The Thunder are a worse team today than they were Saturday afternoon. I don’t know how anyone could argue with that point. Here are some points up for discussion though.

First and the most obvious is cap flexibility. With the new CBA we still are not sure how this is going to effect teams with a large amount of salary tied up with three or four players. We are going to find out soon in Memphis is a small market team can pull it off, but there is no real president yet.  This means Maynor will likely be back also. (Hooray)

Kevin Martin will be able to replace Hardin’s scoring. He is a terrible defender and won’t match James’ play making ability but can score points. Martin has always been a good player on a bad team. Hopefully he will be able to settle into more of a supporting role which will increase his inefficiency.  Even thought Martin has been around for awhile, but has never been asked to do what he will with OKC. It will be interesting to see how he fits in.

Jeremy Lamb. He’s tall and has giant wing span. That is about all I know about him. But a young asset is always good so…. there is that.

Cook and Haywood leaving doesn’t hurt the Thunder at all. Perry Jones was going to take Cook’s minutes and production off the bench. Without Cole I am not sure who is going to back up Perkins. If anyone tries to tell me Thabeet can back him up I will get angry.

Draft picks. Top 20 protected pick from Dallas. They might not get that pick for several years, but again it is an asset. A top 3 protected pick from the Raptors however is very valuable.  The only thing that bugs me is the Thunder were in the NBA finals last year. They don’t need to get young assets, they need to win now. But that brings me to my next point/prediction.

Presti will make another move this season to move some combinations of assets  for a better veteran piece.  I have no idea who, but I don’t believe the Thunder are going to stand pat for the rest of the season.   Three first round picks and multiple young talents should make quite the package for any team.

So after almost  a day to process, I truly believe this make the Thunder worse for this and next year, but better in the long term future. Which is frustrating for a team with championship aspirations, but the Thunder have shown commitment to the team and a team philosophy by trading now both Jeff Green and James Harden.  Now we just have to wait until Thursday to see how this really changed the team.

The first is Iggy going to Denver. This will improve Denver, but not enough to make them a series threat in the Western Conference. But dear Lord how fun is this team going to be to watch? Denver and OKC have already had some of the most memorable regular seasons games with their up tempo style of play, and Iguodala will  play right into that.

Mar 14, 2012; San Antonio, TX, USA; Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (12) shoots a free throw during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT

Second of course is bring Dwight to LA. It is pretty much set that the Lakers will start Nash, Kobe, Metta, Pau and Dwight. That is a lineup that will scare quite a few teams. The biggest issue is that if the Lakers land Dwight(and he is 100% healthy) that pretty much means that….. gulp, OKC can’t amnesty Perkins.

It’s a well known fact that OKC will be cap burdened in the near future.  With the emergence of Ibaka and Harden, it was going to be tough to afford the current roster in two years. There was a glimmer of hope however, Presti signing smart short term deals kept the possibility alive of being able to resign Harden and Ibaka, and amnesty Perkins. This is absolutely impossible if the Lakers get Dwight Howard.  With all-star shooters Dwight in crunch time, it will be nearly impossible to double Dwight on the block.  There are going to be other articles showing that Perkins vs Howard is overrated and Perkins doesn’t dominate this match up as much as thought. I am just going to go out and say it, that I don’t care about any stats for Dwight on offense the last three seasons. Literally every team either hard doubled Dwight or dug down with a soft double since the Magic were horrible.  Perkins is absolutely the best one on one defender to defend against Dwight. It isn’t even a question.

It is still early to speculate, but Dwight and Pau both in LA almost cements  Perkins in OKC for the duration of his contract. As much as it hurts, we might have to start realizing the fact the Harden could walk as a restricted free agent. As more details emerge, Thunderous Intentions will keep you up to date on all trade related talk and reactions.

@codybrees 

“We’ve moved on. It just got to a point where we couldn’t keep going back and forth with Orlando. They had about 14 days to do something and didn’t. We just had to move on, and we felt that way this morning,” a Nets source told ESPNNewYork.com’s Ian O’Connor.

The Nets have offered Brook Lopez a max 4-year, $58 million deal and are discussing the possibilities of adding a fifth year. The Nets did this to prevent Lopez from signing an offer sheet with another team (he had offer sheets ready to sign with Portland and Charlotte) and it has also made it so Orlando is no longer interested in trading Howard to Brooklyn.

Orlando Magic GM Rob Hennigan said that if Lopez signs a deal of that magnitude than any chances of trading Howard to Brooklyn are gone.

