After Stephen Curry delivered the most electrifying one man performance of the 2013 playoffs, Timberwolves fans have been reminded of David Kahn's decision in the 2009 draft to take Jonny Flynn with the sixth overall pick instead of Curry.  Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) was reminded today of Kahn's reasoning: the GM was in his first year and got scared by Curry cancelling his workout in Minnesota.  At the same time, he fell in love with the Syracuse standout.  Here's more from around the Association..

• Bucks forward Gustavo Ayon expects his team option to be exercised and is looking forward to returning, despite speculation surrounding his future in the NBA, agent Emilio Duran told RealGM's Shams Charania.  Ayon saw limited playing time in Milwaukee and the club holds a $1.5MM option on him for next year.
• With Lakers guard Steve Nash is on the books for 2014, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles (on Twitter) suggests that GM Mitch Kupchak should call the Raptors and gauge their interest in the Canadian.  Nash is owed $9.3MM next season and $9.7MM in 2014/15.
• Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy opined that the Hawks were unwise to let coach Mike Woodson go in 2010, writes Neil Best of Newsday.

This time last year, it seemed Bucks GM John Hammond's job was on the line as the team chased the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The team fell short last year, but Hammond kept his job, and now the Bucks are in line for that eighth seed in the East. In the meantime, Hammond has been busy, having changed coaches, signed a three-year extension, and traded for J.J. Redick. There's plenty more work ahead, as the team's top three guards could all hit free agency this summer, and a decision on an extension for Larry Sanders looms. HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram caught up with Hammond, who reflected on some of what he's done.

On the Redick trade:

"We were hoping to make the playoffs. We thought adding a piece like J.J. Redick could help solidify that opportunity for us and he has. He’s been a great addition to our team. We’re also happy to have Gustavo (Ayon) and Ish Smith. It might be easy to forget about Gustavo and his abilities. We like him as a player, but it was a difficult trade to make to say the least. To move a piece like Tobias Harris and Doron Lamb; we like both those players, both good young players, but we felt at that time it was the right thing for our organization."

On Jim Boylan, who replaced Scott Skiles as head coach in January:

"Jim’s done a nice job with the team and I think we’re all seeing these situations that have occurred. It’s not a rarity in the NBA to have something like this happen. It’s not normalcy, but it’s not rarity by any stretch, so it happens. Most of the times when these sort of things happen, the situation goes south and goes south very quickly, but Jim has done a great job of working with our guys and communicating with our guys and motivating them to play hard. He deserves a lot of credit."

On the development of Sanders, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate:

"You draft Larry with the 15th pick and you’re hoping that when you used a first-round pick on a player that they turn out to be a location guy or better yet a starter, and Larry has turned out to be a significant piece of our team and a part of our team. Obviously, he’s one of the better shot blockers in the NBA. It’s been great for Larry, but he’s just taking advantage of the opportunity, and I think his game still has a chance to change and grow, and he’ll continue to develop as a player."

Bucks center Gustavo Ayon expressed some frustration about not being able to find court time in Milwaukee, and told reporters that he could return to Europe when his contract runs out, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. Though coach Jim Boylan reportedly likes what he sees from the Mexican-born center, there hasn't been enough practice time to incorporate him into the rotation. We've got a few more tidbits to share from around the league tonight, and you can find them below: 

• In addition to wondering what the 76ers will do with Andrew Bynum, Tom Moore of Philly Burbs also ponders the future of Evan Turner, who will be eligible for an $8.7MM qualifying offer after he finishes his fourth year option worth $6.7MM next season. Moore adds that if Turner doesn't figure to be in the team's plans, the Sixers could look to trade him this summer or during next year's trade deadline. 
• HoopsWorld's Derek Page held his weekly chat with fans earlier today, and here are some of the highlights: he sees DeMarcus Cousins as a max-level player, thinks Josh Smith could be the biggest name to move in free agency, predicts that Dwight Howard and Chris Paul remain in Los Angeles beyond this season, and isn't sure that O.J. Mayo or Tyreke Evans are long-term solutions for the Mavericks.
• Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK delves into what could have been as he revisits Scott Brooks' challenging contract negotiations with the Thunder last summer, and discussing the possibility that he could have joined the Trail Blazers. 
• Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram reeled in some quotes about upcoming free agency from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban: "Our goal is to win championships, not win the summer, and so we have to see what’s available and what’s out there...We do the same thing we do every year and be opportunistic. We’re going to be opportunistic, and depending on how things go, we’ll make our decision." 

