Thunder reserve Ronnie Brewer tells Shams Charania of RealGM he thinks that "it was unfortunate" that the Bulls announced Derrick Rose was cleared to play, elaborating that being 110% mentally ready is just as important as being physically ready: "I don’t think anybody really knows...I don’t think the doctors know. I don’t think any of the players know. Whatever it is, I don’t think he should rush back and not be confident to play, because if you’re not playing with confidence, then everything goes out the window.” 

Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight: 

• There was some confusion about Kyrie Irving's status coming out of Cavaliers camp today, as forward Luke Walton hinted that Irving could be coming back soon shortly after Byron Scott told the media that there weren't any updates on the second year point guard (other than he was getting shots up at practice). Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer clarifies that Irving has been working out hard before games and made note that he has reached the third week of a three-to-four week recovery period since spraining his shoulder earlier this month. 
• During tonight's game between the 76ers and Bobcats, Dei Lynam of CSN Philly caught up with Allen Iverson, who says: "If the road ends here (with regard to not playing again), I'm fine with it...I'm happy and content with everything that's going on in my life...If I get a chance to play again, then I would love the opportunity, but if not, I would continue to just be happy."
• Tom Moore of Philly Burbs looks at the options that Philadelphia has this offseason, whether it involves making a significant signing and filling out the roster with minimum contracts, dangling Spencer Hawes, Lavoy Allen, or possibly Evan Turner in trade talks, or look at one-year deals as a means of maintaining flexibility the following summer. 
• Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel uniquely describes the value of cap flexibility for the Magic moving forward. 

The Sixers ran up against a buzzsaw tonight, falling to the Heat as Miami ran its winning streak to 17. Philadelphia sits eight games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and even if the team was somehow able to climb into that position, it would likely have to overcome the Heat in the first round. Either way, it looks like the Sixers will soon be turning their attention to the offseason, and there are already a few rumblings about the summer, as we detail here along with other news from Philly: 

• A source tells Tom Moore of Phillyburbs.com that the Sixers discussed sending Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner and another player to make the salaries match to the Jazz for Al Jefferson before the trade deadline, though a deal never became close. Moore also echoes deadline chatter about another proposed deal that would have sent Hawes and Turner to the Hawks for Josh Smith.
• Hawes isn't bothered by trade talk, as he tells Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida, bringing up the Hawks rumor as well as one that had involved the Wolves (Sulia link). The center believes he'll be back in Philadelphia for the final season of his deal next year, but it appears he wouldn't be too surprised if he's traded.
• Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News tries to answer six key questions about the Sixers as they near an offseason he believes could be the team's biggest in more than a decade.
• Aside from Jrue Holiday and probably Thaddeus Young, no player on the Sixers roster is untouchable, Cooney writes, calling Evan Turner "the most intriguing movable piece they have."
• Doug Collins would like to coach Team USA, but as an assistant instead of the head man, Tomasson reports. Collins is lobbying instead for Doc Rivers or Gregg Popovich to be selected as head coach.

The trade deadline may be behind us, but that doesn't mean Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities won't continue checking in with his weekly Scoops column on Fridays. Wolfson still has a handful of Timberwolves-related notes to pass along, so let's check them out....

• Louis Amundson told FOX Sports Florida that the Timberwolves nearly traded him and Luke Ridnour to the 76ers for Spencer Hawes, but a source close to one of those players tells Wolfson that's "not true." Still, as Wolfson has previously reported, the Sixers did talk to Minnesota about Ridnour and J.J. Barea.
• Given how heavily the T-Wolves shopped Ridnour and Barea prior to the deadline, one of them will be moved this summer, says Wolfson.
• One source tells Wolfson to expect the Wolves to pursue a trade for Caron Butler in the summer. Butler, who will be entering the final year of his contract next year, was nearly sent to the Wizards on deadline day.
• Nemanja Bjelica, the 35th overall pick in the 2010 draft, is likely to come over to the NBA next season, a source tells Wolfson. Bjelica, whose rights the Wolves hold, signed a five-year contract with Spanish club Caja Laboral in 2010, but the deal included an NBA opt-out.

10:51pm: The Bulls are in talks to sign Amundson, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who adds that a decision is expected on Friday. 

8:16pm: Amundson's agent, Mark Bartelstein, acknowledges that while the Knicks are currently in the mix, his client is currently "close" to signing with another team (Ian Begley of ESPN New York tweets). 

1:51pm: Since being cut by the Timberwolves nearly three weeks ago, Louis Amundson has yet to find another NBA job. However, the big man tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that a few teams are interested in him, including the Heat, Knicks, Celtics, and Bulls.

The Heat, Celtics and Bulls all have open roster spots, while the Knicks would have to clear room on the roster to make a move. According to Amundson, New York is waiting to see how things work out with Kenyon Martin before making a decision. The Knicks could also waive Rasheed Wallace to clear a roster spot. As for the Heat, Amundson told Tomasson that there may be too much overlap between his skillset and Chris Andersen's. The Birdman recently signed with Miami for the remainder of the season.