Hennigan informed Howard today that the Magic attempted to make a deal with the Nets but that they could not come to one and now Orlando will focus its energy on finding a new head coach.

With the Nets now out of the picture for Howard, the Los Angeles Lakers look to be by far the frontrunner for Howard although a potential deal between L.A. and Orlando is far from close to being done.

The Lakers would have to trade away Andrew Bynum to get Howard and have said they would be willing to accept Jason Richardson and his contract as part of a potential deal.

Bynum hasn’t said he would re-sign with the Magic past next season however which is part of why Orlando would be hesitant to make that deal. If the Magic were to get Bynum though, they could potentially offer him a 5-year, $100 million deal next summer which would be tough for anyone to turn down.

Orlando is most interested in getting as many draft picks as possible so a third team would likely be necessary to sweeten a potential deal with the Lakers.

The Lakers most recently traded for Steve Nash and a core involving Kobe Bryant, Nash and Howard would be a dream for the Lakers and immediately put them in the discussion for making it to the NBA Finals next season.

The Houston Rockets are the other team still in the mix for trading for Howard. Houston could offer the Magic the best package of draft picks and young players that Orlando wants but Howard has said he would not re-sign past next season if traded to the Rockets.

The Rockets seem unconcerned with that however and would be willing to take their chances with Howard for one season.

The Magic have said before that they are in no particular rush to trade Howard who may not even be ready to play by the start of next season due to his back injury. It is hard to imagine Howard playing another game in an Orlando Magic uniform though so a trade still seems more likely than that.

Harden posted the picture below earlier today and then later deleted it. Credit to Royce Young of Daily Thunder for getting the image before it was deleted.

This would be a huge deal if Harden was traded and it would be completely out of nowhere. There has been no speculation this offseason at all of Harden being traded unless you count the rumors around the time of the NBA Draft with Harden possibly being shopped for the No. 2 overall pick.

The most likely cause for this is that Harden’s account was hacked. Not actually hacked but just someone getting his password and posting the pic.

The other interesting thing about this picture is what exactly it is of. It’s not like he typed this on a computer and then took a picture of it. It looks more like an old parchment or something. Not really sure what to make of it.

Harden has been with Team USA these past few days preparing for the Olympics. In the coming days, we may know more about what exactly this was all about but for now, we can all at least be sure that Harden has not been traded.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Los Angeles Lakers may have the right package that could convince the Magic to trade Howard and it would involve Andrew Bynum.

Howard and Bynum have been linked together in trade talks since last season and Bynum is certainly now the best individual player Orlando could land for Howard.

The Magic also want to give up the bad contracts of either Hedo Turkoglu or Jason Richardson in a potential deal with the Lakers.

The Magic want to specifically include Richardson in a deal with the Lakers and the Lakers have said they are prepared to offer Bynum along with Metta World Peace in the potential deal.

Howard said earlier this week that he wanted to be traded to Brooklyn and that is the only team he would promise to re-sign with after next season.

The Nets traded for Joe Johnson since then which will make it harder but not impossible for them to now also trade for Howard.

Brooklyn would be willing to trade Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries and three future first round draft picks to Orlando for Howard but the Magic apparently are too interested in that deal and would rather hold out for something better.

Howard injured his back at the end of the regular season and has been rehabbing ever since. He may not even be ready to play at the beginning of next season so the Magic are in no hurry to trade him just yet.

As of right now, the Lakers and Bynum are the frontrunner for trading for Howard although there may be one other unknown trade scenario.

Sources say there is one other trade scenario for a significant player that intrigues Magic general manager Rob Hennigan, but that target is unclear. Before the Magic would agree to consummate a trade for Bynum, they would need to know they could sign him to a contract extension, sources said. Bynum is entering the final year of his contract in the 2012-13 season.

via Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo! Sports

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.

The Hawks will receive Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar, Jordan Williams, Johan Petro, DeShawn Stevenson and a 2013 first round pick. The deal is contingent with Williams staying in Brooklyn.

As teams finalize framework of Joe Johnson deal contingent on DWill commitment, Nets won’t be sending future 1st to Atlanta, source tells Y!

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 2, 2012

The trade will essentially end any possibility of Dwight Howard being traded to Brooklyn. Howard made it known today that there was one place he wanted to go and that was Brooklyn.

Howard is saying that he will not re-sign with another team besides Brooklyn and would rather just play the next season in Orlando then test free agency afterward.

