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Saturday, February 13

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Marc J. Spears: Washington trade of Butler, Haywood and Stevenson to Dallas for Howard, Gooden, Ross and Singleton recently became official, source tells Y! Yahoo! Sports

Marc J. Spears: mavs also getting cash from wiz in trades. Yahoo! Sports

The Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks have completed a seven-player trade that launches Washington's long-anticipated rebuilding project in earnest and sends Wizards mainstays Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to the Mavericks. The teams agreed on the principal pieces Friday: Butler, Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson to Dallas for Josh Howard and Drew Gooden. Mavericks reserves Quinton Ross and James Singleton were added to the deal Saturday and are also Washington-bound, with Dallas due to receive cash considerations in addition to the three players. ESPN.com

The Cavaliers have been in touch for weeks with the Phoenix Suns about a possible deal that would bring Amare Stoudemire to Cleveland, but several other teams' chances of landing the five-time All-Star forward are just as good, a person close to the talks told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard on Saturday. ESPN.com

Stoudemire on dealing with trade rumors: “It’s definitely not easy at times but you have to able to put it aside and focus on the fun part of basketball, which is playing. Once you step on the basketball court, it’s like freedom. You’re free and having fun. That’s the best way to put all the trade talk aside.” Arizona Republic

Stoudemire again on being puzzled by annual trade talks: “It’s a question mark why the trade talk is always around me every year. It’s nothing I can control. I can’t change it. All I can do is stay focused and play to the best of my ability and see what happens.” Arizona Republic

Stoudemire on believing there is a “50-50” chance he will be traded: “The ball’s in midcourt. Both parties want to make a great decision for themselves. All I want to do is contend for a championship. That’s my goal. The Phoenix Suns goal may be a little bit different. I’m not sure. Whatever decision is made, hopefully we can reach a common denominator and both be satisfied with the decision.” Arizona Republic

Instead, he deferred on talk about a potential Amare Stoudemire acquisition, saying, "I'm not really watching it." And he continues to insist that no decision has been made on his future, while stressing the strong bond to the city where he has spent his first seven seasons. "I'm really not thinking about being in another uniform," Wade said. "I'm thinking about building a dynasty in Miami. That would be ideal, but we don't live in an ideal world. But that's an ideal situation for me." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Jared Dudley has done a lot of smart things since coming to the Suns. He's played smart. He's used twitter and other media strategically to help build his personal brand. And as a result he's won the hearts and minds of Suns fans. Perhaps most importantly for a guy of average NBA talent, Jared's earned the adoration and appreciation of the Phoenix Suns coaching staff. Bright Side of the Sun

Kobe had more to say … and we have a few quick thoughts: *More Bryant analysis of the two key pieces coming to Dallas in exchange for the Josh Howard/Drew Gooden package: “They get length with Haywood, obviously. That's one of our strengths, but … Caron at both ends of the floor plays extremely hard, unselfishly and tough. So you know pains me to say but you guys made two great pickups.’’ DallasBasketball.com

There is a supplement to all of this that has largely gone unmentioned in most coverage: We believe Dallas will also be giving a Trade Exception to Washington and taking back a player like reserve center Fabricio Oberto. In fact, we will suggest that who to take with the TE -- the candidates are those with salaries between $1.4 mil and $3 mil, Blatche, Oberto, Young and McGee -- is as much part of the debate/delay as the Ross/Thomas/Singleton question. Singleton actually has Early Bird Rights, which means he can veto a deal (not unlike what Devean George once did in Dallas’ Devin/Kidd trade with New Jersey). I’m not sure if Singleton would do that, or why; he is likely to play more in Washington. But if he vetoes, the Wizards should be accepting of an alternative minimum-wage Mav. Oftentimes, deals agreed upon on the Friday of All-Star Weekend are not finalized until NBA business opens Monday. So this can be tabled ... for now. ... DallasBasketball.com

Derrick Rose won't defend his Skills Challenge title after all. Bulls physician Brian Cole re-examined Rose's bruised right hip and back following Saturday morning's Eastern Conference All-Star practice, and Rose dropped out of the competition Saturday afternoon. The NBA announced that Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook would replace his close friend and summer workout partner in the competition. Bucks guard Brandon Jennings, Suns guard Steve Nash and Jazz guard Deron Williams also will compete. Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose, who suffered a bruised hip on Thursday, said he will play in Sunday night's All-Star Game. Rose, however, will not defend his title in the Skills Competition on Saturday. Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook, a good friend of Rose's, will take his place. Rose suffered a bruised hip on Thursday after a hard foul from the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard. "It's going to be 100 percent," the second-year point guard said when asked whether he would play in the All-Star Game. "No matter what. If it's 80 [percent healthy], I'm going to say I'm 120 [percent healthy]. So, I'm going to play in that game." ESPN.com

Here's a quick exchange from TNT's broadcast booth during the first half of the Rookie Challenge about Heat forward Michael Beasley. Dwight Howard: I love his game. They call him B Easy. Kevin McHale: I like to call him B Consistent. ESPN.com

