Kyrie Irving is willing to listen to any pitch LeBron James might make about joining forces on the Cavaliers in 2014, a source tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who wonders if All-Stars from around the league will use this weekend to hatch plots to form more superteams. While we wait to hear if any such whispers emanate from Houston, here's the latest from the Association:

• Jared Zwerling, speaking with fellow ESPNNewYork.com scribe Ian Begley, says he's hearing the Knicks will "hold tight" and not make a move before the trade deadline (video link). 
• Zach Randolph agrees with owner Robert Pera's view that the Grizzlies are stronger after the Rudy Gay trade, as Kyle Veazey of the Memphis Commercial Appeal details. 
• The Grizzlies have reportedly assured Randolph that he won't be traded, and the power forward spoke today about his desire to remain in Memphis. Jeff Zillgitt and Kevin Spain of USA Today have more.
• Trade candidate Josh Smith talked about dealing with speculation about his post-deadline address and his belief that he deserves a max deal with Lang Whitaker of GQ.
• Jeff Teague believes rumors involving Smith and others have been a huge distraction for the Hawks, as HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram tweets.
• Billy Hunter ally and former players union executive vice president Maurice Evans told Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com he's received a letter warning him to stay away from tomorrow's meeting that will decide whether Hunter remains executive director. Evans, who has not played in the NBA this season, also contends the only reason Derek Fisher signed with the Mavs is so he could remain union president and engineer Hunter's exit.
• HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy checks in with a few points to keep in mind as the trade deadline approaches.

Three Central Division teams were in action tonight, as the Bucks endured a surprising blowout loss to the Hornets and fell out of a first-place tie with the Bulls, while the Pistons beat the cellar-dwelling Cavs. Chicago, at 8-7, is the best of an underwhelming bunch, and we rounded up several Bulls rumors earlier today. We have more on them and their Central rivals tonight.

• Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times hears Derrick Rose might be only weeks away from practicing, but cautions that it's unclear whether that means he's ahead of schedule for his return to playing, which is thought to be slated for February.
• The Daily Herald's Mike McGraw doesn't believe the rumor that Bulls will go after Maurice Evans, tweeting that "now is not the time" to add another player, given the team's constraints under the $74.3MM hard cap. The Bulls are eligible to sign someone to a veteran's minimum deal, but a fully guaranteed deal wouldn't allow them to add anyone else for a while longer.
• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune mentions training-camp invitee Marko Jaric as a possible signing if the Bulls opt to add a player (Twitter link). 
• Sean Deveney of The Sporting News examines the struggles of the Pacers, describing the play of their offseason acquisitions as "awful across the board." Deveney also points to the regression of Roy Hibbert, who's fresh off signing a new four-year deal this summer. 
• The Sporting News scribe doesn't spare Paul George from criticism, either, and Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star takes a closer look at the inconsistent offensive play of the third-year swingman who'll be eligible for an extension next summer.
• Donald Sloan's defensive shortcomings caused him to fall out of the Cavs rotation before injuries to others forced him back in, and the minimum-salary point guard, who's without a guarantee on his deal, admits he's nervous about getting cut, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal documents.

The Bulls pulled out a 93-88 win over the Sixers on Saturday night but it didn't come without a price.  Here's the latest out of Chicago..

• Richard Hamilton injured his left foot in the third quarter of the Bulls' win over the 76ers and an MRI revealed that he has a torn plantar fascia, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.  Hamilton would actually return to the game with the trainer's green light and sank three of four free throws in the final 20 seconds to help Chicago seal the W.
• With Hamilton sidelined, the Bulls may pursue free agent Maurice Evans, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter).  Chicago, he notes, has expressed interest in Evans in the past.  The veteran guard had a number of offers for make-good contracts over the offseason but declined all of them as he demanded a guaranteed deal.
• If the Bulls use their open roster spot to sign another guard that player won't get the starting nod over Marco Belinelli or Jimmy Butler, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.  There's no timetable for Hamilton's return yet but he could be out for a week or more.

HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus examines the depth of the Clippers, and says that the team has received numerous inquiries about reserve point guard Eric Bledsoe. The Clippers won't consider moving Bledsoe until they sign Chris Paul to a long-term contract, Pincus hears, adding that most executives expect Paul, an unrestricted free agent next summer, to stay with the team. There's plenty of other news from around the Association on the first weekend of the regular season, so let's dive right in.

• We heard yesterday that Antonio McDyess is considering a comeback, but he has no interest in joining the Wolves, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
• In his third season, Lance Stephenson is finally making an impact for the Pacers as he receives minutes for the injured Danny Granger, writes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com. Montieth adds that Granger, who's out indefinitely, could face surgery on his sore left knee.
• Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com examines the options for the Warriors in the wake of Brandon Rush's season-ending injury, and mentions Mickael Pietrus, Maurice Evans, Josh Howard and Kenyon Martin as "free agent names arising" in case the team goes looking for a replacement.
• C.J. Watson drew interest from other teams that could have offered more money, but he decided to sign with the Nets on a minimum-salary deal instead, notes Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post.
• Jeff Teague is using the Hawks' decision not to extend his rookie-scale contract this week as motivation, but he isn't upset with the team, the point guard tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. 
• In the same piece, Greene also checks in with Rockets swingman Daequan Cook, who's looking to prove his worth as a teammate after his inclusion in the James Harden trade caught him off guard.
• Neil Olshey took the Blazers' offer to become GM after owner Paul Allen put it on the table with the condition that Olshey was not to give the Clippers a chance to match, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
• Trey Johnson, who spent 11 games with the Hornets last year, was close to signing with Angelico Biella, but it appears the deal is falling apart, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports.

HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy has taken to Twitter this morning to share a few updates about a number of NBA free agents, including one that hasn't played in the league since the 2009/10 season. Let's dive right in....

• Kennedy hears that Ricky Davis, who last played for the Clippers in '09/10, is hoping to make a comeback. I don't expect any NBA team to sign Davis outright, but maybe he could end up in the D-League.
• Kenyon Martin is drawing interest from multiple teams, but remains unwilling to sign for the minimum. As we heard earlier this week, Martin is seeking a mini mid-level deal.
• Hassan Whiteside has been working out in Houston and Kennedy believes he's a good bet to land on an NBA roster this season.
• Maurice Evans continues to weigh his NBA options, though he's still seeking a guaranteed contract, a commitment teams seem unwilling to make.
• Don't be surprised if a team takes a flier on Greg Oden later this season, assuming he's healthy enough to return.

Free agent guard Maurice Evans is still looking to hook on with a team as we close in on the start of the 2011/12 season and has received several offers for make-good contracts from around the league.  However, the 33-year-old says that he won't consider taking any of them as he believes that he deserves a guaranteed contract, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.

“I did not entertain any non-guaranteed contracts,” Evans said. “At this point in my career, every team and GM is familiar with my skill-set and what impact I would have on their team. A non-guarantee was not appealing at all, especially coming off the heels of helping negotiate the current CBA just last year.  I believe there will be opportunities that will manifest after training camp. There are many players still at home that can bring tremendous value to teams.”

Evans believes that he has plenty left in the tank at this stage of his career, but the Wizards didn't do him any favors last season as his minutes shrank in the midst of the club's youth movement.  In 14.3 minutes per contest, Evans averaged 4.9 PPG and 1.0 RPG.  It was reported that General Manager Ernie Grunfeld offered Evans a position in the front office, but the guard says that he was never formally presented with that opportunity.  Regardless, Evans says that he's willing to call it a career if he can't find a club willing to give him a guaranteed contract.