The key for the Nets is they get to keep MarShon Brooks and Gerald Green as well. Gerald Wallace was just signed by the Nets to a 4-year, $40 million deal.

Over the past few days the potential of Johnson being traded to Brooklyn to play with Williams was rumored with the basis being that Brooklyn was not willing to wait on Orlando and Howard.

The Magic also did not see any possible package from the Nets as being worthy enough to send Howard to them.

With Brooklyn now out of the equation, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of possible suitors for the Magic to trade Howard. The Warriors have expressed interest as well as Houston but Howard is saying he will not re-sign anywhere besides Brooklyn.

The Lakers seem to be the only real possibility for Howard now. They are working on a trade that would send Andrew Bynum to Orlando which feels like the best possible deal for the Magic.

Howard ending up in L.A. shouldn’t surprise many as so many elite centers before him have gone to the Lakers at some point in their careers.

“There’s only one team on my list and if I don’t get traded there, I’ll play the season out and explore my free agency after that,” Howard told Yahoo! Sports.

That’s not exactly the attitude you want from your superstar. The Orlando Magic have known for a long time now that Howard wants out. The best thing they can do is get rid of him as soon as possible.

“As I told Dwight, I said ‘I don’t know. I have to think about what you’re telling me.’ I want to take some time to process everything,” Magic GM Rob Hennigan said. “And the answer is we want to map out what’s in the best interest of our team.”

Howard can want to go to whatever team he wants but the Magic don’t really care where they trade him. They want to get the best package possible for Howard and if the Nets can’t give them that then they won’t trade him there.

The Nets would be able to offer Orlando something like Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks. The Magic should be able to find something better than that and they have opened negotiations with the Los Angeles Lakers about trading for Andrew Bynum again.

The Golden State Warriors are also still interested in trading for Howard even if he is not committed to staying with them beyond next season.

The Warriors have some young pieces that would possibly interest the Magic starting with the No. 7 overall pick from the draft, Harrison Barnes.

The Magic simply have to trade him though. It is clear Howard will not give them a very good effort if he stays part of the team through next season. It would be in Orlando’s best interest to deal him before the season starts.

The Magic have been open to trade walks involving Howard who has made it clear he wants out. Howard says he wants to go to Brooklyn to play with Deron Williams but would probably be happy too in L.A. with Kobe Bryant.

A potential deal would certainly involve Andrew Bynum going to the Magic but not necessarily Pau Gasol as well. The Magic are looking for young players to rebuild their team with and Gasol doesn’t fit that mold as much.

The Lakers are still shopping Gasol as well who has gotten a lot of interest from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota has offered Derrick Williams to the Lakers for Gasol. A potential trade could also include Michael Beasley.

The Timberwolves would love to acquire Gasol to team him up with fellow countryman Ricky Rubio and All-Star Kevin Love.

It looks like the Nets will have a pretty tough time getting Howard. They haven’t totally given up hope but are taking action with other things.

Brooklyn signed Gerald Wallace to a 4-year $40 million deal today. The Nets have also looked into a potential trade to acquire Joe Johnson so pair with Deron Williams.

Williams plans to meet with the Nets and Mavericks Monday to discuss his potential future.

For Orlando, the Lakers would have the best package as of right now to get Howard by sending Bynum. Bynum was an All-Star for the first time in his career last season and is only 24 years old.

Williams will be able to get a contract worth one more year and $20 million more with the Nets but he is from Dallas and would have a better chance to chase a title playing with Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks.

Dwight Howard wants to play with Williams in Brooklyn. Despite running Orlando’s head coach and general manager out of town, Howard still wants out himself.

Dwight Howard met with new Magic GM Rob Hennigan Friday in LA. Howard told Hennigan he wants to be traded to Brooklyn Nets, sources say.

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 1, 2012

The Nets simply do not have a lot to offer Orlando for Howard and the Magic aren’t going to let him go for nothing. Howard has a year left on his contract in Orlando and they will holdout until they absolutely have to let him go while trying to wait for the best deal for them.

Multiple league sources believe the Nets are losing hope they can pry Howard out of Orlando, and are working diligently to construct a roster to keep Williams that doesn’t necessarily give them the financial flexibility to absorb Howard when he can become a free agent next year. If the Magic do eventually make a deal for Howard – something that they haven’t shown an inclination yet to do with the Nets under new general manager Rob Hennigan – the Nets would be stocked with the kind of expensive veteran contracts that wouldn’t appeal to Orlando’s blueprint for rebuilding.

