is permitted to sign as soon as tomorrow, the first day free agents are allowed to sign contracts.

LeBron James is denying a recent report that he told Trevor Ariza that he will stay in Cleveland past 2010.

ESPN’s Chris Broussard first reported the story, then refuted it less than 12 hours later, exemplifying one of the dangers of “unnamed sources.” The Cavaliers best chance to guarantee he stays in Cleveland is to put a championship ring on his finger next season.

The Pistons are expected to complete the hiring of Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach John Kuester later Tuesday, NBA coaching sources told ESPN.

Kuester became the Pistons’ top candidate after Avery Johnson broke off contract talks after more than two days of negotiations.

ESPN’s Henry Abbott spoke with Timberwolves general manager David Kahn about the Ricky Rubio situation on Tuesday.

In the interview, Kahn hinted that his hands are tied as he waits for Rubio and his family to make some decisions.

“Right now we’re in a stage where Ricky and his family have to figure out what makes sense for them,” Kahn said.

Kahn added that he doesn’t know the status of Rubio’s buyout and that Minnesota has no intentions of trading the point guard.

Kobe Bryant is willing to wait for an extension from the Lakers as the team looks to pile more talent around him.

“Mitch has a lot on his plate,” Bryant said, referring to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. “I’d rather him take care of those pieces first. He’ll get around to me.”

Bryant is under contract next season for $23 million.

The Cavaliers met with Channing Frye on Monday, and the club appears interested in signing the free agent forward.

Currently, Cleveland is looking at a number of power forwards in addition to Frye. Antonio McDyess is believed to be one of those players.

Frye also has been in talks with the Suns, Nuggets, Spurs, Magic and Wizards.

“I do think I’m a good fit. I think having a big that can create space for LeBron, Shaq and Mo [Williams] can’t hurt,” Frye said. “I feel like all the teams have a great opportunity for me to play and for me to contribute, especially [in Cleveland] — to be a part of history.”

According to a report, the Cavaliers and free agent forward Linas Kleiza have mutual interest in one another.

Kleiza is a restricted free agent with the Nuggets.

Agent Bill Duffy said Monday that the two sides are expected to continue to have dialogue.

The Knicks could look to get a point guard out of a sign-and-trade for forward David Lee.

Lee is a restricted free agent and only the Trail Blazers can afford to sign him outright. However, Portland doesn’t appear willing to give him $10 million to serve as LaMarcus Aldridge’s backup.

The Blazers also believe that the Knicks would match a lower offer.

Portland is interested in a sign-and-trade and has discussed scenarios with agent Mark Bartelstein. The proposed deals have included Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw.

A source with knowledge of the situation claims that the Trail Blazers are interested in free agent forward Lamar Odom.

The source described the situation as “lukewarm” to Ken Berger.

Portland is deciding what they should do with nearly $9 million in cap space. In addition to Odom, options include restricted free agent forward David Lee and point guard Andre Miller.

A source with knowledge of the situation claims that the Trail Blazers are interested in free agent forward Lamar Odom.

The source described the situation as “lukewarm” to Ken Berger.

Portland is deciding what they should do with nearly $9 million in cap space. In addition to Odom, options include restricted free agent forward David Lee and point guard Andre Miller.

In response to an ESPN story, later denied by sources close to LeBron James, that James told free agent Trevor Ariza that he was committed to the Cavs past 2010, Mo Williams revealed that James has been offering similar assurances to his Cavs’ teammates.

Williams wrote, “espn says lebron told ariza that hes here to stay in cleveland past 2010 its about time, hes been telling the team this for the longest!”

Mavericks draft pick Rodrigue Beaubois signed his rookie contract on Tuesday, and will earn around $1.1 million next season.

Beaubois, who has been nicknamed “Roddy”, will learn from the best now that Jason Kidd has agreed to a three-year deal with Dallas.

The Spurs are the front-runner to sign free agent Antonio McDyess, according to a report.

The Spurs, Magic and possibly the Cavaliers have all offered McDyess their full mid-level exception for two years. The Pistons still want to make a competitive offer, but first they’d need to clear more cap space.

Trevor Ariza committed to signing with the Rockets for the mid-level exception, but it was reported that Danny Ferry and Mike Brown met with Ariza in Los Angeles on Sunday in an effort to get him to change his mind and sign with the Cavaliers.

The moratorium on free agent signings is set to be lifted by the NBA on Wednesday.

This has been widely speculated, but now it has been confirmed that Ariza has met with Cleveland after verbally committing to Houston.

Former Cal forward Ryan Anderson carried the Magic to a summer league victory on Tuesday, racking up 33 points and 14 rebounds against the Celtics.

The Magic might lose Marcin Gortat to the Mavericks, and for the moment Anderson is the only legitimate power forward on their roster. They will almost certainly bolster their frontcourt before the regular season, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.

Mike Krzyzewski will stay on as head coach of USA Basketball through the 2012 Olympics in London, according to two sources.

The sources said Krzyzewski is committed to coaching the 2010 World Championships in Turkey and the 2012 London Olympics. Krzyzewski coached USA Basketball to a gold medal to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His same coaching staff, which included the likes of Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, Blazers coach Nate McMillan and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, is expected to return.

Martell Webster will be changing his uniform number from 8 to 23 for the 2009-10 season.

Webster wore No. 23 in high school at Seattle Prep, but was unable to secure the number with the Blazers when he was drafted in 2006 because it was taken by Darius Miles.

The National Basketball Association today announced that the salary cap for the 2009-10 season will be $57.7 million. The tax level for the 2009-10 season has been set at $69.92 million. Any team whose team salary exceeds that figure will pay a $1 tax for each $1 by which it exceeds $69.92 million.

The new salary cap and tax level go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday, July 8, when the league’s "moratorium period" ends and teams can begin signing free agents and making trades.

Tyler Hansbrough has amassed 40 points and nine rebounds in two summer league games thus far.

He’s also hitting three-pointers, despite draining just 12 of them in his career at North Carolina. Hansbrough took about 250 shots a day from 3-point range earlier this year, and hit both of his attempts against the Thunder.

“He can really shoot,” said teammate Roy Hibbert. “People don’t really know that.”

If Hansbrough can consistently knock down threes in the NBA, it will help the Pacers open up the floor, although he’s still expected to be no more than a role player this year.

Free agent Matt Barnes is not expected to return to the Phoenix Suns next season.

Dallas, Cleveland, Orlando and the Lakers have showed some interest in Barnes this summer, while the Suns have not.

“I guess they’re headed in a different direction,” Barnes said.

The Raptors and Andrea Bargnani have reportedly agreed on a five-year, $50 million contract extension beginning in 2010-2011.

He set a career-high in points (15.4), rebounds (5.3), blocks (1.2), minutes (32), field goal percentage (45 percent) and three-point field goal percentage (41 percent) this past year.

Rumors are surfacing on Tuesday night that the Cavaliers and Anderson Varejao are close to agreeing on a five-year contract extension.

The Cavaliers have said all along that they want to retain Varejao, and there hasn’t been much reported interest from other teams. His mobility on both ends of the court could be crucial for the Cavaliers next season, as they adjust to the hulking presence of Shaquille O’Neal.

Allen Iverson said on Tuesday that he feels playing in Miami would be a “great situation”, and mentioned that he’s open to signing a one-year contract.

