A Northwest Division team has appeared in the Western Conference Finals four of the last six seasons, but with the top-seeded Thunder on early summer vacation after their loss to the Grizzlies, that trend has come to an end. The focus now shifts to offseason movement, and we've got the latest on a pair of Northwest teams here:

• New Timberwolves executive Flip Saunders served as an adviser to Celtics coach Doc Rivers last year, but even if Boston elects to waive Paul Pierce, a source downplays the notion that Pierce could join the Wolves, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
• Wolfson, in his roundup of Minnesota items, hears that former Wolves GM David Kahn told friends he thought he'd assume the same position with the Sixers, who instead hired Sam Hinkie as their new GM.
• The minimum salary contract of Chris Johnson, the backup big man the Wolves signed when they were short on bodies this season, is fully guaranteed for next season, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter link).
• Kevin Martin hesitated before issuing the standard player line about wanting back with his team next season, and Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman interprets that as a sign he's ready to move on. She thinks the Thunder would be hard-pressed to bring him back on even half of his $12.4MM salary from this season. 
• Of course, the Thunder wouldn't have a decision to make on Martin if they hadn't pulled the trigger on the James Harden deal, a move Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com chalks up as a blunder.

As we prepare for a busy 12-game evening slate, let's check out a few Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association:

• The Wizards have discussed adding a player from the D-League in the wake of Bradley Beal's season-ending injury, but head coach Randy Wittman tells J. Michael of CSNWashington.com that a signing is unlikely (Twitter link).
• If Kevin Martin wants to remain with the Thunder next season, he'll likely have to accept a significant pay cut, says John Rohde of the Oklahoman in a chat. Rohde estimates that Martin would get no more than $7MM annually from the Thunder, who will be aiming to avoid the luxury tax.
• The Pistons have a pair of solid building blocks in Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe, but the moves Joe Dumars makes this summer will have a significant impact on the direction of the club, writes Paul Flannery of SBNation.com.
• Donte Greene, who was set to sign with the Nets last summer before fracturing his ankle, will join Puerto Rico's Brujos de Guayama, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
• Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com has an interesting profile on Celtics guard Terrence Williams, who says he understands he still needs to display consistency in the NBA. Williams' deal with the C's includes a non-guaranteed team option for 2013/14.
• The final stretch of the Kings saga may come down to whether Sacramento or Seattle has the better arena plan, according to Tony Bizjak, Dale Kasler, and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee.

Based on various reports this year, it appears there's at least some level of mutual interest between the Thunder and Kevin Martin in extending the shooting guard's stay in OKC beyond this season. However, according to Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman, there's a "growing sentiment" that the team may not need to re-sign Martin to continue contending.

In addition to offering three reasons for and against the Thunder bringing back the ex-Rocket, Mayberry spoke to Martin about his looming free agency. Here are a few of the notable quotes:

On what factors will play a role in Martin's free agent decision:

"I don't know. I can have a perception of what's going to go into it, but this is going to be my first time doing it. My perception would be happiness and a good fit basketball-wise. I'm in a situation that after nine years I don't have to chase money. So I think that part goes into a lot of guys' minds when it happens. But for me, I found a new happiness here when I got traded here. It feels like a good fit. But we'll see when it comes around."

On the possibility of joining a non-contender that could pay him more and provide a larger role:

"I think that's where it just comes down to, what would you be happy with? And I love being a major piece on a championship-caliber team. I'm enjoying the ride."

On what he expects from the free agent process:

"I guess that time for any player — especially one in my position where teams may still see me as a guy that can carry an offensive load for any team; and I still feel like I can score 20 just by waking up — is interesting. But it'll be fun also. Hopefully it's over as soon as possible and I'll be in a place where I'll want to be and where a team will want me."

On whether he's as happy in OKC now as he was when he first arrived:

"Oh, most definitely. And a lot of that goes beyond basketball. To me, basketball's the easy part. It's how the organization is ran, how the community is, just interacting with the players the past five months that I've been here. It's honestly one of the greatest basketball experiences I've had in my career. I've been on one of the worst teams record-wise, and now I'm on one of the best. I've been a focal point of the offense and now I'm like the third option."