On his 63rd birthday and 1,000th game at Duke, Mike Krzyzewski had a gift for Duke basketball fans. He said no to the latest NBA team to be linked to longtime Duke coach and Team USA head man. Assuming, that is, the Nets every actually contact him. "The guy's Russian, right? You think he'd hire a Polish guy?" Krzyzewski said after the Blue Devils' 77-56 rout of Maryland, referring to Mikhail Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire and prospective buyer of the New Jersey Nets. "No one's contacted me, and if they do, I think 'nyet' would be easy for me to say." FanHouse

Falk, who played an active role during the 1998-99 lockout, the only work stoppage in league history, is intimately familiar with the issues and the personalities. He is friendly with many owners and team executives, and less so with the union leaders, in whom he has little faith. “I’m frustrated,” Falk said, “because I think that a lockout is an untenable position for both parties, but especially for the players. The players have a much more reduced financial ability to withstand it than the owners.” New York Times

Still, the signs are troubling, and the sides have rarely seemed so far apart. About half of the league’s 30 franchises are losing money, according to some estimates. Owners want a radical restructuring of the economic system, starting with a hard salary cap to replace the current soft-cap system. The union is in favor of maintaining the status quo. New York Times

After a flight through the night that included no sleep, Nash arrived from Vancouver, where he served Friday evening as one of the four surprise torch-bearers for Canada at Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics. He also received the lone honor of lighting the Vancouver flame, an experience that left him bursting with emotion, pride and patriotism, carrying it all the way back to Dallas. "I can't begin to explain how much it meant to me. It really was the highlight of my career,'' Nash said Saturday before his Western Conference team began a brief practice. "I've never been so nervous, so excited about something.'' FanHouse

Adrian Wojnarowski: Cavs front office internally debating merits of trading for Amar'e Stoudemire vs Antawn Jamison. Not much on line --only franchise's future. Twitter.com

As the Phoenix Suns engage in trade discussions with several teams for Amar’e Stoudemire– including negotiations with the Cleveland Cavaliers – general manager Steve Kerr has been exchanging contract extension proposals with the All-Star’s agent, sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Suns made a multiyear offer last week, and Stoudemire’s representative, Happy Walters, replied with a counterproposal over the weekend. It is unclear what the Suns offered, but Stoudemire is believed to be using the three-year, $57 million extension Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol received this season as a framework for talks. There’s no indication the Suns’ offer has given Stoudemire pause about wanting to stay long-term with the team. Yahoo! Sports

Chris Tomasson: Ran into Stoudemire. Initially seemed intrigued when told of PD report Cavs interested Then said 'maybe' whether he would welcome such deal. Twitter.com

Chris Tomasson: More from Stoudemire: “There’s a lot of teams out there that are looking at (him). I can’t quite pinpointed anything right now I just got to keep the same focus I’ve been having over the past six games to see if I can rack up some wins for the Suns.’’ Twitter.com

``I love Amare,'' Wade said. ``But I'm wearing a Heat jersey, and he's wearing a Suns jersey. That's all that really matters right now.'' Miami Herald

In Phoenix, Stoudemire has enjoyed plenty of winning. A couple of his suitors are also winning franchises like San Antonio and Miami, but the Sixers, should they make a run at him, would put Stoudemire on a team 12 games below .500. Stoudemire believes that record would quickly improve. “I think Philly has great pieces on that team, great players that can make that a big-time playoff caliber team. With the addition of myself hopefully I can improve the program, but as of right now I can’t really speak on that because I am still with Phoenix,” Stoudemire said to give fans of the proposal just enough hope. CSN Philly

Maybe the Knicks can lure LeBron out of Cleveland, and he proves to be so good that New York is contending for the title by his second year. Maybe the Cavs will implode during the playoffs, and he'll sign with Dallas for the mid-level exception. OK, that last one really is farfetched, but the point is it's all too murky to be certain. "I could see him going to L.A.," an Eastern executive said. And no, don't start thinking that the Lakers' momentary failure to sign Bryant to an extension has anything to do with leaving the door open for James to take over the franchise. The only sure thing is this: We're going to continue hearing all kinds of James rumors over the months ahead, and as of early July we'll look back and see that one of them happened to be true. SI.com

As for Wade, the panel predicts overwhelmingly that he'll stay with Miami, with one expert splitting his vote to give Chicago a 50 percent chance of luring Wade back to his hometown, and another voter predicting outright that he'll sign with the Knicks. Though I've heard no groundswell forming around the possibility of a move by Wade to the Knicks, look at this way: While James may have a hard time rationalizing a leap from a title contender in Cleveland to the bare roster of New York, Wade wouldn't be giving up as much by walking out on Miami. If the argument goes that James would become a bigger star by moving to New York, then the same dynamic surely applies to Wade. "I would think it would be hard for him to leave all he has in Miami, unless he thinks the team isn't going to be good enough for his standards," an Eastern GM said. SI.com