Dwyane Wade has publicly lobbied the Heat to add another playmaker, but Pat Riley’s financial restraint has limited their activity in the free agent market. Iverson’s desire to play alongside Wade is helpful, but he’s probably have to accept a one-year deal at less than the mid-level exception. He has also expressed interest in the Grizzlies and Bobcats.

Hornets swingman Rasual Butler is working hard this off-season to improve his “playmaking ability off the dribble.”

“The next step for me is to help Chris Paul handle the ball in the backcourt,” Butler said. “Being able to drive to the basket would make me tougher to guard.”

At 30 years old, we don’t expect Butler to re-make his game in one summer, but he averaged a career-best 11.2 points last season while shooting 39 percent from downtown.

I don’t know if that link will work. Hornets links are often problematic.

Unrestricted free agent big man Drew Gooden isn’t drawing much interest around the league, but the Hornets are keeping him on their radar.

Gooden struggled with a recurring groin injury last season and didn’t do much once traded to the Spurs, but it’s a bit surprising their aren’t more teams vying for his services. The Hornets, desperate for some frontcourt help, are also interested in Ike Diogu, Glen Davis, Brandon Bass, Joe Smith, Chris Wilcox and Zaza Pachulia.

Again, it’s a Hornets link, so good luck if you’re interested in opening it.

The Nuggets and free agent Chris “Birdman” Andersen have agreed on a five-year contract that could be worth up to $26 million.

In order to help the Nuggets’ financially, the deal is backloaded and will pay Andersen $3.7 million next season. He ranked second in the NBA with 2.5 blocks per game last season, and his high-energy style makes him productive even in limited minutes off the bench.

The Pistons have officially hired John Kuester as their new head coach, agreeing late on Tuesday to a two-year contract with a team option for a third season.

Kuester will be paid $1.5 million per season, a fraction of former front-runner Avery Johnson’s asking price. The Pistons are expected to officially sign Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva on Wednesday, part of a team-wide overhaul that began with Chauncey Billups’ departure last season.

The Knicks have offered Grant Hill the option of signing a one-year contract worth $5 million, or a three-year contract worth $10 million, according to a report.

Hill is also being pursued by the Suns, Nuggets and Celtics, but New York might have an edge because of his relationship with Mike D’Antoni and his wife’s preference for the big city.

According to an executive whose team is interested in David Lee, Lee’s agent Mark Bartelstein is seeking $12 million per season for his client.

The Knicks have yet to make a formal offer but hope to re-sign the forward to a deal averaging between $7 million and $8 million per season.

“So many people are throwing so much stuff out there, it’s not something I would ever talk about publicly,” Bartelstein said about negotiations.

“It’s a shame David’s not done yet. The Knicks have the ability to get him signed. The other teams don’t, because they don’t know if the Knicks will match or not, or go through a sign-and-trade,” Bartelstein said.

The Knicks may not be interested in being part of a sign-and-trade deal for Lee unless they receive a significant talent back.

Free agent Paul Millsap, who was hoping to get a multi-year deal starting at $10 million this summer, could be forced to sign the Jazz’s one-year qualifying offer in order to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Millsap hasn’t received an offer from another team yet, and the Jazz are expected to match any reasonable offer he might get. He could also re-sign long term with the Jazz, but not for the $10 million per year he was seeking.

Ron Artest will wear No. 37 with the Lakers next season in honor of Michael Jackson, whose Thriller album was at No. 1 on the charts for 37 straight weeks.

Artest has also recorded an R-rated song in honor of the King of Pop with some interesting lyrics, like “I know you’re in heaven, I hope to see you next year.” In actual basketball news, Ken Berger of CBS said that Artest’s deal is actually for five years and $34.3 million, with an early termination option after the fourth year.

Magic general manager Otis Smith is not expected to match the Mavericks’ offer for Marcin Gortat, but will likely take the full seven days allowed to mull it over.

“Sure, sure I will,” Smith said when asked if he would wait the full seven days. “The market will dictate what happens.”

If Gortat does go to the Mavericks as expected, he’ll likely be paid around $34 million over five years.

Tyler Hansbrough and the Pacers have agreed to terms on a rookie contract.

It’s a four-year deal with a team option on the third and fourth years. He’ll make $1.5 million next season and $1.7 million during his second season, according to the report. Hansbrough and center Roy Hibbert have looked great for the Pacers in summer league play thus far.

Free agent center Zaza Pachulia has agreed to terms with the Atlanta Hawks on a long-term deal.

Pachulia’s new deal is expected to be for four years and with a healthy raise.

The Mavericks have signed guard Quinton Ross, a Dallas native.

After four years with the Clippers and one with the Grizzlies, Ross will finally get to be part of a winning program. However, he should not see very many minutes this season.

A potential sign-and-trade between the Raptors and Mavericks involving Shawn Marion appears to have reached a standstill.

The deal is stuck on two points, according to the report.

An Eastern Conference executive said that one of the points is the inclusion of Toronto point guard Marcus Banks in the deal; however, Banks is due $9 million over the next two seasons, which would impact the Mavericks’ ability to pursue stars in next summer’s free agent market.

The other problem is that Toronto doesn’t want to take back any salary in exchange for Marion, who is an unrestricted free agent.

If the Raptors won’t agree to take Jerry Stackhouse, who has a $7 million contract with $2 million in guarantees, then a third team would have to be found to facilitate the deal.

Dwyane Wade still hopes Miami is able to lure Chris Bosh away from the Raptors next summer, but acknowledges signing Hedo Turkoglu will make it tougher.

“I think we are on his radar. But they’ve made moves and showed him they want to build around him. I think that means a lot to him. But I also think Miami would be attractive to him.”

Wade and Bosh share the same agent.

A second source that has spent time with Bosh said that he would love to play for the Heat, but would never say so publicly.

Rasheed Wallace officially signed a two-year contract with the Celtics on Wednesday.

“We are ecstatic to be able to add a player the caliber of Rasheed Wallace to our team,” said Celtics President Danny Ainge. “It is not every day that you can add a four-time All-Star and a player with championship experience.”

It will be interesting to see if the Celtics veterans can keep Wallace’s temper under control, or how he feels about coming off the bench. But if Kevin Garnett can’t control Sheed, no one can.

The New Orleans Hornets appear to have fallen out of the running for the services of power forward Brandon Bass, who formerly played for the Mavericks.

“They said they can’t do anything right now until they make some roster moves,‘’ Bass said. "Teams that want you are making offers right now. If they don’t make an offer right now, you are going to end up getting low-balled."

The Blazers, Pistons, Mavericks and Magic appear to be the front-runners to sign him.

The Mavericks are said to be very close to acquiring Raptors forward Shawn Marion in a sign-and-trade deal for Jerry Stackhouse.

Stackhouse would be dealt to the Raptors, who would then send his contract to another team for considerations. After keeping Jason Kidd, if the Mavericks can pull off this deal, they’re going to be one of the elite teams in the Western Conference again.

The Lakers are still unsure about what free agent forward Lamar Odom plans to do.

Odom wants to re-sign with Los Angeles, and the NBA champions want him back as well, but the two sides appear to be far apart on negotiations.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said he has been in “constant communication” with agent Jeff Schwartz.