With the NBA trading deadline mere weeks away, teams such as the Cavs and Rockets are among those aggressively pursuing ways to make roster upgrades midseason, writes Sam Amico of FOXSportsOhio.com. Let's catch up around the league on the latest whispers, rumors and news...

• Thunder veteran Kevin Martin sees himself returning to Oklahoma City next season as he hits free agency this summer, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. "I love playing with this group of guys. The organization is great to me. The community has been great to me. It's the happiest I have been during my NBA career."
• Former NBA star Kenyon Martin's looking for a new home, specifically with the Knicks, but roster space and salary demands remain issues unless injured Rasheed Wallace decides to call it a season, says Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).
• Celtics head coach Doc Rivers spoke on ESPN's "Pardon The Interruption" on Wednesday about his outburst after Sunday's game. The good folks at ESPNBoston.com have a partial transcript of the conversation for your perusal. 

If Kevin Martin has his way, anyone other than the Thunder will have a tough time signing him this summer, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The ninth-year veteran is averaging career bests in three point shooting (45.7%) and free throw shooting (93.2%) in addition to producing 15.8 PPG in 30.0 MPG. He is currently in the final year of his contract, and is slated to make nearly $12.4MM this season. Here are some more of tonight's miscellaneous notes from around the Association:

• Despite recent reports that Phil Jackson wouldn't be interested in coaching the Nets, Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops talks about why we probably haven't seen the last of the Zen Master just yet. 
• Cavaliers coach Byron Scott is confident about the front office's patience with him, writes Jodie Valade of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 
• HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler tweeted that an Andrea Bargnani trade is inevitable since he is no longer in Toronto's long-term plans, and that the Raptors will only play him when he comes back in order to prove that he's healthy.
• Kyler (via Twitter) also says that the Lakers aren't currently looking to trade any of their bench players and are more focused on continuing to establish rhythm, Bargnani's elbow injury effectively hurts any if not all of his trade value right now, and that the current feeling around Brooklyn is that P.J. Carlesimo will get a chance to finish the season if none of the candidates they want are available. 
• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune shared some of David Kahn's comments on Brandon Roy's decision to undergo non-invasive treatment, noting that it would not be the same Regenokine therapy that Roy underwent last spring and that the upcoming process could take three to four weeks (Twitter links).
• Shams Charania of RealGM says that Ray Allen was not contacted by the Bucks during the free agency period this past summer and admitted that he probably would not have considered a return to Milwaukee regardless. 
• Nets guard MarShon Brooks is hoping to capitalize on what appears to be a fresh start with coach P.J. Carlesimo after not being able to mesh with Avery Johnson, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. 
• Without much practice time, Carlesimo will have to rely on much of the same offensive schemes that the Nets players have been familiar with up to this point along with additional help from the assistant coaches as he continues to make a transition into his interim head coaching role (Roderick Boone of Newsday reports). 
• While the departure of Joe Johnson might have signaled a rebuilding year to some, the Hawks' climb to 3rd place in the East after 27 games has definitely contradicted that notion, writes Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM. 

As one of the main pieces in the James Harden swap, Kevin Martin was asked to fill some big shoes in Oklahoma City.  So far this season he's done quite well in the former Sixth Man of the Year's slot and it's a role that Martin can see himself playing for years to come.  The guard told Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that he wants to remain in OKC long-term.

“I get that question a lot since it’s a contract year. There are going to be teams interested over the summer, but I’m so happy right now and being with these guys has given me an extra pep in my step. It’s just fun being here. It’s a great organization and great guys. I’m happy right now," Martin said.

Martin, 29, is averaging 15.7 PPG in 29.6 minutes while shooting 46.9% from the floor and 45.8% from beyond the arc.  The guard would likely prefer to wait until the summer to discuss a new deal, as a contract extension could only cover three years while a brand new deal could go up to five years.  Martin is earning $12.4MM this season.

If Monta Ellis doesn't pull the trigger on his early termination option to leave the Bucks, Martin will be at the top prize in a soft market for shooting guards.  O.J. Mayo, J.R. Smith, and Manu Ginobili are other intriguing names who could be available, as our Hoops Rumors list of 2013/14 free agents shows.

