After indulging in his love of soccer to make a cross-sport comparison of LeBron James and Lionel Messi, Marc Stein of ESPN.com delivers his usual assortment of juicy NBA rumors from around the league as part of his Weekend Dime. Here are the highlights:

• One NBA GM believes Serge Ibaka would have been worth a maximum-salary contract had he not signed a $49.4MM extension with the Thunder this past offseason. I took an early look this evening at some of this summer's rookie-scale extension candidates.
• The Mavs recently tried to free former NBA point guard Bobby Brown from his deal with Italian club Montepaschi Siena, but the potential buyout would have been too costly. Several teams have interest in Brown, 28, who's expected to return to the NBA next season. He's averaging 17.7 points and 4.4 assists this season in Italy.
• Raja Bell confirms, as we've heard, that he would have taken a buyout from the Jazz before the March 1st playoff eligibility deadline if he had an offer from another team already lined up, and that the Lakers' concerns about the luxury tax have precluded L.A. from signing him. He also said he's open to joining a team this season even though he wouldn't be eligible for the playoffs.
• Had the Nets held on to their first-round draft pick last year instead of trading it away in the Gerald Wallace deal, they likely would have passed on presumptive Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard in favor of Tyler Zeller, since they figured incumbent point guard Deron Williams would re-sign. 
• Stein takes the Bulls to task for not making it clear that they're OK with Derrick Rose if he doesn't come back this season. Rose is angry that the perception that he's the only one holding up his return has been allowed to build. A source tells Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com that "a lot of people have to sign off" before he could come back.

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.

Kobe Bryant is one of the most confident players in the NBA, but as the Lakers have struggled this season, Bryant has expressed self-doubt about his own play, writes InsideSoCal.com's Mark Medina.

•  Al Jefferson talks to Star Tribune reporter Jerry Zgoda about Kevin Love's tenure and future with the Timberwolves. 
• On NBA.com, Serge Ibaka's offense is given its proper due. 
• DeMarcus Cousins and Kings head coach Keith Smart have had their share of difficulties over these last few weeks. But SheridanHoops.com reporter Moke Hamilton reports that Smart is putting those difficulties behind him. 

We rounded up rumors on the Cavs earlier today, but Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal has more on Anderson Varejao, whom one league executive believes would be the top target on the trade market if the Cavs decide to dangle him. The 30-year-old Varejao has been a revelation this year after returning from a broken wrist that ended his season in 2011/12, averaging a career high 15.1 points and a league-leading 15.3 rebounds per game.

The Cavs thought they found Varejao's eventual replacement when they landed Tyler Zeller in a draft-night trade with the Mavericks, believing Zeller could eventually put up numbers similar to those Varejao has posted over his career, according to Lloyd. Cleveland entered the season thinking this could be the year for a Varejao trade, especially if his value escalated after a strong start. Varejao's performance has been much better than anyone imagined, however, and that means the Cavs may have trouble finding fair value, Lloyd writes.

The Cavs would be interested in the Raptors pick that's currently held by Oklahoma City, but the Thunder are not in the market for Varejao, Lloyd says. He hears the Thunder would be unlikely to meet Cleveland's demands, which might include Serge Ibaka.

Varejao's value figures to be high again next season, and the Cavs believe Varejao can be effective beyond his current contract, which runs through 2015 at an average of more than $9MM per season, as Lloyd points out. So, it seems there's plenty of reasons why Cavs GM Chris Grant and company wouldn't make a deal this year. The Cavs believe he's on par with the other top big men in the league, but there's no guarantee they'd be able to get one of those guys or a comparable player if they traded Varejao for assets with greater long-term potential but smaller immediate return.

A happy Labor Day to our American readers, and a happy Labour Day to those in Canada! This holiday Monday hasn't been a busy one when it comes to NBA news and rumors, but there are still a number of noteworthy links trickling in. Let's round up a few of them....