“From our point of view, we’re still hopeful we can bring him back on board,” Kupchak said. “We all try to make good basketball decisions. Sometimes you just have to say no and move on, and we’ve done that in the past. I’m hopeful that’s not the case here.”

Odom is believed to be seeking a contract worth roughly $10 million per year.

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed second-round pick Jodie Meeks to a three-year contract.

The 21-year-old Meeks will likely back up the sharpshooting guard Michael Redd, who was also a second-round pick in 2000.

ESPN produced a report on Wednesday that the NBA’s salary cap is expected to be lowered to approximately $50 million next season, which could influence what LeBron James will do this summer.

In simple terms, it means there will be less money available for free agents than expected next summer. James could be leaving substantial money on the table if he doesn’t sign the max extension that the Cavaliers will offer him later this month, which could influence him to make a decision now instead of waiting until next year.

Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford viciously dunked on LeBron James at his skills academy on Monday, but videotape of the incident was taken by a Nike official.

Nike’s response was that there was to be no videotaping of any sort at the event, but it sounds like no one cared until Crawford’s jam in LeBron’s grill.

“I was geeked afterwards about it,” Crawford said. “Everyone was talking about it.”

The Rockets signed Trevor Ariza using the disabled player exception they expect to receive with Yao Ming out with a broken foot, meaning there’s almost no chance Yao will play this season.

The use of the injury exception seems to indicate Yao’s plans for surgery, instead of resting in hopes of letting the foot heal naturally. The Rockets have some serious work to do this summer, as their starting center currently looks like Carl Landry or Luis Scola.

Marcin Gortat signed an offer sheet from Dallas for five years and $34 million.

The Magic have seven days to match the offer, and while they’re expected to take all of that time to make the decision, it would be very surprising if they match it.

The Grizzlies are now involved in a potential trade that would send Shawn Marion to the Mavericks.

The Grizzlies would absorb Jerry Stackhouse’s $7.25 million contract and then buy him out for $2 million before the August 10 deadline in Stackhouse’s contract. The deal is pretty far along, but it doesn’t sound likely to be finalized until Thursday, at the earliest.

The Bulls have signed back up point guard Jannero Pargo to a one-year contract worth approximately $2 million.

He’ll back up Derrick Rose as well as the shooting guard position.

The Kings signed guard Tyreke Evans, the fourth overall pick in last month’s draft, to a contract on Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Evans could start plenty of games for the Kings, but should begin the season coming off the bench.

He should start immediately. They had the worst record in the league last year.

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley wants to meet with Allen Iverson and is considering a one-year, $5 million offer.

Heisley appears to have changed his mind, as the Grizzlies had originally decided to pass on Iverson. We’re not sure what his role would be, as Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo currently make up their starting backcourt, but Mayo could be pushed to the bench if AI is signed. Iverson is also said to still be in discussions with the Heat.

Sending Mayo to the bench would be disastrous. You shouldn’t compromise his development when you’re bringing in the chemistry-killing Allen Iverson.

The Spurs signed power forward Antonio McDyess to a three-year contract on Wednesday.

The deal is said to be for the full mid-level exception to the NBA’s salary cap restrictions, starting at $5.845 million. With the addition of McDyess and Richard Jefferson, in addition to rookies DeJuan Blair and Jack McClinton, the Spurs have suddenly emerged as a top contender again. McDyess is expected to start at power forward over Drew Gooden, sliding Tim Duncan over to center.

The Charlotte Bobcats have signed rookie guard Gerald Henderson, the No. 12 overall pick in the NBA draft, to his rookie scale contract.

He’ll be with the Bobcats for the next two seasons, and they’ll have team options on him the following two seasons. Because the Bobcats are not fielding a summer league team, he’s slated to play with the Timberwolves in Vegas.

Rookie Lester Hudson suffered a broken left index finger in a summer league game on Wednesday and could need surgery.

This is a tough break (literally) for Hudson, who has yet to sign a contract. There’s talk of him needing a pin inserted into his finger, so it’s possible that his NBA career has ended before it even got started. Best-case scenario sounds like we probably won’t see him again until training camp, if at all.

The Cavaliers appear close to re-signing forward Anderson Varejao as mentioned earlier.

CBS’ Ken Berger offers the report, but no details. At this point, it would be very surprising if Varejao weren’t back with the Cavaliers next season, and it looks like he’s the starter at the power forward with Ben Wallace finally gone.

After losing Antonio McDyess to the Spurs, the Pistons are said to be targeting Celtics free agent Glen Davis.

The Celtics can match any offer received by Big Baby, and probably will, within reason.

Another report says that Shawn Marion will soon be traded to the Mavericks for Jerry Stackhouse.

Stackhouse will go to the Raptors, but will then likely be shipped to the Grizzlies, where he’ll be bought out and free to sign with any team. Marion is a huge acquisition for the Mavericks, who will now have a potential starting lineup of Marcin Gortat, Dirk Nowitzki and Marion on the front line, with Josh Howard and Jason Kidd in the backcourt. Reigning Sixth Man of the Year award winner Jason Terry would likely continue to come off the bench.

The deal should be finalized on Thursday or Friday.

Comcast SportsNet’s Gary Tanguay reported late Wednesday that despite the fact the Knicks have upped their offer to Grant Hill, the Celtics are hoping to sign him later tonight.

If the Celtics add Hill to the mix to go along with Rasheed Wallace, they’re going to look pretty good to challenge for the Eastern Conference, as well as the NBA Championship. A starting five of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, with Rasheed Wallace and Hill potentially coming off the bench is quite formidable.

Hill said he wanted to be a starter, but we don’t see how that’s possible in Boston.

The Blazers are said to be preparing an offer to Jazz free agent forward Paul Millsap, a restricted free agent.

The offer is said to be “toxic,” designed to eliminate interest from other teams. Once an offer sheet is signed, the Jazz will have seven days to match it. Given the fact that it’s “toxic,” the Jazz are already well into the luxury tax, and they have Carlos Boozer for another year, they could be in a position to let Millsap walk.

Well, this is interesting. Millsap was not said to have suitors other than little interest from the Thunder. The Jazz have tossed Boozer’s name out there in trade talks, including a deal that could land them Richard Hamilton from the Pistons. That would free up Ben Gordon for a starting gig.

The Cavaliers are said to be in serious discussions with Raptors free agent shooting guard Anthony Parker.

Parker would become the favorite to start at shooting guard for the Cavaliers, and averaged 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for the Raptors last season. He’s also a quality three-point threat and shoots it well from the free throw line. However, you have to think he’ll have trouble scoring as much playing with LeBron.

ESPN is reporting that the Cavaliers have come to an agreement with free agent forward Anderson Varejao on a six-year, $50 million dollar deal.

Varejao may very well be the starting power forward for the Cavs now that Ben Wallace is finally gone. He has limited offensive potential, but could average close to 10 rebounds and flirt with more than a block per game this season.

The Mavericks, Raptors and Grizzlies have agreed to a deal in principle that will send Shawn Marion to Dallas, according to NBA sources.

Sources told ESPN that the trade will also send Jerry Stackhouse to the Grizzlies, with one source close to the process saying that a trade call with the league office to formalize the deal has been planned for Thursday.

The known parameters of the deal call for Marion to receive a five-year contract in the region of $40 million from the Mavericks and land Stackhouse in Memphis, where he will be bought out by the Grizzlies. Dallas will send Memphis $2 million by August 10th to pay for the buyout.

