Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

It’s the end of August and things have settled down somewhat in the NBA. There aren’t a lot of free agents left out there looking for teams and we have a good idea of what kind of roster everyone will have for the start of next season.

The summer began pretty quietly with the NBA Draft, were there wasn’t quite as many trades as usual. Then the biggest news came with restricted free agents until Dwight Howard was eventually traded.

Here is a look at some of the best and worst from this offseason.

Best

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers clearly lead the way as having the best offseason of anyone this summer. They started it off by trading for Steve Nash, shocking just about everyone as Nash decided to join his past rivals in chase of a ring. The Lakers immediately became a much stronger team after this trade as their point guard play has been very weak in the past few seasons.

Then the Lakers landed Howard in what was inevitable and surprising all at the same time. All-Star centers have a knack for finding their way to L.A. and the trade wasn’t completely out of the blue. But the Lakers really didn’t give up much at all to get Howard, just Andrew Bynum and Christian Eyenga.

The Lakers immediately became title contenders after the Howard trade. They kept Pau Gasol and now have a starting five considered possibly the best in the league. No one is going to hand the title over to them but there isn’t another team that improved as much as they did.

Brooklyn Nets

With the move to Brooklyn on the horizon for 2012-13, the Nets wanted to make sure they had a quality product on the floor to give their new city. The biggest move they made was locking up Deron Williams for the next five years.

The Nets were then very much in the hunt for Howard who even came out and said Brooklyn was the only place he wanted to play next year. A deal could not be found with the Magic and Brooklyn decided to go a different direction. They traded for Joe Johnson then re-signed Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries to hefty contracts.

The Nets are spending a lot of money for the team they have right now but the money isn’t a huge issue to their owner. The one problem is that they are pretty locked in to the core they have now and if it doesn’t work out, they will be in some trouble.

The acquisition of Johnson and locking up of Williams were great though. The Nets have a very good chance of contending in a weak Eastern Conference right now with the roster they have. Wherever Howard landed was going to make that team have the best offseason in the league but despite the Nets missing put on him, they did a pretty good job.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics were supposed to be on the way out, old and unable to compete for a title anymore. The moves they made this summer will extend that window a little longer. The Big 3 era is over now as Ray Allen signed with the Miami Heat this summer but that era was really already over anyway.

The Celtics started things off re-signing Kevin Garnett for a good price. They also drafted well addressing a need in their lack of size. They picked Jared Sullinger who slipped very late in the draft and has the potential to be one of the most talented players from this draft class. Then they picked a 7-foot center in Fab Melo.

Jason Terry decided to sign with the Celtics a little later, essentially replacing Allen’s role. The sneakiest move for Boston was a sign-and-trade to acquire shooting guard Courtney Lee who seems just what this team needs. Lee is a good outside shooter and solid wing defender that should mesh well with this roster.

The Celtics may still be a far way off from the Miami Heat but their roster looks better than it did last year despite the expectation that they were still on the decline.

Worst

Orlando Magic

The Magic were put in a no-win situation this year. Their franchise player wanted out and quit on the team. The Magic knew they couldn’t replace him and were going to take a significant step back next season. So they decided to stay strong and hold out for the best possible deal despite all the drama that was going on.

Then they traded Howard and the deal they ended up getting seemed pretty terrible. They weren’t able to get Bynum or Gasol from the Lakers in the deal, although they may not have really wanted either, and instead ended up with Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic and Moe Harkless. They also received four protected first-round picks which won’t be very valuable either.

The plan was to completely start over with new GM Rob Hennigan who wants to imitate the Thunder model. They are definitely doing that but good luck drafting your version of Durant-Westbrook-Harden-Ibaka in the next three drafts.

The Magic come away post-Howard looking closer to the Bobcats than a team that is young with a promising future. It never ends well when your star player wants out but how could it have gone worse for Orlando?

Houston Rockets

The Rockets made some of the most noise this summer as they tried to go all-in on acquiring Dwight Howard. That obviously didn’t work out and their consolation prize was restricted free agents Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, not horrible but nothing even close to Howard.

While the Rockets were stockpiling assets to throw Orlando’s way, it started to look like they had the best package to woo the Magic. Later the rumored deals Houston was willing to trade to Orlando proved to be false and they weren’t offering quite that much for Howard.

The Rockets are parting ways with Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic, Marcus Camby and Chase Budinger from last year’s team while replacing those guys with not much. They do have three first-round draft picks that could be cool and Donatas Montiejunas is coming over next season.

The Rockets have a very good chance to have the worst record in the conference next season. Sometimes you have to get worse before you can get good and that seems to be Houston’s mindset right now.

New York Knicks

There wasn’t a lot the Knicks could do heading into this offseason but what ended up happening was embarrassingly bad. The worst thing was when they decided not to match Houston’s offer sheet for Lin. They are avoiding some harsh luxury tax penalties by parting ways with Lin, but letting him walk for nothing is truly unforgiveable.

The Knicks are replacing Lin with Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton. No one can get excited for that.

The Knicks were in the running for Nash too before the Lakers swooped in and got him. Not only did the Knicks lose Nash but Landry Fields as well, who signed a big offer sheet with Toronto that New York chose not to match.

When the Knicks acquired Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, they were supposed to start competing for NBA championships. It still feels like they are very far away from this and it’s hard to see how they can change that too.

Where the Thunder fit in

The Thunder had a quiet offseason for the most part and that’s how they like it. They weren’t the best or worst, and closer to one of the best if anything. In the draft, picking Perry Jones who fell so far to them is a great pick. He has nothing but potential and if he doesn’t work out, no big deal either.

The Thunder then made some headlines a few days ago locking up Serge Ibaka for the next four years. James Harden is next on the list and those close to the team really feel like that will happen soon.

The Thunder will improve next year simply from experience and are still the favorites in the Western Conference. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Mike Segar/Pool Photo via US PRESSWIRE

Serge Ibaka and the Oklahoma City Thunder have reached an agreement on a 4-year, $48 million contract extension, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Ibaka is just 22 years old and is entering his fourth season in the NBA next season and along with James Harden became eligible to sign an extension with the Thunder this summer.

Ibaka averaged 9.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game last year for the Thunder and finished second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year.

If Ibaka did not sign an extension with the Thunder, he would have become a restricted free agent next summer and could have signed offer sheets with another team while the Thunder would have had the opportunity to match any offer.

The Thunder are getting Ibaka for a decent price. JaVale McGee signed a 4-year, $44 million contract earlier this summer and Roy Hibbert signed a max-deal for four years, $58 million.

Ibaka could have easily seen a little more money if he became a restricted free agent next summer and the Thunder did not want to see that happen.

This is very good news for Thunder camp and makes it seem like Harden will be next to sign an extension soon. Harden seemed the No. 1 priority for the Thunder to get an extension while Ibaka would maybe be the one who the Thunder let go of.

If the Thunder do extend Harden as well, they will almost certainly enter the luxury tax in a year or two, something they’ve never done and would like to avoid especially being in a small market.

The luxury tax penalties become harsher when you cross the tax line for multiple seasons in a row. Even with the Thunder extending Ibaka and Harden, they would be able to get back under the tax line by trading one of them down the line which now seems the most likely scenario for the Thunder to eventually part ways with one of them.

Another way the Thunder could avoid the luxury tax in the near future is amnestying Kendrick Perkins after next season. Perkins will make $7.8 million next season and then is owed $8.5 million in 2013-14 and $9.1 million in 2014-15.

Amnestying Perkins always seemed like the easy way to save some money but now with Dwight Howard being traded to the Lakers, the Thunder may prefer not to part ways with Perkins, who has always been very good at defending Howard.

Thunder GM Sam Presti and the rest of the Thunder organization continue to show that they are committed to this team and the current roster they have. Extending Ibaka is huge just like extending head coach Scott Brooks was earlier this summer.

The next step now is Harden. It will get done and hopefully before the season.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off the biggest move of the summer last week when they traded for Dwight Howard. It is a move that will shake up the landscape of the NBA, as is always a case when a player as talented as Howard switches teams.

The Lakers finished the season last year as the 3-seed in the Western Conference behind the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. Now they are being talked about as potentially the NBA title favorites.

But should we be talking about them already as title favorites?

The Lakers starting five for next season will certainly be an impressive one. They are returning Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace from last year and now adding Howard and Steve Nash.

The pieces should fit in seamlessly. This won’t be a case like we saw in 2011, when LeBron, Wade and Bosh joined together in Miami and it took some time getting used to. Nash’s selflessness will ensure this more than anything.

With Nash running the show, he will get the ball to players when and where they need it. Kobe is at a point in his career where he shouldn’t stand in the way of this too much. Expect a bounce back season from Gasol too now teamed with Nash.

There is some potential for the personalities to not exactly gel. Howard is known as a kind of jokester that doesn’t take things seriously enough. He was able to be this way in Orlando as the clear alpha-dog of the team playing for a franchise that had so much invested in him. No one was going to call him out for that behavior but that will change in L.A. playing alongside Kobe.

There is the question of age too. Nash is 38 and Kobe is an old 33. Both are on the decline but showed last year they can still play at an elite level. It will continue to become harder to sustain that level but playing with Howard will make it easier.

It has been easy to forget just how valuable Howard has been during all of the recent drama. Before Howard ruined his image, he was deservedly so considered one of the most valuable players in the league. The effect Howard had in Orlando was remarkable, leading that team to high playoff seeds and anchoring one of the most efficient defenses in the NBA with little support around him.

Howard did get injured this past season and is expected to miss the beginning of next season. If he can get back to 100 percent, playing at the level he has shown in the past, the Lakers may very well emerge as NBA title favorites.

Of course there are a few teams that would like to have a say in this. The Miami Heat are coming off an NBA championship season last year with LeBron James playing as well as he ever has. The Heat made some noise this offseason too adding Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to the roster.

In the West, the Thunder, Spurs and Clippers are all returning very formidable teams that will be able to compete with the Lakers. The Thunder got to the NBA Finals with a very impressive playoff run through the West’s elite and are only expected to improve upon that next season with the experience they gained.

