It was an eventful weekend for the Nets, who fell to the Bulls in the first round's only Game Seven, then announced that interim coach P.J. Carlesimo wouldn't be retained as the team's permanent coach going forward. This year's offseason won't be as eventful as last year's for the Nets, but it still figures to be a crucial one. Here are a few updates out of Brooklyn as the club looks ahead to its coaching search and to free agency:

• If it's up to free-agent-to-be Andray Blatche, he'll be a Net again next year, as he told reporters, including Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. "I can’t tell you 100% yet. But that’s the plan for me," Blatche said. "I like it here, I got my second chance here and I’m loyal to being here. We just have to see what happens."
• Pacers president Donnie Walsh told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that Pacers assistant Brian Shaw will be permitted to speak to the Nets about their head coaching vacancy once Indiana's season is over. Based on Bondy's report, it's not entirely clear if the Nets have already asked to speak to Shaw or whether Walsh simply expects Brooklyn to reach out.
• The Nets are hoping to add 2011 second-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic to their roster for the 2013/14 season, according to GM Billy King (Twitter link via Bondy). Previous reports have indicated that Bogdanovic, who was drafted 31st overall two years ago, has an NBA out this summer on his contract in Europe.
• Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post thinks current Celtics coach Doc Rivers would be an ideal fit in Brooklyn, and suggests that King ought to at least explore the possibility of prying Rivers away from the Nets' division rival.

History was made this morning, as Jason Collins publicly came out as the first active male athlete to announce that he's gay. Collins, who hopes to continue his playing career, will be a free agent this summer, looking for a contract from a team in need of frontcourt help. In his latest piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler looked at a few other big men facing free agency, exploring what their respective futures might hold. Let's check out the highlights....

• Andray Blatche is still being paid by the Wizards through next season, so he won't necessarily be seeking the highest salary offered this summer. However, if he can secure a multiyear deal, he may lean toward that opportunity, says Kyler.
• Although he's eligible for restricted free agency, Austin Daye is unlikely to receive a qualifying offer from the Grizzlies. Kyler doesn't expect the ex-Piston to be back in Memphis next season.
• Carl Landry remains likely to opt out of his last year with the Warriors in search of a longer-term contract.
• The Pacers won't hold full Bird rights on David West, but West's Early Bird rights will be more than enough to make him a competitive offer. Kyler thinks West and the Pacers are likely to work out a deal fairly quickly that will keep the power forward in Indiana.
• Kyler notes that trading Danny Granger would help give the Pacers the flexibility to bring back both West and Tyler Hansbrough, who is eligible for restricted free agency. Kyler expects the Pacers to issue a qualifying offer to Hansbrough and match any reasonable offer.
• Antawn Jamison is unlikely to re-sign with the Lakers, and if Earl Clark returns, it will have to be for not much more than the $1.24MM he made this year, says Kyler.
• Boris Diaw, who has a player option, and Matt Bonner, whose deal is only partially guaranteed, both figure to be back with the Spurs next season. However, Kyler says DeJuan Blair is "done in San Antonio," which echoes what we heard yesterday.

We passed along word of the Knicks' interest in Timofey Mozgov already today, and there's still more news out of the Atlantic Division. We've got it covered right here:

• Andray Blatche hinted earlier this week that he might be willing to re-sign the Nets this summer at a discount, and he followed up by clearly expressing his desire to return to Brooklyn in comments to Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. "Most definitely," Blatche said. "I love it here. We've got a great team here, a great staff. The fans are crazy. I mean, everything about this organization is great, so hopefully I can come back. I feel like this is my new home, now, really. I feel comfortable with everything that's going on." 
• Kenyon Martin thought he deserved another shot with the Clippers after he served the team off the bench last season, but Mike Woodson is glad to have him around on the shorthanded Knicks, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post. 
• Shavlik Randolph and D.J. White have no idea whether the Celtics will keep them for the rest of the season when their second 10-day contracts expire this week, but with their playing time limited, Randolph believes the team will judge them based mostly on what they did before arriving in Boston. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has the details.
• Randolph got a rare opportunity to contribute last night against the Bobcats, and his performance, which drew raves from coach Celtics coach Doc Rivers. That helped his case for remaining with the team for the rest of the season, opines Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
• John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News believes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will remain in Miami after 2014, when they have the opportunity to become free agents. That will keep the Heat on top for years to come, Smallwood writes, arguing that there's no use in re-signing Andrew Bynum for the Sixers, who won't realistically challenge for a title with or without him.