• Even after a season ending foot injury, Knicks forward Kurt Thomas hasn't ruled out returning for a 19th season, says Al Iannazzone of Newsday. The 6'9 big man will turn 41-years-old in October.
• A day before what could be his final game coached in Sacramento, Rick Adelman reflects on the special times he had with the Kings as their head coach (Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune reports). 
• In addition to the challenge of catching the Lakers in the Western Conference standings, the Jazz now have the Mavericks to worry about, writes Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News. The meeting between the two teams on Sunday night will have a full game implication in the standings, with Dallas coincidentally one game behind Utah. 

Only one Central Division team is in action tonight, as the Pistons visit the Jazz in Utah. The good news for a Jazz team looking to snap a four-game losing streak? The Pistons have lost their last two road games, against the Spurs and Clippers, by a combined 71 points. As we wait to see which team can snap out of its recent funk, here are a few updates on Central clubs:

• Pistons owner Tom Gores is disappointed that the team isn't in the hunt for a playoff spot this year, but is pleased with Detroit's cap flexibility going forward, says Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
• Gustavo Ayon made comments on Spanish radio suggesting he isn't thrilled by his role with the Bucks, as Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype passes along in English. Ayon's contract with Milwaukee includes a team option for next season, but it sounds as if the big man would be interested in a buyout that would allow him to join Spain's FC Barcelona.
• Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune is suspicious of the Bulls' motives after news leaked that Derrick Rose has been medically cleared to play. While the Bulls' public stance is that they're not putting any pressure on Rose to return, Rosenbloom suggests the leak creates "precisely the kind of pressure the Bulls said they were not applying."

A pair of Central Division teams welcomed additions to their lineups last night, as J.J. Redick made his debut for the Bucks while Danny Granger saw his first action of the season for the Pacers. If and when Derrick Rose makes his way back to the Bulls this year, the Central's playoff-bound teams will be poised to enter the postseason on an upswing. Here's more on Redick, the Bucks, and other news from the Central: 

• The Magic's pursuit of a first-round pick derailed talks the Pistons had about acquiring Redick, reports MLive's David Mayo. The Blazers' insistence on a first-rounder also put an end to Detroit's pursuit of J.J. Hickson, as we heard earlier, but according to Mayo, the Pistons never spoke to the Thunder about Will Bynum.
• The Spanish website El Contraataque is reporting that FC Barcelona is trying to engineer a buyout of Gustavo Ayon's contract with the Bucks so that he can sign a three-year deal worth the equivalent of $2MM annually with the overseas club (translation via HoopsHype). FC Barcelona acquired his Spanish league rights in October, but shortly thereafter, Ayon's agent, Emilio Duran, said his client is content to remain in the NBA. Milwaukee holds a $1.5MM team option on Ayon for next season.
• USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal that Kyrie Irving will be invited to a four-day tryout camp this summer in Las Vegas for Team USA's entry in the 2014 basketball World Cup.

A complete recap of trades that were completed before Thursday's trade deadline:

• The Houston Rockets traded Marcus Morris to the Phoenix Suns and Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich, and Toney Douglas to the Sacramento Kings for Thomas Robinson, Francisco Garcia, Tyler Honeycutt, and a future second-round pick.
• The Miami Heat traded Dexter Pittman and a future second-round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for the rights to Ricky Sanchez and cash considerations.
• The Washington Wizards traded Jordan Crawford to the Boston Celtics for Leandro Barbosa and Jason Collins.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder traded Eric Maynor to the Portland Trail Blazers for a trade exception and the rights to Georgios Printezis. The Blazers waived Ronnie Price to clear a roster spot for Maynor.
• The Thunder also acquired Ronnie Brewer from the New York Knicks for a future second-round pick.
• The Atlanta Hawks traded Anthony Morrow to the Dallas Mavericks for Dahntay Jones.
• The Suns traded Sebastian Telfair to the Toronto Raptors for Hamed Haddadi and a future second-round pick.
• The Orlando Magic traded J.J. Redick, Gustavo Ayon, and Ishmael Smith to the Milwaukee Bucks for Beno Udrih, Tobias Harris, and Doron Lamb.
• In a separate deal, the Magic traded Josh McRoberts to the Charlotte Bobcats for Hakim Warrick. 
• The Golden State Warriors traded Jeremy Tyler to the Hawks for a second-round pick. They also traded Charles Jenkins to the Philadelphia 76ers for an additional second-round pick.

The Magic have agreed to trade J.J. Redick to the Bucks, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Milwaukee will send Doron Lamb, Beno Udrih, and Tobias Harris to Orlando in the deal (Twitter link). Along with Redick, Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith are heading to Milwaukee, tweets Wojnarowski.

After a flurry of Redick rumors leading up to the deadline, the Bucks emerged as the frontrunners in the hours leading up to 2:00pm, as the Spurs, Pacers, and other suitors fell out of the running. While it initially appeared that Milwaukee was targeting Redick to replace Monta Ellis if Ellis was part of a Josh Smith trade, the club ultimately pulled the trigger on Redick anyway, meaning the sharpshooter will join a backcourt that features Ellis and Brandon Jennings.