We know what to expect from the Heat and Thunder. The Lakers are more of a wild card and that’s why they shouldn’t be called the title favorites just yet. We need to see what they do on the floor first and until then, the league still belongs to the Heat and Thunder.

Harden is getting most of the attention as he is coming off a career year in which he averaged 16.8 points per game, won the Sixth Man of the Year award and was selected to represent the United States in the 2012 London Olympics.

“I’m pretty, a hundred percent, I’m pretty sure that I’m going to be in Oklahoma City,” Harden said with a slight stutter. “I’ll let my agent and Mr. Presti and [Thunder owner Clay] Bennett discuss all that, so I’ll let them handle that and stay out of it for right now and worry about the USA Olympics.”

When asked if he was at all enamored with the idea of being a more featured player elsewhere, Harden said, “I love winning. We have some great guys over here, something special, something I don’t think any other team in the NBA has – young guys who got drafted basically together, year after year after year. We’ve got something special, so I’m focused on what we have and trying to win a championship with these guys.”

via Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated

Harden has had this view ever since the season ended and it bodes well for Thunder fans. He wants to stay in OKC and hopefully that is enough to convince him to stay.

The problem is that Harden would be worthy of a max-contract next summer if he becomes a restricted free agent. He would most definitely receive an offer sheet similar to what Eric Gordon received this summer, worth four years, $58 million.

That kind of cash would be tough for the Thunder to match and they’d prefer to keep him at a little under that mark and extend him soon.

There hasn’t been any recent development with Harden’s extension since he is currently in London playing for Team USA. The Olympics will end this Sunday and after that, the Thunder organization may look to move forward with getting Harden locked up.

“I’m positive that it’ll happen,” Kevin Durant told Amick. “Like you say, you never know in this league. You never know. All I can do is hope for the best, but James wants to be here. We want him here, and Serge the same way. So we’ll see. I don’t have anything to do with it. I just play ball.”

Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed Daniel Orton to non-guaranteed training camp contract, according to The Oklahoman.

Orton, who is from Oklahoma City, is not guaranteed a roster spot as the Thunder have already filled their roster with 15 players under contract for next season this summer.

The Thunder lost Derek Fisher, Nazr Mohammed and Royal Ivey from last year’s roster and replaced them with first round draft pick Perry Jones, former No. 2 overall pick Hasheem Thabeet and undrafted rookie Hollis Thompson.

Orton was drafted 29th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. He didn’t play in any games that season and played in just 16 games last season for the Magic and actually started two of them when Dwight Howard was injured.

Orton averaged 2.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game last year in 11.7 minutes per game.

Orton was part of an impressive University of Kentucky draft class back in 2010 that included John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. Orton didn’t even start in college and left Kentucky after just one season and was still drafted in the first round.

It is safe to say he hasn’t progressed too much thus far in his NBA career and is considered somewhat of a knucklehead. He is only 22 years old though and has potential but don’t expect him to necessarily make the Thunder’s roster.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Kobe and head coach Mike Brown have discussed in detail the possibility of the Lakers switching their offense to the Princeton style next season.

“It’s a great offense,” Kobe told Yahoo! Sports. “It’s exactly what we need. It takes us back to being able to play by making reads and reacting to defenses. It takes a great deal of communication, but that’s where we’re at our best: Reading and reacting as opposed to just coming down and calling sets. Calling sets make you vulnerable.”

The Lakers will look different next season with or without Dwight Howard. They traded for Steve Nash shortly after the season ended which will throw an entirely new variable into the Lakers and Kobe.

Kobe has never played with a point guard quite like Nash before, one who is so talented and has dominated the ball so much in his career. Both Kobe and Nash will be due to adjust now playing together and this new offense may play a big part in that.

The Princeton offense, which is considered a close relative to the Triangle offense Phil Jackson ran with the Lakers, will allow for more versatility from more players. Someone like Pau Gasol will be a perfect fit in it as he is such a great passer for a big man and skilled in so many ways.

As Kobe continues to age, now 33, he will continue to look for more ways to gain an edge on the competition. The great players always do this. They don’t just keep deteriorating as time goes on, they keep fighting during their athletic decline and often will rise back up in forms we haven’t seen before.

Kobe embracing an offense that won’t feature him as much as an isolation monster is an example of this. It’s really just what the Lakers need from him too.

The Lakers were bounced in the second round of the playoffs this past season in five games by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder and Miami Heat met in the NBA Finals in what was a glimpse into what the future of the NBA will look like. The Lakers realize they need to change some to keep up with these young guns.

The Lakers have vaulted probably to the second-best team in the Western Conference for this coming season. The Thunder are still considered the class of the conference but adding Nash has moved L.A. ahead of the Spurs, probably unfairly.

There is still a great chance L.A. will trade for Dwight Howard before the season begins too which will make them that much more potent of a title contender.

The Thunder got over what some would consider a big hump beating the Lakers, the team that has dominated the Western Conference for so long, in a series a few months back. The Lakers aren’t rolling over and dying though.

The Thunder will be considered the favorites in the West this coming season but there will be a lot of work to do to repeat and make it to the NBA Finals again.

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

James Harden is entering the final season of his contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder next season. The Thunder are working toward signing Harden to an extension otherwise he would become a restricted free agent next summer.

Harden would receive a max-contract offer sheet from any number of teams next summer if he is on the market, a price the Thunder would rather not keep him at. Harden played two seasons in college at Arizona State and was asked if he would consider signing with the Phoenix Suns next season.

“Yeah,” Harden told the Arizona Republic. “Of course. I love it there. My mom lives there still. So that’s definitely my second home as far as my comfort level and going to school there. But obviously, I’m with the Thunder right now and what we have is special.”

Harden is just being realistic with these comments and isn’t trying to say he’d rather play for any team besides the Thunder. Harden went on to say how much he loves it in OKC.

“The kind of support we have in Oklahoma City, it’s the best in the NBA,” Harden said. “Phenomenal. Beards in the crowd, the whole nine (yards). The city is really something special.”

The Thunder would obviously like to extend Harden before next summer when he becomes a restricted free agent and that means likely asking him to take a pay cut. Harden talked about sacrifice at the end of the season and about how important it was to him playing with this core of guys in Oklahoma City.

Phoenix signed Eric Gordon to a 4-year, $58 million offer sheet this summer before the New Orleans Hornets matched the offer. If Harden is out there next summer, they’d surely offer him the same deal.

The Thunder have Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook locked up through 2016. They signed Westbrook to a 5-year, $80 million extension this past season.

The Thunder had a chance to trade Harden earlier this year around the time of the NBA Draft. The Charlotte Bobcats were shopping their No. 2 overall pick and were reportedly interested in acquiring Harden for it, while the Thunder and GM Sam Presti were interested in draft prospect Bradley Beal.

The Thunder did not pull the trigger on the potential trade sending a clear message that they are devoted to this core of players and Harden in particular. It will not be easy to keep Harden and Serge Ibaka and avoid luxury tax but the Thunder are committed to seeing how far this roster can take them.

The Thunder are one of seven teams to never pay the luxury tax since it came into existence nine years ago. That is likely going to change if they extend Harden and especially if they extend Ibaka too.

They can do both and the thing that would make a team like OKC unwilling to pay the luxury tax is the harsher penalties for being over the tax line for multiple seasons in a row. By extending Harden and Ibaka, the Thunder could enter the luxury tax and for a season or two and then trade someone to get back out of it.

Harden along with Durant and Westbrook will be representing the United States in the London Olympics for the next two weeks so contract negotiations will likely be on hold until after then.

Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder might be interested in another free agent. According to Sam Amico of Fox Sports, the Thunder and Denver Nuggets have shown some interest in free agent point guard Lester Hudson.

Hudson played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies last season a combined total of 16 games and averaged 10.9 points per game and shot 25 percent from beyond the arc.

Hudson is 27 years old and point guard isn’t exactly a need for the Thunder right now seeing as they already have three on their roster in Russell Westbrook, Eric Maynor and Reggie Jackson.

Hudson showed some promise last season during a three game stretch in which he scored 23, 26 then 25 points for Cleveland including going 6-for-12 from three in one of those games. Hudson’s the kind of energy scorer from the guard position a lot of teams wouldn’t mind having on their roster.

The Thunder simply don’t have much need for anyone else and being that Hudson isn’t a big name, it feels unlikely that OKC will seriously consider going after him.

The Thunder have filled a 15-man roster for next season anyway. They are losing Derek Fisher, Nazr Mohammed and Royal Ivey from last year’s team and have so far replaced them with rookies Perry Jones and Hollis Thompson and free agent Hasheem Thabeet.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The Dallas Mavericks may become the frontrunner to land Dwight Howard next summer if he is not traded to the Lakers or Nets and becomes a free agent instead, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Howard has said before he would like to test free agency next summer making this point even more impactful for Dallas. Howard does not want to sign an extension with any team he is traded to but would be willing to re-sign if it is the Lakers or Nets.

Dallas owner Mark Cuban broke up a championship team a year ago in hopes of being able to lure Howard and Deron Williams to Dallas in the near future. Cuban struck out with Williams who signed an extension with the Nets this summer and now will focus all of his attention on Howard next summer if he is available.

Orlando Magic GM Rob Hennigan met with Howard Wednesday to discuss his future. Howard made it very clear he does not want to remain part of the Magic organization saying he would “never sign another contract with the Magic,” according to RealGM.

Howard said he would like to either be traded to the Lakers soon, traded to Brooklyn in January or simply become a free agent after the season ends.

The Magic certainly want to get something back for Howard and all his drama and would prefer to trade him. The potential trade with the Lakers would involve the Cleveland Cavaliers as a third team. The Houston Rockets have also still not given up on trying to trade for Howard.

The Lakers would send Andrew Bynum to Cleveland in the potential trade. Bynum was rumored to be meeting with the Lakers to discuss a contract extension for himself but his agent has since denied any such meeting. Bynum seems to have been left in the dark as far as trade talks have gone which may be an indicator of how far away a deal is to be being done.

If somehow Howard is not traded and remains with the Magic for all of next season then the Mavericks will really have a chance to sign him in the summer. But if Howard is dealt to either the Lakers or Nets, we can fully expect him to stay with that team beyond next season.

