The news of the night so far in the NBA is that Pacers' Roy Hibbert and Warriors' David Lee have each been suspended one game without pay for their roles in last night's skirmish (Twitter links from Yahoo's Marc Spears).  In addition, Lance Stephenson, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were each fined $35,000 for "escalating the altercation."  Hibbert already told Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star that he will pay Stephenson's fine for being a good teammate, tweets Wells. 

Lee will serve his suspension tonight, as the Warriors visit in the Knicks in one of 10 games on tonight's schedule.  Mark Jackson, back in Madison Square Garden as head coach of the Warriors, has already expressed his displeasure with the league's decision, tweets Adam Zagoria of NBA.com.  Here are some other odds and ends from around the league:

• Chad Ford of ESPN released his latest draft blog, available to insiders only and complete with an updated top 30.  Ben McLemore of Kansas tops his big board but as Ford asserts, this year's top 10 promises to be as ever-changing as any in recent memory.
• Greg Oden will not decide on his next team until July, reports Sam Amico of Fox Sports.  This agrees with last week's report from Marc Spears of Yahoo that Oden won't sign until the offseason, though it sounds like this came directly from Oden's agent, Mike Conley.  Amico writes that Oden came close to signing with the Cavaliers earlier this month, but an agreement couldn't be reached.  Conley believes that once Oden works his way into game shape, he will again have All Star potential.
• Free agent forward Donte Greene, now healthy after fracturing his ankle in August, will work out for teams at Eastern Michigan University on Sunday, tweets Marc Spears of Yahoo.  Spears reported last week that the Nets, Pacers, Hornets, Spurs, Bulls, Knicks, Magic, Rockets, and Cavaliers have all checked in on Greene, who played the last four seasons in Sacramento.  Citing a league source, Nets Daily has reported the Nets are not currently interested in filling their open roster spot by adding Greene.
• As was rumored yesterday, it appears that Kings minority owner John Kehriotis does in fact intend to submit a "back-up offer" to the Maloofs to buy the Kings, reports Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee.  Kehriotis apparently has the capital to match the offer from the Seattle group and believes he has the legal right to counter their attempt to buy the team, according to the report. 
• Meanwhile, the Sacramento city council voted on Tuesday night to approve the request made by city officials to begin negotiations over the financing of a new arena, reports Bizjak.  These negotiations are a crucial element to Sacramento's bid to keep the Kings. 

Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld has a new column examining which teams have a chance to be title contenders five seasons from now, taking into account possible moves in free agency and the ages of the teams' core players.

• Brigham believes the Thunder still have the brightest future, given that Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka will all be under 30 in five seasons.
• LeBron James' free agency will play a major role in determining the next title contender, Brigham writes. The health and effectiveness of Dwyane Wade will determine whether James stays with the Heat, but the Cavaliers and Lakers are also possible destinations.
• On that note, Brigham writes that, although Kyrie Irving is blossoming into a superstar, the Cavs will not be a contender unless James signs in Cleveland.
• The Bulls will still be contenders if Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah stay healthy, Brigham writes. He also notes that Nikola Mirotic will have come over to the NBA by then.
• The trade for Thomas Robinson added another young piece to the James Harden/Jeremy Lin core the Rockets have built, Brigham writes. Additionally, the team is still well under the cap and can add another high-level player via free agency.
• Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge give the Blazers a solid core to build around, writes Brigham.
• Brigham writes that there will be uncertainty every year for the next five as to whether Chris Paul will still be with the Clippers.
• Even if Stephen Curry's ankles don't hold up, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes give the Warriors a good young core, Brigham says.
• Brigham writes that the Pacers have excellent cornerstone players in Roy Hibbert and Paul George.

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

• Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes that the Collective Bargaining Agreement has restricted player movement, resulting in an underwhelming trade deadline.
• Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News laments the Nets' inability to find Deron Williams more help at the deadline.
• Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun writes that Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo deserves a contract extension.
• Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star writes that Roy Hibbert is looking to ramp up his performance as the Pacers gear up for a playoff run.
• The Oklahoman has a primer on Georgios Printezis, acquired by the Thunder on Thursday.
• Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel praises the Bucks' acquisition of J.J. Redick.
• Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW.com writes that the Mavericks' relative inactivity at the trade deadline puts increased pressure on the team to have a successful offseason.
• John Canzano of The Oregonian praises the Blazers' acquisition of Eric Maynor from the Thunder.