Williams has hoped to play with Howard in Brooklyn, but Orlando has shown no immediate intent to move its All-Star center, who has one year left on his contract, sources said. Williams has narrowed his free agent choices to Brooklyn and the Dallas Mavericks.

via Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski

The Nets have moved on to consider a trade for Joe Johnson to pair him up with Williams if they can’t get Howard. The Nets and Hawks aren’t close on a deal yet.

If the Nets do not get a deal done for Johnson or Howard, they plan to pursue O.J. Mayo in free agency and try to re-sign Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace.

One thing that seems a certainty is Jason Kidd going wherever Williams goes. Kidd has expressed interest in becoming Williams’ backup whether it is in Dallas or Brooklyn.

Williams is spending the weekend playing golf with Kidd in New York’s Hamptons, sources told Bucher, yet one more indicator the Nets have at least a fighting chance to keep Williams and add Kidd sometime after free agency begins Sunday.

via ESPN’s Chris Broussard

Odom will return to where he started playing in the NBA for next season as he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers Friday.

Mo Williams went to the Utah Jazz in the 4-team deal. Dallas did it essentially to just get rid of Odom’s salary.

Odom loves playing in cities with good weather. This is not a secret about him. He only wants to play for teams in L.A. or Miami.

Odom had a very tough year last year but may be revitalized on the Clippers with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.

Odom is always a piece that any team could use and the Clippers for sure. If he can bounce back next season and return to his old self the Clippers could make a lot of noise in the Western Conference.

Dallas also received the draft rights to Tadija Dragicevic and the Clippers sent their recent draft choice Furkan Aldemir to Houston as part of the deal.

Bradley Beal of Florida – who is considered the No. 2 prospect in the draft by 70 percent of GMs – is on Oklahoma City’s radar.

Beal told ESPN/ESPN.com Wednesday that Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti told him during an interview in Chicago that he was interested in trying to move up to draft him. The Thunder’s first-round pick currently isn’t until No. 28.

“He told me he was going to decide what they’re going to do and considered getting up there,” said Beal.

via ESPN’s Andy Katz

The Charlotte Bobcats have been looking to move the No. 2 pick in the draft and that is how far OKC would have to move up to select Beal. Beal is definitely not falling past the Washington Wizards at No. 3.

“I’ve heard it a lot,” Beal said of the Thunder scenario. “It’s really interesting. I would love to play with Kevin Durant. (Russell) Westbrook, great point guard. Just the whole team. It’s young, I would love to play with a young team. They play fast. I’d love to get up and down, shoot the ball. Overall, whatever situation I Iand in I’ll be happy.”

The Thunder would have to give up James Harden to move up to the No. 2 pick. There were reports a few weeks ago that the Bobcats had offered the No. 2 pick to OKC for Harden.

Harden was obviously a huge part of the Thunder’s run to the NBA Finals this past season. Harden did struggle quite a bit in the Finals against the Heat and the Thunder are going to have a tough time keeping both Harden and Serge Ibaka down the road without dipping into the luxury tax.

Harden is up for an extension starting July 1 and while a deal isn’t done yet, Harden felt that he and the Thunder would come to an agreement.

Still, Presti has seriously considered finding a way to get to Beal. A number of sources said that Presti spent three days in Gainesville during the lockout watching the Gators practice, a fact that Beal confirmed Wednesday.

A source also said that Florida coach Billy Donovan met with Presti in Dallas when he took his two nephews to the Oklahoma City-Dallas first-round playoff series in May. Presti and Donovan have had multiple conversations on the phone about Beal, as well.

A source with direct knowledge of the situation said, “Oklahoma City exhausted every opportunity on campus to find out everything they could find out about Beal. They’ve done everything they can.”

via ESPN’s Andy Katz

The Thunder model is all about making great draft choices, developing that talent and creating a culture of winning in Oklahoma City.

Harden was as much a part of that culture as anyone in OKC but continuing that model might mean dealing Harden instead of paying him for a player that could blossom into a similar player.

The Thunder are already locked in to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Trying to keep a third All-Star who needs the ball to be productive might not be the best idea.

Everyone in Thunder camp loves Harden and they should. But the NBA is a business and the right business decision here might be Beal.

Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics took part in one of the most surprising trades of the season last year swapping Kendrick Perkins and Jeff Green.

The Thunder made it to the Finals this year with Perkins as their starting center while Green did not play in a single game for the Celtics this year due to a heart condition. Green failed a physical at the beginning of the season and then had surgery.