The Rockets destination would be the only other scenario for Howard to get traded too then still test free agency in the summer. GM Daryl Morey is very willing to risk trading for Howard and convincing him to stay past one season despite Howard being open about not wanting to play there.

Talks about who would be the favorite to sign Howard next summer may be a bad sign for him getting moved anytime soon. Orlando has said they aren’t necessarily in a hurry to trade Howard but everyone knows they’d love to rid themselves of Dwight’s drama as soon as possible.

Paul Abell-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been pretty quiet this summer in terms of free agency. They had three roster spots open up with Derek Fisher, Nazr Mohammed and Royal Ivey’s contracts being up and they filled them pretty quickly.

The Thunder drafted Perry Jones then signed Hasheem Thabeet and undrafted rookie Hollis Thompson.

The Thunder may not be done yet this offseason and could be interested in signing another player. According to the Washington Post, the Thunder have expressed interest in Roger Mason, Jr.

While the Thunder do have 15 players on the roster right now, they could still sign another and move someone down to the D-League during the season.

Mason is a player that can find his way on to any team because he is a great spot-up shooter and career .381 percent 3-point shooter. Mason played 52 games for the Washington Wizards last season and averaged 5.5 points per game, made 1.1 threes per game and was .383 percent from beyond the arc.

Surrounding the likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden with shooters is always a good idea. Daequan Cook plays that role now and does a pretty good job of it. Thompson was a very good shooter in college for Georgetown but it is unknown yet if he will be able to play right away in the NBA while Mason is already an established veteran.

Mason has said that he does not want to sign another 1-year deal for a minimum salary and that’s something that may make the Thunder stay away from him as they are interested in trying to save as much cap as possible to try and keep Harden and Serge Ibaka long-term.

The new direction of the league is going smaller with more versatile players on the floor surrounded by a lot of shooters. That’s what the Miami Heat are doing and adding a guy like Mason could be a good move for OKC.

Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

The Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as the frontrunner to trade for Dwight Howard this summer. But the Orlando Magic are in no rush to deal the All-Star center, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard.

The Magic have stood their ground on trading Howard. They aren’t going to give him up for nothing and now maybe won’t give him up at all.

Sources told Broussard that the Magic may be willing to wait until after the season starts and all the way until the trading deadline in February before trading Howard. They are waiting for the best possible deal and their recent trade talks with the Lakers may be to try and get other teams to jump in with a better offer.

The potential trade between Orlando and the Lakers would also include the Cleveland Cavaliers as the third wheel. Howard would go to L.A., Andrew Bynum would go to Cleveland and the Magic would receive a slew of picks and some young prospects.

The most recent news surrounding that potential trade was Howard saying he does not plan on signing an extension no matter where he is next season. He wants to test free agency at least somewhat next summer but whichever team he ends up on will be able to offer him the longest contract worth the most money.

On paper, this deal still seems not quite as good as the potential package the Houston Rockets would be willing to send Orlando. Houston GM Daryl Morey has been going “all-in” to try and acquire Howard by stockpiling picks and first round draft picks from this year’s draft to try and entice the Magic to pull the trigger on a deal.

Houston is confident too that they would be able to convince Howard to stay with the team beyond next season.

The Rockets have signed this offseason two restricted free agents in Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik. They are paying each quite a bit of money but the signings of both shouldn’t impede their attempts to trade for Howard.

The fact of the matter is that the Magic still have plenty of time before deciding what they want to do with Howard and they intend to take that time. It’s a smart move as the landscape of the NBA and potential trade partners can change on a daily basis.

The Brooklyn Nets who first appeared to be the frontrunners for Howard this summer and were the team that Howard said he wanted to be traded to, would be back in the hunt if Howard is still on the Magic by Jan. 15, 2013.

When the Nets extended center Brook Lopez, who would have been an integral piece in a Howard trade, it meant they couldn’t trade Lopez until Jan. 15 of next season. Brooklyn had essentially moved on from trying to trade for Howard or maybe they knew Howard wasn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.

Orlando dragging out the Howard saga may seem like a bad idea and many people would like to see the Magic trade him and rid themselves of his drama but it may be smarter for them to hold out for the best possible deal, even if that means waiting until next February.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Oklahoma City Thunder free agent Nazr Mohammed will sign with the Chicago Bulls, according to a report by Peter Vecsey.

Mohammed was reportedly meeting with the Bulls and Brooklyn Nets and will now choose the Bulls.

The Thunder filled out their roster shortly after free agency officially started. They are letting go of Mohammed, Derek Fisher and Royal Ivey and replacing them with rookies Perry Jones and Hollis Thompson and also Hasheem Thabeet.

The Bulls signing Mohammed all but assures they will not match the Houston Rockets’ offer sheet they agreed to with Omer Asik for three years, $25.1 million.

The Rockets will not have signed restricted free agents Jeremy Lin and Asik this offseason to pretty heft contracts.

The No. 1 priority for Houston still is to trade for Dwight Howard. Having Lin and Asik on the books will give them less cap room but it shouldn’t impede their attempts to go after Howard. Lin and Asik at least will be something of a consolation if they do not get Howard.

The Los Angeles Lakers are still considered the frontrunner to trade for Howard. The rumored deal that could go down right now will include a third team in the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Andrew Bynum would be dealt to Cleveland although he has not been notified of this possibility and the Cavaliers would want Bynum to agree to extending with them beyond next season if they were to trade for him.

Howard will unlikely extend with anyone next season and instead plans to test free agency next summer. Whichever team he ends up with will be able to offer him the best contract to try and keep him however.

Thunder free agents Mohammed and Ivey have found new homes now this summer leaving just Fisher who is still in search of a new team. Fisher has also been rumored to have met with the Bulls and Nets as well as Dallas.

Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder have filled their 15-man roster for the 2011-12 season and will be parting ways with three players from last year’s team: Derek Fisher, Nazr Mohammed and Royal Ivey.

The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly going to sign Ivey to come on and be their backup point guard, according to phillyblurbs.com. Ivey is believed to sign on for $1.23 million per season.

Ivey played for the 76ers from 2008-10 before coming to the Thunder. Ivey played the last two seasons with OKC and appeared in 59 games for them.

Ivey averaged 2.1 points per game last season and got some decent playing time while Thabo Sefolosha was injured. He established himself as a solid defender and reliable spot-up 3-point shooter shooting .340 percent from beyond the arc on the year.

Jrue Holiday started at point guard for the 76ers last season but they have parted ways with their backup point and super sixth man Lou Williams. Ivey will come in and do his best to fill that void.

Fisher and Mohammed are now the two final Thunder players from last season still in search of a team for next season. Fisher has gained interest from many teams including the Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers.

There hasn’t been much news yet about where Mohammed may end up.

Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

The New York Knicks had until tonight at midnight to decide if they would match the offer sheet Jeremy Lin signed with the Houston Rockets. According to Howard Beck of the New York Times, the Knicks have decided not to match the offer.

When word of Lin and the Rockets reaching an agreement on this offer sheet was first announced, the Knicks were thought to without question be planning to match it. Then the Knicks traded for Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton and their plans to keep Lin went away.

Lin will make $25.1 million over three years with the Rockets. Had the Knicks matched they would have paid Lin $5 million in year one, $5.225 million in year two and then a whopping $14.8 million in the third year.

By that third season if the Knicks kept Lin they could incur a tax penalty of around $43.75 million.

That seems like a lot but the Knicks would have more than made up for that in other profits the team would see because of Lin.

The stock of Knicks parent company MSG is up 20 percent since Linsanity began, with Nate Silver of the New York Times reporting that MSG’s market capitalization has gained $600 million since that fateful day in February when Lin took over as the Knicks’ starting point guard.

So what happens to MSG if the Knicks fail to retain Lin? “As of late Monday morning, on the mere possibility that Lin might not be re-signed, MSG stock had lost about $50 million in market value,” Silver wrote. This was on a rumor — imagine what the company’s losses will be if losing Lin becomes a reality.

via ESPN’s Larry Coon

The Knicks would have other options too in dealing with Lin’s loaded third year. They could trade him before that season or waive him. If they were to waive him, the new “stretch provision” in the CBA would have allowed New York to stretch out Lin’s 2014-15 salary over three seasons giving them more cap room for those years and much less of a luxury tax hit.

It is hard knowing this to think why the Knicks could possibly decide against matching Houston’s offer for Lin. They’re letting a 23-year old point guard walk who took the city by storm last season and losing a ton of money in the process.

The Rockets and GM Daryl Morey are more than happy that they will get Lin. Lin will make a huge impact in terms of jersey sales and ticket sales and is a great consolation prize for Houston if they are unable to land him.

The Rockets’ point guards thrived in a pick-and-roll heavy system last season very similar to how Lin thrived under Mike D’Antoni when he first came on. It will be a better basketball fit for Lin in Houston.

The Rockets also don’t have to pay Lin the huge 2014-15 salary and risk tax penalties then. They have the cap space now and will have a cap hit of around $8.3 million each season instead.

Houston still plans to keep trying to trade for Dwight Howard. Lin may not help the situation much and could put Houston in a tougher situation than they were before to land Howard, especially if Chicago chooses not to match Omer Asik’s offer sheet Houston offered him.

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to meet with Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic to work on a trade for the All-Star center, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

The Lakers would like to receive a commitment from Howard that he will extend with the team beyond next season if they trade for him. Howard said previously that the only team he would extend with was the Brooklyn Nets.

There have been plenty of rumors involving Howard being traded to the Lakers. Most likely a third team would have to be involved for Orlando to get the best deal back from Howard involving either young prospects or a bunch of future draft picks.

The only team not interested in hearing Howard commit beyond next season with them is the Houston Rockets who are still “all-in” in attempting to acquire Howard. GM Daryl Morey has set up his roster with a slew of young assets and picks to throw Orlando’s way and they currently look like the team with the most to offer the Magic.

Howard sent direct messages on Twitter this week indicating that Orlando has not been totally up front about his health. Howard missed the end of last season and had back surgery and basically said he could barely walk in the direct messages.

There is a chance Howard would not be healthy to play by the start of next season and there is even a rumor out there (although unlikely) that Howard would choose to sit out the entire 2012-13 season if he remained with the Magic.

