After a very productive year in China, Shavlik Randolph is playing some of the best ball of his NBA career for the Celtics, but as he tells Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, he's not about to take his current role for granted.

"I’m not the kind of player who can even think about relaxing," Randolph said. "I’m not really gifted enough or talented enough to relax and still go out there and perform. Some guys are, but I’m not. And, look, this can all change in any game. Washington played big (in Sunday’s win by the Celtics), so we needed size. Maybe that got me more time. But I’m going to be ready whatever my role is."

Here's more from around the Eastern Conference:

• Jay-Z has begun the process of selling his small share of the Nets in order to be able to become a certified NBA agent, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. According to Wojnarowski, rival agents are anxious about the rapper's ability to attract top prospects and current stars, given his cultural standing.
• With Jason Maxiell facing unrestricted free agency this summer, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press suggests that the forward has likely played his last game with the Pistons. Maxiell, an eight-year veteran, has spent his entire NBA career with the club.
• One of basketball's newest Hall-of-Famers, Gary Payton, tells Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun that he thinks it's unfair to consider Raptors head coach Dwane Casey as on the hot seat. "I think he shouldn’t be under fire, but that’s just the way business goes," Payton said. "I think he understands that and I think he’ll be fine. Give him one more year, ’til you let Rudy [Gay] be there for a whole year and see what happens."
• In his latest piece for the Sporting News, Sean Deveney names the Bucks, Hawks, and Cavaliers as a few teams that could be hunting for a new head coach this summer.
• Writing for SheridanHoops.com, Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com wonders if Yi Jianlian could help a playoff-bound NBA team, listing the Celtics, Pacers, and Knicks among the potential fits.

The Pistons were inactive on deadline day, having already been involved in their lone trade last month, when they acquired Jose Calderon from the Raptors. But that doesn't mean that Detroit wasn't exploring its options leading up to the deadline.

According to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News, the Pistons spoke to the Trail Blazers about swapping J.J. Hickson and Jason Maxiell. However, Portland wanted the Pistons to include a first-round pick, which Detroit was unwilling to do. Maxiell also drew some interest from the Spurs, reports Goodwill.

Besides Maxiell, another Piston on an expiring contract, Will Bynum, received a little interest. The Thunder inquired on Bynum before eventually trading Eric Maynor to the Trail Blazers and acquiring Ronnie Brewer from the Knicks, says Goodwill.

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.

Despite being the subject of trade rumors over the summer, Brook Lopez's strong play this season means he's likely to remain with the Nets at this year's trade deadline. If it were up to Deron Williams, there wouldn't even be a conversation about it.

"We’re happy with Brook," Williams told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. "Brook is our center. He’s having an All-Star year. I don’t see Brook going anywhere."

Here are a few more Wednesday links from around the Eastern Conference:

• Jonas Jerebko downplayed a story out of Sweden that suggested he was unhappy with the Pistons, as Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press writes. "I didn't read the story," Jerebko said. "So I don't know what it said. Everybody has a right to their own opinion. It's media. They probably twisted it."
• In a piece for MLive.com, David Mayo examines a few possible Pistons trade candidates, including Jerebko, Jason Maxiell, and Will Bynum.
• The Bobcats have begun conducting market research on a potential nickname change, now that the Hornets are set to become the Pelicans, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. The Bobcats are sending surveys to season-ticket holders and polling the Charlotte market to see if a name change would affect buying habits, says Bonnell (Twitter links).
• Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun takes a look at the Raptors' looming decisions on Kyle Lowry and Jose Calderon.
• In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel addresses the unlikely possibility of the Heat acquiring Dwight Howard and the impact he expects Chris Andersen to have in Miami.

Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News tweets that Jason Maxiell has decided not to opt out of the final year of his contract, locking him into a $5MM salary in Detroit next year.  Last we heard from Maxiell, the Pistons big man and his agent were considering testing free agency.

Maxiell has been limited in his effectiveness over seven seasons on the Detroit bench and probably assumed that leaving $5MM on the table would not be very prudent.  He signed a four-year, $20MM extension with the Pistons that took effect in the 2008/09 season.  Maxiell will hit free agency after next season. 

Jason Maxiell remains uncertain if he will exercise his player option with the Pistons for next season, reports Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News. The 29-year-old forward has until June 28 to decide whether he will return to Detroit for $5MM or test the free-agent market this summer. Maxiell's agent, Andy Miller, is currently using the month of June to determine how his client would fare if he declined his option and made his services available to the rest of the league. The Pistons are expected to select a big man in the first round of the draft, which has made Maxiell's decision more difficult.