The Pistons reportedly have plenty of interest in DeMarcus Cousins, but Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News believes GM Joe Dumars has cooled on Cousins as Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond have developed (Twitter link). In another tweet, Goodwill asserts that Detroit won't be dealing any picks and thinks that the Celtics could offer Rajon Rondo in what would be the most attractive trade package for Sacramento. With that aside, here are a few more links we've gathered up out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

• Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun believes the Raptors would have to bite if the Kings offered Cousins for Andrea Bargnani, but he's not optimistic Cousins can overcome his volatile personality (Twitter links).
• Tim Bontemps of the New York Post dissects Mikhail Prokhorov's remarks to reporters on Friday, concluding that the Nets owner is sold on Phil Jackson and would entertain keeping P.J. Carlesimo for the rest of the season if he can't get the Zen Master of Jeff Van Gundy immediately. 
• Roy Hibbert got off to a disconcerting start this season after signing a four-year deal for the maximum in the offseason, but his play has picked up of late, as HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham chronicles. 
• Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes the Magic, at 12-16, have little chance of landing a high lottery pick, and writes that the team should set its sights on making the playoffs instead. Schmitz also speculates that Stan Van Gundy's next coaching job will be on the West Coast, and doesn't foresee Phil Jackson taking the Nets job.
• In a Q&A with The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer, Cavaliers guard Shaun Livingston discusses the career-altering injury he suffered six years ago, being cut by the Rockets, and playing alongside Kyrie Irving. 

The latest rumblings from the Central Division on Wednesday evening:

• Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star writes that despite his struggles on offense, Roy Hibbert is living up to his contract with the Pacers for his defensive impact.
• Cavin also writes that Paul George has impressed Pacers coach Frank Vogel with his defensive impact.
• Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Luc Mbah a Moute is set to play for the Bucks for the first time this season on Monday.

HoopsWorld.com has a new roundtable feature in which several of the site's writers weigh in on who they believe is the biggest disappointment thus far in the 2012/13 season. Here are the highlights:

• Lang Greene pinpoints Roy Hibbert, signed to a four-year, $58MM contract this summer, as a major reason why the Pacers are underperforming early in the season.
• Alex Kennedy believes that the Raptors' strategy of targeting Landry Fields to make it harder for the Knicks to land Steve Nash backfired. He points to Fields' disappointing start to the season as a reason why the signing is a failure for Toronto.
• Stephen Brotherston writes that Ersan Ilyasova has regressed following what appeared to be a breakout season last year with the Bucks.
• Bill Ingram is frustrated by the continued inconsistent play of JaVale McGee following his re-signing with the Nuggets this summer.
• Derek Page points out that Pau Gasol's offensive efficiency has dropped this season, even more so than expected following the Lakers' addition of Dwight Howard.
• While there is still time for him to mature, Joel Brigham writes that Jeremy Lin has been a disappointment since signing with the Rockets.

• There is no timetable for Clippers guard/forward Grant Hill's return to action (he has been out after suffering a bone bruise in his right knee on October 14th), although an MRI on Friday revealed that his condition hadn't worsened (Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports).
• Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune mentions that Timberwolves guard Alexey Shved is starting to become more comfortable playing in the NBA: "It's so different here from Europe, it takes time...I feel pretty good. Now I'm starting to know what I can do."
• Eric Patten of NBA.com makes note of DeAndre Jordan's development and it has been an important cog in the Clippers' offense. 
• Greg Stiemsma credits Al Jefferson and Kevin Garnett as two players who have helped with his development as an NBA player, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. 
• Although Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy was removed from the lineup tonight because of knee soreness, coach Rick Adelman says that he won't be overly concerned for now and hopes that it's just a minor setback (Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago reports).  
• Former Warriors lottery-pick Patrick O'Bryant is headed abroad, as Sportando.net reports that he has been officially signed by Tiburones de Vargas of the National Basketball League of Venezuela.