Toronto will receive unspecified draft considerations and/or cash, but the involvement of a fourth team virtually assures that other players from the Mavericks and Grizzlies will be involved.

I find it funny that at the top, it says that three teams agreed to the deal; however, at the bottom, it says that a fourth team will be involved.

Free agent guard Dahntay Jones has agreed to a four-year, $11 million contract with the Indiana Pacers.

Jones is seen as a value pick for the Pacers, even though he averaged just 5.4 points and 2.1 rebounds for the Nuggets last year. He’s a defensive specialist, so should be a nice role player and should help the Pacers.

There is an update on the Chris Cohan situation.

Warriors majority owner Chris Cohan is actively looking to sell the team, with Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison being a potential buyer.

Cohan has yet to reach a deal to sell, but it sounds like Ellison is still a candidate. Cohan is said to be looking to “cash out” and is open to offers, while nothing would probably make Warriors fans happier than him finding a buyer.

More details have come to my attention in that sign-and-trade involving Shawn Marion.

The Mavericks and Raptors recruited the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies to help facilitate the deal.

The Raptors will get Hedo Turkoglu in a sign-and-trade deal with the Magic rather than signing him outright. They also will receive forwards Devean George and Antoine Wright from the Mavericks.

The Raptors will have added four wings since draft night if this is the case. The final details will be nice to have once the deal is completed tomorrow.

To recap the Shawn Marion trade, this is what I know so far:

Toronto Raptors receive:
F/G Hedo Turkoglu
F/G Devean George
G/F Antoine Wright

Dallas Mavericks receive:
F Shawn Marion
F Kris Humphries

Memphis Grizzlies receive:
G Quincy Douby
G/F Jerry Stackhouse

Orlando Magic receive:
An expiring contract

• Draft picks and cash considerations would more than likely be involved one way or another. I wouldn’t be surprised if another name popped out there.

• Shawn Marion is getting a five-year, $39 million deal from the Mavericks.

• The Mavericks are sending $2 million so the Grizzlies can buy out Jerry Stackhouse’s contract before the August 10 deadline.

The fact that Brandon Roy still hasn’t signed an extension with Portland likely signals that negotiations have hit a snag.

Roy wants to sign for the maximum allowed five years, but the Blazers are said to only want to commit to four. A five-year deal would cost the Blazers about $82 million, although it won’t be determined until the 2010-11 salary cap is set. Regardless of how negotiations are coming along, the Blazers are just going to have to suck it up and give Roy what he wants.

Shooting guard Marcus Thornton and point guard Darren Collison signed with the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday.

Thornton, the SEC Player of the Year while at LSU, was taken by the Heat with the 13th pick of the second round before being shipped to New Orleans, while Collison was taken with the 21st overall pick out of UCLA.

Center Kyrylo Fesenko, the Utah Jazz’s 2007 second-round pick, is not with the team in Orlando for summer league play, instead training at home for the Ukrainian National Team.

“It bothers me that he’s not here,” general manager Kevin O’Connor said. “We can’t make him come. I think he can learn from this. I think this will be a great venue for him. But for some reason, he said he wanted to stay there and work out with his own individual trainer. I disagree with what he did.”

Talks have broken down between Andre Miller and the 76ers over the length of a potential contract.

The 76ers are trying to go young and don’t want to commit to Miller for more than a year and $6 million, while the point guard is seeking somewhere around a three-year, $30 million deal. Those numbers obviously aren’t close, but it doesn’t sound like any other teams are serious about throwing that kind of money at a 33-year-old who can’t shoot threes, either.

Toronto is believed to be trying to re-sign swingman Carlos Delfino and big man Rasho Nesterovic.

The Raptors have some flexibility after pulling off a four-team trade to acquire Hedo Turkoglu, and should be far enough under the cap to take a shot at signing both guys, who have played for the Raptors previously in their careers.

Stephon Marbury hasn’t had much luck finding an NBA team to play for, and has been in discussions with three different teams in Europe.

“If I have to give it overseas, I’ll give it overseas,” Marbury said. “I like the Europe option to bring the Starbury (sneaker) brand there and sponsor soccer players.”

Marbury once said that he would love to finish his career in Italy, and it looks like he’s probably going to get that chance.

The Cavaliers have reached an agreement to sign Toronto shooting guard Anthony Parker.

Parker is a solid defender and good outside shooter, and should fit in nicely at shooting guard in Cleveland. However, he won’t need to do much offensively with LeBron James, Mo Williams and Shaquille O’Neal on the court with him.

Spencer Hawes has ticked off Kings management by choosing not to play in summer league, citing a family commitment.

“It’s the middle of the summer, and the invitation was there,” general manager Geoff Petrie said. “The knowledge about it was there. If he doesn’t want to play, he doesn’t want to play.”

Hawes will likely be back in good graces by training camp, but this decision probably didn’t do him any favors with new coach Paul Westphal.

Rasheed Wallace’s contract with the Celtics is for three years and not two as originally reported.

He should make $5.8 million in his first season, although the Celtics have still not decided if he’ll start at center or come off the bench behind Kendrick Perkins. Doc Rivers says that situation will work itself out in training camp, although we see Sheed coming off the bench as of now.

Free agent David Lee has not received a single offer from a team with some cap space, meaning he might be staying with the Knicks at a huge discount.

The Knicks may force Lee to take a one-year qualifying offer of $2.7 million for this season, making him unrestricted next summer. Nate Robinson is also in the same boat, with a $2.9 million qualifier. Unless something drastically changes in the next week, it looks like Lee and Robinson should be back with the Knicks this season.

Hedo Turkoglu, Antoine Wright and Devean George were traded to the Raptors, Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, Nathan Jawai and Greg Buckner were sent to Dallas, and Jerry Stackhouse, along with a Toronto future second-round pick, were sent to the Grizzlies in a complex four-team trade completed on Thursday.

Orlando also gets a trade exception in the deal, which means they didn’t have to give Turkoglu away for nothing in return. Quincy Douby was pulled out of the deal late due to contract issues, with Toronto’s Jawai replacing him. Marion will start for the Mavericks, while Turkoglu, and possibly Wright, should start for the Raptors.

The Chicago Bulls announced the signings of first round picks James Johnson and Taj Gibson on Thursday.

As things stand in Chicago currently, neither forward looks like an attractive fantasy play with Luol Deng, John Salmons, and Tyrus Thomas set to get most of the run. If any of the trade speculation surrounding Thomas pans out, however, Johnson’s value could spike considerably.

The Clippers signed No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin on Thursday.

With the Clippers shipping Zach Randolph to Memphis, any doubt about his playing time should effectively be addressed.

The Knicks signed rookie guard Toney Douglas on Thursday, according to a report.

The Knicks ponied up $3 million for the rights to Douglas, which points to the possibility that Nate Robinson may be on his way out.

In an interview on the Dan Patrick Show, Jason Kidd said that he believed that Grant Hill will sign with the Knicks.

Kidd may have picked up some inside information while the Knicks were courting him, or this may be pure speculation.

Dwyane Wade said that he and Pat Riley are on good terms and that no rift exists between the two.

Wade also said that he is not in agreement with Riley’s stance of waiting until Wade re-signs before making any major roster upgrades.

