Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game reported in March that the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is adopting a tournament-style format this year, and the league confirmed the news today. The games will take place between July 12th and July 22nd, and while the move promises excitement, the contests won't necessarily have much meaning. Damian Lillard won the circuit's co-MVP honors last summer to kick off his Rookie of the Year campaign, but the other co-MVP was Josh Selby, who's been out of the NBA since March. While we wait to see how the revamped summer league shakes out, there's plenty of other NBA news: 

• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press compares Nate McMillan and Lindsey Hunter, the presumptive frontrunners for the Pistons coaching vacancy. The team is still expected to consider a wide range of candidates, and that list includes Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and Heat assistant David Fizdale, according to Ellis.
• Dale Kasler, Tony Bizjak and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee lay out the myriad contingencies still remaining in the Kings saga after the NBA's relocation committee recommended this week that the team stay in Sacramento.
• Four HoopsWorld writers have Nerlens Noel penciled in as the No. 1 pick, but Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com has the Kentucky center at No. 2, behind Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore.
• Renaldo Balkman has signed to play for Brujos de Guayama in Puerto Rico, Luis Modestti reports (translation via Sportando). The former Knicks first-round pick received a one-year ban from playing in the Philippines earlier this season after choking a teammate. 
• Marc Stein of ESPN.com appeared on KESN-FM in Dallas this week, and pegged the Mavericks' chances of signing Dwight Howard at 10%, according to a Dallas Morning News transcription. Stein thinks Howard is still most likely to re-sign with the Lakers.
• Jeff Caplan of NBA.com takes an optimistic view of Howard's future with the Lakers, believing Howard will re-sign and, freed of speculation about his next destination, fulfill his promise as a superstar. 

A few Tuesday evening odds and ends from around the NBA:

• Kyle Korver will hit unrestricted free agency this summer, and he's looking forward to going through the process, as he tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. "It’s nothing to dread about it," Korver said. "Your wife wants to know where she’s going to live next year and I do too, obviously…. It’s an exciting time but right now you have to take care of the games you have in front of you and let July take care of July." I examined Korver's free agent stock last week.
• With Dwight Howard returning to Orlando for the first time since being traded last August, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com notes that the package acquired by GM Rob Hennigan and the Magic in that deal is no longer being questioned.
• As David Lee and the Warriors faced the Amare Stoudemire-less Knicks last night, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweeted that ex-Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni wanted the team to re-sign Lee in the summer of 2010 rather than pursuing Stoudemire.
• Pointing out that Robert Sarver and the Suns were also willing to offer Stoudemire a max contract in 2010, but only if he met certain minutes-played thresholds, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic says the Suns made the right call.
• Renaldo Balkman's lifetime ban from the Philippines' professional basketball league has been reduced to one year, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando writes.

The Timberwolves had been looking into obtaining an injury exception to sign a 16th player, but the team is unlikely to add anyone to the roster at this point, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. That includes Dominique Jones, whose camp has been reaching out to teams. David Kahn isn't interested in the ex-Maverick, says Wolfson (Twitter links). Here are a few more updates from around the Association:

• The Rockets have "quietly been sending out signals" that they'd be willing to trade Omer Asik and/or Jeremy Lin this summer in a deal that would upgrade their roster, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com.
• Former Knick and Nugget Renaldo Balkman has been banned from the Philippines' professional basketball league following an altercation with a teammate, according to a Reuters report (via the New York Times). The 2006 first-round pick had been playing for the Petron Blaze Boosters.
• Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com isn't buying the narrative that borderline draft prospects should enter this year's draft because the class is weak. According to Givony, while the 2013 draft looks weaker than normal at the top, it seems to have "great depth" outside of the top five (Twitter links).
• Amare Stoudemire's contract, which continues to look worse, represents the "Original Sin" of the present Knicks' era, writes Howard Beck of the New York Times.
• With Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard scheduled to face their old teams this week, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com revisits the blockbuster deals that sent the two stars to their current clubs.

It's already been a busy day of basketball news and rumors overseas, so let's check in on some of today's international stories relating to former or future NBA players....

• Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com writes that former Cav and Laker Christian Eyenga has been formally announced as the newest addition for China's Shanxi Brave Dragons. Eyenga was bought out of his D-League contract to clear a path to China last week.
• Within the same piece, Pastuszek provides a couple more CBA updates, noting that Rashad McCants may be released soon by the Foshan Dralions and that Blake Ahearn is off to a good start with the DongGuan Leopards.
• Back in December, we heard that ex-Knick Renaldo Balkman was likely on his way to the Philippines. Now, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando confirms (via Twitter) that Balkman has officially joined Philippines' Petron Blaze Boosters.
• Following up on a tweet by Djordje Matic, Sportando reports that Australian big man Aron Baynes is close to signing a multiyear deal with the Spurs. However, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweets that it may happen next year instead. I'd be a little surprised if the Spurs used their final roster spot on Baynes now rather than maintaining some flexibility, but we did hear a month ago that a pair of Western Conference clubs were keeping tabs on the Euroleague standout -- it appears one of those teams was the Spurs.
• Despite recent rumors that he could be on his way to the NBA this season, Bobby Brown tells La Gazzetta Dello Sport (English link via Sportando) that he's committed to remaining with Siena.
• Solomon Jones, who was cut in October by the Suns, is drawing interest from a Chinese team, according to a Hupu.com report (passed along by HoopsWorld).

