One ex-Raptor and two current Raps have opted in for the 2013/14 season, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com. According to RealGM's transactions log, Charlie Villanueva, Linas Kleiza, and Aaron Gray all picked up their '13/14 player options on May 13th.

None of the decisions come as any surprise, given the production the three players provided on the court compared to the salaries they're now in line to earn next season. Villanueva had confirmed earlier in the season that he'd exercise his option, worth $8.58MM. In 69 games with the Pistons this season, Villanueva established career-lows in PPG (6.8), FG% (.377), and PER (14.0), among other categories.

The Raptors duo won't be quite as expensive as Villanueva, as Kleiza's option is worth $4.6MM, while Gray's is worth about $2.69MM. Gray appeared in 42 games for Toronto this season, starting 16 of them, and averaged 2.8 PPG and 3.2 RPG. Kleiza played in just 20 contests for the Raps, missing time with a knee injury and then not getting back into the lineup even when he was healthy.

While all three players are now set to become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2014, free agency could come earlier for Villanueva and Kleiza. The Pistons and Raptors both still have the amensty provision available, and Villanueva and Kleiza represent the top amnesty candidates for their respective clubs.

Charlie Villanueva will exercise his $8.5MM player option to remain with the Pistons for the 2013/14 season, the veteran forward tells Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Villanueva cited money and the closeness to his son, who lives in Toronto, as reasons for not opting out of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent.

Ellis writes that, although Villanueva has been a disappointment during his four seasons in Detroit, he is likely playing well enough this season to avoid being waived using the amnesty clause this summer. He is the only player currently on the Pistons' roster who would be eligible to be amnestied.

The Pistons have already been in one major trade this season, sending away Tayshaun Prince, thelast link to their 2004 championship team, in a package that brought back Jose Calderon. Here's the latest on whether another deal could be on the horizon, and more from Detroit:

• Mark Bartelstein, the agent for Pistons guard Will Bynum, told Shams Charania of RealGM his client won't be leaving Detroit at the deadline. Bynum, 30, is on an expiring deal, and but it appears the Pistons aren't interested in using him as a trade chip.
• There's little doubt that Charlie Villanueva will exercise his $8.58MM player option for next season, and the power forward gave strong indications to Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press that he won't opt out. "You know what I'm going to do. Think I'm going to leave that money?" Villanueva said (Twitter link).
• MLive's David Mayo estimates there's a 35% chance the Pistons make a trade (Twitter link). He tabs Bynum and Jason Maxiell the likeliest to go, though if Bynum's agent is correct that he won't be dealt, the chances of Detroit making a deal are probably even slimmer.

With 10 days left until the trade deadline arrives, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld surveys the market in his latest NBA AM piece, covering the latest rumors related to the Pistons, Bucks, Raptors, and Jazz. Here are the highlights from Kyler:

• The Pistons are "open for business," and would have interest in unloading Rodney Stuckey and/or Charlie Villanueva. There's also been speculation that Detroit could be convinced to move some of their own players on expiring contracts, such as Will Bynum and Jason Maxiell.
• Josh Smith and Gerald Henderson are expected to be among the Pistons' free agent targets this summer, according to Kyler.
• Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis are unlikely to be dealt by the Bucks, but Drew Gooden, Samuel Dalembert, and perhaps even Ersan Ilyasova could be had. The price for Ilyasova would be high, however, and so far potential suitors such as the Raptors and Nets seem unwilling to pay that price.
• The Raptors are seeking frontcourt help and looking to find a taker for Andrea Bargnani, but haven't made significant progress on either front.
• Although Ric Bucher reported yesterday that the Jazz are more likely to trade Paul Millsap than Al Jefferson, Kyler suggests the opposite may be true, since Millsap is viewed as the free agent more likely to be re-signed or signed-and-traded in July.
• Any team willing to take Raja Bell off Utah's hands, perhaps in a larger deal, might receive more consideration from the Jazz, says Kyler.

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.

A pair of Central Division cellar-dwellers have winnable games on their schedules tonight, as the Pistons prepare to host the Raptors while the Cavaliers face the Magic in Orlando. The Pacers will have a tougher time making up ground on the division-leading Bucks, with a matchup against the Spurs on tap. As we look forward to a busy evening around the NBA, let's round up a few notes out of the Central....

• The Pacers are off to a slow start without Danny Granger, but head coach Frank Vogel doesn't feel like major changes are needed, as he tells Paul Flannery of SBNation.com. "I like the guys we have on our team," Vogel said. "Obviously we're missing Danny, there's no question about that, but I think we have the pieces to become a really good team and I think we're close."
• Although Charlie Villanueva has only appeared in three games for the Pistons, shooting 1-of-10 from the field, David Mayo of MLive.com still doesn't believe Detroit should have used its amnesty provision to release the forward in July.
• In his latest mailbag on Bulls.com, Sam Smith weighs in on Tom Thibodeau's extension and early-season performance, Taj Gibson vs. Omer Asik, and plenty more Bulls-related topics.
• Smith also adds that the Bulls would've liked to bring C.J. Watson back for the same minimum-salary contract the point guard received from the Nets.
• We're in the midst of examining Central Division teams in our Offseason In Review series, with recaps of the Cavaliers' and Pistons' summers having been published earlier this week.

• Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star examines the Pacers' final couple roster spots, predicting that Sam Young will earn one, while Blake Ahearn and Sundiata Gaines will compete for the other.
• After a forgettable 2011/12 season, Charlie Villanueva is fighting to bounce back for the Pistons this year, as Vince Goodwill of the Detroit News writes. Asked about the amnesty rumors that surrounded him in July, Villanueva admitted that it was hard not to notice: "It burns me up. It just drove me. Instead of being upset, I said, this will pass and I will let my game do the talking."
• Marko Jaric was in recently to work out with the Bulls, according to Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter). Jaric has seven years of NBA experience under his belt, but hasn't played in the league since 2008/09, with the Grizzlies.
• Jannero Pargo expects to finalize a deal within the next couple days, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). Charania adds that Pargo is "sticking around Chicago," but I would assume that's just where he's working out, rather than an indication he'll sign with the Bulls.

Carlos Delfino agreed to sign with the Rockets tonight, and it's no surprise he's leaving the Bucks, who never made a push to retain their incumbent starting small forward. His departure opens up minutes at the three for Luc Mbah a Moute and Mike Dunleavy and gives 2011 19th overall pick Tobias Harris a chance to crack the rotation, tweets Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. We've got more on the Bucks and their Central Division rivals here:

• John Hollinger of ESPN.com wonders if the Bucks will try to turn Delfino's deal with the Rockets into a sign-and-trade, which would create a trade exception for Milwaukee (Twitter link). The Bucks, who hold Houston's 2014 second-round pick, could entice the rebuilding Rockets by offering it back to them, while the Bucks could take back one of the 21 players Houston is slated to bring to training camp. There would have to be a third season tacked on to Delfino's two-year deal per sign-and-trade rules, but that wouldn't be hard for the Rockets to do if they made it a non-guaranteed year, Hollinger tweets.
• The Pistons may look to move Charlie Villanueva or Austin Daye to free up roster space for Ben Wallace to return to the team, Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News writes. The team could also use Villanueva as a trade chip next summer, when he'll be entering the final season of his five-year, $37.7MM deal, but the 6'11" power forward is determined to prove he's worth keeping around.
• The Indianapolis Capitol Improvement Board and the Pacers are in the early stages of negotiations on a new deal to provide money for the day-to-day operations of Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but the board's approval of a new budget that doesn't specify any payment to the Pacers complicates the issue, as Jon Murray of the Indianapolis Star writes. 
• Former Pacers guard Leandro Barbosa is still looking for a job, but Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld argues that he'll be a valuable addition where ever he winds up.
• The Bulls aren't bringing back Brian Scalabrine next year, but the 11-year veteran refuses to end his unlikely NBA career, as Sam Smith of Bulls.com chronicles. He has an offer from a team in Europe, and the Celtics want him to do some TV work, but Scalabrine is holding out for one more chance to play in the NBA. 

With Olympic basketball underway in London, new Timberwolves Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved led the Russian squad to a victory over Great Britain in each team's first game. Former NBA veteran Pops Mensah-Bonsu scored 22 points for Britain, and has also reportedly agreed to play in Israel for the coming season. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter) confirms an Israel Today report suggesting that Mensah-Bonsu has agreed to terms with Maccabi Tel Aviv. The 28-year-old had played in regular-season games for the Mavericks, Spurs, Raptors, Rockets, and Hornets in four NBA seasons.

Let's round up a few more Monday odds and ends....

• The Trail Blazers will interview their final four coaching candidates today and tomorrow, starting with Steve Clifford today, tweets Jason Quick of the Oregonian. Kaleb Canales, Terry Stotts, and Elston Turner are the other finalists.
• Joel Przybilla says he's meeting with teams this week and will decide "really soon" where he'll play in 2012/13, though he didn't say if the Blazers are still in the running, according to Quick (Twitter links). We heard last week that the Bucks, Blazers, and Mavericks were all interested in the big center.
• Suns coach Alvin Gentry isn't concerned that the team hasn't extended his contract, which will expire at the end of the coming season. "My view is if a person has a three-year contract, you assess it at the end of three years," said GM Lon Babby, and Gentry is on board with that approach, as he tells Randy Hill of FOX Sports Arizona.
• Plenty of Pistons fans were disappointed that Detroit didn't amnesty Charlie Villanueva earlier this month, but the veteran forward tells Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press that he plans to take advantage of the opportunity and use fans' scorn as motivation.

As busy as the Nets have been so far this month, we haven't heard much out of majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov. That changed today, however, as Prokhorov released an official statement discussing the team's offseason:

"I'm thrilled with the way our team has come together. My congratulations and appreciation go out to general manager Billy King, assistant general manager Bobby Marks and head coach Avery Johnson for their tenacity, nerve and heart throughout this process. With the re-signing of Deron Williams and the trade for Joe Johnson, we go into our new home led by an All-Star backcourt and with every hope of a great season for the Brooklyn Nets. I can't wait until opening night."

While Prokhorov starts counting down the days until opening night, we'll round up the rest of the morning's odds and ends right here:

• The Pistons currently have no plans to use their amnesty clause on Charlie Villanueva, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
• After acquiring Jarrett Jack, the Warriors will look to acquire a power forward, GM Bob Myers told reporters, including Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.
• EuroCup MVP Patrick Beverley is working out with the Bulls and is a candidate for the team's bench, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
• As the Bulls decide whether to match the Rockets' offer sheet to Omer Asik, management is asking coach Tom Thibodeau which players he wants to keep long-term and Thibodeau's reply is basically "All of them," says Wojnarowski. The Yahoo! scribe adds that the rising price tag on Taj Gibson will also be considered when deciding whether to match the Asik offer (Twitter links).
• Bobcats owner Michael Jordan discussed Charlotte's offseason with Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, noting the team has "a lot of things on the table."
• If you're interested in the in-depth details of teams' cap management, Mark Deeks of ShamSports has a list of players whose rights were renouncd yesterday (Sulia and Twitter links). He also says Rashard Lewis will count for $13,765,000 on the Hornets' cap this season (Twitter link).