• On the heels of Serge Ibaka's four-year extension with the Thunder, Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman outlines five ways Ibaka can prove he's worth the $49MM+ he'll earn.
• Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman considers a reader's theory on why the Thunder won't let James Harden hit free agency, concluding that there's still no way of knowing whether Harden will get an extension.
• Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld takes an early look at the prospects expected to be at or near the top of draft boards next June.
• Dwight Howard is looking forward to getting the opportunity to work out with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar when he gets healthy, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
• Stephen Brotherson fields readers' questions in a chat for HoopsWorld, discussing Kyle Lowry, James Harden, Tomislav Zubcic, and more.

The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry gives us five ways Serge Ibaka can live up to his recent contract extension. 

Here's a look at the rest of today's news throughout the league. 

• After suffering through a disappointing 2011/12 season, CBSSports.com's Royce Young highlights what we might be able to expect next season from the Grizzlies. 
• Brian T. Smith from The Salt Lake City Tribune gives an informative take on Dennis Lindsey, recently hired by the Jazz to be their general manager. 
• Pistons guard Brandon Knight looks up to Celtics veteran Keyon Dooling, writes the Detroit Free Press' Kirkland Crawford. 

Earlier today, we heard that the Thunder may be one of a handful of teams with interest in Michael Redd. With James Harden, Thabo Sefolosha, and Daequan Cook at the two, the club doesn't have a pressing need for a player like Redd, but if he's willing to play for the minimum salary, adding another shooter to the mix certainly couldn't hurt. Here are a few more of today's updates out of Oklahoma City:

• Serge Ibaka's extension is worth $49MM ($12.25MM annually), but that number could increase to $51.5MM based on Ibaka's performance. According to John Rohde of the Oklahoman, the $2.5MM in incentives are believed to relate to winning the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award and earning future spots on the All-Defensive first team.
• Kevin Durant participated in a Q&A with ESPN.com's Marc Stein that focused on his upcoming film Thunderstruck, but also touched on a few other topics. Durant told Stein that he was excited about Ibaka's extension, adding, "He easily could have said no, waited for next summer, played well this year and got more [money]. But he sacrificed for us and we appreciate him for that. He's the ultimate team player."
• Asked by Stein about a potential extension for James Harden, Durant replied: "I haven't asked [Thunder GM] Sam [Presti] about anything and I haven't asked James about anything. I'm just going to let that take care of itself, be the best teammate I can be and hopefully by the time camp starts we have him locked up."

Serge Ibaka and the Thunder finalized a four-year, $49MM extension over the weekend, a deal that will keep the big man under contract through 2017. It appeared likely that the Thunder would prioritize an extension for James Harden over one for Ibaka this summer, so news of Ibaka's agreement came as something of a surprise. With Ibaka, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook now locked up to expensive long-term deals, we'll have to wait and see if Oklahoma City can make room for Harden as well.

In the meantime, it's worth taking a look at Ibaka's new contract to see how much money the Thunder may have saved by getting something done early. First, let's compare Ibaka's career stat line to the numbers for a few other big men that have recently signed long-term deals after three NBA seasons:

It's worth noting that, besides Ibaka's contract, only Horford's was a true extension -- Jordan and Gasol were both retained by their respective teams in free agency. Still, it's hard not to compare Ibaka's deal to the other three and like the value for the Thunder. While the Oklahoma City big man hasn't provided the offense that Gasol and Horford did early in their careers, and hasn't played equally heavy minutes, his PER stands up nicely next to the Memphis and Atlanta centers. And the Thunder got him for a lesser annual salary than Gasol's and committed to fewer guaranteed years than the Hawks did for Horford.

Additionally, because Ibaka has one year remaining on his rookie deal, the Thunder are more likely to get a little extra value out of the four-year extension by having it come closer to Ibaka's prime years -- the deal runs from age 24 to 27. It makes the contract look better when compared to Jordan's, for instance. 2011/12 was the first year of Jordan's deal, meaning the Clippers were paying big bucks for a player that was still fairly raw and at least a couple years away from his prime.