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.

Released on Friday by the Knicks after the signing of former Nuggets shooting guard J.R. Smith, Renaldo Balkman may find himself on another NBA roster before the week is up.

According to Fred Kerber of the New York Post, the Nets are looking to upgrade their depth at small forward and have turned their attention to the 27-year-old sixth-year player out of South Carolina. The Nets have been outscored 500-188 at the small forward position on the season heading into Saturday's game against the Bulls. The Nets current starting small forward, DeShawn Stevenson, is known for his defense rather than his scoring ability, which is also true of Balkman. 

The former first-round pick by the Knicks was averaging 3.0 PPG and 1.9 RPG on the season in limited action. 

It's been a busy day already for the Knicks, who appear poised to officially announce that they've signed J.R. Smith and waived Renaldo Balkman. As New York looks for its eighth straight win tonight, let's round up a few links that address the impact of the team's latest moves. And don't worry, there's a Jeremy Lin update too....

• Sam Amick of SI.com reports (via Twitter) that Smith will receive $2.3MM for this season and a $2.4MM player option for next year. The numbers are slightly different than what Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier.
• The addition of Smith doesn't mean the Knicks are done looking for upgrades, tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
• Coach Mike D'Antoni indicated he'll work Smith into the rotation slowly and that Landry Fields will still continue to start at the two guard for now, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
• With Baron Davis' return date still up in the air, Howard Beck of the New York Times tweets that the team decided to waive Balkman because they need Mike Bibby to back up Lin.
• In a piece for ESPN.com, CBA guru Larry Coon explains in detail how the Knicks can re-sign both Lin and Fields this summer.

The Knicks have waived Renaldo Balkman, according to a tweet from Balkman himself. The Knicks were carrying a full roster of 15 players, so the move clears a spot for the newly-signed J.R. Smith, who also broke his own news on Twitter today.

Balkman, 27, was initially drafted 20th overall by the Knicks in 2006 before being traded to the Nuggets two years later. He made his way back to New York in last season's blockbuster Carmelo Anthony deal, but didn't see much playing time with the Knicks, appearing in just 17 games for the club over the last year. In 221 career contests, Balkman has averaged 4.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in just under 14 minutes per game.

Balkman's contract includes a guaranteed $1.675MM for 2012/13, so the Knicks will still be in the hook for that full amount unless the 6'8" forward signs elsewhere. If Balkman is not claimed on waivers, he'll become an unrestricted free agent.

FRIDAY, 7:50am: The Knicks are expected to add Smith in time for him to make his debut on Sunday, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman says Renaldo Balkman is the most likely candidate to be waived to clear a roster spot.

THURSDAY, 5:50pm: Alex Kennedy from HoopsWorld (via Twitter) just spoke with Smith, who confirmed he is nearing a deal with the Knicks.

5:35pm: ESPN.com's resident Collective Bargaining Agreement expert Larry Coon tweets that the pro-rated veteran's minimum that the Clippers can offer is worth $656,370 today versus $2,358,871 for the mini mid-level exception.  According to Coon, this is because the mini mid-level exception didn't start pro-rating until February 10, whereas the veteran's minimum began pro-ration on December 26.  In other words, the difference is bigger than we thought. 

4:34pm: The Clippers "still think they have a shot" to sign Smith, a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. Smith is expected to make a decision one way or the other within a day or so.

11:52am: The Knicks are closing in on an agreement with J.R. Smith, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Isola reports that Smith's agent, Leon Rose, met with MSG chairman James Dolan Wednesday night to attempt to finalize a deal.  Mike Bibby, Renaldo Balkman or Toney Douglas are the likely candidates to be released if Smith joins the Knicks. 

As we heard earlier today, the Knicks appear to be vying with the Clippers for Smith, who returned to America from China in the last 24 hours. One advantage the Knicks have over L.A. is the availability of their pro-rated $2.5MM mini mid-level exception. The Clippers could only offer Smith the pro-rated veteran's minimum for the rest of this season. The Knicks could also add a player option for next year to their offer; while Smith would likely decline it and become an unrestricted free agent, it would provide a level of security.

Smith requires a letter of clearance from FIBA before he can officially finalize a contract with an NBA team.

The Knicks and Lakers have contacted the Rockets to ask about Jonny Flynn, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Broussard adds that the Knicks mentioned Renaldo Balkman and Mike Bibby as trade chips, but that the Rockets weren't interested, and no moves are imminent.

The Lakers and Knicks are known to be seeking point guard help. Steve Blake is still recovering from a broken rib, meaning the Lakers are relying heavily on Derek Fisher and rookie Andrew Goudelock. For the Knicks, Baron Davis has been sidelined all season with a back injury and suffered another setback today, leaving Jeremy Lin to start at the point tonight. Both clubs are thought to have interest in Cavs point guard Ramon Sessions.

Flynn, a former Timberwolves lottery pick, has seen less action than ever in Houston this year, having played just 81 minutes in seven games. The Syracuse product has struggled with turnovers throughout his NBA career, recording an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.57 in his three seasons. Flynn is in the last year of his contract, earning $3.41MM this season.