The team hoping for Howard to stay put until next summer is the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas tried to clear up cap to attract Deron Williams this summer but that did not work out and now they will do the same for Howard next summer.

Meanwhile Dallas looked as if it would end up with a very depleted roster losing Jason Terry and Jason Kidd but a couple of recent signings have salvaged a decent roster for them. Unrestricted free agent O.J. Mayo announced on Twitter that he will be signing with the Mavericks this season. Earlier in the week, Dallas grabbed Chris Kaman, Elton Brand and stole Darren Collison from Indiana.

The 2011 NBA champions are a far different team now and with an aging Dirk Nowitzki will not be back competing for a title any time soon unless they are able to sign a player like Howard.

Dallas beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in conference finals in 2011 and then got swept by them this past season in the first round.

With all of the recent movement around the league and the Western Conference in particular, OKC will still be considered the heavy favorite to make it to the NBA Finals again. Their biggest competition perhaps will be the Lakers since they have acquired Steve Nash, although the Thunder beat L.A. in five games in the second round this past postseason.

The other L.A. team, the Clippers are also up and coming in the West and have made a few nice moves to improve their roster starting with extending Blake Griffin for the next five years. Griffin suffered a knee injury during the Team USA training however and will have surgery Monday.

The Clippers have also signed Jamal Crawford and re-signed Chauncey Billups. They have also reportedly agreed to a 2-year deal with Grant Hill who was also considering the Lakers, Heat and Knicks. The Clippers were missing out on wing players on their roster this past season but adding Hill and Crawford will help them in that department.

The West has certainly gotten stronger from last season and we haven’t even mentioned the San Antonio Spurs who will have the same roster next season.

The Thunder don’t have to make moves to improve though. The experience they gained making it to the NBA Finals was enough.

The Knicks were believed all along to be planning to match the offer sheet Jeremy Lin signed with the Houston Rockets for three years, $25 million but now trading for Felton makes it seem like the Knicks will pass on Lin.

The Knicks would incur some pretty steep luxury tax penalties if they were to match Houston’s offer for Lin but many believe the value of Lin in New York and his effect on ticket/jersey sales would be able to make up for it.

Lin played in 35 games for the Knicks this season and averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 assists per game. Felton played for the Knicks in the 2010-11 season and averaged 17.1 points and 9.0 assists per game.

The deal between New York and Portland will also involve the Knicks sending Jared Jeffries and Dan Gadzuric to the Blazers for Kurt Thomas along with Felton. Felton will be set to make around $10 million over the next three years with New York.

The Knicks could still potentially match Houston’s offer for Lin but after also trading for Jason Kidd this offseason, acquiring a third point guard in Lin doesn’t seem to make much sense.

The Rockets will be happy to get Lin although their main priority is still Dwight Howard. Lin thrived in the pick-and-roll under Mike D’Antoni and Houston is a system that loves their point guards in the pick-and-roll with Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic doing so well in it last year.

The latest rumors on Howard’s potential movement now involve a 3-team trade between Orlando, Cleveland and the Lakers that would send Howard to L.A. and Andrew Bynum to Cleveland.

Although now that deal looks to not be happening either, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports.

The Magic would make out of the deal with a package of picks and prospects, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. This potential deal is very far from being done but does seem the most likely trade Howard would accept.

It is unlikely that any team would be able to offer a greater package of picks and prospects than Houston though.

Howard trade rumors are different every few days but many still believe the Lakers have the best chance of getting him like they’ve done so many times before with the NBA’s best centers.

Mike Segar/Pool Photo via US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder are not in the market for free agents this summer anymore. They have effectively filled their roster already with the signings of Hasheem Thabeet and undrafted rookie Hollis Thompson.

Next on the agenda for the Thunder is extending James Harden and Serge Ibaka.

Harden and Ibaka are up for extensions this summer and if they don’t reach an agreement with the Thunder, they will become restricted free agents next summer.

Harden’s worth is pretty obvious. If he is a restricted free agent next summer, he will be receiving max offer sheets from other teams. That’s what happened to Eric Gordon this summer and it will happen with Harden too.

The Thunder are basically going to have to convince Harden to take much less money or it will become very difficult to hang on to him.

Ibaka is in a little different boat, mainly because, barring a huge leap this season, he is not in the market for a max deal. But big men have always been overpaid in the NBA and this summer is another great example of how.

Just look at the bigs inking big contracts this summer. Brook Lopez got a max deal from the Nets, Roy Hibbert got a max offer sheet from Portland, JaVale McGee is getting $10 million per year, Ryan Anderson is getting $9 million per year and Omer Asik is getting $8 million.

Ibaka may not be on the level of Lopez and Hibbert yet but he has an elite skill and quality that is right now unmatched by any other player. Ibaka blocked more shots per game this past season than anyone has in about a decade.

Ibaka is also only 22 years old who is only going to get better and his potential looks even greater now that Hakeem Olajuwon wants to work out with him in the offseason.

The consensus around the Thunder camp is that they are going to need to convince Harden and Ibaka to take less money to keep them both.

Harden has already talked about doing so and his personality seems to fit that mold too. Harden will be in London this summer representing his country on Team USA along with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Players tend to talk about sacrifice and teaming up to form Big 3’s when they play on Team USA together.

Harden could probably end up sacrificing a few million and getting an extension that’s around $11-12 million per year. It will still be a hefty amount that will inch the Thunder closer to the luxury tax but it’s hard to imagine Harden getting anything less than that.

Ibaka is clearly in the market for $10 million per year and there might even be some teams that would throw more than that at him. The Thunder don’t want to end up paying too much more than this for Ibaka and are going to try and do everything possible to get him to sign for less.

Keeping Harden and Ibaka will make entering the luxury tax and its harsh penalties pretty much inevitable for OKC. They are already preparing for this.

The Thunder won’t be totally tied to keeping their Big 4 forever if they extend Harden and Ibaka this summer. There’s always the option of trading one of them after a year or two so that the Thunder can slip back away from the luxury tax to avoid the harsher penalties of being in it for consecutive seasons.

If the Thunder do get Harden and Ibaka to take less money, they will become that much more valuable on the trade market a few years down the road.

With Harden and Ibaka both playing in the Olympics this summer, extensions may not be getting done in the too near future. The Olympics begin July 27 and will end in mid-August. By that time we can expect to see Harden and Ibaka with their extensions.

Thompson spent three seasons playing for Georgetown and averaged 12.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season for the Hoyas. He made 58 3-pointers last season and shot .430 percent from beyond the arc.

Thompson will be a small forward in the NBA at 6-foot-8, 212 pounds. He has more size than any of the other backup wings on the Thunder roster although it is not thought he will be getting many minutes next season.

Thompson actually declared for the NBA Draft last season but withdrew from it to come back for his junior season at Georgetown.

The Thunder roster is complete now with 15 players. The Thunder officially signed Hasheem Thabeet today as well to a 2-year deal.

The Thunder roster will featured three new players for next season with Thompson, Thabeet and rookie Perry Jones. The three players from last season that will be gone are Derek Fisher, Nazr Mohammed and Royal Ivey.

There were rumors earlier today that Grant Hill was interested in potentially signing with the Thunder and that will now obviously not happen.

There are two more days left of the Summer League in Orlando that the Thunder are participating in. Thabeet and Thompson now both can possibly join the team to play in those games.

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Grant Hill is interested in playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat or Oklahoma City Thunder next season, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com.

Hill has been linked with the Lakers ever since Steve Nash was traded there. Nash has been recruiting Hill to join him in L.A.

Hill was rumored to be considering the Heat dating back to last season as well before electing to remain in Phoenix. The Heat have signed Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis now this summer which may make it more unlikely for Hill to choose them.

The Thunder have one last spot open on their roster and Hill would surely be a nice fit. Oklahoma City does not have a lot of money to offer anyone and would likely only be able to offer Hill the veteran’s minimum.

Hill might be taking a little less money to play in OKC but the idea would be chasing a championship and he could really help the Thunder in that department.

A backup small forward for Kevin Durant is a need for this team. Daequan Cook pretty much plays that role now and James Harden plays the three with the smaller second unit.

Hill could give the Thunder another option at that spot and more versatility on offense and defense. Hill wouldn’t be asked to score much but is used to playing without the ball after a few seasons with Nash and has become a reliable corner, 3-point spot-up man.

Hill averaged 10.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game last season and shot .264 percent from three. Hill shot .395 and .438 percent from three in the two prior seasons however.

Hill would give the most value to OKC with his defense. The Thunder did not have someone to spell Durant when covering LeBron James in the NBA Finals and Hill could do exactly that.

Using Hill in some closeout lineups alongside Westbrook-Harden-Durant-Ibaka would be an upgrade from either Thabo Sefolosha, Derek Fisher or Kendrick Perkins.

The likelihood that Hill will sign with the Thunder is probably less than the Lakers right now. It is promising though for Thunder fans to see a name like Hill’s linked with their team in free agency.

Camby will sign a 3-year, $13.2 million deal. The Rockets will receive Toney Douglas, Josh Harrelson and Jerome Jordan along with second round picks in 2014 and 2015.

Camby was deciding between a few teams including the Miami Heat but would have had to take much less money to go play in South Beach.

The Knicks have also come to terms with their two shooters from last season, Steve Novak and J.R. Smith.

Novak has agreed to a 4-year, $15 million deal with New York and Smith a 2-year, $2.8 million deal.

New York is putting together what feels like a better roster than last season’s. Not getting Steve Nash was devastating but they are still making progress.

Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert is a restricted free agent this summer and agreed to a 4-year, $58 million offer sheet with Portland. Indiana expectedly plans to match that offer.

Free agents cannot officially sign until July 11 and at that point, teams will have three days to match any offer sheets that are signed.

The Orlando Magic are still working on getting a deal done to trade Dwight Howard. Yesterday, a third team (the Cleveland Cavaliers) was brought into the mix with Orlando and Brooklyn. Now the Nets are looking to involve the Los Angeles Clippers as well.

Brooklyn wants to trade MarShon Brooks to the Clippers for another first rounder to use in the package they will send Orlando in exchange for Howard.