With Tracy McGrady having signed to play in China earlier this week, our list of 2012/13 unrestricted free agents continues to grow more and more sparse. Still, there are surprising names on there, such as Kenyon Martin, Leandro Barbosa, Mickael Pietrus, and Michael Redd. We don't have any new updates on those four, but here's the latest on a few of the other notable names on the market:

• Derek Fisher: Kobe Bryant tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link) that he's confident his longtime teammate will find an NBA home soon, since "every team needs a guard like him." Fisher had been working out with the Lakers this fall, but can't re-sign with Los Angeles at this point, since the team traded him in March. There was speculation that the Celtics could kick the tires following Keyon Dooling's retirement, but there doesn't appear to be anything concrete there.
• Josh Howard: While Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that Howard should be on a roster before opening night, it's a little surprising he's still out there at all. We've heard rumblings that Howard was closing in on a decision since late July, after all. I wouldn't rule out the Sixers, who were said to be eyeing Howard last month and currently appear to have camp invitees Dan Gadzuric, Damien Wilkins, and Devin Searcy fighting for the final two roster spots.
• Chris Andersen: Within the previously-linked Zwerling tweet, the ESPNNY scribe adds that the Birdman should find a suitor by opening night as well, though it's unclear where he'll land. Andersen seems to have been willing to sign with a number of teams earlier in the offseason, but the Timberwolves, Heat, and Knicks all failed to reciprocate his interest. An August report suggesting the big man had offers of up to $5MM annually seems a little outrageous now, but perhaps there would still be modest offers available overseas.
• Maurice Evans: Another player Zwerling expects to sign with a team this month, Evans wants to continue his playing career despite receiving interest from the Wizards in a front office capacity. Last week, we heard that teams would likely evaluate what they have in camp before moving on someone like Evans, so perhaps a club disappointed with its camp invitees will turn to the veteran wing within the next few weeks.

The news continues to improve for Dwight Howard and the Lakers, as five-on-five scrimmages appear to be the only part of practices in which the big man in not participating, as Mike Trudell of Lakers.com writes. "As much as he’s practicing, to me he’s back," coach Mike Brown told reporters. "Just waiting for the doctors (and) trainers to clear him. When that happens, he’ll go full tilt. But he looks good out there." There's more on the purple-and-gold and others tonight as training camps continue.

• The Lakers are not for sale, but Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, whose name has come up as a candidate to buy the Warriors and the Grizzlies in recent years, says they're his favorite team and hinted to CNBC's Robert Frank that he might like to own them someday (hat tip to RealGM.com).
• The Warriors are taking a cautious approach with Stephen Curry in training camp as the team tries to assess his health as the October 31st deadline for an extension looms, reports Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group (via the Charlotte Observer). 
• Thompson also sizes up the candidates to start at small forward for the Warriors, concluding Brandon Rush is the most likely to nail down the job. 
• It's a jumble at the three spot for the Bucks, too, with Tobias Harris, Mike Dunleavy and Marquis Daniels competing for the starting gig, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines.
• The agent for free agent guard Maurice Evans doesn't expect his client will sign anywhere soon, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
• We passed along reaction to the league's new flopping policy earlier this evening, and Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News adds word from reputed flopper Manu Ginobili.
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel checks in with Arron Afflalo, who figures to take on a larger role for the Magic this year than the one he played with the Nuggets.
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle and Ken Berger of CBSSports.com provide more detail on the psychological struggle Royce White faces as he remains absent from Rockets camp. Matt Moore of CBSSports.com and Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld take it a step further, writing about their own anxiety disorders.

The Wizards have offered Brian Cook an invitation to training camp, and the 31-year-old big man could sign a non-guaranteed deal by sometime this afternoon, Michael Lee of the Washington Post hears. Cook has also been in contact with the Suns, Lee also reports.

Washington acquired Cook last year in the same deadline deal that brought in Nene. The nine-year veteran, who would make $1.229MM on a minimum-salary deal, averaged 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in just 8.6 minutes a game for the entire season, though his numbers went up to 3.1 PPG and 2.5 PPG in 9.7 MPG after he went to the Wizards. He became an unrestricted free agent after a two-year, minimum salary deal he signed in 2010 expired this summer. 