“Coach Riley opened up the wound when he said, ‘Until Dwyane signs back, we can’t do anything,’” Wade said Thursday. “But me and Pat Riley are not against each other. We both want the same thing. We’re just in two different positions.”

Allen Iverson is someone Wade would like to see signed, and it sounds like he’s deciding between the Grizzlies and Heat, while the Bobcats could also still be a possibility.

CSN’s Gary Tanguay reported that talks between the Celtics and Grant Hill are “still progressing.”

Jason Kidd predicts that Hill will head to the Knicks, but Doc Rivers says that Hill has a better chance of going back to Phoenix, where his kids go to school, than New York, who is offering the most money. However, the chance to win a ring in Boston may trump those other factors, if the Celtics can put together the right deal financially for the free agent.

According to a report, the Rockets are pursuing unrestricted free agent Theo Ratliff.

The Rockets currently have 6-foot-9 forward Luis Scola masquerading as their center, so needless to say they’re very thin in their frontcourt.

According to an ESPN report, there is a three-team trade being discussed that would send Carlos Boozer to Chicago, Kirk Hinrich to Portland and Tyrus Thomas to Utah.

The Jazz are interested in moving Carlos Boozer in order to keep Paul Millsap, and Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard is facing intense pressure to make a move after missing out on Hedo Turkoglu, as well as criticism for his handling of Brandon Roy’s and LaMarcus Aldridge’s extensions. Add the fact that Thomas has been rumored to be on the block, and all of the ingredients are there for a trade.

The Memphis Grizzlies renounced their rights on Thursday to some free agents: Darius Miles, Chris Mihm and Mike Wilks.

This was a move to create more cap room, perhaps to make a run at signing Allen Iverson.

Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said that Brandon (Roy) and LaMarcus (Aldridge) will be for a very long time.

Pritchard has been under fire for not signing the two to extensions immediately, especially in Roy’s case. It’s possible that the Blazers kept their options open to maximize their flexibility in free agency, but this looks more like a press release blunder at this point, and it would be surprising if negotiations didn’t pick up right away.

The Grizzlies will reportedly hold off on completing the trade that landed them power forward Zach Randolph in exchange for Quentin Richardson for about a week.

This is a bi-product of the Grizzlies’ acquisition of Jerry Stackhouse, who is expected to be bought out but will need to pass through a seven-day waiver process. During that time, the Grizzlies do not want to have his both his and Randolph’s salary on the books while they pursue Allen Iverson.

The Utah Jazz and center Mehmet Okur have agreed in principal on a two-year contract extension worth approximately $21 million.

This signing is the next shoe to drop in a Jazz frontcourt that has been unsettled for weeks now, and the next one may be determined by the ability of the Blazers to secure a rumored three-team deal for Kirk Hinrich, who is reportedly higher on their wish list than Paul Millsap. If not, and the Blazers make the “toxic” offer to Millsap that was rumored earlier in the week, Utah doesn’t appear to be willing to match it without shedding Boozer’s salary this year.

Roy Hibbert led all scorers in Orlando’s summer league on Thursday, scoring 28 points and going 7-of-7 from the charity stripe.

Hibbert has looked great in summer league action, and today was no different. He looks like the favorite to start at center for the Pacers, and is positioning himself for a relatively solid breakout campaign.

Though it hasn’t been confirmed, Chris Mullin will likely be joining the front office of the New York Knicks, according to a post from Alan Hahn.

“Keep hearing — unconfirmed, mind you — that Chris Mullin will be joining the Knicks front office soon,” writes Hahn. “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

Mullin was most recently the chief decision maker of the Golden State Warriors, overseeing the draft selections of Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins and trades that brought in Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington.

Many Warrior fans were sad to see Mullin go.

Head coach Byron Scott believes that Julian Wright could have a breakout year, according to a report.

Wright has the athleticism to play at the NBA level, but has lacked the mental makeup required to stay on the floor. Talk is cheap at this time of the year, but the fact that the Hornets lack depth suggests that there are minutes to be had for him if he can cut out the mental mistakes.

A report says that the Pistons are interested in restricted free agent Glen Davis, but have yet to make an offer.

With Kwame Brown and Charlie Villanueva the probable starters down low for the Pistons, it makes sense that they add some bulk. Currently, the Cavaliers, Bobcats and Hornets are also interested in Big Baby, and the Celtics have the right to match any offer, so we have a bit to go before his status gets resolved.

According to a report from Jason Quick, the Blazers have identified restricted free agent Paul Millsap as their top priority in free agency.

This refutes an earlier report that the Blazers prefer Kirk Hinrich over Millsap, and we’ll probably see even more posturing over the next few days. Since the Blazers would conceivably have to offer Millsap in the ballpark of $8 million dollars, which is how much cap room they have left, it still seems fishy that they would spend so much on a backup to LaMarcus Aldridge — but weirder things have happened.

ESPN’s Ric Bucher said that the reported deal that would send Carlos Boozer to the Bulls, Kirk Hinrich to the Blazers and Tyrus Thomas to the Jazz is not going to happen.

Bucher said a person within the Bulls acknowledged the deal had been discussed, but that it “wasn’t happening.” He also mentions that a Blazers, Jazz and Pistons trade has also been discussed. The Jazz are looking for salary relief more than anything, but will probably keep discussing and fielding offers for Boozer.

In addition to the well-publicized “toxic” offer the Blazers are supposedly prepping for free agent Paul Millsap, the team is also targeting Charlotte’s Raymond Felton, Dallas’ Brandon Bass and the Lakers’ Lamar Odom.

The Charlotte Observer is reporting that the fact the Bobcats have yet to re-sign Felton is no big deal, but if the suddenly desperate Blazers come in with a big offer for the point guard, he could easily end up in Portland especially given the fact the Blazers look a lot closer to the playoffs than the Bobcats.

The Knicks (at the time) are still waiting to hear from free agent Grant Hill, but may be prepared to go after disgruntled Sixers point guard Andre Miller if Hill decides to sign with Boston or return to the Suns.

The Knicks aren’t really content with Chris Duhon running the offense again, making Miller look like a good fit. He wants three years, but the Sixers are offering just one, and the Knicks could offer Miller the same three-year, $18 million deal that Jason Kidd turned down

.

Donnie Walsh has ordered Eddy Curry to Vegas, not to play in Knicks summer league games, but so that the team can monitor him and see how he looks in a practice.

“They want to see what he looks like,” Curry’s trainer Jerry Powell said. “They want to see him get up and down with the summer league team and practice.”

This is unheard of for an eight-year veteran, but he weighed over 300 pounds last year and missed all but two games. The Knicks don’t appear to be that interested in Curry, but would like to be able to at least put him on the court this season in hopes of getting a taker in a trade. But even if healthy, given Curry’s remaining two year, $21.7 million contract, that might be a stretch.

Amir Johnson and rookie Brandon Jennings will start for the Bucks summer league team in Vegas.

Johnson was a late addition, but given the fact he’s still developing his game and has to learn Scott Skiles’ system, it makes sense. Rookie Brandon Jennings is also playing, along with Jodie Meeks, Luc Mbah a Moute and Joe Alexander. Given the fact the Bucks lost Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva this summer, Johnson, Mbah a Moute and Alexander need all the work they can get, as at least one, if not two of them, will be starters.

Free agent Channing Frye sounds likely to end up with the Phoenix Suns.

