HoopsHype.com Rumors

It’s going to create an interesting dynamic for the Mavericks heading toward the draft. They are most likely to wait until the draft begins on June 27. At that time, teams generally are more willing to make deals and sweeten offers to make things happen. The key to everything is that the Mavericks, while remaining realistic, seem to believe they have a serious chance at signing Howard away from the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency. It still appears much less likely that Chris Paul will be leaving the Los Angeles Clippers. Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Draft, Trade, Chris Paul 

Mark Heisler: #Celtics-Clippers, the fallout… Clipper source says they're in constant contact w/CP3--and he's OK w/deal falling apart. Twitter @MarkHeisler

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Free Agency, Trade, Chris Paul 

Mark Heisler: IF #Celtic-Clipper deal's dead: Brian Shaw's CP3 fave, right ahead of Byron Scott, who also a Donald fave--but who says CP3 will be here? Twitter @MarkHeisler

Los Angeles Clippers, Free Agency, Chris Paul, Byron Scott, Coaching, Brian Shaw, Donald Sterling, Owners 

Mark Heisler: Donald Sterling has screwed up worse but never w/these consequences… What will pro-Doc, FA-to-be CP3 think if Clips turn down #Celtic gift? Twitter @MarkHeisler

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Free Agency, Trade, Chris Paul, Donald Sterling, Owners 

The Clippers are prepared to give Rivers a five-year deal to coach and believe acquiring Rivers and Garnett – who will waive his no-trade clause – will lock up the re-signing of free-agent superstar Chris Paul, sources said. The prospects of bringing Rivers back to the Celtics have become less appealing for Boston, who understand, as one league executive said, "There's no putting the genie back in the bottle. You can't pretend this didn't happen and just go back to work." Yahoo! Sports

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Free Agency, Trade, Chris Paul, Doc Rivers, Coaching, Kevin Garnett 

The joke -- "Has anyone noticed that Chris Paul has Michael Jackson's original nose?" -- drew chuckles from Griffin, although Paul tried to play it off as if he wasn't amused. As it turns out, the tweet was penned by a Mavericks fan who was apparently upset after Paul helped the Clippers knock off the Mavs this year. The fan, who goes by the Twitter handle @undertaker594, took to Twitter to issue a light-hearted apology... and added another quick jab about Paul's "potato nose." Dallas Morning News

Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul, Twitter, Michael Jackson 

I know why something so audacious would even come to mind: Dwight is beloved by Chris Paul and Eric Miller; Donald Sterling’s son-in-law and a new force in the front office. And I know why they dropped it: It blew up all over Twitter, et al., before they ever decided if they were serious. Lakers Nation

Chris Paul, Donald Sterling 

The threat of the James Harden-led Rockets signing Howard away from L.A. is very real to the Lakers, sources said, which means the Lakers will eventually be getting a sign-and-trade pitch from Houston as well. The Rockets will have the cap space to sign Howard outright after the expected shedding of Thomas Robinson's contract, but sources say that the Rockets will certainly attempt to convince the Lakers to take in return Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin in a sign-and-trade deal for Howard, thus theoretically keeping alive the possibility that Houston could preserve its cap space to pursue Chris Paul and possibly pair Howard with Paul. ESPN.com

Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Chris Paul, Omer Asik, Dwight Howard, Jeremy Lin, Thomas Robinson 

Yet sources say that the Clippers continue to tell Boston that they will not include Bledsoe in the proposed trade for Garnett, largely because they are determined to keep Chris Paul's backup to headline a separate down-the-road trade once they're certain that Paul has committed his long-term future to L.A. ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Trade, Chris Paul, Doc Rivers, Eric Bledsoe, Coaching, Kevin Garnett, DeAndre Jordan 

Talks between the Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers on transactions involving Doc Rivers and players were said to be all but dead last night. Sources close to the situation weren’t sure if anything could yet rekindle the discussions, but it appears a grand bargain that would have netted the Clippers the coach while the Celts acquired players to jump-start their rebuilding has hit a road block. Boston Herald