Thunder guard Kevin Martin is enjoying a "perfect opportunity" in Oklahoma City, after getting traded from Houston in the offseason, writes The Sacramento Bees' Jason Jones.

• On the recent news that the Grizzlies have hired ESPN.com's John Hollinger to join their front office, Nuggets head coach George Karl believes within a few years every team will have a statistician on board, writes the Denver Post's Adrian Dater. 
• Responding to words from Joel Freeland's agent,  in response to his supposed disappointment about being assigned to the Trail Blazers D-League affiliate Idaho Stampede, CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes spoke with Portland general manager Neil Olshey, who believes Freeland and Victor Claver were actually excited to get a playing opportunity. 

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com has a new column dealing with several high-profile topics from around the NBA. Here are the highlights:

• Berger writes that if the Lakers choose to trade Pau Gasol, they should look for wing defenders and bench depth.
• The Rockets and Royce White appear to be making progress in working through the issues that have prevented the rookie from seeing playing time. Berger reports that White has begun seeing the therapist the team assigned to him to assist with his anxiety disorder.
• Kevin Martin is having a fantastic season for the Thunder, who Berger believes have been vindicated for their decision to trade James Harden.
• Thunder guard Russell Westbrook praised the Mavericks' signing of Derek Fisher, citing the veteran point guard's impact on the Oklahoma City locker room last season.

Kevin Martin is set to become a free agent next summer, and though he and his agent have not spoken with the Thunder about an extension, the 29-year-old shooting guard made it clear that re-signing with Oklahoma City is a strong possibility, according to Michael Scotto of RealGM.com. Still, Martin is excited about the prospect of hitting unrestricted free agency for the first time.

"I’m a Midwest guy and it’s going to be an interesting summer for myself, because I never got a chance to really be a free agent and I’m going to be high in the shooting guard class, so hopefully everything works out here," Martin said. "We have a great thing right now and I’m just living in the moment."

Martin, who's making $12.44MM this season, has inherited the team's sixth man role from James Harden, for whom he was traded just before the season began. It's no surprise that he and the Thunder aren't talking about his contract right now, since the team would only be able to give him three more years in an extension, while they could re-sign him for up to five years when he's a free agent in July.

According to Martin, "everything's been positive" since he joined the Thunder. He's averaging 16.1 points per game on 46.2% shooting, but those numbers are down from the 16.8 PPG and 49.1% shooting Harden gave them last year. Still, the Thunder are off to a fast start, at 14-4. The team wasn't willing to give Harden a max deal, but reportedly made him a four-year offer for a few million dollars less than that. I'm not sure if they're prepared to pay Martin the same money they'd have given Harden, but if they decide to keep the Western Carolina product around, four years and $50MM would probably be enough to convince Martin to return.

Unless Monta Ellis exercises his early termination option to leave the Bucks, Martin figures to be at the top of a relatively weak market for shooting guards next summer. O.J. Mayo, J.R. Smith and Manu Ginobili are other intriguing names who could be available, as our Hoops Rumors list of 2013/14 free agents shows.  

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Sunday evening:

• Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman writes that Kevin Martin is performing up to expectations since being acquired by the Thunder in the James Harden trade.
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel thinks, in hindsight, that the Heat would have been wise to sign Andray Blatche this summer. Miami was held back by concerns about his effect on the locker room, as well as their belief in Josh Harrellson and Dexter Pittman, Winderman adds.
• Joe Freeman of the Oregonian admires the poise of Damian Lillard as the Trail Blazers rookie continues to impress.
• Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com likes what he's seen from Taj Gibson since signing a four-year extension with the Bulls.
• Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times adds to the praise of Gibson while also singling out Jimmy Butler for his defensive impact.
• Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun writes that Raptors bigs Amir Johnson and Ed Davis have not received due attention for their contributions.
• Rick Bonnell of the Oklahoman examines the Bobcats' defensive successes this season.
• Keith Langolis of Pistons.com says that rookie Kyle Singler has made a fan of head coach Lawrence Frank with his work ethic.
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle praises Patrick Patterson's improvement.