The Nuggets are also a possibility, but the Suns are said to be the front runner for his services. Either way, it sounds like Frye’s days in Portland are over.

Amid conflicting reports, Andrei Kirilenko will not play for Russia in this summer’s Eurobasket tournament.

“He’s definitely not playing,” agent Bruce Fleisher said Thursday. “I just talked to him, and he said, ’I’m not playing.’”

This is great news for the Jazz, as a tired or injured AK-47 would be bad news. The Jazz would like to keep him healthy and trade him, but Kirilenko’s ridiculous salary ($34 million over the next two years) makes that scenario a long shot.

In an effort to clear salary in order to afford a big man like Glen Davis or Brandon Bass, it’s possible the Pistons will move Arron Afflalo and Walter Sharpe.

They wouldn’t miss either player too much, but have some rebounding concerns and definitely need to sign a big man.

Kevin Garnett, who underwent arthroscopic surgery and had bone spurs removed from his right knee on May 26, says he’s ahead of schedule and can’t wait to play again.

“I’m feeling great,” Garnett said. “If (team trainer) Ed Lacerte wasn’t here or if we didn’t have so many people around, I’d take off running right now.”

That’s all well and good, but we’d feel better if Garnett was acutally running and had a return date in mind.

Mark Madsen wrote an open letter to Ricky Rubio, encouraging him to play for the Timberwolves.

“Yesterday I read in the newspaper that there is a chance that (Rubio) still might come over and play for the Timberwolves this season. So yesterday afternoon I sat down and wrote Ricky an open letter,” wrote Madsen on his blog.

Who knows if his letter will help the cause, but it probably can’t hurt.

Bill Bridges opines that the Lakers picked up Ron Artest to defend LeBron James.

LeBron has shot 44 percent from the field, 23 percent from beyond the arc and had an eye-catching 5.1 turnovers per game against Artest. Artest is also 7-3 against LeBron’s Cavs, which came mostly when he was with losing teams in Sacramento and Chicago, so there may be something to Bridges’ hypothesis.

Grant Hill has decided to re-sign with the Phoenix Suns, according to a report.

Hill made the decision in part because he felt comfortable that the Suns would be able to sign Steve Nash, and that he is comfortable with the direction of the team.

Steve Nash is close to reaching an agreement on a contract extension with the Phoenix Suns, which is said to be a three-year deal worth about $33 million.

Nash had been rumored to be interested in playing in New York, but the Grant Hill signing reportedly occurred because Nash would be agreeing to an extension with the Suns.

Free agent forward Channing Frye will reportedly sign a two-year deal with the Phoenix Suns.

The deal will be worth $3.8 million over two years, with the second year coming at Frye’s option. The Suns are rather limited in their frontcourt at this time and he will be competing against Louis Amundson for playing time.

Free agent forward Brandon Bass has reached an agreement in principle on a four-year deal with the Orlando Magic.

With Marcin Gortat all but gone, and Tony Battie traded away to New Jersey, the Magic were desperate to add a big man to their roster. Mission accomplished, and it’s possible that we’ll see a starting lineup on opening night of Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter in the backcourt, with a front line of Rashard Lewis, Bass and Dwight Howard. Mickael Pietrus is also a candidate to start when they go small, while Ryan Anderson should also provide some outside shooting as well.

Blazers rookie point guard Patty Mills fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during Thursday’s NBA summer league practice session.

X-rays taken Thursday confirmed the injury and Mills will see a specialist on Friday, at which time a timetable for his recovery will be determined. Mills fell in the draft further than many thought he would.

According to a report, Arron Afflalo might be heading to the Denver Nuggets, as the Pistons are trying to clear cap space.

The move makes sense with Dahntay Jones now in Indy and Linas Kleiza likely on the move. Afflalo is a combo guard that can also play at small forward. Watch for the Pistons to try to include forward Walter Sharpe in the deal, as well.

On the Dan Patrick Show, Shaquille O’Neal said that the only transaction that has shocked him this summer has been the trade that sent Courtney Lee to the Nets.

“The only move that really, really shocked me was when Orlando got rid of Courtney Lee,” said Shaq. “They’ve done in an excellent job building that team but Courtney Lee, that’s a star brother. Star, star, star.”

That’s high praise from the “Big Quotable”, but the one that ultimately needs impressing is coach Lawrence Frank.

Suns general manager Robert Sarver clarified that the extension for Steve Nash, if agreed to, would be a two-year deal and not a three-year deal as reported earlier Friday.

Under this deal, Nash would earn about $11 million per season. Sarver said that talks are “progressing,” and given that Grant Hill chose Phoenix because Nash would be there, we don’t see either party changing course.

Magic general manager Otis Smith played coy when discussing the future of Marcin Gortat, who signed an offer sheet with the Mavericks on Wednesday, which the Magic are not expected to match.

Smith said Brandon Bass’ signing on Friday didn’t necessarily mean that Gortat’s offer would not be matched, and that he was “still working on a few things.” It would be very surprising to see Gortat in a Magic uniform next year, but it sounds like Smith may be trying to concoct a transaction involving Gortat while he has time.

ESPN’s Mark Stein and Chad Ford are reporting that the potential trade they reported Thursday (Carlos Boozer to Chicago, Kirk Hinrich to Portland, Tyrus Thomas to Utah), a report that was disputed by Bulls writer Sam Smith, is still alive and that Jerryd Bayless’ name has been added to the discussions.

Whether or not this deal has actually been discussed by the teams is a controversial topic among league insiders, and the only additional news presented in this report is that the Bulls would want point guard Jerryd Bayless thrown in the deal.

C.J. Watson did not play in Friday’s summer league game in Las Vegas due to a sprained left ankle.

He could return Saturday, but Monday looks more likely as the Warriors won’t take any chances. Watson faces a logjam in the Warriors’ backcourt this season.

Grant Hill’s agent, Lon Babby, said that Hill expressed interest in whether or not Amar’e Stoudemire would stay with the Suns when he decided to re-sign with the club on Friday.

“I think the expectation is (Stoudemire) would be there next year,” Babby said. “There was no reason to think he wouldn’t be there next year.”

Who knows what promises were made to Hill, and which ones will be able to be kept, but signs are pointing to Amar’e staying with the Suns, at least for now.

The Minnesota Timberwolves announced Friday that they have signed first round picks Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington.

Both are expected to contribute right away and with Flynn, the more Rubio separates himself from the team, he could really do some things.

The Memphis Grizzlies bought out Jerry Stackhouse’s contract as expected on Friday, just one day after acquiring him from the Mavericks in a four-team trade.

It’s unclear whether or not he will seek to play for another team.

The Phoenix Suns signed first round draft pick Earl Clark to a four-year contract on Friday.

Clark’s role in the frontcourt gets bleaker by the day, as Grant Hill and Channing Frye have signed, and Amare Stoudemire has not left town. With that said, Clark will get every opportunity to earn playing time and did show impressive athleticism in pre-draft workouts.

Amare Stoudemire said Friday that he is going to have more surgery on his eye.

“Fans your hearing it first from me Amar’e. I’m having surgery to finish repairing my eye.”

Unfortuantely, that’s all the news available right now, and we’ll just have to hope that he’s not going to miss much time. It’s also important to remember that Stoudemire has posted “breaking news” via Twitter before, which were basically false jokes about being traded.