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Trade, Chris Paul, Doc Rivers, Eric Bledsoe, Coaching, Kevin Garnett, DeAndre Jordan 

Adrian Wojnarowski: Biggest reason Clippers are reluctant to part with Bledsoe in deal to Celtics? Besides he's a trade asset, Rivers wants to coach him w/ CP3. Twitter @WojYahooNBA

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Trade, Chris Paul, Doc Rivers, Eric Bledsoe 

Sources say that the Clippers want to keep open the option that they could package Bledsoe with Griffin in a sign-and-trade offer for Howard after the Lakers' center becomes a free agent July 1. ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reported Friday that Howard and Clippers star Chris Paul have been in consistent contact in recent weeks in hopes of landing on the same team via free agency. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Trade, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard 

A likely hurdle is Bledsoe. A league source said that when the two teams were discussing a proposed deal in February around the trade deadline, talks broke down, at least in part, because the Clippers didn't want to part ways with Bledsoe. It's widely believed that one of the key reasons the Clippers haven't wanted to part with Bledsoe is because they view him as too valuable if Chris Paul signs with another team. However, a league source told the Globe that if Rivers did leave to coach the Clippers, "I guarantee that Chris Paul re-signs" with the Clippers. "I guarantee it," the source continued. Boston Globe

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Free Agency, Trade, Chris Paul, Doc Rivers, Coaching, Erik Bledsoe 

Rivers could speak with Chris Paul as soon as Saturday about assurances that he will be willing to re-sign with the Clippers should Rivers and Garnett join him in Los Angeles, sources said. The Celtics and Rivers want a finality to these talks, and there's pressure to complete a deal in the next two days or walk away completely, sources said. Yahoo! Sports

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Paul Pierce, Free Agency, Chris Paul, Doc Rivers, Coaching, Kevin Garnett 

Chris Paul and Dwight Howard have been in consistent contact recently about the possibility of becoming teammates next season, according to league sources. Paul and Howard will be the biggest free agents on the market this summer, and their desire is to play together, the sources said. "They would love to play together if somebody can make it happen," one of the sources said. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard 

Howard is not particularly fond of the idea of returning to Atlanta, but he would do so to team up with Paul, the sources said. But Paul, despite recently being upset with the Clippers over the perception that he got coach Vinny Del Negro fired, is unlikely to leave Los Angeles, one source said. He has gotten over his anger with the club and likes living in Los Angeles. "It would be very tough for him to go to Atlanta," the source said. "He loved Atlanta when they should have drafted him in '05 but not so much since then. But hey, everybody is an option at this point." ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard 

The preference for both players would be to play together for the Clippers, according to the sources. Because the Clippers don't have enough cap room to sign Howard as a free agent, it would take a sign-and-trade deal with the Lakers to make it happen. The Clippers would be open to working out a deal, but they fear the Lakers would never trade Howard to them, according to the sources. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Trade, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard 

Sources say there was a faction of the Clippers organization that entertained the idea of trading Griffin for Howard when Howard wanted out of Orlando in 2012. But others within the franchise regarded Griffin as "untouchable," and there were never any serious discussions with Orlando. Multiple sources insist Griffin remains untouchable. But realistically he would have to be included in any deal that brought Howard to the Clippers. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard 

On the Clippers’ side, the franchise would add an elite coach and a veteran star, which could open up a two- to three-year window to win a title and possibly convince Paul to re-sign with the team this summer, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. “I would say that the ball is in [the Clippers’] court,” a league source said. “If they are aggressive and make a good offer, they could get something done soon.” Boston Globe

Los Angeles Clippers, Free Agency, Trade, Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett 

Baxter Holmes: Ainge denied Clippers' request to speak to Doc, a league source said. Another said Doc would be Chris Paul's No. 1 choice. Twitter @BaxterHolmes

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul, Doc Rivers, Danny Ainge, Coaching