Without Bird or even Early Bird rights, The Nets could be in a tricky situation if they want to re-sign Andray Blatche, whom Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors ranked among the best one-year contract signings this season. Blatche indicated to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that he might make it easy on Brooklyn, since he'll still be drawing paychecks from his amnestied contract with the Wizards. "I’m very aware (of my unique situation)," Blatche said. "That’s what I’m saying. Everybody is probably thinking I’m looking to get that big check. I’m not. Not at all. I’m looking at what’s best for me."

Here's more from around the league on the one-year anniversary of the 2012 trade deadline:

• Wesley Johnson is headed for unrestricted free agency this summer after the Suns turned down his fourth-year option, but he tells Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic that he still views Phoenix as a "longtime place" for him. 
• The Timberwolves seem content to carry 15 players for now, rather than applying for a hardship exception and adding a 16th man. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reports that the team isn't interested in free agents like Donte Greene, Tony Gaffney, and Raja Bell.
• The Cavs want to see how rookie Dion Waiters handles minutes at point guard, so the team hasn't discussed adding another player at the position while Kyrie Irving misses the next three to four weeks with a sprained left shoulder, notes Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer.
• Damian Lillard believes he's improved since he started playing alongside Eric Maynor, whom the Blazers acquired at the trade deadline, as Mike Tokito of The Oregonian observes. 
• Thaddeus Young, who's on a deal that runs through 2016 with annual salaries under $10MM, is the Sixers player who'll draw the most trade inquiries from other teams, opines John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• The threat of a referendum on public funding for a new arena in Sacramento will have no impact on the city's bid to retain the Kings, sources tell Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com (Twitter link).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Rajon Rondo's season-ending ACL injury was expected to leave an opening for the ninth-seeded 76ers to make a move in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers have held up their end of the bargain so far, winning three of their last four games, but the Celtics have been playing well without their All-Star point guard, winning four in a row. With Boston off tonight, the Sixers will look to gain a half-game in the standings by handing the Magic their 10th straight loss. Here are a few other updates out of the Atlantic:

• A pair of sources tell NetsDaily (Twitter link) that there's no truth to an earlier report about the Nets making Andray Blatche available.
• Agent David Falk says the Celtics recognized that his client, Jared Sullinger, would eventually require surgery on his back, but that the team and player were hoping it could be delayed until the summer. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has the details.
• ESPN.com's 5-on-5 panelists, including Sean Highkin of Hoops Rumors, put forth a number of hypothetical deals for trade candidates. Among their proposals are suggestions for how the Celtics could maximize their return on Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
• The efforts of Jason Collins, who signed with the Celtics last summer on a one-year, minimum-salary deal, aren't going unnoticed, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
• Doug Smith of the Toronto Star believes it makes sense for the Raptors to explore trading Alan Anderson for a backup point guard.

Water-cooler conversation this morning may be dominated by talk of Super Bowl XLVII, but at Hoops Rumors, we're still focused on the NBA, including the latest trade rumors from around the league. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has a few updates on players and teams that could be in the mix as the February 21st deadline approaches, so let's round up the highlights from his piece....

• Amico names the Mavericks, Bobcats, Rockets, Hornets, and Kings as potential suitors for Josh Smith. Many recent reports have suggested the Kings likely won't be too active at the deadline, but Amico notes that expiring contracts typically appeal to new ownership groups.
• Cavaliers GM Chris Grant wouldn't mind making another move before the deadline. Nothing concrete is in the works yet, but Grant is still working with some cap space and a few expiring contracts (Luke Walton, Daniel Gibson, Omri Casspi).
• Amico hears from multiple sources that the Nets have made Andray Blatche available in hopes of landing a draft pick. The Trail Blazers may have some interest, according to Amico.
• The Rockets are keeping a "keen eye" on Danny Granger, who has missed the entire season with a knee injury. The Pacers aren't actively shopping Granger, but could be more open to moving him given the emergence of Paul George.
• The Mavericks figure to be more active in trade talks as the deadline nears, as plenty of clubs are interested in Chris Kaman's expiring contract.