Lee also confirms a report from Jeff Zillgitt of the USA Today that we passed along last night saying that the Wizards had interest in Maurice Evans for their front office, though Evans, the vice president of the players union, wants to continue playing.

The Suns, who have more than $8MM in cap room, could go over the minimum to sign Cook, as could the Wizards, who have $3.25MM of their midlevel exception available after signing Martell Webster, though it seems unlikely either team would do so. Lee says the Wizards, who have 14 players with at least a partially guaranteed deal, would probably go with someone who can play up front for their final roster spot, which signals their interest in Cook.

Anthony Tolliver has been working out with several Timberwolves players, namely Brandon Roy and Chase Budinger (Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) looks at it as a sign that Tolliver "badly" wants to remain in Minnesota next year. In another tweet, Zgoda caught Nikola Pekovic's thoughts regarding Ricky Rubio, saying that while the Spanish point guard looks good and hopes to be running again next week, he is still aiming for a return in December. We've had quite a bit of updates tonight, so be sure to check out the newest tidbits from around the league here..

• Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets that Trail Blazers guard Elliot Williams is scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday to repair a ruptured achilles tendon. 
• Justin Verrier of ESPN talks about Chris Bosh's willingness to continue playing center after contributing to a successful title run at that position with the Heat.
• Free agent Maurice Evans remains confident in the leadership ability he can bring to a team, says Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Although a source suggested that the Wizards offered him a position in their front office, Evans says that he believes he still has value as a player. 
• ESPN's Chris Broussard writes that Hakeem Olajuwon is slated to visit with the Knicks for several days next week to continue working out with Amare Stoudemire in addition to helping Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Marcus Camby. On another matter, Tracy McGrady's health looked "good" during his workout with the team (Ian Begley of ESPN New York tweets).  
• According to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, Dwight Howard's rehab is going well, although he won't be ready for the start of training camp or the start of pre-season. Earlier, Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register reported (via Twitter) that the Lakers were expected to make an announcement today regarding an update of Howard's recovery from back surgery.

• Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy says that he hasn't been experiencing any setbacks as he starts increasing the intensity of his workouts before training camp (NBA.com via the Associated Press). His teammate, Nikola Pekovic is said to have lost "seven or eight pounds" and is recovering well after undergoing a procedure in May to remove bone spurs in his ankle, writes Ray Richardson of TwinCities.com. 
• Jason Friedman of Rockets.com tweets that Jon Brockman suffered a right eye injury on Monday, according to an announcement by the Rockets today. While surgery is not required, there is currently no timetable for his return. 
• Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York (via Twitter) says that although Tracy McGrady's name has been linked to the Knicks, New York is still focused on adding a big man. He also mentions that Kenyon Martin, Louis Amundson, D.J. White, and Chris Andersen still remain unsigned. 
• Among the names that mostly appeared to be relevant during Brooklyn's pursuit of Dwight Howard was MarShon Brooks, who made a splash as a rookie on the Nets last season. Now ready to begin his sophomore campaign in Brooklyn, the 6'5'' guard out of Providence opened up about his experience in dealing with trade rumors as well as how he plans to adapt his scoring mentality in a rotation full of scorers (Roderick Boone of Newsday reports).
• According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, many people within NBA circles believe that the Heat's big three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh will eventually part ways after the 2014 season, listing Wade's age, injury history, and with free agency looming for LeBron that summer as some significant factors (Sulia link).
• Julie Copeland of the Santa Cruz Sentinel says that the Santa Cruz City Council has unanimously approved building permits for the Warriors facility, and that a funding vote is pending (Twitter link). 
• Jim Paschke of Bucks.com tweets that Scott Williams has accepted an assistant coaching position with the Idaho Stampede of the NBDL.