According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, Hawks sources say the team would be open to working out a sign-and-trade involving Josh Smith this summer if it meant getting something of value in return for the unrestricted free agent. It appears there are still a number of possibilities though for Smith, who could end up returning to the Hawks or signing outright with another suitor. Here's more from Kyler:

• Since less than a third of Paul Pierce's $15.33MM salary for 2013/14 is guaranteed, the "basketball move" may involve trading him or buying him out, but Pierce's history with the Celtics complicates the team's decision, says Kyler.
• Andre Iguodala seems likely to decline his player option for next year in favor of re-signing a long-term contract with the Nuggets that reduces his cap hit for '13/14.
• There's also mutual interest between Corey Brewer and the Nuggets in a new deal for the veteran, though Denver's cap situation may make it tricky for the club to give him much of a raise.
• Carlos Delfino and Chandler Parsons both have deals with the Rockets that aren't fully guaranteed, but are good bets to be back in Houston unless the team needs to move them to make room for a star.
• Sources tell Kyler that the Clippers would like to re-sign Lamar Odom, albeit for a significantly lesser salary than he's making now. Considering Odom is unlikely to receive huge offers on the open market, a multiyear offer from the Clips could get it done, says Kyler.
• Mike Dunleavy's future in Milwaukee may depend on how much the Bucks spend to retain their bigger-name free agent guards.
• According to Kyler, league sources have "openly questioned" how much longer Robert Sarver intends to own the Suns, leading to speculation that after the Kings sale is finalized, the Suns could be the next NBA franchise on the market.

The Nuggets escaped last night's game against the Mavericks with a 95-94 win, maintaining their hold on the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, but the bad news outweighed the good. Danilo Gallinari left the game with a knee injury that both Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports and Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post hear is likely an ACL tear. As the Nuggets wait for more information on an injury that could be a huge blow to the team's title chances, let's check in on a few other notes out of the Northwest....

• Andre Iguodala spoke to Hochman about a recent report suggesting he'd likely opt out of his contract with the Nuggets this summer, stressing that no decision has been made yet, and that he'll explore every option. "It would be hard for me to win a championship here, or get to the Finals or get to the Western Conference Finals and say, 'You know, I'm out,'" Iguodala said. "I don't want to make any guarantees, but if that happens, it would be obvious, [Nuggets GM] Masai [Ujiri] and them would understand my worth to the team and we could come to an agreement. But who knows what is going to happen? I could get hurt tomorrow and then have to opt in."
• Corey Brewer has blossomed as a crucial piece of the Nuggets' rotation in Denver, but Mark Cuban and the Mavericks don't have any regrets about trading him, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes.
• While Eric Maynor's future with the Trail Blazers remains in limbo, GM Neil Olshey says the team has thoroughly evaluated Maynor and is satisfied that the point guard fits with the team's core pieces, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. I would be a little surprised if Maynor receives a qualifying offer, since that would put a sizable dent in the Blazers' cap space, but I'd still expect the club to try to re-sign him.
• Olshey on the Blazers' offseason plan: "We'll be very proactive this summer. What we've seen this season is that this team isn't very far away. We'll have the flexibility to make a move if we choose to do so or not, but it has to be the right move for the organization."

The Mavericks are one of only two NBA teams sitting the night out, but the Grizzlies appear to be especially busy, juxtaposing a tough road game against the Knicks tonight with reports that they're apparently seeking a point guard. There's more on that and other news from Southwest Division teams, as we round up here:

• In a piece chronicling the Mavs' run at a playoff spot, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld wonders whether D-League center Jerome Jordan could be a fit for the Grizzlies. With starting center Marc Gasol back from injury and the team linked to Keyon Dooling and Jonny Flynn, there may not be much call for Jordan in Memphis.
• Royce White had his best showing as a pro Tuesday, with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his return to the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers, but he plans on leaving the Rockets' affiliate again when the regular season is over, as he tells David Hinojosa of The Monitor. "I’ll be here until the end of the regular season," the rookie said. "The playoff schedule and how hectic it is in the D-League probably ain’t going be the best thing for me. Going to the playoffs, I want them to have a team that’s going to stick together."
• Corey Brewer says he wants to return to the Nuggets as a free agent in the offseason, but the swingman also reveals that he came close to signing with the Spurs before inking his current deal, notes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. The Celtics were also in the running for Brewer before the Mavs scooped him up and later traded him to the Nuggets.
• Giannis Antetokoumpo of Greece, who plays point guard despite his 6'10" height and 7'3" wingspan, has drawn interest from Rockets GM Daryl Morey, among others, reports Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com. Bryan Colangelo of the Raptors, Masai Ujiri of the Nuggets, and Sam Presti of the Thunder are the other GMs who've traveled to scout Antetokoumpo, who has an affordable buyout clause in his contract for next season with Zaragoza of Spain, according to Sheridan. While there appears to be some confusion about the spelling of his last name, he's No. 32 on the DraftExpress list of the top 100 draft prospects.

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has just published a piece rounding up a few of the latest trade rumblings from around the NBA, so let's dive in and tackle the highlights....

