• Eric Prisbell of USA Today reports that NBA draft hopeful Ben McLemore's AAU coach received cash and other benefits in order to help influence the former Kansas Jayhawk to leave college after one season and declare for the draft. 
• Hoopsworld's Steve Kyler tweets that Al Horford is a player that the Hawks would like to keep rather than trade as the team handles a roster that could be in heavy flux. 
• Kyler also says that the front runners to sign Josh Smith this summer will be the teams that miss out on Dwight Howard (Twitter link). 
• Magic CEO Alex Martins doesn't foresee a long rebuilding period in Orlando and is confident that the team can return to title contention in the near future (John Denton of Magic.com). 
• Hawks GM Danny Ferry feels that the 2012-13 season was a very significant year in terms of taking the initial steps toward becoming a contender and likes the flexibility that his team has moving forward (ESPN via the Associated Press). 
• Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group looks back on the 10 most important moves the Warriors made to build the team that starts the second round Sunday against the Spurs.
• According to a report from Sportando, Leones de Ponce of Baloncesto Superior Nacional in Puerto Rico have released Garret Siler and replaced him with Mike Harris. 

Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors contributed to this post. 

May 4th: The four year deal is now official, owner Leslie Alexander tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). 

March 7th: The Rockets and general manager Daryl Morey have reached a verbal agreement on the key details of a four-year contract extension for Morey, Alexander tells Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link). Morey's current contract runs through 2013/14, so the new deal will lock him up for five years in total.

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reported last month that Alexander was pleased with the job Morey has done with the Rockets, and that the team intended to extend the GM beyond his current contract.

"We’ll re-up him," Alexander said at the time. "Daryl knows that I judge him all the time. I’ve told him. He’s not shy about it either. He just knows that’s the way I operate. Why wouldn’t I? The general manager is the one person in your organization you can really judge. He can make good moves or bad moves. This year, I think he’s made three terrific moves."

In addition to acquiring James Harden in the fall's blockbuster trade with the Thunder, Morey also signed Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik to three-year contracts that have looked like good values so far. Even after agreeing to a max extension with Harden, the club has also managed to retain significant financial flexibility, and should have room for a max free agent this summer.

Morey has been the Rockets' GM since May 2007. Although Houston hasn't earned a postseason berth since 2008/09, the team has had a winning record every season during Morey's tenure (260-196 overall), as he managed to rebuild the roster without bottoming out.

A roundup of the latest news and notes from around the NBA on Tuesday evening:

• Mike Krzyzewski has issued a statement refuting recent reports that he will return as head coach of Team USA, reiterating that he intends to stay retired (Reuters report via the New York Times).
• Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes that the Mavericks should be an attractive free-agent destination for Dwight Howard this summer.
• Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld is impressed with Maurice Harkless' recent play as he has been given a greater opportunity for minutes on the rebuilding Magic.
• Sean Deveney of the Sporting News ranks the best rookies of this season, headlined by Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard.
• Erik Gundersen of TrailBlazers.com chronicles the relationship between Trail Blazers guards Wesley Matthews and Eric Maynor, dating back to their rookie season together in Utah.
• Amir Johnson praises Cavs big man Tristan Thompson to Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun.
• Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com wonders whether the Celtics could have traded for Marcus Morris from the Rockets.

Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey's contract expires at the end of the 2013/14 season, but owner Leslie Alexander tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that he plans to give Morey a contract extension.

“His contract is up next year, I believe,” Alexander said. “We’ll re-up him. Daryl knows that I judge him all the time. I’ve told him. He’s not shy about it either. He just knows that’s the way I operate. Why wouldn’t I? The general manager is the one person in your organization you can really judge. He can make good moves or bad moves. This year, I think he’s made three terrific moves.”

Morey had a successful offseason for the Rockets, signing Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik in free agency and pulling off a franchise-changing trade for James Harden. These moves have put Houston in position to compete for their first playoff berth since 2009.

In a letter to Royce White shortly after the rookie stopped attending games and practices in November, Rockets GM Daryl Morey recounted the back and forth that had taken place to that point and urged White to show up for work, "just like any other player." The letter also claims that before the Rockets drafted him 16th overall last June, White misled the team about his fear of flying, as Ben Golliver of SI.com reveals.

"To revisit from the beginning, before we drafted you, you told us that your fear of flying was not an issue and that you were ready to be an NBA player. Shortly after we drafted you, you apologized for having to mislead us," reads an excerpt of the letter.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle shares more from the letter. The information comes via advance copies of White's interview on HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," set to air Tuesday. The televised feature uncovers a document that White wrote along with his doctor stating that mental health should be treated as a medical condition. White wants to have it made as an addendum to his contract, but that would violate the terms of the CBA.