• Zach Harper of CBS Sports looks at how the Pacers' early struggles correlate with Roy Hibbert's shooting slump.
• Despite the uncertainty of how he'd fare after being away from the NBA for two years, Rasheed Wallace has already played a pivotal role in the Knicks locker room with his veteran leadership and experience, writes Newsday's Al Iannazone (Insider link).
• Roderick Boone of Newsday talks about Nets veteran Jerry Stackhouse and his confidence in still being able to contribute on the court. 
• Patrick Ewing is still waiting for the right coaching opportunity and hopes that one day it will be with the Knicks (Christian Red, Michael O'Keeffe, and George Hehn of the NY Daily News report).

HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram has a new column that touches on several topics from around the league, including the rivalry in Los Angeles and the Warriors' expectations.

• Ingram talks to Clippers guard Chauncey Billups, who says he is taking his time getting healthy after tearing his left Achilles' tendon last season.
• Billups also praises the Clippers' depth, citing the additions of Lamar Odom and Jamal Crawford as moves that will improve the team.
• Warriors coach Mark Jackson is optimistic Andrew Bogut, acquired last season at the trade deadline, will be ready on opening night. He also thinks the team's three rookies, including lottery pick Harrison Barnes, will be valuable contributors this season.
• Despite coming close to signing with the Trail Blazers in July, Pacers center Roy Hibbert says he never wanted to leave Indiana and that money was not a factor in his decision. Hibbert signed a four-year, $58MM deal with the Pacers this summer.

Brandon Roy decided to sign with the Timberwolves because of former teammate Will Conroy, who has a relationship with Minnesota general manager David Kahn, writes the associated press. 

Here's some more notes from around the league. 

• The Timberwolves are expecting more minutes from Nikola Pekovic this season, writes TwinCities.com's Ray Richardson. 
• Roy Hibbert is heading into this season with a new maximum contract, but he's convinced the large pay day isn't going to change him in any way, writes NBA.com's Mark Montieth.
  
• Sixers head coach Doug Collins says even though Andrew Bynum will be sitting out the next three weeks resting his knees, the new franchise center is progressing nicely, writes PhillyBurbs.com's Tom Moore.  
• NBC ProBasketballTalk's Kurt Helin gives a season preview for the Bobcats. 
• CBSSports.com's Ken Berger wrote a column about Lamar Odom's return to Los Angeles with the Clippers, and why that should mean great things for the team. 
• TheStar.com's Doug Smith believes a healthy Andrea Bargnani should do great things for DeMar DeRozan's confidence. 

Shams Charania of RealGM had a few interesting tidbits to relay from Bulls camp, writing about how coach Tom Thibodeau personally recruited Nate Robinson, Andre Emmett's fight to earn a contract during training camp and his willingness to sign with the team at any point during the season, and coach Thibodeau's aim to maintain Joakim Noah's minutes during the season. We have quite a few more links to share with news from the Central Division...

• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes that despite losing many rotation players from last year's team, Thibodeau likes the versatility of the team's new additions and the flexibility of the roster overall. 
• Pacers insider Mike Wells of IndyStar.com breaks down what he will pay attention to during the team's scrimmage on Friday, particularly Roy Hibbert's positioning, the play of the reserves, Paul George's ball-handling, and how the rookies fare. 
• Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio listed some of his early observations from Cavaliers training camp early on, saying that Dion Waiters' conditioning is not an issue, C.J. Miles is standing out as a perimeter shooting threat, Samardo Samuels and Jon Leuer appear to have earned significant roles, and that the team will have tough roster decisions to make by the end of camp. 
• Cavaliers coach Byron Scott appears especially impressed with Leuer, who the team had claimed off waivers in July. "I just don't think he knows how good he can be," said Scott (according to a tweet by Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer). Jason Lloyd of the Beacon Journal elaborates about Samuels' hard work this past summer, shedding 20 pounds since the end of last season and has cut down his body fat from 15 percent to between six and seven percent. 
• Jonny Flynn and Terrence Williams, the sixth and ninth picks of the 2009 NBA draft respectively, find themselves vying for guaranteed contracts on the Pistons roster. David Mayo of MLive.com writes about their thoughts on the opportunity as well as head coach Lawrence Frank's firm belief that both are NBA players. Frank says that he's liked what he's seen from Flynn and Williams in camp so far, even pointing out that he sees Williams as a point guard (and not a wing player).