The Spurs have been proactive this summer, and along with an improved roster will come a sizable luxury tax bill.

San Antonio is expected to sign Antonio McDyess to a three-year, $15 million deal soon, and they traded for Richard Jefferson, who has $29.2 million left on his contract.

The moves have pushed the Spurs past the NBA’s luxury tax line, and owner Peter Holt could be forced to pay a tax bill of around $15 million. That would be in addition to a payroll that is approaching $80 million.

“The ownership group really allowed us to add some exciting pieces, and to be aggressive in putting together a team we hope will be in position to play late in the season,” general manager R.C. Buford said. “It’s really a credit to the ownership, the commitment they made not only to our team, but to San Antonio.”

Denver Nuggets restricted free agent forward Linas Kleiza has had no shortage of teams show interest in his services.

Denver can match any offer Kleiza receives, however, which might be scaring some clubs off.

ESPN’s Chris Broussard is reporting that the semi-controversial three-team deal is dead. It would have been sending Carlos Boozer and Jerryd Bayless to the Bulls, Kirk Hinrich to the Blazers, and Tyrus Thomas to the Jazz.

Broussard quoted Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard as saying that it’s “not going to happen,” despite his team’s strong desire to acquire Kirk Hinrich. Much was made of whether or not the trade discussions were real, but the easy takeaway from this is that the Blazers will likely shift their focus to free agents Paul Millsap, Lamar Odom and Andre Miller.

The Portland Trailblazers offered Paul Millsap the much-publicized “toxic” deal that was reported on heavily over the past week, including $32-36 million over four years.

The Jazz will have seven days to match the offer beginning on Saturday, with the “toxic” portion being a hefty signing bonus that will be difficult for the Jazz to match without trading Carlos Boozer’s contract. This is the first move in what will likely set off a chain reaction of events, and if Utah is planning to use Boozer in trade negotiations, they can thank the Blazers for starting the clock.

In regards to getting a contract extension with the Portland Trailblazers, Brandon Roy told a Seattle radio station that “for (him), it’s about 50/50.”

Roy also said that he would like to take a part in the Blazers’ recruitment efforts, adding “right now, I’m not playing much of any role. It’s kinda hard for me to go out and recruit Hedo Turkoglu for five years when I only got one left on my deal.”

Whether or not he meant to strike at general manager Kevin Pritchard’s credibility, Roy’s comments likely just put him on the hot seat. Since the general consensus is that Roy should have been extended already, these comments will point to the fact that Pritchard could (and should) have had Roy’s help in recruiting Turkoglu. Either way, it’s still hard to imagine Roy not getting an extension, but all is not well in Portland.

Restricted free agent Marcin Gortat said Friday that “(he has) a feeling that the Magic are going to match it”, in regards to the offer made to him Wednesday by the Mavericks.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that he also said, “doesn’t look like they’re going to pay all this money for a backup guy who plays only 10 minutes a game. Just gotta get ready for probably trip to Dallas,” but that contradiction isn’t being reported by some outlets. Either way, the possibility exists that the Magic may try to deal Gortat to any number of teams hungry for a center, and they have just under a week to figure it out.

Heat owner Micky Arison and team president Pat Riley have not yet scheduled a meeting with Dwayne Wade, who becomes eligible for a contract extension on Sunday.

The report places significance on the parties not having a meeting in place, but that fact probably isn’t hindering talks, for now. It’s possible the Heat are evaluating the free agent market, and are buying time before committing to meeting with Wade, who has expressed a difference in opinion with Riley on free agent acquisitions.

Team president Robert Rowell said “the Warriors are not for sale,” in response to a report earlier in the week that owner Chris Cohan had negotiations with Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison and was seeking other suitors, as well.

After barking, “I do not know how I can be any clearer than that,” Rowell followed up with this gem: “Anything could or could not happen in the next two years.”

So apparently the team is not for sale, or so Rowell says, but dysfunction is still at an all-time high in Golden State.

Have you been watching summer league games?

The Magic officially signed free agent forward Brandon Bass to what is said to be a four-year, $18 million contract on Friday.

“He’s a guy who can score,” Stan Van Gundy said. “He can make a 17-foot jumper. He can score in the low post. He can put it on the floor and take you to the basket, and he’s rebounded the ball well.”

It remains to be seen if Bass is good enough to start at power forward for the Magic, but Van Gundy said that “it certainly could happen.”

Lakers guard Jordan Farmar has played very well in his first World Series of Poker, staying alive through three days and beating about 4,000 other players.

His chip count is getting low and he’ll likely be eliminated before too much longer, but not a bad showing for a guy who has never played competitively before.

A source close to the situation said that Chris Duhon’s agent, Kevin Bradbury, “is exploring the possibility” of the 76ers signing and trading Andre Miller to the Knicks in return for Duhon.

The 76ers reportedly want more than just Duhon.

The mid-level exception is all the Knicks could offer Miller in a straight signing, but in a sign-and-trade, the team could pay Miller a bit over $7.6 million in the first contract season because of the 125 percent plus $100,000 rule governing trades. Duhon makes a little more than $6 million next season, his final contract year.

Donnie Walsh said negotiations with David Lee’s agent have not moved forward because his contract demands were too high.

“We don’t really stand anywhere,” Walsh said, “because in the case of David, he wants a large number and I really couldn’t do that.”

No formal has been made to Lee by the Knicks “because it wouldn’t do any good,” said Walsh. “I’ll start over again and see if we can get to a reasonable number.”

After losing out on Jason Kidd and Grant Hill, Walsh will explore the team’s next options.

“Now we’re going to sit down and discuss which way to go,” Walsh said. “And I have some thoughts.”

John Salmons’ nagging groin injury continues to improve, and the Bulls guard will be ready for training camp.

“He’s feeling better,” said coach Vinny Del Negro. “He’s met with some doctors. It hasn’t been bothering him. He’s been working out a lot.”

Salmons is slated to start at shooting guard for the Bulls next season.

Shooting guard Anthony Parker is expected to officially sign his two-year, $6 million contract with the Cavaliers on Sunday or Monday.

Parker’s three-point shooting will create more space for LeBron and Shaq to operate, and his size and defensive abilities should be a perfect complement on the wings. The biggest loser in this deal is Delonte West, whose minutes will likely plummet with Parker in town.

Carmelo Anthony says he would consider any contract extension the Nuggets present this summer.

“I want to stay here long term,’’ Anthony said.

He can’t become a free agent until 2011, however, and the Nuggets aren’t expected to make him an extension offer until next summer.

The Bulls are hoping that veteran point guard Lindsey Hunter will opt to return for another season.

“We’re talking right now,” Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro said. “I love Lindsey’s leadership. He’s a positive influence in the locker room. With the number of young guys we have, that’s important to have.”

Hunter, 38, is an unrestricted free agent.

Knicks power forward Jordan Hill signed his first NBA contract on Saturday.

Hill, the No. 8 overall pick this year, is scheduled to make about $4.3 million during his first two years in the NBA. He will play on New York’s summer league team.

ESPN reports that the Jazz have informed Carlos Boozer he is not part of the team’s long-term plans.

This isn’t exactly surprising. Utah is clearly trying to trade Boozer, with his blessing, but the lack of teams with cap space is complicating matters. Teams interested in acquiring Boozer (and his expiring $12.7 million deal) include the Bulls, Knicks, Heat and Pistons.