But the executive doesn't dismiss the possibility of Wade's signing with the Knicks. "That wouldn't surprise me either," he said. "It doesn't scare me to death if Wade goes to New York. If Wade is their guy, I don't say, 'Oh, no, what are we going to do?' If they get LeBron, that will be a big deal, the party's over [for the rest of the league]. But Wade is a little injury-prone, and he's taken wear and tear over his career." SI.com

As has been the case over the first half of the season, Dwyane Wade remained media neutral Friday during the All-Star interview sessions in Dallas when it came to his 2010 free agency. Among the snippets:Dwyane Wade All-Star media * “I’m really not thinking about being in another uniform. I’m thinking about building a dynasty in Miami. That would be ideal, but we don’t live in an ideal world. But that’s an ideal situation for me.” South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Wade: “I think the main thing is I’ve shown and said that Miami is where I want to be. I wouldn’t be jumping in the air to leave Miami, anyway. It’s a great place to be and they’ve adopted me there.” South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami has stumbled into the All-Star break with a 26-27 record and has not ruled out adding a superstar to play alongside Dwyane Wade by Thursday's trade deadline. But Riley's plan has long been to create enough salary-cap space this summer to re-sign Wade and add at least one other elite free agent. ``We definitely need to make some moves,'' Wade said Friday. ``But as a player, you have to understand a plan is in place, and [a big trade] might not happen right now.'' Miami Herald

Only five insiders believe Bosh will re-sign with Toronto. Yet, I view this as a positive sign for Raptors, because those five votes offset widespread speculation that Bosh is certain to leave this summer. The Raptors can pay him close to $30 million more than other teams over the length of a six-year contract, compared to the five years with smaller annual raises he would receive elsewhere. That $30 million cannot be dismissed amid gloomy projections of salary cutbacks when the next collective bargaining agreement is installed in 2011-12. Bosh may never be able to make up that money in future contracts. "Here's the thing people don't know about him," an Eastern team president said of Bosh. "He wants to be a star. He wants to be the No. 1 guy." SI.com

"I think he gets lured down to South Beach," said an agent, who obviously doesn't represent Bosh. "I think his emotions are up and down, that he likes it up there. But I really don't think Toronto is going to max him out. The owners are going to have a new definition of who a max guy is, and there are only eight or nine players who are at that [level]. Pau Gasol is not max, Antawn Jamison got the max when he was at Golden State, [Andrei] Kirilenko got it [from Utah]. And those deals bit those teams in the [butt] because those guys are not major stars. The max is for Tim Duncan, LeBron, D-Wade, Kobe Bryant -- that echelon. As an agent, I want as much money as I can get, but I'm telling you how the owners are looking at it." SI.com

The most common speculation is that he'll jump to the Bulls, based on the size of their market, their need for a shooting guard to help fill out their promising young roster, and the friendship between owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Johnson's agent, Arn Tellem. "But Arn may have played that one out when he sent Ben Wallace to Chicago [in 2006]," said the agent who took part in my anonymous panel. "That move didn't work out very well for them." SI.com

Left Joe Johnson for a while at All-Star media availability on Friday to get some other stuff, and then caught up with him as he finally stood from his table and got the heck out of there. So did you get many questions from reporters about your potential free agency after the season? “Yeah,” he said, smiling wearily. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

And what did you tell them? “I told them the truth: Who knows what’s going to happen in July?” he said, repeating the standard response he’s given to hacks who come through Atlanta and corner him on the subject. But doesn’t the fact you approached the Hawks about an extension last summer indicate you’d prefer to stay in Atlanta? “I’d love to,” he said, “but who knows what happens, man.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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The Washington Wizards are in "deep conversations" with the Dallas Mavericks about a deal that would exchange starters Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood and reserve DeShawn Stevenson for Josh Howard, Drew Gooden and other yet-to-be determined secondary pieces, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. The deal may be finalized by early next week. The teams have been discussing a trade for the past few weeks, but the talks stalled with the Wizards insisting on including Stevenson in any package. The Mavericks regained interest when Haywood was added to the proposal, according to a league source. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because talks are still ongoing. Washington Post

A few days later, it appears that Butler really is headed to Texas. All signs are pointing to the Wizards soon completing a trade that would send Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson to the Dallas Mavericks for Josh Howard, Drew Gooden and another piece that could be either Quinton Ross, Tim Thomas or James Singleton. The deal would provide some major savings for the Wizards, who stand to remove close to $15 million from their 2010-11 payroll. According to two league sources with knowledge of the discussions, the Wizards and Mavericks have agreed on the primary pieces - Butler for Howard - but have yet to reach an agreement on the other parts. That should not prohibit the deal from taking place, with the Wizards having a disappointing season and the Mavericks struggling to maintain their footing in a stacked Western Conference playoff picture. Washington Post

