In a busy NBA offseason, the Jazz haven't been talked about a great deal on a national level after adding Randy Foye and Marvin Williams to a talented young core.  However, big man Al Jefferson is certainly taking notice.  Referring to former General Manager Kevin O'Connor and current GM Dennis Lindsey, Jefferson said "The GMs did a hell of a job improving our team. I feel a lot better," tweets Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune.  Jefferson is also entering his walk year, but he says that he hasn't given it any thought (Twitter link).  Here's more from around the league as Sunday turns into Monday..

• Joe Freeman of The Oregonian looks at the biggest questions facing the Blazers this season.  Among them is whether Nicolas Batum can take the next big step and justify the $45MM contract he was given this summer.  Part of that leap will be an attitude adjustment as Batum often appears to look passive on the floor.
  
• Mavericks forward Elton Brand says that he expects to serve as the club's enforcer in 2012/13, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.  Dallas claimed the former All-Star off of waivers back in July after he was amenstied by the 76ers.
• If the Wizards hope to turn things around this year, they'll need a major contribution from forward Nene, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post.  Nene, acquired at last year's deadline from Denver, has battled back from two major setbacks in his career and will have to stay healthy in order for the Wizards to stay competitive this season.

The Nets had everything they needed for a clean slate heading into the 2012/13 season: a new locale, a massive state-of-the-art arena, and even a complete rebranding.  A sweet black-and-white color scheme and Calexico tacos in the concourse will only get you so far though.  General Manager Billy King & Co. made a handful of bold moves this summer, but none bigger than the trade that brought Joe Johnson into the fold.  The Nets were quick to introduce the sharpshooter to the press alongside star point guard Deron Williams.  At the presser, King didn't mince words when speaking about the potential of the pair.

"This is a great day, because we've put together what I call the best backcourt in the NBA," King said, according to Ben Couch of NBA.com. "There are a lot of good backcourts, but I don't think there are many where you've got two guys that can get 18-20 points every night and defend their positions."

There's no denying that the Nets are a stronger team after pairing one of the league's best one-guards with an elite scorer, but does that give them the top backcourt in the Association?  Lakers star Kobe Bryant and summer acquisition Steve Nash don't see it that way.  Bryant celebrated his 34th birthday in August and Nash will turn 39 before this year's All-Star break, but the two are still undeniably among the best at what they do.  And while Bryant was forced to carry the perimeter scoring burden at times last season, he'll now have Nash to help keep defenses honest.  Of course, it also helps that the pair will have the league's best center in the post to anchor everything.  Looking at the backcourt as a separate entity, do you have Bryant and Nash over Williams and Johnson?

Here's a look back at the original analysis produced by the Hoops Rumors team this week..

• Luke ran down the remaining free agents who are seeking more than the minimum.
• The Spurs couldn't find a suitable trade for DeJuan Blair this summer, but nearly 75% of Hoops Rumors readers don't see him finishing the year in San Antonio.
• I looked at Josh Smith as an extension candidate for the Hawks.
• Chuck looked at what it might take for the Jazz to lock up Paul Millsap.
• Here's a reminder on how non-guaranteed contracts work.
• If you haven't done so already, check out our 2012 Free Agent Tracker.
• We also offered a refresher on our Commenting Policy.
• Take a look at all of the unique features offered on Hoops Rumors.

As they head into the 2012/13 season as a re-tooled, legitimate championship contender, here are a few bits of news regarding the Boston Celtics.

• The Boston Herald has a short piece on who will step up and assume a major leadership role for a team with so many veterans and new faces. Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett are the obvious options, but Rondo said everyone is going to have to step up.
• Celtics.com writer Marc D'Amico believes that the addition of Courtney Lee and Jason Terry will open up the team's offense and create some wonderful opportunities previously unavailable. 
• Celtics head coach Doc Rivers says he isn't surprised Rasheed Wallace is coming out of retirement to play for the Knicks, writes ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg. 
• Also from Forsberg on ESPNBoston.com, Rivers says his team's identity as a defensive strong unit hasn't changed, but on offense the strategy is all about maximizing possessions and improving an offense that's struggled these last few years. 
• Boston Herald beat writer Dan Duggan puts the spotlight on Courtney Lee, who's scheduled to be an opening day starter beside Rondo in Boston's backcourt, yet not too many people are talking about him. 

New Celtics shooting guard Courtney Lee told reporters today that he turned down more money to sign with Boston in the offseason, writes the Associated Press. Lee was moved in a sign-and-trade deal from Houston that also involved the Trail Blazers. 

Lee said the likelihood of the Celtics winning a championship combined with his close relationship with Rajon Rondo made the decision to turn down more money an easy one. He is expected to begin the season as Boston's starting shooting guard as Avery Bradley recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. 

Here's a look at all the NBA's news from the past week. 