While four Eastern Conference teams remain in the mix for Amundson, he was nearly sent to another Eastern club earlier this season. According to Amundson, a trade that would have sent him and Luke Ridnour to the Sixers for Spencer Hawes was nixed by Minnesota, out of concern that dealing Ridnour would leave the team thin at point guard while Ricky Rubio worked his way back to 100%.

Since he was released earlier in February, Amundson will be postseason-eligible for his next team even if he signs after tomorrow's buyout deadline.

Last night, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that many teams around the NBA are convinced that the Hawks will move Josh Smith by Thursday's trade deadline. Stein cited the Celtics as one team with interest, but wrote that he couldn't see them giving up Paul Pierce in a deal for Smith. We'll likely hear a few more rumors and rumblings on Smith today, so we'll round all those up in one place, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:

• The Nets' latest offer includes Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, and either a first-round pick or the draft rights to Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
• HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy says the strangest rumor he's heard involves Josh Smith and filler (possibly Zaza Pachulia) going to the Knicks for Amare Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert. 

Earlier updates:

• ESPN's Chris Broussard tweets that although the Suns have been in touch with the Hawks regarding Smith, a deal is very unlikely. 
• The Hawks called the Clippers and asked about acquiring Eric Bledsoe in a Smith trade, but the conversation was short, according to Broussard, who says the Clips aren't really interested in Smith (Twitter link).
• Broussard adds in a second tweet that Smith heading to the Suns in a package headlined by Marcin Gortat is "unlikely."
• Most of the offers the Hawks have received so far for Smith have been underwhelming, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
• Several members of the Warriors organization tell Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (Sulia link) that they think Smith would be an ideal fit in Golden State. However, the club wouldn't want to give up Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes for a free-agent-to-be, so a trade is "improbable at best."

• In talks with the Bucks, the Hawks' primary target is believed to be Monta Ellis, according to Stein (via Twitter).
• While the Nets continue to pursue Smith, the Hawks don't have interest in any offer that sees them take on Kris Humphries, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. There aren't many clubs interested in acquiring Humphries in a three-way deal either, says Windhorst.
• One team close to the situation predicts that the Nets will ultimately land Smith in a three-team deal, according to Stein.
• Stein adds that the Suns and Bucks are also viewed as strong suitors for Smith. However, with both clubs, there are doubts about whether the veteran forward would be willing to re-sign as a free agent this summer.
• The Rockets are fans of Smith, but are more likely to pursue him this summer than this week, says Stein.
• ESPN.com's Chris Broussard tweets that the Wizards have made all but three players (John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Nene) available in talks for Smith.
• The Timberwolves still aren't believed to be in the mix for Smith, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
• Sources tell John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the Hawks approached the Sixers about trading Smith for Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes. However, it seems Philadelphia wasn't interested.

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has just published a piece rounding up a few of the latest trade rumblings from around the NBA, so let's dive in and tackle the highlights....

• Josh Smith is viewed by Amico's sources as a near-lock to be moved, though there's no consensus on where he'll be headed. The Nets, Suns, and Mavericks are mentioned as potential destinations, with the Spurs in the mix as well.
• One source isn't so sure the Hawks will move Smith by next Thursday: "They won’t just give the guy away. (Smith) is practically an All-Star. You can deal with the contract situation later."
• The Nets haven't completely given up on the idea of making a play for Dwight Howard, but they'd likely need to get a third team involved. I'd consider that one a real long shot.
• While the Nuggets are fairly content with their roster at the moment, they could explore a smaller move involving someone like Wilson Chandler, Corey Brewer, or Anthony Randolph. Denver has some interest in J.J. Redick, but Amico says conversations have "all but disappeared after he indicated he wants to stay with the Magic."
• The Bulls and 76ers have started to get more active in trade talks within the last week.
• The Raptors have engaged the Sixers in trade talks involving Andrea Bargnani, though it's not clear what would be going Toronto's way in a hypothetical deal -- Spencer Hawes is one possibility.
• After losing twice to the Heat this season, the Thunder are "strongly considering" making a move to bolster their lineup, according to Amico.

As we've seen, the Josh Smith rumors have been frequent and plentiful.  While Smith is aware of the buzz, the veteran forward seems unaffected, reports Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld via a series of tweets.  Per Kyler, Smith has asked his family to refrain from bringing up media reports to him since he attempts to block that stuff out.  While he is flattered to hear how many teams are interested, Smith's mind is on the present and he says the Hawks have yet to discuss the situation with him.  While it certainly looks like there is a solid chance he will be traded, Smith reminds us that his name has been mentioned in rumors before to no avail. (Kyler tweets are listed here)

Smith's Hawks are in Orlando tonight - one of 12 games on the NBA schedule on Wednesday.  Let's round up all the odds and ends from around the league here for the night:

• The Sixers are not interested in trading Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner for Josh Smith, tweets the Philadelphia Inquirer's John Mitchell, citing two league sources.  Philly has reportedly been dangling that duo and may be considered sleepers in the Smith sweepstakes.  
• Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times tweets that he keeps hearing Smith will end up as a member of the Celtics. 
• In light of the news that Nerlens Noel suffered a torn ACL on Tuesday, Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld drops the Kentucky freshman to No. 4 in his mock draft.  Similar to what we heard from Jeff Goodman earlier, Koutroupis suspects that Noel will remain in this year's draft despite the injury, referencing the strength of next year's field.  To me, since Noel will likely miss a sizeable chunk of next year with the Wildcats if he were to stay in school, it makes more sense to leave and rehabilitate his knee under NBA trainers if he can go anywhere in the top 10. 
• Several general managers still consider Noel a top-5 pick, while one has him slipping to between 10-12 if he comes out, tweets SI's Chris Mannix.  Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader, quoting Draft Express' Jonathan Givony, writes that the prevailing wisdom is that Noel is still a lock for the top-5.  Givony believes Noel could still go No. 1 overall.  Roberts adds that young NBA players that have suffered similar injuries have not had long term effects. 
• In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Bradford Doolittle points to the Nuggets ($13MM), Magic ($17.8MM), Grizzlies ($7.5MM) and Bulls ($5MM) as teams with Traded Player Exceptions worth $5MM or more.  The Nuggets may just have the urgency (their exception expires March 15) and the ability (it's large enough to acquire a significant piece) to make utilizing their exception worth it, Doolittle says.  While Memphis is likely to use their modest exception, Orlando and Chicago will likely refrain.

In an earlier post, we passed along Chad Ford's report on Brandon Jennings' discontent in Milwaukee. Ford's latest Insider-only piece at ESPN.com featured plenty of additional trade notes though, so we'll round up the highlights here:

• The consensus around the NBA continues to suggest that Josh Smith is unlikely to remain with the Hawks next season, whether he leaves by trade or free agency.
• According to Ford, the 76ers have been "dangling" Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner as potential trade chips, and could be a team to watch in the Smith sweepstakes.
• The Raptors would like to acquire a backup point guard in an Andrea Bargnani deal.
• Danny Granger is probably out of the Pacers' price range over the long-term, so if he's not moved in the next week, he's a good candidate to be shopped this summer. Ford names the Clippers as a potential suitor for Granger.
• While anyone on the Suns' roster is available for the right piece, it's not entirely clear what they're looking for in return, as they've been linked to everyone from Al Jefferson to Iman Shumpert. Ford suggests that's a sign that Phoenix doesn't necessarily have a "coherent rebuilding plan."

Here are some notes from around the Atlantic Division.

• Howard Beck from the New York Times writes that Joe Johnson is looking to shed his "iso-Joe" nickname now that he's with the Nets. 
• Micah Downs was one of the last players brought into the Celtics training camp not only for his size, but his athletic potential, writes CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely. 
• The Sixers are expecting re-signed center Spencer Hawes to be a consistent force at the power forward position for them this year, writes CSNPhilly.com's John Finger. 
• Coming off an overtime preseason victory against the Celtics, the Knicks aging backcourt duo of Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni could be an intriguing one this season, writes Newsday's Al Iannazzone. 

• Nets rookie guard Tyshawn Taylor is recovering from a strained right quad, but remains anxiously eager to prove himself to the team's coaches. The former Kansas Jayhawk also said that watching the team practice while being sidelined is helping him become acquainted with how the team is expected to run (Tim Bontempts of the New York Post writes). 
• According to John N. Mitchell of Philly.com, Spencer Hawes is excited about playing power forward next to Andrew Bynum. The former Washington Huskies big man has mostly been playing center since entering the league, but believes he has the skill-set to mesh well with the former Lakers star. 
• John R. Finger of CSN Philly writes about how Maalik Wayns can contribute to the 76ers with his speed and scoring ability. Dei Lynam of CSN Philly says that Dorell Wright has been impressive in camp, especially with his shooting and playmaking ability. Also, Max Rappaport of NBA.com looks at how Dorell, Jason Richardson, and Nick Young form a remarkable combination of viable outside shooters. 
• Knicks point guard Raymond Felton has lost 20 pounds since leaving the Trail Blazers and currently weights 207 pounds, according to Ben Golliver of the Blazers Edge. Felton admitted that his conditioning issues to start the 2011-12 season significantly affected his play early on. 

• Avery Johnson says he understands Shaq's recent comments about ranking Brook Lopez ahead of Dwight Howard, saying that Lopez is "very talented" and that the Nets hope that his skills will all come together this year (Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News). 
• ESPN's Chris Broussard had a one-on-one interview with Joe Johnson about being in Brooklyn and calling the Nets the best team he's ever played with (Insider link). 
• Knicks head coach Mike Woodson weighed in on the importance of earning home court advantage, notes Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. Zwerling also writes that Carmelo Anthony views the improved competition in the East as a factor that will encourage the team to play harder every game. 
• In another piece for ESPN New York, Zwerling talks about the early impact that Jason Kidd is having on the Knicks thus far and gets a veteran NBA advance scout's take of how the team can manage his role this season.