The Wizards would like the deal to involve just Butler and Stevenson, but Haywood needed to be included to convince the Mavericks. One source said that there is a possibility that Haywood could still be left out of the deal, but a person close to Haywood told me that Dallas has been interested in acquiring him for some time. Haywood, the longest tenured Wizard, is having a career-year, averaging 10.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game. But the Wizards had been growing concerned about being able to retain him in free agency this summer. Washington Post

Josh Howard's tenure with the Mavericks, which began with quality production but eroded into inconsistency and controversy, is coming to an end. The Mavericks have reached a tentative agreement to send Howard, Drew Gooden and two other players to Washington for swingman Caron Butler, center Brendan Haywood and guard DeShawn Stevenson, numerous NBA sources said Friday. Dallas Morning News

According to two league sources with knowledge of the discussions, the Wizards and Mavericks have agreed on the primary pieces - Butler for Howard - but have yet to reach an agreement on the other parts. That should not prohibit the deal from taking place, with the Wizards having a disappointing season and the Mavericks struggling to maintain their footing in a stacked Western Conference playoff picture. Washington Post

The Mavericks will be sending James Singleton and Quinton Ross along with Gooden and Howard, who has had a wild 6 ½ seasons with the Mavericks. Dallas Morning News

Mike Fisher: Source. Mavs havent submited wiz trade 2 nba. So not done yet. Twitter.com

Sources said the Celts were looking at what it would take for them to get Butler, while other sources had them in the running for his Wizards teammate Antawn Jamison. Boston Herald

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said yesterday he has not discussed trades involving the Washington Wizards or Charlotte Bobcats, seemingly debunking persistent rumors. “There is no truth to either one of those,’’ Ainge said. “I have had conversations with a lot of teams but those have never been discussed. There are a lot of things I would like to do, but I don’t feel a need to do something. I am always looking to upgrade the team, if possible.’’ Boston Globe

The Charlotte rumor is intriguing. Bobcats coach Larry Brown could be interested in Rasheed Wallace, according to a report in the Charlotte Observer, but Ainge said Wallace will not be dealt. Ainge said he does not plan to attend the All-Star proceedings this weekend and that deals will not likely be concluded until closer to Thursday’s trade deadline. “It will probably heat up next week,’’ Ainge said. Boston Globe

As for possible trades, Garnett said, “I play with these guys every night, I’m happy with where we’re at. I know we’ve got to be better and more consistent with how we’re playing but I wouldn’t change anything.’’ Garnett’s message to other NBA players is to stick together through labor negotiations. The owners’ proposals have been like getting “hit by a cold snowball,’’ Garnett said. Boston Globe

Might the Kings be among the more active teams? Possibly, but don't expect a blockbuster. Geoff Petrie has no intention of swapping one of his premier assets (Kevin Martin) for someone else's garbage, and thus far, he has been underwhelmed by offers. He is more likely to move someone like Kenny Thomas and his expiring contract or Andres Nocioni and his hefty deal, particularly given the congestion at small forward. Sacramento Bee

League sources also said the Bulls remain in dialogue with the Rockets for the $23 million expiring contract of Tracy McGrady. Chicago Tribune

With six days until the NBA trade deadline and all the general managers in one place for competition committee meetings, this is when the bluffs start to fade and trade talks get more serious. Along those lines, league sources said the Bulls are intensifying efforts to parlay Tyrus Thomas into expiring contracts and future draft picks. The latest news is old news in that the Bulls have contacted the Knicks again regarding Al Harrington's availability. Those teams also talked in a rumor that leaked in early December. Chicago Tribune

The Bulls, who are trying to trade Tyrus Thomas, have contacted the Knicks about Al Harrington's availability. Other players would have to be included in any deal to make it work salary-wise. If the Knicks can't acquire Tracy McGrady before Thursday's trading deadline, there is a strong chance that the Rockets and McGrady will agree to a buyout. In that scenario, McGrady would likely sign with the Knicks for the final six weeks of the season. New York Daily News

A source said Tracy McGrady's agent Arn Tellem was set to meet last night in Dallas with Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. Nevertheless, reports flourished yesterday about Washington and Dallas talking deal with Caron Butler and Brandon Haywood. Those are two pieces of that potential McGrady three-team deal with the Knicks, Rockets and Wizards. A source involved said those teams may not be able to "hit their goals" in the deal. Walsh seems to still want to clear more cap room in a McGrady deal. New York Post

A deal involving Thomas and Jannero Pargo for Harrington would need other salaries to work under the collective bargaining agreement. Portland's interest in Thomas is believed not to be serious. Denver also is hesitant to take on a player whose qualifying offer is $6.2 million this summer as a restricted free agent. Chicago Tribune

Thomas also is being shopped as part of larger deals involving John Salmons and Kirk Hinrich, according to league sources. The Bulls are making clear to teams they will not take back salary as part of any deal. Chicago Tribune