• The Clippers signed Chris Johnson, Trent Plaisted, Hank Thorns to non-guaranteed deals. 
• The Spurs plan to keep DeJuan Blair. 
• Al Thornton is set to sign with a team in China. 
• The Lakers signed Ronnie Aguilar. 
• The Cavaliers signed Kevin Anderson. 
• The Hawks signed Keith Benson and Carldell Johnson. 
• John Wall is out eight weeks with a knee injury. 
• The Clippers signed Marqus Blakely. 
• The Knicks are expected to sign Rasheed Wallace. 
• Gilbert Arenas is considering playing in China. 
• Malcolm Thomas signs in Israel. 
• The Heat signed Rodney Carney and Robert Dozier. 
• The Spurs signed Josh Powell. 
• The Timberwolves signed Seth Tarver. 
• The Mavericks signed Josh Akognon, D.J. Mbenga, and Tu Holloway. 
• The Warriors are desperately trying to move Andris Biedrins. 
• The Jazz signed Chris Quinn, Trey Gilder, and Darnell Jackson. 
• The Bulls are set to sign Kyrylo Fesenko 
• The Spurs signed Wesley Witherspoon and Tre Kelley. 
• The Warriors signed Carlon Brown, Lance Goulbourne, Rick Jackson and Tarence Kinsey.
• The Clippers signed Courtney Fortson. 
• The Rockets signed Kyle Fogg and Demetri McCamey. 
• The Grizzlies re-signed D.J. Kennedy. 
• Anthony Tolliver signed with the Hawks. 
• The Kings signed Willie Reed and Cyril Awere. 

Here's some general news and notes from around the league. 

• Despite switching to an agent who holds an office in Cleveland, LeBron James recently told the media that the move does not mean anything significant regarding his opt-out clause after the 2014 season, writes the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman. 
• IndyStar.com's Bob Kravitz writes that Pacers head coach Frank Vogel has already established himself as one of the most respected coaches in the league.  
• The Kings are now saying they never placed Tyreke Evans on the trading block, writes the Sacramento Bee's Jason Jones.  
• Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy wonders if Lamar Odom can revitalize his career now that he's with the Clippers. 
• SherdianHoops.com's Tommy Dee takes a look at some training camp invites who could realistically make their respective teams. 
• Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune believes that young players on the Jazz have taken care of their respective weaknesses in the offseason, and that the team's core should be greatly improved heading into the months ahead. 
• Blake Griffin is using last season's playoff loss as extra motivation, writes Hoopsworld.com's Lang Greene. 
• David Mayo of MLive.com writes that the Pistons are hoping their young pieces can soon grow together into a special unit. 

Each of the five teams in the Atlantic Division is arguably improved from last season, which might make it the league's best. That doesn't mean that the division's GMs are done moving, and there's news on transactions past and, perhaps, future.

• Jose Calderon isn't likely to ask for trade, but Raptors coach Dwane Casey probably won't try to get him extra minutes by playing him alongside fellow point guard Kyle Lowry, as Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes in his mailbag.
• Andrew Bynum is in the final year of his contract, but new Sixers GM Tony DiLeo already has plans to build around him, as John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. 
• A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com looks at how Darko Milicic is trying to remake his image with the Celtics. Kevin Love accused Milicic of bringing "bad blood" to the Wolves locker room, as we heard earlier today. 
• Tim Bontemps of the New York Post looks back the busy offseason for the Nets, and Newsday's Roderick Boone breaks down the question marks for the team as training camp begins.

There was plenty of change throughout the Southeast Division, as the Magic, Hawks and Wizards pulled off significant trades while the Heat upgraded with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. The Bobcats are banking heavily on No. 2 overall pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to help turn the team around, and we have news on him and others from around the division.

• Some in the Heat organization are concerned about the long-term health of Dwyane Wade, who could miss all of the team's preseason games as he hopes to get his ailing left knee ready for the regular season opener, writes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. The team will give Allen occasional off days during the regular season, as the Spurs have done with Tim Duncan, Goodman adds.

Earlier updates:

• Hawks coach Larry Drew believes it will be a tall order for his team to replace the production of Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams this season, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. "Both of those guys were very key and big pieces to our puzzle," Drew said. "This opens up opportunities for new guys, guys who have been here, guys who are coming in. It doesn’t happen overnight. We are going to have to lace it up and really go to work and try to, as a team, try to step up. Everybody has to step their game up now."
• Vivlamore also shares in his piece that Drew isn't sure how he'll rotate guards Devin Harris, Jeff Teague and Lou Williams. Harris and Teague, the two natural point guards, are both entering contract years. 
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel speculates that Ben Wallace could be a fit for the Heat. Wallace is reportedly seeking a contract after going back-and-forth about retirement this summer.
• Lewis hopes he'll start the season as a reserve instead of as a starter for the Heat, as he told Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida (Sulia link).
• Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap is working with Kidd-Gilchrist to improve the shooting touch of the University of Kentucky product, writes Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader. Tipton also shares praise from Purdue coach Matt Painter about Hornets second-round pick Darius Miller and Shelvin Mack, who could start the season at point guard for the Wizards in place of the injured John Wall.
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel outlines a list of the top priorities for the Magic as they begin training camp. 

Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com hears that the Knicks are probably out of the running for swingman Josh Howard (Twitter link). Zwerling's source believes Howard will find a better fit elsewhere, but all offers are likely to be for the minimum salary.

Howard met with the Spurs and Sixers this month, and Zwerling indicates the Jazz and Bobcats are potential destinations as well. This week Howard was said to be negotiating with four unknown teams, and the Knicks appeared to be one of them. That was the case even after Rasheed Wallace told the team he would come out of retirement to fill its final preseason roster spot, though signing both Wallace and Howard would have required New York to part ways with one of its training camp invitees.

Several teams have been linked to Howard at different points throughout the summer, with as many as five teams in the running when he was reportedly close to a deal in July. The 32-year-old former All-Star has remained on the shelf after a season in which he averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds with a 10.5 PER in 23.0 minutes per game for the Jazz.