The deal still looks like highway robbery for the Nets and it is unclear if the deal is really close enough for the Magic to say yes.

The Clippers would make out great if they can swap a first round pick for Brooks who had a very nice rookie campaign.

The Cavaliers can help facilitate the trade by taking on Kris Humphries in a sign-and-trade as well as possibly MarShon Brooks. The Magic would receive Brook Lopez along with three first round draft picks.

The deal for Orlando does not seem much better than the ones rumored between them and the Nets earlier that the Magic were not interested in. However, it is rumored that this deal could be done by the end of the day today.

Brooklyn would suffer harsh luxury tax penalties over the next four seasons if they do get Howard. The penalties could amount to over $100 million in four years but they still seem determined to get Howard.

“You can talk about the new (luxury) tax all you want, but if the Lakers get Nash and the Nets get Howard, then what did the new CBA accomplish?” one GM told ESPN. “You have to realize part of long-term planning is making sure you don’t help create teams you can’t beat.”

The Nets are not limiting themselves to Cleveland as the third wheel in a Howard trade and are shopping Humphries around the rest of the league as well.

The Magic agreed to another trade yesterday sending last year’s Most Improved Player, Ryan Anderson, to New Orleans in a sign-and-trade for Gustavo Ayon. Anderson will receive a 4-year, $36 million deal.

Anderson benefited greatly from playing alongside Howard as a spot-up four getting a ton of open looks from three. We will see if he can still be effective in a different landscape without Howard.

The Hornets are happy to get a good rebounder and shooter to put alongside No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis for next season.

The Chicago Bulls also made moves yesterday bringing back Kirk Hinrich to a 2-year, $6 million deal. The Bulls now have to decide if they will match Houston’s 3-year, $25 million offer sheet for Omer Asik.

Derrick Rose may not be recovered from his torn ACL until well after next season has started for Chicago. The Bulls are likely parting ways with C.J. Watson so signing Hinrich here is a big move for them.

July 11 is the first day that free agents can officially sign. Teams will have three days to match offer sheets their restricted free agents signed elsewhere.

Jeremy Lin, Eric Gordon and Roy Hibbert are three of the biggest named restricted free agents that signed offer sheets with other teams. All three are expected to have those offers matched by their former teams.

The Magic want to get something back for Howard. They’re not just trying to get rid of him, at least not yet.

Orlando is willing to wait all the way until the trade deadline of next season if they have to and don’t have a deal worthy of Howard by then.

The Brooklyn Nets were the first team in the running to trade for Howard. But a deal involving Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and picks never satisfied Orlando. The Nets moved on and traded for Joe Johnson instead, making it even more difficult for them to pull off a trade for Howard.

Howard said that Brooklyn was the only place he wanted to go and the only place where he’d agree to re-sign with past next season.

After Brooklyn fell off, the Los Angeles Lakers appeared to be the most likely suitor for Howard. They have the best individual trade piece for Howard in Andrew Bynum but Bynum is also in the final year of his contract next year and hasn’t agreed to re-sign in Orlando if he is traded there.

The Magic aren’t interested in dealing Howard just to rent Bynum for a season. They’re holding out for more.

A dark horse for Howard may be the Atlanta Hawks. After trading Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams away, new GM Danny Ferry appears to be trying for a dream scenario that would involve bringing Howard and Chris Paul to the Hawks in 2013-14.

Howard is from Atlanta but has not said anything about wanting to play there.

The Dallas Mavericks are another team with an outside shot to get Howard. Dallas went all-in on Deron Williams this offseason and they did not land him. They are left with a depleted roster but plenty of cap space to entice Howard with a max-deal next summer if he is a free agent then.

The Magic want to get rid of Howard, that’s for sure, but they’re not going to do it for nothing. They know they are rebuilding anyway and are in no hurry to trade Howard.

Howard may not even be healthy yet by the start of next season as he is still rehabbing his back.

Another center on the market now is Marcus Camby. Camby is reportedly deciding between the Miami Heat and New York Knicks.

The Knicks appear to be the frontrunner as the Heat can only offer Camby the veteran minimum of $1.4 million per year. New York is looking to do a sign-and-trade for Camby and give him $3.09 million per season.

The Heat recently signed Ray Allen of course and if they are somehow able to get Camby too that would be a home run for them in free agency. It looks unlikely however as there is a good chance Camby will be returning to play in New York next season.

David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

Ray Allen decided last night to take his talents to South Beach and join LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in a Miami Heat uniform next season.

Allen left twice as much money on the table by choosing not to remain in Boston and rather flee to chase another championship with the defending champs.

Allen was one of the most coveted free agents especially by the Heat. The talents of Allen are ones that any team would love to have. No one’s made more threes than Allen in his career and even at 37 he is believed to be a key contributor for the Heat next season.

But how much better did Miami get by adding Allen? Are the Thunder now more worried about beating the Heat this coming season than they were last year?

Allen makes the Heat better. Just not that much better. He’ll fit in just fine, get a ton of open looks from three and every time he makes one expect to hear “That’s why Miami signed him!”

He’s obviously not the same player he was even a few seasons ago. But he isn’t expected to be either.

We saw how good the Heat can look when their role players are knocking down threes. In last year’s NBA Finals, Shane Battier made 15 threes and shot .577 percent from beyond the arc. Mike Miller made seven threes in the Game 5 clincher as the Heat tied an NBA Finals record with 14 threes made as a team.

That was the best case scenario for the Heat. Allen is a great shooter but it’s not like we can sit here and predict the Heat to repeat that kind of performance from beyond the arc in a series again.

The ways the Heat will look better next year aren’t ways that Allen will help them. If Wade and Bosh have a bounce back year, that would be a much bigger deal and even more necessary for the Heat to repeat. If LeBron somehow keeps up a 30-9-6 stat line in the playoffs then they will be a really scary title contender.

Allen will probably help the Heat more throughout the regular season and make them more of a lock to come out of the Eastern Conference. It’s true that Battier and Miller were pretty much absent before the NBA Finals.

Allen will also make defenses less likely to double on Wade or LeBron when he is in the post. That’s not a good thing for most of the league but for the Thunder, that’s actually better.

People don’t realize that the best thing about LeBron is he always makes the right basketball play. It’s more important to his success than his physical abilities. That means if you double him in the post, he’s passing out to the open man, every time.

This happened to the Thunder in the NBA Finals and it played right into the Heat’s hands and to what LeBron preferred to do. Why did the Thunder have to double LeBron in the post? If you remember, it was because James Harden had to guard him so much as the series went on.

Thunder fans will and should concede defeat to Miami if they’re going to have to live with Harden guarding LeBron.

The best part about OKC’s defense up until the Finals was that they never had to double. Against the Lakers they were able to play Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum straight up. The same thing with Dirk Nowitzki in Round 1. Against the Spurs it never made sense to double anyone.

In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Thunder didn’t double much either. Kevin Durant was guarding LeBron and did a fantastic job on him. Durant can do a very good job on LeBron but as the series went on, Durant picked up stupid fouls and it put the Thunder in a very tough situation having to take KD off LeBron. The Heat then had a mismatch with their best player and that was all she wrote.

Ray Allen signing with the Heat doesn’t affect the thing that beat the Thunder the most in the NBA Finals. That’s why Thunder fans aren’t too scared about this signing. It’s still more about them. The Thunder have enough talent that they are in control of their destiny in becoming champions and that is comforting to think about.

Allen decided to go with the Heat instead of Boston despite the Celtics offering Allen nearly double the salary Miami could.

The defending champion Heat were very much recruiting Allen including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade expressing their desire for him to join the Heat via Twitter.

“We’re not stealing him,” LeBron told Yahoo! Sports. “He’s unrestricted. He isn’t with nobody man. Ray is a huge piece out there. Who wouldn’t want a dead-eye shooter like that, a complete professional and a champion. He has all the qualities for a team to get over the hump or to compete for a championship each and every year.”

LeBron is right. Who wouldn’t want Allen? And Allen clearly chose the place he feels give him the best chance to win a title before his career is over.

Teaming up with other superstars isn’t new for Allen. In 2007, he joined Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in Boston and they won a title in their first year together and made it to the Finals two years after that and lost.

The rumored deterioration of Allen’s relationship with Boston point guard Rajon Rondo is part of the reason Allen made this decision, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Allen was also upset by the Celtics’ attempt to trade him at the trade deadline to Memphis this past season. The Celtics were shopping Allen from time to time at some point over the past few seasons.

The Celtics re-signed Garnett to a 3-year, $34 million deal this offseason and also signed free agent Jason Terry who plays the same position as Allen. Allen was not starting in Boston by the end of the season with Avery Bradley assuming the position.

These are all reasons Allen may have considered in deciding on Miami instead of sticking with Boston. It will be weird to see Allen wearing the jersey next season of one of his biggest rivals but that’s sports in 2012.

The Heat are better with Allen for sure. It’s not drastic but these are the kinds of moves that championship teams need to make to be able to repeat.

May 9, 2011; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jeff Green (8) looks to pass while guarded by Miami Heat guard Mike Miller (13) during the third quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

Former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jeff Green is close to signing a 4-year, $40 million deal with the Boston Celtics, according to Sam Amick of SI.com.

Green was traded from the Thunder in the 2010-11 season to Boston for Kendrick Perkins. Green missed the entire 2011-12 season with heart surgery.

Despite that and not having a very good run with the Celtics in the short time he was with the team (9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in 26 games), Boston is looking to offer him $10 million per year.

Green was a very good player in Oklahoma City. Drafted the same season as Kevin Durant he was very much a big part of the team’s future before being traded. In his second and third seasons in the league, Green averaged around 16 points and six rebounds per game for OKC.

In fact, Green was very much missed by the Thunder this season. He was traded for Perkins in 2011 so that the Thunder had more size to combat the Los Angeles Lakers’ bigs, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

In the 2012 playoffs, Green would have been perfect for the series against San Antonio and Miami. The Thunder played a lot of small lineups in both of those series and Perkins was left pretty much ineffective.

Green would have brought the Thunder more versatility and could have possibly swung the title in the Thunder’s way.

One thing is for sure though, with the Thunder so concerned about saving cap to keep James Harden and Serge Ibaka in the coming years, keeping Green on the roster would only have made that tougher. At $10 million per year, there’s no way the Thunder could have kept Green for much longer.