The former Cincinnati star signed his current four-year, $20MM extension after breaking out during the 2007/2008 season in which he finished ninth in the Sixth Man of the Year vote. Maxiell's play has been inconsistent since then due to inconsistent playing time stemming from his fluctuating weight as he finished this past season averaging 6.5 PPG and 5.1 RPG. As such, Maxiell is unlikely to receive $5MM on the open market given the current economic climate across the league, but Miller still wants Maxiell to be aware of all of his options.

"Because this is his first time experiencing this, our thrust is to make sure we bring him up to speed and prepare him for the process," Miller said. "I don't know if there's ever a comfortability when a player is headed into the unknown, be it the (best) player or (worst) player, because changes are abound."

There are 53 days remaining until 2012's free agent period gets underway, as Hoops Rumors continues to examine the stock of many of this summer's top available players. While we think we have a good idea of players' values heading into the offseason, there's no telling how high the bidding might go for certain free agents. Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld takes an early look at what players might benefit from an overly aggressive suitor or two, naming 12 candidates to be overpaid in free agency.

Here are a few other odds and ends from around the NBA:

• NBA commissioner David Stern told Jim Rome on Tuesday that the league will consider implementing a shorter season in the future, though he cautioned that there would be plenty of complications. Beckley Mason and Henry Abbott of ESPN's TrueHoop have the details.
• Team France has named its preliminary 18-man roster for the 2012 London Olympics. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets that the NBA players on the list include Nicolas Batum, Rodrigue Beaubois, Ian Mahinmi, Joakim Noah, Tony Parker, Kevin Seraphin, and Ronny Turiaf.
• The Wizards are interested in bringing back unrestricted free agent James Singleton, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
• Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune doesn't think the Jazz's personnel is quite as "perfect" going forward as Derrick Favors believes.
• Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars reiterated to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press that he'd love to have Jason Maxiell back next season. Maxiell holds a $5MM player option for 2012/13 and recently hired agent Andy Miller.

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Tuesday night:

• The Nuggets' official website notes that Wilson Chandler is recovering successfully from his recent hip surgery. Chandler signed a five-year deal with the Nuggets in March after returning from his stint in China.
• MySanAntonio.com's Buck Harvey wonders how Stephen Jackson's career would have differed had he remained with the Spurs the entire time.
• The Bay Area News Group's Marcus Thompson speculates that the Warriors may look at Jason Kidd as an option at backup point guard this offseason.
• Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico compares the Cavaliers' current roster and financial flexibility to that of the rest of the Eastern Conference lottery teams.

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars conducted his exit interview with the media today, and made a number of interesting comments -- for one, Dumars said it was reasonable for Detroit to expect a playoff berth next season. Keith Langlois of Pistons.com shared that statement and a number of others on his Twitter feed, so let's run through the highlights....

• Dumars vowed to make offseason moves to improve the roster, whether those moves happen via draft, free agency, or trades.
• The team won't necessarily use its amnesty clause this summer, though that option will be discussed.
• Dumars on the amnesty clause: "You have to have a plan. You don't do it just to do it. If there's someone to acquire or to have flexibility, maybe."
• The Pistons will prioritize areas of need in the draft, but there's a chance they just end up selecting the best player available.
• Detroit is in touch with 2011 second-round pick Kyle Singler, who played overseas this season, and Dumars intends to visit him soon.
• Jason Maxiell has a player option and the Pistons would love to have him back, but the decision is "totally in his hands."
• There are no financial restrictions on the team heading into the summer, and Dumars has been told to "think outside the box" when it comes to upgrading the roster.

The Central Division plays a prominent role in a pair of tonight's most intriguing games, as the Bucks look to keep their postseason hopes alive with a win in Indiana, while the Bulls will aim to lock up the East's number one seed by beating Miami. Before we get to tonight's games, let's check in on the latest out of the Central:

• Jason Maxiell holds a $5MM player option for next season, and is undecided on whether to exercise it, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. "I want to talk to [Pistons' management], see where everybody's head is at," Maxiell said. "[Exploring free agency] could be the smart thing to do, but Detroit's my home and the security I have with them could be great for next season."
• The jobs of coach Scott Skiles and GM John Hammond could be on the line if the Bucks miss the playoffs, says Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
• It doesn't make sense for Larry Bird to leave the Pacers after this season, argues Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star.
• Donald Sloan has turned into a capable backup point guard, according to a piece at FOX Sports Ohio. The report adds that "many seem to think" Sloan has a better chance of earning a spot on next year's Cavaliers roster than Lester Hudson. Based on contract statuses alone, it's hard to argue that point -- Cleveland has Sloan under contract for 2012/13 on a non-guaranteed deal, while I believe Hudson's second 10-day deal with the team expired last night.
• Keith Langlois of Pistons.com fielded Pistons-related inquiries in a mailbag.