From the “things that are not breaking news” department, Dwight Howard still wants out of Orlando. We’ve got news on his potential landing spots, plus all the latest news from everywhere in the NBA.
Be sure to also check out Jan Hubbard’s column on the USA Olympic basketball squad, Chris Sheridan’s report on the two Olympic qualifying games today, and as always, keep an eye on our team-by-team index of offseason moves.
Here’s what’s going on around the NBA:
- Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports that the Dwight Howard to the Nets talks are heating up. The talks had previously stalled because the Magic had no interest in taking on forward Kris Humphries, but as Berger tweets, “Nets “making progress” on finding a third team to take Kris Humphries in a scenario that would send Dwight Howard to Brooklyn, source says.” The team involved is strongly rumored to be Cleveland. Berger also writes, in a full piece, that “In the most likely Nets-Magic trade scenario, one of the first-round picks would come from a third team. The Nets have their own first-round picks to offer in alternate years under league rules, but if they added Howard to Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, those picks almost certainly would be in the bottom third of the draft for the foreseeable future.” Any deal for Howard would likely include Nets center Brook Lopez in addition to draft picks.
- Some more Dwight talk, this time regarding the Lakers, from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports via Twitter: “[Andrew] Bynum has shown no inclination to agree to an immediate extension if sent to Orlando as part of a Dwight Howard package, sources tell Y!,” “If Magic and Lakers want to do a deal, each may need to call the bluff on Howard and Bynum stated unwillingness to accept extensions,” “The Lakers are far more confident Howard would have reasons to re-sign with them, than Magic have that Bynum would in a rebuild in Orlando.”
- Marc Stein of ESPN.com: “Sources with knowledge of the talks told ESPN.com on Sunday that the Hornets and Orlando Magic reached agreement on a sign-and-trade deal that will send Magic forward Ryan Anderson to New Orleans to play alongside prized rookie Anthony Davis. The Magic will receive young Hornets center Gustavo Ayon in the deal. The Hornets were in talks to sign Anderson, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet, but sources say that trade talks with the Magic have progressed quickly once Orlando officials decided they would not want to match an offer to Anderson. NBA.com is reporting that Anderson will sign a four-year deal worth between $34-36 million.” Quite a bit of money for a Most Improved Player who didn’t improve all that much — if at all.
- Also from Stein, the Celtics are interested in Courtney Lee: “The Boston Celtics have emerged as a serious suitor for Courtney Lee after coach Doc Rivers met with the free-agent guard Saturday night, according to sources familiar with Boston’s thinking. Sources told ESPN.com that the Celtics, in the wake of losing sharpshooter Ray Allen to the Miami Heat, have ratcheted up their pursuit of Lee as a possible replacement.” Stein adds that while Boston doesn’t really have the cap space to add Lee, the Rockets are willing to engage in sign-and-trade talks.
- Here’s a report on former NBA All-Star Andrei Kirilenko from EuroHoops.net: “Kirilenko, the marquee superstar of last season’s Euroleague, according to sources from Moscow has already decided to stay at least one more year at CSKA. Kirilenko can use the NBA opt out clause in his three-year contract until the 12th of July, but he seems to have already made up his mind. He wants to stay at Moscow and win the Euroleague title – he missed it by just one point in the thrilling final against Olympiacos – he likes the competition spirit in the old continent, where every game is a must win situation for him, and of course he enjoyed his stay with his family in his home country.”
- Add the Clippers to teams interested in Rockets free agent C Marcus Camby, a source said. Nets to set up meeting. NY & MIA still interested.
@SpearsNBAYahooMarc J. Spears - Another reaction to Ray Allen joining the Heat, this time from Doc Rivers, courtesy of Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe: “I’m just disappointed, he should have stayed,” Rivers said before the Celtics’ summer league entry began practice at Rollins College. “We recruited him just as hard [as Miami]. We talked [after he agreed to a three-year contract with the Heat]. It was a good talk. When a guy makes his mind up, I am not going to try to change it. I respect him for all he did for us, but I thought he should have stayed with us.”
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports that Kirk Hinrich will be returning to the Bulls: “Hinrich, who spent his first seven seasons with the Bulls, is expected to sign a two-year deal worth just over $6 million, one source said, though details were still being finalized.”
- Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype via Sulia: “Free agent forward Ersan Ilyasova is close to an agreement on a five-year, $45 million contract to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks, agent Tolga Tugsavul tells HoopsHype. The deal is almost finalized and will likely be signed this coming week, Tugsavul said.”
- Source: Mavs, Sessions likely to resume talks Monday. Sessions could be flexible in years if he likes deal. Wants to start...Link coming.
@ESPN_CaplanJeff Caplan - From the Celtics Insider blog at the Boston Herald: “Celtics guard Avery Bradley will undergo surgery on his right shoulder on Tuesday at New England Baptist Hospital, according to assistant general manager Austin Ainge, and will miss the team’s training camp as a result. The surgery, designed to tighten up the ligaments in the shoulder, will be performed by Celtics team physician Brian McKeon. Ainge acknowledged that the additional surgery — Bradley also had left shoulder surgery in May — will not only force the blossoming shooting guard to miss the team’s camp, but will likely keep him sidelined for the first part of the season.”
- Some context on Chris Paul turning down a three-year, $60 million extension with the Clippers, from Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com: “Yes, Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul passed on a chance to sign a three-year, $60 million extension with the club this summer. But no, you shouldn’t read too much into that. Paul passed, he said, because he can sign a five-year, $108 million extension next summer. He hasn’t decided whether to do so, but don’t read into that, either. I’ll wait until next summer to decide everything,’ Paul told ESPNLosAngeles.com on Saturday after officially being named to the United States Olympic team. ‘It’s funny, ESPN doesn’t put at the bottom of the ticker, like why you don’t do the three-year. But I opted in for this year or I would’ve had the opportunity to do that again this summer.’ Paul was referring to a decision he made to amend a provision in his previous contract that would’ve given him the opportunity to opt-out after this season.”
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Dan Malone just completed his sophomore year at University of Kings College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is spending the summer in Baltimore, where he covers the Single-A minor-league baseball team the Aberdeen IronBirds for OriolesHangout.com. He will be blogging on weekends for SheridanHoops this summer.