That’s part of what the Thunder model is too. It’s about drafting well, developing talent and then also making moves via trades or free agency that make sense. That’s part of why Green was traded. Thunder management knew what they had in Harden and Ibaka and it would have become impossible to keep Green too.

That’s also why when rumors surfaced about Harden possibly being traded to the Charlotte Bobcats before the NBA Draft so that OKC could get Bradley Beal, it wasn’t that shocking. That would have been a move consistent with what the Thunder are doing in building their team. Selling high on Harden, committing to Durant-Westbrook-Ibaka and taking a chance on a rookie that GM Sam Presti liked wouldn’t have been a terrible move.

But we are where we are now. The Thunder are trying to find a way to keep Harden and Ibaka and the chances of doing so don’t look all that great, especially when you look around at the kind of contracts being handed out this summer.

Eric Gordon basically guaranteed Harden would receive a max-deal next summer. Players like Omer Asik and JaVale McGee will show why Ibaka could also be in the market for $10-plus million per season.

The most likely scenario is still for the Thunder to extend Harden this summer but Ibaka may be another story. And as much as the Thunder missed Green this year, imagine if they were trying to hang on to him as well now.

Lin will be able to sign it officially on July 11 then the Knicks will have three days to match. The deal is worth $10.2 million over the first two seasons and $9.3 million in the third and fourth year with the final year being a team option.

The Knicks can offer Lin a 4-year, $24.5 million deal.

Jason Kidd surprisingly chose the Knicks over the Dallas Mavericks. Kidd was rumored to be close to re-signing with Dallas and was earlier rumored to plan to follow Deron Williams wherever he signed.

Kidd’s deal with New York will be a 3-year, $9 million deal.

Every indication is that the Knicks will match the offer sheet for Lin and team up the two point guards. A lack of a point guard was a glaring hole in the Knicks’ roster during the playoffs. Carmelo Anthony turned into an isolation machine playing right into the hands of the Miami Heat defense.

Kidd and Lin should be able to help with that, especially Kidd who has the right personality to control things on offense even next to a superstar like Anthony.

The Minnesota Timberwolves made a few big signings last night.

Brandon Roy has come out of retirement and agreed to a 2-year, $10.4 million deal with the T-Wolves. Minnesota also signed another former Blazer in Nicolas Batum to a 4-year, $45 million offer sheet although Portland reportedly plans to match any offer for Batum.

The Timberwolves clearly are looking to strengthen their wing positions to surround Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love with better guys. Minnesota also traded for Chase Budinger before the NBA Draft.

Trade talks between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard have lessened. The Lakers after trading for Steve Nash now intend to keep their core of Nash, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

Bynum was involved in trade rumors that would send him to Orlando in a deal for Howard but the Magic have not shown a lot of interest in any deal presented to them this offseason.

The Brooklyn Nets are still trying to work on a deal to get Howard although they’re chances of landing them seem increasingly less.

Ray Allen has narrowed down his decision of where he wants to play to the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. The Los Angeles Clippers were thought to be int he running yesterday before signing Jamal Crawford and Chauncey Billups.

The Heat appear to be the frontrunner although only able to offer Allen $3.09 per year while Boston has offered Allen a 2-year, $12 million deal.

Thomas Campbell-US PRESSWIRE

The Houston Rockets have agreed to trade point guard Kyle Lowry to the Toronto Raptors for a future first round pick and Gary Forbes.

Lowry and Rockets head coach Kevin McHale had a falling out and Lowry has been looking to get out ever since.

The Rockets have made an offer sheet to restricted free agent Jeremy Lin for four years, $30 million. The New York Knicks are expected to match the offer for Lin especially after failing to acquire Steve Nash who became a Laker last night.

The earliest Lin can sign it is July 11 then the Knicks will have three days to match it. The Knicks have also emerged as the favorite to sign Raymond Felton.

The Raptors were also hopeful to land Nash so much that they agreed to an offer sheet of three years, $20 million with Landry Fields. The Raptors won’t totally lose out as they settle for Lowry as a decent consolation prize.

The Los Angeles Clippers have effectively taken themselves out of the running for Ray Allen by signing Jamal Crawford to a 3-year, $15.7 million deal. Allen was set to meet with the Clippers on Friday.

The Clippers have also agreed on a 1-year deal for Chauncey Billups.

The Clippers were a tough team last season that gave the Oklahoma City Thunder some trouble in the regular season. They were obviously in the market for a two guard after being forced to start Randy Foye there in the playoffs.

Lob City was swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round but have made some nice moves to prepare for next season including trading for Lamar Odom.

As we always forget about the Spurs during this time of the year, the top of the West is looking like OKC, LA, LA right now.

Meanwhile, Allen is meeting with the Heat today and is now expected to sign there even though Boston is offering Allen nearly double in salary that Miami can.

Allen is most likely to choose between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers despite the Boston Celtics being able to offer him the most money, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

Allen has been recruited by both teams led by their best players, LeBron James and Chris Paul. Allen is meeting with the Heat Thursday and will meet with the Clippers Friday. Miami will only be able to offer Allen $3.09 million per year while the Clippers can offer Allen the full mid-level exception of $5 million.

LeBron and Dwyane Wade have been open about their desire to bring Allen to South Beach with their recent activity on Twitter.

Allen would make a good fit for either team. The double teams Wade and especially LeBron demand leave tons of opportunities for 3-point shooters like Allen. Playing alongside one of the best point guards in the NBA wouldn’t be a bad fit either.

The fact that Allen is leaning towards leaving Boston makes it appear that money is not the most important factor for him. Allen has been willing to accept less money to chase a title in the past when he came to Boston back in 2007.

In Miami, Allen would most certainly come off the bench. Allen was coming off the bench by the end of the season last year for Boston too.

In Los Angeles, Allen could potentially have a starting role. The Clippers were starting Randy Foye alongside Paul in the backcourt during the playoffs after Chauncey Billups got injured. Even if the Clippers re-sign Billups, Allen might make a better starting two for the team than anyone.

The Heat are coming off winning a title and in the Eastern Conference are the clear-cut favorites to make it back to the NBA Finals.

The Clippers were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs but it was their first season with Paul and things look brighter on the horizon for them. Blake Griffin is likely to improve going into his third season and the free agent signing of Lamar Odom will also improve their roster.

If it comes down to the best chance of winning a title then Miami should be the choice for Allen. The Western Conference is simply too strong to look at the Clippers as a team with a great chance of getting to the Finals next season.

But for a little more money and a little more playing time, Chris Paul might be able to sell Allen on coming to Lob City. We will probably know more Friday night.

Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE.

Steve Nash was unexpectedly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers last night in a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns for four draft picks and cash.

Nash was expected earlier that day to be closer to signing with the New York Knicks and a few days before that, the Toronto Raptors were the frontrunner for the former back-to-back MVP winner.

But as fate would have it, the Lakers swooped in and grabbed one of their former rivals. Nash in a Lakers jersey was unthinkable until yesterday. The Suns were even rumored to have turned down a deal to L.A. because they couldn’t stomach the idea of Nash playing there.

Now that he is there, how does this change the landscape of the Western Conference? Are the Lakers back now as NBA title contenders with Nash?

The Lakers get better with Nash, that’s for sure. Los Angeles has been looking for a point guard for some time now. They traded for Ramon Sessions at the trade deadline last season and that looked like it might work for awhile until Sessions disappeared in the playoffs.

Nash will be 38 years old at the start of next season but is still a productive player. He averaged 12.5 points and 10.7 assists last season in Phoenix. He also shot .532 percent from the field, .390 from three and .894 from the free throw line.

There is no question that Nash can still produce. The biggest question is how he will fit in with Kobe Bryant.

Kobe has never really played alongside a traditional point guard in his NBA career. Derek Fisher has been the point next to him for most of his days and the Lakers were a triangle offense team that didn’t feature a point.

Because of this, Kobe is used to having the ball in his hands as much if not more than the point guard he’s playing with. If you’ve watched Nash play, you’ll know that he too has the ball in his hands as much as any player in the league on offense.

Both Kobe and Nash will have to adjust. Nash will not be featured like he was in Phoenix. Kobe may want to let Nash patrol the floor with the ball in his hands a little more than he is used to.

Kobe and Nash may not work perfectly but they won’t fail. Nash is too good of a teammate and Kobe cares only about winning and he knows Nash is coming on board to assist in that.

Kobe will probably not benefit dramatically with Nash and get way more open looks. It will be the other players, especially Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, that feel the biggest change with Nash on the floor.

There is one area that Nash does not help at all and maybe even hurts the Lakers: defense. Nash has never been a good defender even back when he was super quick and winning MVP’s he still acted as an open door for guards like Tony Parker to easily drive by.

The greatest competition in the Western Conference for the Lakers will be of course the Oklahoma City Thunder. Just go down the list of their big three and you’ll see why they aren’t totally scared of the Lakers now any more than they were last season. They still can’t guard Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook or James Harden.

But the Lakers weren’t all of a sudden going to be the favorites to come out of the West after signing a 38-year old point guard. They are better though and their potential is a little unknown and possibly greater than we might think.

The other factor now in play with the Lakers signing Nash is Dwight Howard. L.A. didn’t give up much to get Nash so Howard is still technically very much in play with them. After Brooklyn pretty much fell through for Howard, the Lakers seem the most likely suitor for him.

A package involving Bynum is probably the best deal Orlando could get back for trading away the best center in the league. There has been discussion between the two teams with a trade looking like: Bynum and Metta World Peace to the Magic for Howard and Jason Richardson.

If the Lakers could end up with a lineup looking like Nash, Kobe, Gasol and Howard, we can start talking about them as NBA Finals hopefuls. Until then, it’s the Thunder’s league and everybody else is just playing in it.

Ray Allen has been rumored to be signing with the Heat ever since the season ended and the two Heat stars would be happy to have him in South Beach.

2morrow is a big day for #HeatNation..

— Dwyane Wade (@DwyaneWade) July 5, 2012

Allen is set to visit with the Heat today. Allen is scheduled to meet with the Los Angeles Clippers Friday which means we probably won’t find out Allen’s decision until after then.