White also reportedly wants the team to hire a doctor who would assess him before each game to determine whether he's fit to play through his mental illnesses. He suffers from mental health issues including generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, as well as a fear of flying. White, who has yet to make his regular season debut, has been away from the team for more than two months. Houston coach Kevin McHale said before last night's game that he hasn't seen or spoken to White in more than a month.

The teams with the best records in the NBA are hosting the only two games on the schedule tonight, as the 21-6 Thunder, facing the Mavericks, will look to bounce back from a Christmas Day loss, while the 22-6 Clippers set sights on their 15th straight win with the Celtics in town. As we look forward to those contests, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

• While many people around the NBA believe that LeBron James is considering an eventual return to the Cavaliers, SI.com's Ian Thomsen doesn't think that would necessarily be the best move for LeBron's career.
• Ex-Knick Renaldo Balkman appears on his way to play in the Philippines in the new year, according to agent Sheryl Reyes (link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
• Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel looks back on 12 months of drastic change for the Magic.
• Within his preview of a few 2013 NBA storylines, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com focuses on the big decisions coming in Los Angeles and David Stern's last full year as NBA commissioner.
• Michael Scotto of RealGM.com talks to Paul Millsap about his contract situation, and speculates about possible suitors for the power forward next summer in free agency.
• Russell Westbrook's five-year extension kicks in this season, and The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson argues that his ability to overcome lapses is the key to the future for the Thunder.
• Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game takes to Sulia to explore why GMs like the Rockets' Daryl Morey receive more praise than less media-friendly GMs with comparable track records like David Kahn of the Timberwolves.
• Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com warns Trail Blazers fans not to get too attached to J.J. Hickson, suggesting the team's best move may involve moving him before the trade deadline. We rounded up a few rumors relating to Hickson and the Blazers this morning.

The Rockets hold the unfortunate distinction of being the last team to fail to make the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. Not terrible, but not quite ready for the biggest of stages, the Rockets will turn to general manager Daryl Morey this offseason to make the necessary moves that will hopefully turn Houston into a legitimate contender for the long term, not just next season. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle explores how the Rockets may get past mediocrity as they face uncertainty heading into free agency. 

• The Rockets are looking to fill the void left by Yao Ming and hope to acquire a franchise player to build around as they attempted to do last offseason. Morey thought he had deals in place to acquire Pau Gasol and Nene, which would have put the Rockets back on the championship track, but was unable to finish the transactions thanks to commissioner David Stern. “We’re trying to find a way that shortens that timetable to do it as quickly as possible in a smart way,” Morey said. “We’re using free agency and trades as tools. When you lose two franchise players – we’re really on year two. Last season was the first year we were not betting on Yao being a franchise player.”
• With only one superstar set to be available this summer in Deron Williams, the Rockets are unlikely to add a franchise player via free agency as reports have suggested Williams will only sign with the Mavs or Nets. As such, the Rockets aren't going to simply spend money on a lesser talent who holds name value just to appease fans unless it helps the team improve on the court according to Morey. “For sure we’d make that kind of move as long as it is a move that fits in the context of helping us win and keeps our chances of getting a franchise player,” Morey said. “The latter we’ll never compromise. We’re never going to reduce our chances to keep ourselves in play for a franchise player.”
• Former general manager Carroll Dawson told Feigen that there were distinct periods in the Rockets' history and for better or for worse, their identity was based upon which superstars were with the team at the time. Now that Houston has separated itself from Yao Ming for good, the organization will be afforded the opportunity to forge a new identity even if that means enduring a rebuilding period, which would seemingly begin Thursday night at the draft.

• HoopsWorld conducted interviews with draft prospects Kyle O'Quinn and Ashton Gibbs at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas. O'Quinn says that he'd like to immediately model his game after Kenneth Faried and Serge Ibaka and eventually develop into a LaMarcus Aldridge type of player. Gibbs talked about what he's currently trying to improve and how not being invited to the NBA Draft combine will motivate him to work harder and prove himself. 
• Andy Kamenetzky of ESPN LA explains the C+ he gave Josh McRoberts for his 2011/12 report card. 
• Jerome Solomon of UltimateRockets elaborates on the tough task that Rockets GM Daryl Morey has for this upcoming offseason, including the need to address Kyle Lowry's unhappiness with head coach Kevin McHale and the impending free agency of Goran Dragic. 
• Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel reviews the draft record of  Bucks GM John Hammond. Although Joe Alexander was not a successful pick, Hammond was able to come away with Brandon Jennings, Luc Mbah a Moute, and Larry Sanders to name a few. 
• Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer provides an explanation of the Bobcats' position heading into Wednesday's draft lottery. Because Charlotte finished with the league's worst record, they have the best chance at the number one pick and will not fall lower than the fourth pick. 
• Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News writes that Rodney Stuckey and Greg Monroe's development could hold the keys in eventually elevating the Pistons into contender status.
• Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer writes that the Cavaliers must try to follow the Spurs and Thunder's blueprint of success.