Spurs guard Roger Mason Jr. has heard no specific buzz, no credible piece of NBA intelligence that tells him he might be on his way out of town. In recent days, coach Gregg Popovich has hinted the Spurs might stand pat and let Thursday's trade deadline pass without incident. Still, Mason can't wait until D-Day has come and gone. “I want to be in San Antonio for my career,” Mason said. “I want to win a championship here. That would be the ultimate.” San Antonio Express-News

Former Georgia Tech forward Dennis Scott said Morrow could be a trade commodity. "I've heard teams talking about, 'How can we make a move to go get him?' " said Scott, who is working for NBA TV. "He would be perfect for a playoff team that has a player who gets double-teamed." San Francisco Chronicle

Andris Biedrins' name is being mentioned even more often in Dallas. He is owed $9 million a season through 2012-13 and has a player option at the same rate for 2013-14, but it's not the price tag that is causing worry. League executives say potential trades could be impossible because the Warriors' asking price is too high given the center's modest production this season. San Francisco Chronicle

What do you think about the free agency status of teammate Joe Johnson? Al Horford: Let’s see what happens with Joe. He doesn’t worry about his impending free agency. We hope he stays. Johnson is a great player but maybe not so popular as other stars. Do you think he should market himself a bit more? AH: Joe is the kind of player you want to play with. He’s focused only on basketball, and hopefully Atlanta will take that into consideration this summer. It will be very interesting what happens then. HoopsHype.com

Juan Dixon of Unicaja Malaga is out of the Spanish team for doping. An anti-doping test performed when Dixon was in Greece with Aris Thessaloniki resulted positive at nandrolone. FIBA notified to Unicaja Malaga to put the player indefinitely out of the team. Sportando

"It's not a big issue for me. He's going to say what he has to say," Howard said. "I don't have any personal problems against him. If he's mad about a nickname, a lot of people call themselves Superman, not just me and Shaq." O'Neal got irritated with Howard over All-Star Weekend two years ago, when he donned a Superman cape in winning the slam dunk contest. This season, Howard has made two commercials featuring him as Superman, one for TNT and one for ESPN. O'Neal, who has a Superman tattoo on his arm, apparently has taken it as an insult. "Well, I would say it doesn't feel good when a guy like Shaq is talking bad about you, about a nickname as simple as Superman," Howard said. "But there's nothing I can do about it. I'm not going to go back and forth with the issue." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Garnett has lost some of his ebullience and sense of invincibility as he adjusts from offseason knee surgery while the Celtics struggle on the court. The idea is to regenerate and recapture the optimism that has fueled the Celtics since the 2007-08 season. “My health, it’s great, I’m happy to be here,’’ Garnett said. “I’m playing in the game. I’m not sitting up here and making this weekend about my leg and my health. There’s two other [Celtics] here, I’m going to root for Paul [Pierce] in the 3-point contest - interact, hanging out, it’s always good to see Chauncey [Billups], chop it up with LeBron [James], Joe Johnson, Dwyane [Wade], some old guys, Paul and [Rajon] Rondo, and see some young guys, their first time; see [Zach Randolph], how nervous they look.’’ Boston Globe

James, averaging 29.9 points, is making no similar predictions this weekend. "Right now, I don't have any interest in the dunk contest,'' James said. "I had a change of heart (from last year). ... As I get older, the chances of me doing it fades off.'' James, though, is excited about playing Sunday at Cowboys Stadium in front of what could be a crowd of 100,000. "It's going to be the first time for playing in a dome,'' said James, who attended the Cowboys' first game at the stadium last season and came away impressed. "I think it's going to be unbelievable. It definitely is going to be one of the biggest moments in sports we have today. To be part of this historical moment, I'm humbled and it will be fun.'' FanHouse

I still haven't seen Brandon Roy down here. The Portland guard was supposedly, maybe, possibly on his way to Dallas today, but if he's here, he's hiding out better than Tiger Woods. I was told that Roy couldn't get a flight out of Portland to Dallas Thursday, after 12 1/2 inches of snow fell on the Dallas metropolitan area on Thursday. All flights from Portland to the Dallas-Fort Worth airport were cancelled Thursday. Oregonian

Beasley had to slide his pants waistline well below acceptable sag levels for the bottom of the silver jeans to have a fighting chance to reach his feet. As Beasley tried to defend himself and those too-small jeans against a horde of mercilessly heckling teammates, one voice boomed from the back. ``What do you have on, some male capris?'' Udonis Haslem shouted to Beasley as the room erupted in laughter. ``You got two choices. Either pull your shoes up, or pull your pants down. You're going to end up catching an ankle cold out there.'' Miami Herald

Anthony Morrow: Gotta treat da boy @StephenCurry30 (fat burger in LA) lol, fun game tho man it was a blast. Twitter.com