The Heat can only offer Allen $3.09 million per year. The Clippers can offer Allen the full mid-level exception of $5 million and the Boston Celtics have offered Allen a 2-year, $12 million deal.

Allen would be taking less money to play in Miami but at this point in his career, chasing a championship with LeBron and Wade may be more important to him.

The Celtics have re-signed Kevin Garnett already and also just signed Jason Terry. They’re not rolling over and dying and still believe they have one last run left in them. It’s just a matter of if they can convince Allen of that too.

Taking less money to chase a championship isn’t always something that makes sense to players too. At this point in Allen’s life, it is his last chance to make this kind of money. Signing with Miami doesn’t guarantee him a championship either and he already took less money in his last contract with Boston to do the same thing.

Miami does appear to be the frontrunner however and we will probably know more later today.

Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Hasheem Thabeet have agreed to a 2-year deal, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman.

The Thunder were reportedly interested in signing Thabeet for the past week now. The former No. 2 overall pick from the 2009 NBA Draft will likely sign for close to the league minimum, around $880,000 for the first year in his contract.

Thabeet has played in 135 games in his career and averaged just 2.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game. Thabeet was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies and later traded to the Houston Rockets and most recently the Portland Trailblazers.

Thabeet signing with the Thunder all but guarantees OKC will not re-sign center Nazr Mohammed. Thabeet will come in as the third-string center for Oklahoma City behind Kendrick Perkins and Cole Aldrich.

Thabeet coming on signing for the minimum helps the Thunder save money to get James Harden and Serge Ibaka. Thabeet is also a flyer with some potential upside that could be realized in the right situation.

“Playing in that environment is positive,” Thabeet’s agent, Bill Duffy told The Oklahoman. “Sam Presti has done a great job of not only building a winning organization but a culture that’s conditioned to developing and nurturing. So we think it’s a really good fit. So now the onus is on Hasheem to buy into that and to develop and to reach his potential.”

The Thunder can still sign one more player before next season. With Thabeet and rookie Perry Jones III, OKC will have 14 players on the roster.

Devin Ebanks, Daniel Orton and Roger Mason are three names rumored to be targeted by the Thunder this summer.

Nash will go to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade with the Lakers being able to absorb Nash’s contract because of the trade exception they received when they traded Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks last year.

Nash is set to sign with the Lakers for three years in a deal worth around $25 million.

The Lakers will receive four draft picks from Phoenix in the deal, first rounders in 2013 and 2015 and second rounders in 2013 and 2014.

The Lakers’ name came up as a possible destination for Nash Tuesday night but then it was rumored Phoenix would not deal Nash to their old nemesis.

The Knicks emerged as the favorite to get Nash today in what would have been their own sign-and-trade sending Iman Shumpert to the Suns.

The Toronto Raptors also went all in on Nash offering him a 3-year, $36 million deal as well as offering Landry Fields a 3-year, $20 million in an attempt to prevent New York from working out a sign-and-trade with the Suns for Fields.

The storyline surrounding the Lakers for much of last season was that they needed a point guard. When they traded for Ramon Sessions it was a big deal. So trading for Nash now is that much bigger of a deal in L.A.

Nash is 38 years old but played some great basketball last season. It will be interesting to see the dynamic between him and Kobe Bryant but you have to figure they will find a way to make it work.

Here is Nash’s statement regarding the trade via ESPN:

For the last 8 seasons I’ve been blessed to play for a team and a city that has embraced me and that I have come to call home. This is a tough business and the only thing constant in life is change.

After talking with (owner) Robert (Sarver) and (president of basketball operations) Lon (Babby) we’ve agreed that it’s time for both of us to move in new directions. I approached them and asked if they would be willing to do a sign and trade deal with L.A. because it is very important to me to stay near my children and family.

They were very apprehensive and didn’t want to do it. Fortunately for me, they reconsidered. They saw that they were able to get assets for their team that will make them better, assets they would not have otherwise had and it made sense for them to do a deal that helps their team get better.

I couldn’t be more grateful to the organization and Robert in particular. I know how hard this was for him and that fact that he was able to help me and my family in this way … it means a lot and says a lot about his character. I will never forget this gesture. Above and beyond.

The Phoenix Suns are an amazing organization and fans should be excited about their future. I hope the Suns win a championship some day soon for all the amazing fans and wonderful people in the organization.

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

The New York Knicks may have become the front-runner to land Steve Nash, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

The Knicks are in the process of working out a deal where Nash and the Phoenix Suns would be a part of a sign-and-trade involving Iman Shumpert. The potential deal for Nash would be three years and worth between $27 million-$30 million.

Nash’s named was linked with the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday but any potential deal between Phoenix and L.A. apparently fell through because the Suns do not want to trade Nash to their old rival.

Phoenix would also receive Toney Douglas and Dan Gadzuric as part of the deal. The Suns were close to drafting Shumpert in last year’s draft which could sweeten the deal for them.

The Knicks would prefer not to trade Shumpert but “will if they have to” to get Nash.

The Toronto Raptors previously seemed like the team most likely to sign Nash. Toronto was prepared to offer Nash a 3-year, $36 million deal and also offered restricted free agent Landry Fields a 3-year, $20 million deal in an attempt to prevent New York from getting Nash.

The dream scenario for the Knicks right now would be the sign-and-trade for Nash as well as re-signing Jeremy Lin, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. The Knicks would be committing upwards of $82 million to five players in the 2014-15 season if they get Nash and Lin.

The Houston Rockets are meeting with Lin today and are expected to offer him a deal worth around $30 million. The deal would be heavy on the back end with Lin making around $5 million per year in the first two years then around $10 million per in the final two.

The Knicks intend to match any offer sheet Lin signs with another team.

The Raptors were the first team to go all in on Nash and now the Knicks have countered. If New York can snag Nash from the Raptors, the move to sign Fields by Toronto will really look bad.

Nash in New York, reunited with Amare Stoudemire and possibly taming the trigger-happy Carmelo Anthony, would be heaven for Knicks’ fans. It wouldn’t necessarily be enough to call the Knicks contenders to the Miami Heat but it has to be seen as progress.

The Thunder do have a few roster spots to fill though with Derek Fisher, Nazr Mohammed and Royal Ivey all possibly coming off the books.

The Thunder aren’t going to outbid anyone for a free agent but here are a few possibilities for the Thunder:

Hasheem Thabeet, C

Thabeet was the first name brought up this offseason with the Thunder. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2009 has pretty much been a bust so far in his NBA career. Thabeet hasn’t gotten a lot of chances yet though anywhere he has played. At 7-foot-3, Thabeet is a physical specimen and was drafted No. 2 for a reason: he has a lot of potential. The Thunder may be a perfect spot for him to shine.

With Mohammed likely on the way out, the Thunder would be in the market for another backup big. Kendrick Perkins will be the starting center with Serge Ibaka starting at power forward. Nick Collison and Cole Aldrich are the immediate backup bigs and then there is rookie Perry Jones III. Signing another backup center if Aldrich doesn’t pan out would be a good idea for OKC.

Devin Ebanks, SF

Ebanks is an athletic wing that has drawn interest from a number of teams, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopWorld. The Lakers have extended a qualifying offer to him so they can match any offer he received from another team if they choose.

A backup small forward for Kevin Durant is a need for the Thunder. Daequan Cook served as Durant’s backup for most of the regular season making the Thunder second unit extra small. Ebanks could be an upgrade in this spot and provide some more versatility to OKC’s lineups.

Roger Mason

ESPN’s Chris Broussard tweeted that the Thunder are among a few teams interested in Mason. Mason is basically a spot-up shooter not much different than Cook. This signing isn’t one the Thunder would prefer over Ebanks but if they can’t get Ebanks, Mason could come into play.

Mason averaged 5.5 points per game in 52 games for Washington last season. He is a career .381 percent 3-point shooter.

Daniel Orton

Orton is from Oklahoma and a potential target for OKC, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Orton was a first round draft pick by Orlando back in 2010. He has only played in 16 games in his short NBA career and never really showed much for the Magic.

With Thabeet expected to sign with the Thunder more than anything else, Orton seems unlikely to land in OKC.

LeBron retweeted one of his followers yesterday who tweeted a Photoshopped picture of Ray Allen in a Miami Heat jersey.

RT @abake6: #Heat fans, do yall want to see something really cool? (Cc: @FakePatRiley) twitter.com/abake6/status/…(looks damn good to me)

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 4, 2012

LeBron also posted the picture on Facebook with a tagline reading: “This looks damn good to me.”

This isn’t the first time LeBron has made his feeling known on Twitter about Allen possibly signing with the Heat.

While watching the Draft my son Bryce ask “Is Ray Allen gonna play for the Heat”. I said “I don’t know, I hope so”.

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 29, 2012

The Heat can offer Allen just $3.09 million per year to sign with them. The Boston Celtics have already offered Allen a 2-year, $12 million deal.

Allen plans to meet with the Heat Thursday and then with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. The Clippers can offer Allen the full mid-level exception of $5 million.

Allen would have to sacrifice money to go chase a championship with LeBron in South Beach but that’s something he did before when he first signed with Boston back in 2007.

The New Orleans Hornets are expected to match the offer to Gordon. Gordon is hoping they won’t.

“After visiting the Suns, the impression the organization made on me was incredible,” Gordon said in a statement. “Mr. (Robert) Sarver, Lon Babby, Lance Blanks, the Front Office Staff and Coach (Alvin) Gentry run a first-class organization, and I strongly feel they are the right franchise for me. Phoenix is just where my heart is now.”

Gordon is in the same position right now that Thunder guard James Harden would be in next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Thunder this summer.

If Gordon can get a max offer this year, Harden most certainly can next year. Harden and the Thunder know this and it is no secret now that Harden will have to take less money to stay in Oklahoma City.

Gordon is considered by most one of the best young shooting guards in the NBA. Harden is right there with him.

Gordon and Harden will also be competing for one of the final spots for Team USA Basketball in the Summer Olympics in London.