The Celtics have now been awarded a 2013 second round draft choice as compensation for the dispute over Green’s medical condition. The Celtics probably feel that Oklahoma City withheld information about Green’s condition at the time of the trade.

The second round pick is the one Oklahoma City had obtained from the Charlotte Bobcats.

This isn’t a big blow to the Thunder as it is unlikely they will be adding much to their roster via second round picks.

When the Thunder made this trade a year ago, they wanted Perkins to help them get past the Lakers who have Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. The Celtics did it to have another athletic wing to put on LeBron James.

It’s ironic that the one player OKC really could have used this postseason was a healthy Jeff Green who would have been perfect for the last two series against the Spurs and Heat, who were playing a lot of small lineups thus nullifying any affect Perkins could have had.

Green will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and is expected to be healthy enough to play next season.

Update

Here is the official statement by the league regarding the decision, via Daily Thunder.

As part of a ruling in a trade disclosure dispute between the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA Commissioner David Stern today awarded the Celtics a 2013 second-round draft pick held by the Thunder. Stern found that there was no evidence of bad faith or any intent to withhold information on the part of Thunder management or its physicians, but that Oklahoma City’s cardiologists were in possession of information about Jeff Green that was not shared with Thunder management and that should have been disclosed to the Celtics in connection with the trade of Green in February 2011.

Under NBA rules, teams are required to disclose to each other in connection with trades any information in their possession or control about a player’s prior injuries, illnesses, or other health conditions that could affect the player’s ability to play NBA basketball at any point in the future. Green had surgery on his heart in January 2012 and did not play during the 2011-12 season.

Mike DiNovo-US PRESSWIRE

The first major trade before the 2012 NBA Draft has occurred involving the Houston Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Rockets traded Chase Budinger to Minnesota in exchange for the 18th pick in the first round as first reporter by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

The Rockets now have the 14th, 16th and 18th picks in the first round and it is clear that they are trying to pull off a package that could land them Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

The Timberwolves are past stockpiling first round draft choices as just about every player on their roster feels like they were selected in the lottery within the past five seasons. Budinger is a nice piece for them to build around Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.

Shortly after this trade was completed, Houston offered the Sacramento Kings Kyle Lowry, the 14th pick and the 16th pick for Tyreke Evans and the 5th pick in the draft.

The plan here is for Houston to have a package consisting of Evans, Kevin Martin, the 5th pick and the 18th pick to send to Orlando for Howard.

Houston is doing everything possible to get Howard even though it has been reported that Howard is not interested in resigning with Houston after the 2012-13 season.

The Rockets and their savvy GM Daryl Morey are confident in themselves and what they have in Houston that they will be able to convince Howard to stay after a season with the team.

Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

The Charlotte Bobcats have been shopping their No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming 2012 NBA Draft.

James Harden is reportedly a player that the Bobcats would be interested in getting for that pick.

It makes sense that the Bobcats would like to deal the pick for an established star or even a few pieces. Anthony Davis is the prize of this draft and the only player close to being a sure thing.

Charlotte would have to settle for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bradley Beal or Thomas Robinson now that the New Orleans Hornets jumped them in the Draft Lottery for the top pick.

Harden would be worth it for the Bobcats to give up that pick. In his third year, Harden has shown all the making of a potential All-Star in this league.

The Oklahoma City Thunder would have to have quite the deal on the table for them to part ways with their beloved Harden though. The Thunder will however be in somewhat of a tough position pretty soon when it comes to paying Harden and also Serge Ibaka.

Many think they will have to choose between the two since it will be very hard to keep both. With Kevin Durant and Russell already locked in for the next 5-6 years for the Thunder and Harden being a somewhat similar player to the two, maybe Ibaka would be the better long-term decision for OKC.

It’s hard to imagine the Thunder trading Harden no matter how much sense it could make. Sam Presti and the Thunder organization are so dedicated to winning with the core they have now.

The Thunder have shown though that they will make the tough trades like they did last year when they dealt Jeff Green to Boston for Kendrick Perkins. That trade eventually has worked out in the Thunder’s favor.

Trading Harden essentially for MKG or Beal would actually be closer to what the “Thunder Model” is. They’re all about finding that right guy in the draft that they can develop and make work with the chemistry of their team and the chemistry of Durant-Westbrook.

If the Thunder think there’s a player that fits that mold at No. 2, why not pull the trigger?