Brandon Jennings: Blair 22pts 23reb's. I mean I'm just sayin. Twitter.com

HOOPSWORLD also asked Nate if the bar had been significantly raised in recent years, and if that demanded more imagination from the dunkers. "You gotta be creative, man. That's what people want to see – what dunks haven't been done. It's fun. Honestly, it's just real fun. It shows your character and it shows you can be someone else, not just yourself. When the lights are on and we are all dunking you could be somebody else, you bring more out of yourself," said Nate. HoopsWorld

While DeRozan, who didn't play in the Rookie Challenge, deserved to win the "dunk-in," there was a slight controversy with the online voting on NBA.com as a picture of DeRozan was placed on top of Gordon's name and a picture of Gordon was put on top of DeRozan's name. If anything, the error might have explained how Gordon ended up with nearly 40 percent of the votes after his bevy of missed dunks. "Someone told me about that, but I'm not even going to worry about it," Gordon said. "I'm going to enjoy the weekend." ESPN.com

Do you think you can become a go-to scorer in the NBA? Al Horford: Yeah, I think that as long as I continue to improve my game… I feel good about it. It’s my third year in the league and I feel comfortable in every game, so I expect that at the end of this season or at the start of the next one, my offensive game will be at the level it has to be at. HoopsHype.com

With another day to recover from his nasty fall in the Bulls' final game before the All-Star break, Derrick Rose was optimistic Friday that his bruised right hip will recover enough to allow him to play in Sunday's 59th NBA All-Star Game at Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington. "I'm feeling all right, I'm feeling better," Rose said. "I'm getting a little rest, getting a little treatment. It's coming along." Southtown Star

Francisco García expects to return within the next two weeks, but NBA types continue to express disbelief about the incident that fractured his right forearm and damaged his wrist. Lifting 90 pounds with each arm? While positioned on a physio ball? This skinny guy? I still can't believe it, either. Finally, a few thoughts on the recent trip: Sacramento Bee

Colangelo said he reached out to Wade last month and would also try to meet with Wade during All-Star festivities. Colangelo has had ongoing discussions with Nike and Wade's agents. In addition to free agency, Wade could also be tied up this summer in unresolved legal matters that include divorce proceedings and a civil case against a former business partner. Wade helped the USA win bronze in the 2004 Olympics and gold in 2008 as the leading scorer. The national team opens mini-camp on July 22 in Las Vegas and then holds training camp in August in preparation for the World Championships later that month. Colangelo said, ``There has to be a real legitimate reason'' to excuse a player this summer but allow him back in 2012. Miami Herald

Turns out Rondo said he never knew USA Basketball had interest. He hopes he still will be considered for this summer. "I think it was miscommunication,'' Rondo said Friday in Dallas, two days before he will play in Sunday's All-Star Game. "I haven't spoken to anybody at USA Basketball and no one's talked to my agent (Bill Duffy). ... I haven't heard anything this year at all about USA Basketball. ... I would be honored to play. I didn't decline the offer.'' FanHouse

Rondo said he never got a call. “I haven’t spoken to anyone from USA Basketball,’’ Rondo said. “No one’s talked to my agent. I talked to my agent yesterday, and he said the same thing. He thought I said something to the media or to someone about declining to play. But I haven’t heard anything this year about USA Basketball.’’ Boston Globe

"There may have been a little lack of communication," Colangelo said. "But this is a fluid list. I'm the one that determined how many are on the list. We could make deletions. We could make additions. Right now, we've got a lot of point guards, too. "(Rondo is) saying he didn't turn it down. There's probably a lack of communication. I was told he had. ... So the door is always open.'' FanHouse

“There may have been a little miscommunication on that one,’’ Colangelo said. “The last go-around he was unable to accept an invitation because he was going to be involved in Kendrick Perkins’s wedding. I was advised that he would not have interest but that may have been misinformation. “But he’s a young player and there will be an opportunity in the future and we have a fluid roster to begin with. I’ve made that pretty clear. So we will revisit that. The door’s not closed.’’ Boston Globe

Colangelo did say Atlanta guard Joe Johnson turned down an offer to be on the list. That was not disputed. "It was no knock on Colangelo,'' said Johnson, who used to play with Phoenix when Colangelo was an executive. "Me and him go way back.'' Johnson said his free agency this summer was "part of'' his reason to decline. But he mainly decided he didn't want to make the time investment. "I'll be all right,'' said Johnson, 28. "I'm getting a little older in the game. They've got guys like Dwyane Wade and Lebron (James) and Chris Paul, so they're going to be all right.'' FanHouse

Either way, Krzyzewski, who also is the U.S. men’s national team coach, is the Nets’ top priority to be head coach and perhaps general manager next season. “The new owner is going to try and make a statement,” said a source with knowledge of the organization’s thinking. Bergen Record

The Nets’ organization views Krzyzewski as someone who gives them instant credibility and can help in the recruiting of potential free agents LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar’e Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer when they hit the open market this summer. They’re all members of the U.S. National team and like Krzyzewski. Bergen Record