The contracts signed earlier this summer by free agent big men also give an indication of what sort of price tag the Thunder would have been facing next summer. Roy Hibbert was quickly signed to a maximum-salary offer sheet in July, for four years and $58MM+. Brook Lopez received a max four-year, $61MM+ deal, despite missing nearly the entire season with foot injuries. And even JaVale McGee, who was a relative bargain at four years and $44MM, received a nice chunk of change for a player whose makeup has been questioned. Based on those deals, you'd have to think continued improvement for Ibaka in 2012/13 would have easily earned him a maximum offer from a team in need of size next summer.

As the Nuggets showed earlier this year when they traded Nene mere months after signing him to a five-year, $65MM pact, a long-term extension doesn't necessary mean the player will be part of a team's plans for years to come. But assuming the Thunder do intend to keep Ibaka as part of their core, they did well to get him at the price they did. A maximum-salary contract next year would likely have started around $14MM and increased annually, whereas Ibaka's extension will remain at $12.25MM per year. Over the course of the contract, Oklahoma City could save close to $15MM by locking the 22-year-old up early.

According to Fox's John Telich, the Cavaliers may buy out Omri Casspi's contract. (Twitter link) FoxSportsOhio.com's Sam Amico tweets that there have been rumors regarding Casspi's want to play overseas. 

Here's a rundown on some of the latest news and notes from around the NBA this weekend:

• According to Hoopshype.com, free agent forward Anthony Tolliver is receiving heavy attention from Greek's Panathinaikos. 
• Paul Klee of IlliniHQ.com reports that the Trail Blazers may have been weary of eventual first round draft pick Meyers Leonard's health, performing health checks up until the day he was selected. 
• Recent amnesty victim Andray Blatche says he doesn't care where he is next year, as long as he's playing basketball. And that includes the D-League, according to CBSSports.com's Ben Golliver. 
• ESPNLA.com's Andy Kamenetzky takes a look at the Nuggets, and how they should stack up against the new look Lakers next season. 
• According to ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley, the Knicks should seriously consider playing Carmelo Anthony at the power forward position more and more next season. The move would allow New York's best player to be more explosive offensively, and less of a liability on defense.
• Entering his 13th season in the NBA, Corey Maggette takes a moment to speak with HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham about his role in Detroit and his future plans for his career.
• Royce Young of Daily Thunder writes that the Thunder must now focus their attention on an extension for James Harden, having locked up Serge Ibaka yesterday.
• Sixers head coach Doug Collins talks about what new frontcourt acquisitions Andrew Bynum and Kwame Brown bring to the team.
• Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld has a list of remaining free agents who could be value signings, including Lou Amundson, Andray Blatche, Kenyon Martin, and D.J. White.

5:38pm: HoopsHype reports that Ibaka's deal is actually guaranteed for $49MM and could pay him as much as $51.5MM based on unspecified individual and team incentives.

11:59am: The Thunder have officially announced Ibaka's extension.

6:38am: Ibaka's deal is worth $48MM over four years, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

2:24am: Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Serge Ibaka has agreed to a four-year deal worth at least $40MM to remain with the Thunder. The three-year veteran averaged 9.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and a remarkable 3.7 BPG in 27.2 MPG as Oklahoma City's starting power forward last season. Although Ibaka's rebounding and block averages dipped a bit during this year's playoffs (5.8 RPG/3.0 BPG), it would be somewhat challenging to question the Thunder's decision to ensure an extension for a 22-year-old core player with premier defensive abilities and NBA Finals experience rather than let him test the free agent market after the 2012-13 season.

Wojnarowski adds that with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook playing on maximum contracts (along with $27MM due to Kendrick Perkins over the next three years), Oklahoma City faces a difficult decision with James Harden, who could possibly garner a maximum contract offer next summer as a restricted free agent. 

Hoops Rumors' Chuck Myron examined Ibaka's value as an extension candidate earlier this month.