HoopsHype.com Rumors

A brief summer league chit-chat with Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan. On the addition of Lamar Odom to Clippers: "Lamar and I actually worked out [Wednesday]. It was good. Lamar is a huge threat offensively and defensively at different positions. He's gonna help us out a lot this year. He can handle the ball, me and him and Blake in the pick-and-roll with [Chris Paul], it's going to be good. He's an all-around great player, so it's going to be good for us. "Last year, we're not really worried about that. We're just about him, with the Clippers, and how much he's going to help us. Not just Lamar but we just signed Chauncey, we just got Grant Hill. That's a lot of veterans [to add to the mix]." ESPN.com

Charlotte Bobcats, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Chris Paul, Lamar Odom, Los Angeles, Summer League, Grant Hill, DeAndre Jordan 

As @AlexKennedyNBA, Rush worked out today as the Lakers looked on. Los Angeles GM Mitch Kupchak, looking to overhaul his anemic bench, would love to add Rush to the fold. The Warriors need someone who can come in and get buckets, as well as play some defense. But the Lakers only have the mini-midlevel to offer, meaning any offer sheet Rush would sign the Lakers would have to start at $3 million. Fair to say the Warriors would love for Rush to sign an offer sheet with the Lakers. No doubt, if Rush came to the Warriors right now looking for a deal starting at $3 million, Warriors GM Bob Myers would jump at it. Contra Costa Times

Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Brandon Rush, Mitch Kupchak, Los Angeles, Bob Myers 

Reports Tuesday indicated that Hill has decided either to play for the Lakers or retire. But the source strongly indicated that Hill has not limited himself to Los Angeles as he makes up his mind. The Lakers emerged as a strong favorite for Hill after they agreed to terms with the Suns last week on a sign-and-trade deal that will send Steve Nash to the Lakers after the end of the July Moratorium on the 11th for four Draft picks and $3 million. But Hill is looking at the Heat and Thunder as well. NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Draft, Trade, Steve Nash, Los Angeles 

Hennigan said on Monday that Howard reiterated a trade request last Friday when the two met in Los Angeles. Specifically, Howard asked to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets where he could play in the New York City market and team with close friend Deron Williams. Hennigan, who was hired by the Magic on June 21, described the talks with Howard (privately) and with his agent, Dan Fegan, as ``engaging and polite’’ and ``emotion neutral,’’ but he made no promises as what direction Orlando would go in the coming days and weeks. ``As I told Dwight, `I don’t know, I need to think about what you are telling me. I want to take some time and think about everything,’’’ Hennigan said of the talks. ``We’re going to continue to map out what we feel is in the best interests of our team. Any decision that we decide to go forward with will be one that we feel puts our team in a position to be successful.’’ NBA.com

Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz, Trade, Los Angeles, Dan Fegan, Deron Williams, New York 

As the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and other teams prepare possible trade offers for him, Howard told Yahoo! by phone that, "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 wouldn’t specify the team, but multiple league sources believe that it is the Brooklyn Nets. Yahoo! Sports

Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles, Dwight Howard 

Atlanta, Dallas and the Los Angeles Clippers have also expressed interest in (Ray Allen). ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Ray Allen, Los Angeles 

MSG, as the company is known, has paid $23.5 million for the Forum and will start work this year on a $50-million renovation. Details are to be released in the fall, but the makeover is intended to turn the Forum into a top-flight concert hall and will take at least a year, President Hank Ratner said. "The addition of the Forum is a perfect complement to the Madison Square Garden arena — it now allows us to have world-class venues in both New York and Los Angeles, linking the top two entertainment markets in the country," he said. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles, Forum 

A revitalized Forum would provide an economic lift to its Inglewood neighborhood. But it faces entrenched competition from the region's other entertainment hot spots amid a challenging climate in the concert business. The owners of Staples Center said they don't fear a rivalry with the East Coast impresarios. They were quick to raise questions about the security of the neighborhood surrounding the Forum and dismissed it as a "class B" venue. "We are very certain of our customer experience, their safety and the vibrancy of our campus," said Tim Leiweke, president of Los Angeles-based AEG. "We are going to vigorously protect our own town." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles, Forum 

Silas said Friday he “absolutely” would like to be part of the next coaching staff, regardless of who gets the top job. That decision is seemingly down to Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and Los Angeles Lakers assistant Quin Snyder. Charlotte Observer

Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Brian Shaw, Los Angeles, Quin Snyder 

The Los Angeles Lakers have exercised a team option on Andrew Bynum’s contract for the 2012-13 season, it was announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released. NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles 

The Los Angeles Lakers are facing elimination and after their most recent loss Saturday, Kobe Bryant pegged the Lakers' late-game problems on Pau Gasol, but coach Mike Brown insists the team isn't coming apart. "They've played together too long," said Brown. "Pau knows how Kobe is. Kobe knows how Pau is and they'll do a good job of figuring each other out." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Los Angeles, Mike Brown 

The Spurs persevered for their 18th straight victory Sunday night, finishing off a sweep of the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals. But when asked about his team’s recent historic streak, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was reticent to discuss much. “It doesn’t exist for us,” Popovich said. “We don’t talk about it. I’ve never heard anybody mention it except you all. And it’s not even a thought in our minds. Each game is just a separate entity.” San Antonio Express-News

Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles, Gregg Popovich 

"Selling L.A." reality show viewers may wonder if any of the featured homes actually sell. Although perhaps not in time for the closing credits, some houses under consideration for the show do find a buyer outside the roving eye of the camera. One home that agent Rebekah Schwartz was promoting to HGTV for its 15 minutes of fame was the Marina del Rey pad that former Laker Lamar Odom rented a few years back. Listed at $1.995 million in January, it closed early this month at $1.825 million. The property previously sold in 2003 for $1.43 million. Los Angeles Times

Dallas Mavericks, Lamar Odom, Los Angeles 

Magic center Dwight Howard has gone to Los Angeles to get a second opinion on his ailing back and won't play Friday night against the Hawks, the team announced. Howard sat out Orlando's victory Monday over Detroit and Tuesday's loss to Washington because of back spasms. Howard was accompanied to L.A. by Magic physical therapist Ed Manalo. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles, Dwight Howard 

No-nonsense Thunder center Kendrick Perkins said he didn't like the body language of teammates during the closing minutes of Wednesday night's 100-98 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. “They took the lead and we act like the game was over with six minutes to play in the game,” Perkins said Thursday morning at the team's practice facility. “It was like a one- (or) three-point game. We were at home, and I didn't feel like we had the right fight or the right mindset to keep going. We're not going to blow everybody out or win by 10 points every night. Some nights, you've got to go get games, and I felt like that was one of those nights that we had to dig deep and go get it." Oklahoman

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kendrick Perkins, Los Angeles 

The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to a deal with free-agent forward Kenyon Martin, a source told ESPNLosAngeles.com. The former Denver forward, who reached a buyout agreement with the Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers on Dec. 21 and was cleared by FIBA to return to the NBA two weeks ahead of schedule earlier this week, will make $2.5 million. ESPN.com

Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Kenyon Martin, Los Angeles 

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chauncey Billups, who has missed the last two games with a strained right groin, practiced with the team for the second day in a row and said he would be in the starting lineup Wednesday night when the Clippers play the Houston Rockets. "I'm playing," Billups said. "I did it all; I did everything (in practice). I'm fine." ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles, Chauncey Billups 

NBA player and former Laker Kwame Brown has sold his house in Playa del Rey for $1.65 million. The open-floor-plan house had been on and off the market since 2008 when it was listed for sale at $2.999 million or for lease at $12,000 a month. The current listing stated the home had sustained water damage on the main level and needed a new roof, windows, doors and elevator. Described as a short sale in the listing, the ocean-view contemporary includes four bedrooms and five bathrooms in 6,329 square feet. The breakfast bar can seat up to 10. The basement media room has a built-in projector, screen and a wet bar. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles, Kwame Brown 

The Hawks are not on Howard's short list of preferred trade destinations alongside the Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, even though Atlanta is his hometown. That's presumably because Howard wants no part of Atlanta's perpetually unsettled ownership situation. The Hawks nonetheless took the risk of pursuing Howard anyway and, according to sources, felt like they were making some semblance of progress before the Magic shut down talks. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Trade, Los Angeles 

Restricted free agent shooting guard Nick Young is in the process of catching a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Washington and is expected to sign his one-year, $3.7 million qualifying offer with the Wizards on Monday, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Free Agency, Los Angeles, Nick Young