Rod Thorn insists Louisville coach Rick Pitino or his intermediaries never reached out to the Nets president regarding the team's head coaching position. But sources said Pitino backers apparently tried an end run around Thorn to get to the incoming owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. New York Post

Several persons close to the situation said Pitino supporters sought to reach Prokhorov through members of the billionaire's inner circle. Prokhorov, who is expected to be approved as the Nets' new owner by the NBA Board of Governors soon, will meet this weekend in Dallas with Thorn and Nets CEO Brett Yormark. "I have no idea about that and I have no comment," Thorn said of Pitino's camp approaching Prokhorov. New York Post

Thursday it was Rick Pitino. Friday it was John Calipari being mentioned in a New York Daily News Story as a candidate to coach the New Jersey Nets. The story quoted an unnamed source. Calipari coached the Nets for two plus seasons before being fired in 1999. The UK coach essentially shrugged off what he called "the Nets thing" today, but said fans should get used to it. Calipari said "my name will be bandied about for every job that opens, including AAU jobs...I just say whatever." FOX41.com

He went on to add..."It's better than never being mentioned ever. "That means you're 5-20. If your teams win, that's the stuff that goes along with it. Our fans just have to accept that that's going to happen. It is never me putting my name in, now, but there will be more." "I'm happy," Calipari added. "This school's committed. As long as they're committed to me and this basketball program, where would I want to go?" FOX41.com

Nuggets coach George Karl has agreed to a one-year contract extension worth about $4.5 million, an NBA source said today. Karl is currently is making $3 million this season in the final year of his contract. "I think it's important to the team," Karl said today during a news conference for Sunday's All-Star Game. "I don't want to be a distraction. (Owner) Stan (Kroenke) and I got together. With the situation with the world of basketball right now, I think it's a good thing for me and a good thing for the Nuggets to do just one year and figure it out later, rather than getting into an argument and anger and frustration and pointing fingers and the things that could happen. It's a good solution." Denver Post

Karl is coaching the Western Conference team in Sunday's game, including his players Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. "(Karl) earned it. Winning settles a lot," Anthony said. "When you win, good things happen." Denver Post

Ewing, now in his seventh year as an assistant, still believes he will become an NBA head coach someday, but he is beginning to wonder how long the wait will be. "Hopefully, sooner rather than later,'' he said before serving as the coach of the Sophomore Team in the Rookie Challenge at All-Star Weekend. "I feel like I'm ready now, but it's about building up my resume until it happens.'' His sophomores lost, 140-128, and it wasn't exactly his kind of game -- he likes it more serious -- but it was a chance to be seen, and add to his list of experiences. "I still think it will happen, but I have no timetable,'' he said. "I want to have as much experience as possible, make sure I'm ready, when my time comes.'' FanHouse

Ewing, one of the greatest players in New York Knicks history, is hoping to be considered by the New Jersey Nets when they hire a new head coach for next season. The Knicks didn't even consider him before hiring Mike D'Antoni before last season. "I'd love to get an interview in New Jersey. I could help them. I'd love to get an interview anywhere,'' he said. "Unfortunately, I haven't gotten one yet. Right now, I'm just looking and learning. But at some point, I have to get over this hump.'' FanHouse

To understand the unpredictability of James' decision, look at the New Jersey Nets, who sometime this spring will be purchased once and for all by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. Over the last two months, I've heard the well-reported rumor that Raptors president Bryan Colangelo could be a candidate to run the Nets for Prokhorov. When I recently ran this speculation past a well-connected Eastern executive, he told me I was focusing on the wrong Colangelo. "It's not Bryan," this insider said. "It's Jerry." SI.com

A Western GM has since told me that Jerry Colangelo is indeed being whispered as a candidate to manage the Nets going into this summer. SI.com

"I know nothing about that at all," Colangelo told me Wednesday. "You're the first person I'm hearing this from. I've never even met [Prokhorov] -- all I know is what I've read about him and things I've heard second- and third-hand about him." SI.com

Nets president Rod Thorn is in Dallas this weekend, and if everything goes well for him, he could be in Vancouver on Monday working out the details of a new contract. Thorn was scheduled to meet with owner-in-waiting Mikhail Prokhorov on Sunday, but there has been a change in plans, NBA and team sources said. Bergen Record

Thorn, the architect of the Nets’ two runs to the NBA Finals early last decade, is in the final year of his contract. Sources believe he is in good shape for a return to the Nets, despite their 4-48 record and some concerns about a power struggle within the organization between he and interim coach/general manager Kiki Vandeweghe. Bergen Record

Despite the rumors, numerous league sources say all indications are Thorn will see the plan through. Prokhorov, expected to be approved by the NBA Board of Governors next month, received glowing recommendations about Thorn around the league. "He knows what he has in Rod," said one rival team executive. "It looks very good for him," one person close to the situation said of Thorn. New York Post

If Thorn is not re-upped, Prokhorov is expected to go after Jerry Colangelo, the head of USA basketball, for the Nets’ president’s position, multiple sources said. Bergen Record