Meanwhile, the Magic had been seeking a first-round pick in exchange for Redick, but will instead acquire a pair of young prospects in Lamb and Harris, along with Udrih's $7.37MM expiring contract, which will come off the books this summer. According to various reports, the only first-round picks Orlando was offered for Redick would have been very late in the first round. Given the value of draft picks and rookie-scale contracts in the new CBA, teams seemed reluctant to give up any picks better than that.

A holiday for most of us, December 25th is one of the most eventful days of the year on the NBA calendar, with five marquee matchups lined up for Christmas Day. Two scuffling Atlantic Division contenders, the Celtics and Nets, are in action in Brooklyn, while the Lakers look to extend their winning streak to five games later this afternoon against the Knicks. A Finals rematch (Heat/Thunder), an inter-conference battle (Rockets/Bulls), and a Western Conference showdown (Clippers/Nuggets) are also on tap later in the day.

As we enjoy an action-packed slate of games and wish you happy holidays, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

• Despite Keith Smart's recent issues with DeMarcus Cousins, the Maloofs have "given every indication" that the Kings expect to keep Smart around for the duration of his contract, which runs through the 2013/14 season, according to Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
• The Mavericks don't have any immediate plans to recall first-round pick Jared Cunningham from the D-League, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Cunningham was assigned to the Texas Legends two weeks ago.
• After losing Derek Fisher, the Mavericks figure to explore their options at point guard, but for now coach Rick Carlisle tells Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News that Darren Collison, Dominique Jones, and Rodrigue Beaubois "are our guys."
• Rookie Alexey Shved has emerged as an important piece on a Timberwolves roster that has been hit hard by injuries, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
• Shelden Williams, who signed with French club Elan Chalon this offseason, has been bought out by Fenerbahce Ulker and will join the Turkish team, according to a TrendBasket.net report.
• Jarvis Varnado, signed by the Celtics this week, tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that he feels "blessed" by the opportunity.
• Nick Gibson of Ridiculous Upside examines the unique contract Gustavo Ayon had signed in Spain before he was bought out by the Hornets and eventually flipped in a sign-and-trade for Ryan Anderson.

With three more NBA training camp invitees out of a job within the last 24 hours, we may soon be hearing about some familiar names winding up overseas. With the 2012/13 season under way in many leagues around the world, here's what's going on internationally.

• Emilio Duran, the agent for Magic center Gustavo Ayon, says FC Barcelona has acquired his client's Spanish league rights from Baloncesto Fuenlabrada, as had been rumored earlier this month, reports Rene Tovar of ESPNDeportes.com (translation via HoopsHype). The move only applies if and when Ayon decides to play outside of the NBA, and Duran said Ayon, whose NBA deal is guaranteed through the end of 2012/13, is content to remain stateside.
• The lure of more money from a team overseas was unusually attractive for D-League players last year because of the lockout, writes Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside.
• China and Turkey are becoming more attractive destinations as leagues in Italy, Spain and Greece struggle amid financial crisis in those countries, as Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype reports. The caliber of player who could once get $250K annually in the Spanish league is now drawing only $80K to $100K, agent Mark Bartelstein said. "There are no safe places in Europe anymore," according to agent Bill Neff. "FIBA may help but in many, if not most places in Europe, you now spend your time chasing your player's money instead of managing his career."

Center Gustavo Ayon is under contract for at least the rest of this season with the Magic, but he isn't ruling out an eventual return to Spain, where he played before signing with the Hornets last December, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports (All four Twitter links). FC Barcelona apparently wants to be prepared should he choose to return overseas, and is close to an agreement to acquire his Spanish rights from Baloncesto Fuenlabrada, according to the Spanish website El Contraataque (translation via HoopsHype).

El Contraataque also indicates FC Barcelona wants to sign Ayon sometime this month, but Robbins confirms via Twitter that Ayon will remain with the Magic this year. Orlando has two team options on Ayon's contract: one for $1.5MM that covers 2013/14, and another for $1.875MM for 2014/15, so it could be a while before Ayon goes anywhere. Still, the status of the Mexico native is up in the air beyond this season, and he addressed that uncertainty with Robbins.

"It doesn't depend on me," Ayon said, when Robbins asked him whether he wanted to remain in the NBA. "It depends on the opportunities that I have in basketball. At that time I'll see if I have any other options. For right now, I'm with Orlando and I think I'll be here this year and many more to come. But after this year it's not my decision."

Ayon is set to make $1.5MM this season after scoring 5.9 points and grabbing 4.9 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game with a healthy 16.7 PER as a rookie for the Hornets last year. He came to the Magic over the summer as part of Ryan Anderson's sign-and-trade deal.