Made a very tough decision today…. lockerz.com/s/222071318

— Deron Williams (@DeronWilliams) July 3, 2012

Williams reportedly narrowed down his decision to the Nets and Dallas Mavericks and was meeting with the two teams over the past 48 hours.

The Nets traded for All-Star shooting guard Joe Johnson yesterday in a deal that was made to team up Johnson with Williams.

Williams would not have been able to make as much money playing in Dallas, who only could have offered him a deal around 4-years, $75 million.

Jason Kidd has been rumored to sign wherever Williams chose and played golf with him some the past few days.

The Nets re-signed Gerald Wallace to a 4-year, $40 million deal earlier this week. They are expected to try and re-sign Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries now as well.

For Kris Humphries to stay with Nets, he would have to accept the veteran’s minimum salary and that isn’t happening. So consider him gone.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 3, 2012

Brooklyn was the team Dwight Howard wanted to be traded to from Orlando but the Magic have not been interested enough in any type of deal with the Nets.

There were reports earlier today that Brooklyn was willing to offer Lopez, Humphries, MarShon Brooks and three future first round picks to Orlando in exchange for Howard but the Magic were not interested in pulling the trigger on that.

Brooklyn will have most of their money tied up in just a few players especially if they re-sign Lopez and Humphries. The Nets have certainly improved their roster from last season and making sure they kept Williams was huge for them.

Durant deleted that Tweet a little bit later perhaps realizing better the situation that the Thunder are in right now.

Oklahoma City can’t really go after any free agents who are looking for anything more than close to minimum deals. That’s why the only name that we’ve heard come up with the Thunder so far is Hasheem Thabeet’s.

Durant forgot for a minute that OKC is trying to save as much money as possible so that they can extend James Harden, Serge Ibaka and possibly Eric Maynor this summer.

Keeping together the Thunder’s current core is not going to be an easy task for GM Sam Presti and company. Given the current landscape of the NBA, teams would be glad to offer Harden a max-deal and even Ibaka could get close to that.

The Thunder are either going to have to overpay Harden and Ibaka to keep them and have little money left over to build around them or convince them to really sacrifice some cash to stay in OKC.

Or the Thunder can pick between Harden and Ibaka and wait for the rest of the league to determine their value next summer.

Oklahoma City’s best chance to keep the two is to get them as soon as possible. They’re monetary value is only going to rise as time goes on. They’re young enough now too that they may be willing to take a little pay cut for a chance to stay in town and try and win a title with Durant and Westbrook.

So while the rest of the teams in the NBA are busy wooing free agents, the Thunder are simply trying to keep the core they have for as long as possible.

Allen had conference calls yesterday with the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com. Allen will visit with the Heat and Clippers later this week.

The Boston Celtics have made Allen a 2-year, $12 million offer which is more money than the Heat or Clippers could offer Allen. Miami can only give Allen $3.09 million next year while the Clippers can offer Allen the full mid-level exception of $5 million.

The Heat seemed like the frontrunner last week to get Allen. Now he could make double staying in Boston and the Clippers are looking more and more like title contenders themselves.

The Clippers recently traded for Lamar Odom which gives them another piece they were missing from last season. Playing with Chris Paul also has to be a huge draw for any shooter especially Allen.

The Celtics have also made moves re-signing Kevin Garnett for three years making it clear they want to try and make another run with this core. The draft picks of Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo should also help one of Boston’s problems from this past season by getting bigger.

At the end of the day, going to play for the defending champs in South Beach has to be the place where Allen would feel like he has the best chance to win another title before his career is over.

The Heat showed this season just how much they can featured shooters like Allen too with the performances of Shane Battier and Mike Miller in the NBA Finals. Allen would be a perfect fit next to LeBron and Wade.

It’s going to come down to how much Allen values the potential more money he could make somewhere besides Miami.

The Nets may still be in play for Howard though. Orlando and Brooklyn are working on a deal for Howard that would send Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries and three future first round picks to the Magic.

The Nets have even said they would take on the contract of Hedo Turkoglu as well to sweeten the deal for Orlando.

Howard made it clear yesterday that Brooklyn was the place he wanted to go. He said that Brooklyn is the only team he would re-sign with following next season if traded there. Howard went on to say that if he wasn’t traded to Brooklyn, he would just play out next season in Orlando then test free agency in the summer of 2013.

Deron Williams still has not officially decided where he will play next season. It is down to Brooklyn and the Dallas Mavericks for him as he is meeting with both teams this week.

Jason Kidd will supposedly also sign wherever Williams chooses and has been playing golf with Williams in Brooklyn some over the past few days.

If the Mavericks cannot sign Williams this season, they would surely like to go after Howard themselves. Dallas could offer Orlando Rodrigue Beaubois, Vince Carter, Dominique Jones, Brandan Wright and rookies Jared Cunningham, Bernard James and Jae Crowder.

Despite Howard saying he would only re-sign in Brooklyn, the Mavericks and their owner Marc Cuban would surely be confident that they could convince Howard to re-sign in Dallas.

The Howard drama simply continues. Orlando would love nothing more than to get rid of him before the season but they won’t unless there is a deal out there good enough for him. The Magic can technically wait all the way up until the trading deadline during next season for the right deal so they may not be in the biggest rush.

The Lakers are still a team that could happen with a Howard trade. Andrew Bynum remains the best individual piece Orlando could land by trading their center.

Brooks and the Thunder have been working on a deal since the season ended and it was really just a matter of time before the two sides reached an agreement.

“Continuing with Scott as our head coach is extremely significant for the future of our organization,” Thunder GM Sam Presti said in a press release. “As we have continually communicated, he has been integral to our success and we have a deep appreciation for his tireless dedication to our players’ development. His experiences and core values are invaluable to our players as they continue to grow and improve and we are thrilled to continue our partnership.”

Presti has been adamant all along that Brooks was his guy and would be a part of the Thunder organization moving forward.

“I would like to thank Clay Bennett and Sam Presti for the opportunity to continue with the Thunder,” Brooks said. “Oklahoma City is a special place and I’m eager to build upon the foundation and culture of this franchise for years to come.”

Signing Brooks was the first step this offseason. Next up is dealing with James Harden, Serge Ibaka and Eric Maynor who are all eligible for contract extensions themselves this summer.

All three have talked about sacrifice in regards to their futures with the Thunder and they all will likely have to sacrifice a little cash to remain with the organization.

The Thunder have also met with free agent Hasheem Thabeet and they may take a flyer on the former No. 2 overall draft pick as well to fill out their roster.

The top priority in OKC right now is getting a deal done with Scott Brooks and then extending James Harden and Serge Ibaka.

Former No. 2 overall pick from the 2009 NBA Draft, Hasheem Thabeet, could be a player that the Thunder may go after in free agency.

First the Perry Jones “gamble,” now Hasheem Thabeet? Source says Oklahoma City is the most likely landing spot for the 7-3 center who was taken No. 2 by Memphis in 2009 and will be playing for his fourth team (assuming he doesn’t sign with Portland, Houston or the Griz).

via Sam Amick of SI.com

The Thunder have three players that will be free agents this summer: Derek Fisher, Nazr Mohammed and Royal Ivey. They drafted Perry Jones III so that leaves two more spots on the roster to fill.

Fisher and Mohammed will likely not be coming back so there could be room for a free agent signing like Thabeet.

Thabeet is an unrestricted free agent and likely wouldn’t command much of a deal. The Thunder have always been interested in taking a flyer on Thabeet, even coming close to working a deal for him a couple years ago while he was still in Memphis. The Thunder feel strongly that put in their program, Thabeet still has the tools to develop into something worthwhile.

via Royce Young of Daily Thunder

Thabeet is considered by most a bust at this point in his NBA career. He has played in 135 games in his career and averaged 2.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Thabeet is 7-foot-3 though and there is a reason he was drafted No. 2 overall in the draft. He has potential and has some tools to work with and the Thunder may see that in him.

The feeling around a team like OKC is that it would be a great fit for anyone. That was the case when they drafted Jones III. Had Jones III been taken in the top 10 by a team like Toronto, everyone would be calling it a bad pick. In Oklahoma City, it will be a perfect fit for Jones III.

That’s the same way people would feel if the Thunder signed Thabeet. Couldn’t he give the Thunder a solid 10-minute stretch now and then? Imagine Thabeet and Serge Ibaka in a lineup on the floor together. That sounds like it could be a force to be reckoned with on defense.

The Thunder have a luxury that not every NBA team has. They are young and made it to the NBA Finals last season and they now can take flyers on players like Thabeet and Jones III.

It seems like no matter what the Thunder do, it is the right move. Only the Thunder can sign Thabeet and call it “the right move.”

Update: Hasheem Thabeet visited the Thunder on Sunday and could end up signing with Oklahoma City, a source said. The 7-3 center has played for Memphis, Houston and Portland since being drafted No. 2 by the Grizzlies in 2009.

Nash is 38 years old but still has some good basketball left in him. Last season he averaged 12.5 points and 10.7 assists per game while shooting .532 percent from the field, .390 from three and .894 from the free throw line.

Any contender would love to add him to their roster but it’s not going to be that easy.

The Toronto Raptors have emerged as the front-runner to sign Nash this offseason reportedly offering him a 3-year, $36 million deal that few teams would be able to match.

Nash has expressed the desire to play in Canada and has also made it known that money is still a factor for him. This is Nash’s last chance to make this kind of money in his career. Why would he leave $36 on the table to chase a title in Miami for $4 million?

Nash would immediately make the Raptors one of the most exciting teams in the Eastern Conference and possibly a threat to win a round in the playoffs. We’ve seen the kind of impact Nash has on a team and the Raptors may have enough tools to surround Nash with.

Other possible suitors for Nash are the Mavericks, Nets and Knicks. Neither could offer Nash as much money as Toronto.

The Knicks are exploring the possibility of a sign-and-trade involving Landry Fields to Phoenix that could afford Nash a little more money in a deal but still not as much as Toronto is offering.

If Toronto’s offer of $36 million isn’t enough, they’ve also called in the help of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to help woo Nash.

Toronto seems like the most likely landing spot for Nash by far right now. Nash would save that team for a year or two too. They wouldn’t be the same Raptors as last season who just added a 38 year old point guard. Nash can still play and play at a very high level for his position.