NetsDaily: Hahn says Colangelo wants Nets job. Not Bryan, Jerry. Guess that rules out Chris Bosh. Can't go poaching your son's team... Twitter.com

The NBA brought a proposal to the players union designed to drastically alter the economic landscape when the current collective bargaining agreement expires, almost certainly June 30, 2011. It didn't come close to drawing iron. "After a contentious 90-minute session, the owners agreed to tear up their proposal,'' union president Billy Hunter said of the meeting Friday during All-Star Weekend between the NBA's 12-owner negotiating committee and 15 players, including 10 playing in Sunday's All-Star Game. "That proposal is off the table.'' FanHouse

Hunter said it also called for players, who now get 57 percent of basketball-related income (BRI), to get just 50 percent. And that figure would have been changed to start calculating the figure after the NBA takes out expenses. "This proposal came out of left field,'' Hunter said. "It was shock and awe (the players had).'' FanHouse

"It was the entire deal,'' Fisher said of what was unacceptable. "It wasn't just one piece.'' Hunter said union officials said it will present a proposal to the owners of what might be acceptable, but he declined to say when that will be done. In the meantime, Hunter said the NBA is welcome to submit another proposal at any time. "They made a false start,'' Hunter said. "So they kind of set back things a little bit. We kind of righted the ship, and where do we go from here?'' FanHouse

With Stern noting the consequences of the economic slowdown, Hunter said the players were willing to reopen talks on a new deal to help the owners. "We all understand that we live and benefit from the success of the NBA," Hunter said a year ago. "The last thing we want to do is see it lose its vitality." Los Angeles Times

Now — with owners seeking a drastic reduction in player payroll costs, including slashing the value of max-money deals — he faces the possibility of an extra year or two on his next contract being valued at roughly half of what it could have been. "It stinks," said Williams, who is making $13.52 million this season and is scheduled to make $17.8 million if he opts in for the fourth extension season in 2012-13. Deseret News

Cuban had promised on Twitter earlier in the day to get T’d up at least once. His efforts failed in his West team’s 41-37 victory in a display of pretty painful-to-watch basketball at the Dallas Convention Center. “I tried so hard to get a technical and they wouldn’t give me one,” Cuban said. “They must have read my tweets. I was trying so hard. But I couldn’t get anything done right today, so that just kind of explains the whole thing.” ESPN.com

Two-time NBA MVP Karl Malone, six-time champion Scottie Pippen, and two of the great U.S. Olympic champions are finalists for the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. The 1992 Dream Team, which Malone and Pippen played on along with superstars such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, is a finalist in the team category. Also up for induction is the 1960 gold medal team, led by Hall of Famers Jerry West and Oscar Robertson, that won its games in Rome by an average 42.4 points The 19 finalists were announced Friday. The class of 2010 will be announced April 5 in Indianapolis before the NCAA championship game. The Hall of Fame is in Springfield, Mass. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Arash Markazi: Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union are getting down on the dance floor but Jordan should really do Dancing With The Stars. Twitter.com

Earvin "Magic" Johnson is betting he can bring some magic to the venerable black magazines Ebony and Jet. The Hall of Fame basketball player is said to be in talks to purchase Johnson Publishing Co., the company behind the two well-known magazines aimed at African-Americans. "There have been discussions," Magic Johnson Enterprises President Eric Holoman said in an interview with Bloomberg News, during which he noted, "There's no definitive agreement." New York Post

Against Denver, George Hill shook off another injury to Parker and an unseemly trip through the Internet tabloids to produce the latest in a string of solid outings. Playing for the first time since apologizing for a set of year-old nude photos of him that had surfaced on the Web, Hill filled in ably for Parker at the point, totaling 17 points, four assists, six rebounds and two steals. Asked if the Internet incident had been a distraction for him, Hill simply said, “Nah.” San Antonio Express-News

Baylor also claims he was "grossly underpaid during his tenure with the Clippers, never earning more than $350,000 per year, when compared with the compensation scheme for general managers employed by every other team in the NBA.'' In the deposition given in December, the 75-year-old Baylor stated the subject of player race came up when the team was considering drafting Joe Wolf in 1987. "I remember Joe Wolf who happened to be a white player and (Baylor) said he didn't particularly like white players,'' Baylor stated. Sterling preferred black players, according to Baylor. "He figured the white players break down too easily,'' Baylor said. "He said that black players were more aggressive, bigger and stronger.'' KPCC

Baylor said he told Sterling that Brewer wanted the job and should be interviewed as a courtesy. "So we go there and we sat down and Brewer starts talking about his qualifications, that he believed that he could do the job of being head coach,'' Baylor said "And when he finished, Donald said something that shocked me. He said, `Personally, I would like to have a white Southern coach coaching poor black players.''' Baylor said he was "shocked'' by the statement. "And he looked at me and said, `Do you think that's a racist statement?' I said, `Absolutely, that's plantation mentality.''' KPCC

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