LINK

It took just five summer games for Anderson to make Orlando look like his personal Magic Kingdom. He finished with 33 points — one shy of Travis Diener’s league-record — and 14 rebounds Tuesday against
Boston.

He followed with five 3-pointers and 26 points against Utah. At times, Anderson was the second-best player in Orlando after Russell Westbrook and showed just how much he could thrive playing behind
Rashard Lewis with the Magic.

“How many guys in the league, when the ball leaves their hands, do you feel like, ’It’s in’?" Jazz assistant Scott Layden asked. "All of a sudden the basket looks like a hula hoop.

“He’s one of those guys, really. It leaves his hands and you say, ’It’s in,’ right? He’s that way. And what a team to play for. Wow. Think about that. You get looks on Orlando."

Shaun Livingston will play for Oklahoma City in the Las Vegas summer league, but to protect his knee he won’t play in back-to-back games.

Livingston is wearing a less bulky brace these days, and estimates that he is “90 to 95 percent recovered, with his endurance and explosiveness the last things to return.” The Thunder have been using him as a shooting guard or small forward in summer league, and his versatility should ensure his some minutes next season.

Jason Kidd’s three-year contract with the Mavericks is now official.

The deal, which was first reported nearly a week ago, is expected to pay Kidd at least $25 million.

How would Paul Millsap feel if the offer sheet he signed with Portland was matched by Utah, who undervalued him?

“The fact that Portland came out and went after Paul so greatly showed how much they want Paul,” said Ara Vartanian, one of the forward’s representatives.

The Jazz have said all along that they want to retain Millsap, but they failed to lock him up before Portland’s offer.

“It’s definitely a situation where he’s getting what he should. It’s a fair deal. The Jazz had a chance to not let this happen, but unfortunately they didn’t value Paul as much as other teams,” Vartanian added.

Utah has until next Friday to make a decision on whether to match the four-year, $32 million offer sheet Millsap signed with the Trail Blazers.

“If Utah matches, there’s nothing we can do,” Vartanian said. “Paul will play hard and do what he has to do. But if we had that offer from the Jazz, it never would have come to this.”

The Magic signed free agent power forward Brandon Bass on Friday, a move that could allow Rashard Lewis to further excel.

It’s conceivable that Orlando could play Bass at power forward while shifting Lewis to small forward at times.

Small forward is the latter’s natural position.

“He gives us size,” Magic general manager Otis Smith said of Bass. "He gives us a physical presence, somebody who could defend the bigger forwards at times, and it allows Rashard to take a step on the other side and play some ‘3.’

“Until we fill out our roster, we still have some more work to do. But I think we have the potential to be a better team than we were, particularly on the front line. As you get into postseason, your front line needs to be strong.”

Daryl Morey said the Rockets are likely to acquire a replacement for the injured Yao Ming via trade.

“I think we’re probably going to have to trade for a center,” Morey said after watching his summer league team in Las Vegas. “That will probably be the plan at this point. There are a few free agents that might be later fill-ins, but I think most likely we’ll address some of our needs through trades.”

Morey said the team is not yet ready to make an announcement on Yao Ming’s injury status.

“We’re going to make a joint release with Yao’s advisors when we decide on a course of treatment,” Morey said. “Before that we’re going to stay quiet on it because we don’t really know until that decision is made what will happen.”

Brian Windhorst writes that the Cavaliers are zeroing in on signing Matt Barnes.

He reports that the team is looking to add a combo forward which could mean signing Linas Kleiza or bringing back Wally Szczerbiak.

Patrick Ewing, Jr. will not play for the Knicks during summer league because of a “medical issue,” probably the knee injury that ended his D-League season.

Ewing could still get an invitation to training camp, but he’s a long shot to make the Knicks’ regular season roster.

Danilo Gallinari (back) went through an individual workout on Saturday and expects to be 100 percent healthy for training camp.

Gallinari has been running for almost two weeks without any setbacks, but it’s hard not to be skeptical about his health after his rookie campaign was derailed by chronic back pain.

Austin Daye led the Pistons to a summer league victory on Saturday, finishing with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, eight rebounds, two assists and one turnover.

Daye shot 2-of-4 from downtown, making up for a lackluster Las Vegas debut on Friday, when he scored just eight points on 3-of-9 shooting. Still, Daye needs to add muscle to deal with the rigors of the NBA.

A report says that the Raptors have signed restricted free agent Jarrett Jack to an offer sheet. The value of the contract is unknown, but it will be four years long.

The Pacers would be able to match any offer for Jack and have expressed a desire to retain him. Toronto’s interest in Jack is understandable since he’s a big upgrade over backup point guard Roko Ukic and is also capable of filling in at shooting guard.

The Knicks are “receptive” to the idea of a sign-and-trade that would send Chris Duhon to the 76ers in exchange for Andre Miller, according to a report.

The 76ers are apparently willing to let Lou Williams and Jrue Holiday take over at point guard, though adding Duhon for one year probably couldn’t hurt. The Blazers, whose cap space is tied up in an offer sheet for Paul Millsap, aren’t likely to make a bid for Miller.

I have more numbers regarding Paul Millsap. The offer sheet that Paul Millsap signed with Portland would pay him about $32 million over four years — including $6.2 million next season, plus a $5.6 million signing bonus.

One interesting twist is that $10.3 million must be paid within seven days of the contract’s approval by the NBA, another element that seems designed to goad the Jazz (should they match the offer) to trade Carlos Boozer quickly. Jazz general manager Kevin O’Conner suggested on Saturday that the team is still considering all of their options.

Lakers assistant general manager Ronnie Lester said on Saturday that Sun Yue might be the “odd-man out” of the regular season roster.

Yue has skipped summer league for two consecutive years, opting to play overseas, which doesn’t sit well with the Lakers. Los Angeles wants a maximum of 13 players heading into the season, and Yue is not a significant role player anyway.

The Thunder signed guard James Harden on Saturday, the No. 3 pick in the 2009 draft.

Harden averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists with Arizona State last season as a sophomore, and will be asked to contribute immediately — probably as an opening night starter — for the incredibly young Oklahoma City team.

Thunder rookie B.J. Mullens signed his first NBA contract on Saturday, though terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Mullens was acquired from the Mavericks in a draft-night trade, as Oklahoma City looks to solidify their frontcourt. He probably won’t do much as a rookie, despite Oklahoma City’s void at center. He’s inexperienced and very raw on both ends of the court.

Lakers assistant general manager Ronnie Lester said on Saturday that Los Angeles is offering Lamar Odom “a little north of $8 million” per season, and he expects a deal early next week.

Odom’s camp is looking for $10 million but will probably settle for a bit less given the inhospitable free agent market. It’s still puzzling why the Blazers, who were in the market for a play-making small forward, haven’t made a serious push for Odom.

Dwyane Wade is not expected to sign a contract extension this summer.

“I just want to look into all of my options,” Wade said. “You only get so many years to be at the top of your game. … I want us to do all we can to give ourselves a chance to go and win [another championship].”

Wade has two more seasons on his contract, but is likely to opt out in the summer of 2010. If he does, the Heat will be able to offer him a six-year, $120 million contract — one year and about $30 million more than any other team.