This afternoon's game vs. the Celtics was the equivalent of a lump of coal in the Nets' stocking, as Brooklyn suffered a 17-point defeat on its home court. The Knicks are hoping for a better result in Los Angeles, currently engaged in a tight game with the Lakers in the second half. As we wait to see if one of the two New York teams can pull out a Christmas Day victory, here are a few links out of the Big Apple:

• While some fans and pundits were skeptical when the Knicks signed Jason Kidd to a three-year contract this summer, the veteran point guard has been at the heart of the team's success, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
• Also at ESPNNewYork.com, Begley asks whether the Knicks should trade Amare Stoudemire. I think a better question would be whether the Knicks can trade Stoudemire.
• Andray Blatche tells NBA.com's Jeff Caplan that after being amnestied by the Wizards in July, it was a while before he received any interest from NBA teams: "During the summer, I didn’t get no phone calls." Blatche ended up working out in Houston with former coach John Lucas, and Caplan notes that if Nets coach Avery Johnson didn't live just outside of Houston, allowing him to work out Blatche at his home, the ex-Wizard may not be playing in the NBA right now.
• Earlier today, I examined Kris Humphries as a trade candidate.

After rounding up a few Raptors updates earlier this afternoon, let's take a look around the rest of the Eastern Conference:

• One opposing GM points out to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link) that a successful season for the Hawks would make it difficult for new GM Danny Ferry to bring in his own head coach to replace Larry Drew next year, if that's what Ferry wants to do. League sources also question whether Josh Smith fits the profile of a player Ferry would want to retain long-term, according to Bucher.
• The Celtics inquired on Omer Asik over the summer, head coach Doc Rivers tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (Twitter link). However, the team quickly moved on when it heard Asik's price tag.
• It's looking more and more like Andray Blatche might be this summer's "one [free agent] that got away" from the Heat, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
• Following up on comments he made last month, Mike D'Antoni clarified to reporters, including Fred Kerber of the New York Post, that he had no regrets about coaching the Knicks, but that he regretted leaving Steve Nash and the Suns.
• In a piece for the Detroit Free Press, Dan Feldman of PistonPowered wonders if Charlie Villanueva is playing well enough to avoid being amnestied next summer.

On the heels of Andrew Bynum's comments yesterday, in which he suggested he could miss another month, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld says league sources wonder if Bynum's prolonged rehab is about trying to get healthy for his upcoming free agency. However, 76ers sources tell Kyler that if the team remains in the hunt and Bynum returns at some point in January, they're okay with the wait.

Here are a few more Tuesday notes out of the Eastern Conference:

• Andray Blatche and the Nets are both reaping the benefits of Brooklyn's willingness to bring the ex-Wizard aboard on a minimum-salary deal, writes ESPN.com's David Thorpe in an Insider-only piece.
• Despite working out a couple point guards over the weekend, the Wizards are staying the course and not adding anyone to the roster for now, according to Gene Wang of the Washington Post. "We’re looking at different scenarios," coach Randy Wittman said. "Obviously brought a couple guys in [on Sunday], looked at, and we’re still, we haven’t done anything. Don’t know when or if we will do anything, but we’re looking at different scenarios, different options, different people. We’re not going to make a snap quick judgment. There’s not a guy out there right now that warrants that, so we’re going to take our time and look at some different guys and see what best fits us moving forward."
• With the Bakersfield Jam not scheduled to play their next game until Friday, the Hawks are set to recall Mike Scott from their D-League affiliate, says Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
• While one school of thought suggests the Bulls shouldn't bring Derrick Rose back from his ACL injury until the 2013/14 season, Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times explains why that would be playing it too safe.

It's still early in the season, but for players on expiring contracts, next July is always just around the corner. Andray Blatche, who has a one-year minimum-salary deal with the Nets, hopes next summer's decision will be easy. According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Blatche would like to re-sign with Brooklyn, though he acknowledged it's too soon to commit to anything.

"Talk to me after the playoffs," Blatche said of his free agency. "I mean, after we win the championship."

Because Blatche is still being paid by the Wizards, who amnestied him in July with three years remaining on his deal, his earnings on his next contract will be somewhat reduced. Still, while Washington will take back a portion of the salary in his next deal, Blatche still has the ability to double dip, as cap guru Larry Coon explains in his CBA FAQ.

After struggling with the Wizards in 2011/12, Blatche is thriving with the Nets this season. His points per 36 minutes (19.8) and PER (22.9), among other categories, would be career-highs if he maintained those averages all season. As the 26-year-old points out to Bondy, based on how he's fit in Brooklyn so far, "There's no reason not to want to come back." At season's end, we'll see if that interest is reciprocated by the Nets.