• Josh Smith is viewed by Amico's sources as a near-lock to be moved, though there's no consensus on where he'll be headed. The Nets, Suns, and Mavericks are mentioned as potential destinations, with the Spurs in the mix as well.
• One source isn't so sure the Hawks will move Smith by next Thursday: "They won’t just give the guy away. (Smith) is practically an All-Star. You can deal with the contract situation later."
• The Nets haven't completely given up on the idea of making a play for Dwight Howard, but they'd likely need to get a third team involved. I'd consider that one a real long shot.
• While the Nuggets are fairly content with their roster at the moment, they could explore a smaller move involving someone like Wilson Chandler, Corey Brewer, or Anthony Randolph. Denver has some interest in J.J. Redick, but Amico says conversations have "all but disappeared after he indicated he wants to stay with the Magic."
• The Bulls and 76ers have started to get more active in trade talks within the last week.
• The Raptors have engaged the Sixers in trade talks involving Andrea Bargnani, though it's not clear what would be going Toronto's way in a hypothetical deal -- Spencer Hawes is one possibility.
• After losing twice to the Heat this season, the Thunder are "strongly considering" making a move to bolster their lineup, according to Amico.

Among the highlights on tonight's NBA schedule: A pair of Western Conference showdowns, as the Spurs host the Grizzlies and the Thunder look to extend their Conference lead with a win against the Nuggets. While we wait for those games to get underway, here are a few links from around the West:

• Corey Brewer tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link) that he'd like to re-sign with the Nuggets in July when his contract expires. "Yeah, I’d like to be here," Brewer said. "I like the fans, I like the city, I like the system, I like George Karl’s system, I like my teammates. So it’s a good situation for me."
• Given the Suns' current record and place in the standings, coach Alvin Gentry acknowledges that it may be time to look to the future and give his younger players more minutes, as Bob Young of USA Today writes.
• Eric Bledsoe wants to be a starting point guard in the NBA at some point, but for now he's happy to learn from Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups on the Clippers, says Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
• Agent Mark Bartelstein tells Ken Berger of CBS Sports that his client Brandon Rush underwent successful knee surgery today and is expected to make a full recovery (Twitter links).. With his health not a given this summer, I'd imagine Rush will exercise his $4MM player option for 2013/14 and remain with the Warriors.
• Mavericks guard Mike James spoke to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about the challenge of making an impression while playing on a 10-day contract.
• Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld recognized the Trail Blazers multiple times in his picks for the NBA's best offseason moves, giving Portland the nod for best first-round pick (Damian Lillard) and best coaching hire (Terry Stotts).

Starters generate the most headlines, but valuable bench contributors are often the pickups that prove the ultimate difference-makers for their teams. HoopsWorld's Lang Greene spoke with three reserves either heading into or coming off of free agency about their choices, and we'll highlight his revelations here.

• Corey Brewer will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, but he loves playing for coach George Karl and favors re-signing with the Nuggets. "You know I’d love to be here," Brewer said of Denver. "But you never know what’s going to happen, because it’s the NBA. I just take it day by day and hopefully this will be home."
• As Greene points out, Brewer could be a tight squeeze back onto Denver's roster. The Nuggets will have close to $69MM in salary commitments for next season if Andre Iguodala waives his early-termination option, putting them close to the luxury tax threshold, which currently sits at $70.307MM.
• Rookie point guard Brian Roberts had "several other suitors" after a strong performance for the Hornets summer league squad, according to Greene, but left his German team to sign a partially guaranteed two-year contract with New Orleans. Roberts said he signed with the Hornets out of loyalty stemming from their summer league invitation as well as a promise that the team would give playing time to whoever is producing this season.
• Bobcats guard Reggie Williams is seeing significantly fewer minutes than in any of his three previous seasons in the NBA, which is poor timing, since he's heading into free agency next summer. The 6'6" sharpshooter says his goal this season is to prove he's completely healthy after a torn meniscus in his knee sidelined him for half of last season.

• Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK highlights notable stories from the Thunder's pre-season, including the play of Perry Jones III, Cole Aldrich, and Eric Maynor. In a separate article, Mayberry collaborates with John Rohde to profile seven of the team's new additions brought in from the offseason. 
• Aaron J. Lopez takes a look at Nuggets forward Corey Brewer, who four years removed from ACL surgery believes that he is faster and can jump higher today. 
• Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times highlights Robert Sacre as the biggest surprise of the Lakers' exhibition season. 
• John Reid of NOLA.com examines the battle between Greivis Vasquez and Brian Roberts for minutes at the Hornets point guard rotation. 
• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune talks about the challenge the Timberwolves have faced in terms of trying to integrate all their new pieces amidst some nagging injuries. 
• Jeff McDonald of Spurs Nation writes that Patrick Mills could return to practice on Monday after sitting out two games with a sprained right ankle. 
• O.J. Mayo's hand is healing properly after he suffered a laceration last week from a fall during the Mavericks' visit to Barcelona, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. Price also tweeted that coach Rick Carlisle believes Mayo will be fine after a few more days. As for Dirk Nowitzki, Carlisle said that he has been doing well (Price via Twitter).