With less than six hours until today's trade deadline, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explores a few of the latest rumors in his NBA AM piece. Here are the highlights:

• Besides Jermaine O'Neal, Sebastian Telfair is another candidate to be a roster casualty once the Suns finalize their acquisition of Marcus Morris, says Kyler. If Phoenix trades either player for virtually nothing, the Grizzlies, who have seven trade exceptions and a need to add a 13th man to their roster, could get involved.
• As they explore J.J. Redick deals, the Magic continue to seek a high-level first-round pick or a package that includes a young player and second-round picks. Several teams have questioned whether it's worth meeting that asking price for what could be a 30-game rental of Redick, according to Kyler.
• If the Lakers make a trade, it's expected to be one that reduces their luxury-tax bill rather than one that drastically changes the roster.
• In addition to shopping Ronnie Brewer, the Knicks have also made Steve Novak available. The duo isn't drawing a whole lot of interest though.
• The Hawks are a potential destination for DeJuan Blair, particularly if Atlanta finalizes a Josh Smith trade.

Kevin Garnett made some cryptic comments after the Celtics win on Wednesday night, stating that this weekend's festivities will be his last All-Star game, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.  Garnett signed a three-year extension with Boston in the offseason, so this statement obviously prompted confusion and resulting questions from media (via Chris Forsberg on ESPN.com):

"Y'all don't know what I know," Garnett said.  "So, let's put it like this: I'm more than grateful for going, but I'm not going to act like I've got more All-Star Games in me, so I'm actually going to enjoy this one with some friends and family."

Garnett could obviously be implying that he will decline future All-Star invites, but given his tendency for hinting at walking away from the game, this is something worth following.  Here are some other things going on around the league:

• With his knee still bothering him, Derrick Rose told reporters that he "won't mind missing this year" if he isn't ready, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.  This was the first time Rose spoke to the media since the start of the regular season, making this a surprising revelation.  Rose was originally thought to be aiming for a post All-Star break return, but that sure seems like a long shot at this point.  Based on Rose's words, it is clear that he intends to come back on his terms and will only do so when he is entirely healthy. 
• If the Knicks are truly inquiring on Luke Ridnour, sharpshooter Steve Novak may be the only piece they can move to get it done, writes Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops.  Novak, recently relegated to more of a reserve role, makes $4.05MM -- a number that matches up nicely against Ridnour's $4MM for this year and $4.3MM for next.  Sheridan writes that Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni aren't real options to play meaningful minutes at the point.  Sheridan considers Will Bynum of the Pistons to be the best fit for the Knicks.  
• Even if no high profile players are dealt by next week's deadline, look no further than last year to see how much a mid-level trade can make an impact on a franchise.  The Blazers trade of Gerald Wallace to the Nets -- while it didn't alter the landscape of the league a bit last year -- resulted in the acquisition of Damian Lillard via the NBA Draft, and the subsequent expediting of the Blazers rebuilding process, says Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge.  
• Asked about the Lakers personnel, Hall of Fame basketball writer Mark Heisler, now of Sheridan Hoops, says via video that the Lakers won't be moving Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol or Kobe Bryant this year.  Looking to the future, Hesiler says the team's No. 1 priority is to lock up Howard because, quite simply, he is "the only young player they have who's any good."

The latest news and notes from around the Eastern Conference on Saturday morning:

• Al Iannazzone of Newsday.com talks to a longtime NBA coach about the difficulty of gameplanning for the Knicks because of their depth. The coach cites Amare Stoudemire, J.R. Smith, and Steve Novak as bench players teams have to plan for in addition to New York's starters.
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that the Heat will be faced with a challenge posed by the new CBA when it comes to keeping their big three together in the future.
• David Mayo of MLive.com takes a look at the ways in which the Pistons will compensate for Andre Drummond's absence.
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel talks to Magic guard Arron Afflalo about rookie Maurice Harkless' impressive play.

Led by Jrue Holiday, the 76ers remain three games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Significant help in the form of another all-star caliber player could be on the way within the next several weeks, as Andrew Bynum has continued to make progress toward his goal of possibly returning to practice next week, notes Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com. The 7'0 center has been plagued by bone bruises in both knees since the start of the season. With that aside, here are more news and notes from the Atlantic Division: 

• Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York reports that Nets GM Billy King will meet with owner Mikhail Prokhorov on Wednesday to discuss P.J. Carlesimo and the job he's done so far as the interim head coach. While Carlesimo has done an exceptional job after replacing Avery Johnson, Prokhorov is said to still be enamored with going after big names such as Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy in the offseason. 
• According to A. Sherrod Blakeley of CSNNE.com, Celtics guard Rajon Rondo will get a second opinion on his ACL injury from Dr. James Andrews, who is considered be arguably "the best orthopedic surgeon in the business."  
• Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun lays out the Raptors' top five pressing issues as they inch closer to the deadline, calling their interest in Rudy Gay the "most likely to come to fruition" rumor, examining the return of both Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas from injury, Terrence Ross' progression into coach Dwane Casey's crunch-time lineup, and the continued acclimation of Landry Fields. With regard to Bargnani, Ganter thinks that Casey may have to provide a significant role at the expense of Ed Davis' minutes in order to showcase the 7-footer's health. 
• Eric Koreen of the National Post doesn't think that Gay is the cure-all answer for the Raptors, who still have many other important questions to answer regardless of whether they land him or not. Among those question marks involve the franchise's commitment to GM Bryan Colangelo, the need for more significant roster moves, and the struggles of point guard Kyle Lowry. 
• Doc Rivers doesn't appear too concerned about his players making an adjustment without Rondo, saying that a "no-point guard system" is something that the second unit has already found success with, writes Greg Payne of ESPN Boston. 
• Mike Woodson will place a higher priority on getting Knicks three point sharpshooter Steve Novak more involved in the offense, says Ian Begley of ESPN New York. 

With tipoff at the Garden for Spurs-Knicks scheduled for 7:30ET, Mike Woodson announced a shake up in the starting lineup, plugging Marcus Camby into the power forward spot previously held by Kurt Thomas (via Ian Begley on Twitter). Here is all the other news coming out of the Atlantic on Thurday:

• In an Insider-only piece, Chris Broussard of ESPN tackles the Amare Stoudemire conundrum in New York by asking five NBA minds - three assistant coaches and two longtime scouts - what the Knicks should do now that their enigmatic power forward is back.  The consensus is that Stoudemire should come off the bench initially, but as he gets healthier the opinions vary as to whether his game and mindset are up for becoming a complimentary piece on a title contender.
• For those into NBA metrics, Henry Abbott at ESPN offers an interesting take on how it could be that the Knicks Steve Novak could have the same defensive rating as dominant defensive center Tyson Chandler, and most important, what it means with regard to statistics. 
• Kirk Goldsberry of Grantland analyzes what it is to be an "attack guard" in today's NBA, and in turn reveals what has been a key factor in the decline of Nets point guard Deron Williams.  Goldsberry writes that Williams has not all of a sudden become a worse shooter, but is instead more often settling for longer shots.  Williams has never been a great shooter and with his ability to attack the rim declining, it has put more emphasis on his mediocre stroke.
• Despite their 14-17 start, Danny Ainge remains optimistic that the Celtics will come around as currently constructed, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston.  Ainge is looking forward to the return of Avery Bradley and says the new faces have not been the sole reason for their slow start.  Jimmy Toscano of CSN New England offers a few additional quotes from Ainge that imply that the right talent and coach are in place - it is merely up to the players now. It is worth mentioning that last year, the Celtics sat at 15-17 after a 5-game losing streak, only to finish the season on a 24-10 tear and capture the Atlantic division title. 

Carmelo Anthony makes his return to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse tomorrow night when they take on the Sixers in their fifth preseason game.  The Knicks currently stand at 2-2, but announced today that Amare Stoudemire will miss two to three weeks with a ruptured cyst behind his left knee.  While the time period isn't devastating, it is another medical issue for the oft-injured Stoudemire.  Here are some other notes from the Knicks preseason:

• Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York posts his reaction to the Stoudemire news, reiterating that it is not a serious injury and the time off may help a knee that was still recovering from a bone bruise on October 10.  Zwerling also says to expect Kurt Thomas to start and Chris Copeland to make the team.  
• Keith Schlosser of KnicksJournal.com mentions Copeland and Steve Novak as two candidates to step up in Stoudemire's absence.  On Saturday night, Copeland exploded for 34 points in Boston on 11-for-18 shooting and has impressed throughout the preseason.
• Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld takes a look at the Knicks point guard situation, where the team has replaced Jeremy Lin with a trio of veteran guards that have 42 combined years of pro hoops experience in Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni.  
• Speaking of Prigioni, Nate Taylor from the New York Times writes that Suns big man and fellow Argentinian Luis Scola gave him the final push that he needed to come over from the Euroleague and join the Knicks.  Prigioni, at 35, is the oldest rookie to enter the NBA in the last 40 years. 

Either the Celtics or a team with LeBron James or Dwyane Wade on the roster has won the Eastern Conference title every year since 2006, with the exception of 2009, when Dwight Howard and the Magic broke through. With D12 in L.A., it seems the path is clear for the Celtics and Heat to once again battle for Eastern supremacy, though there's a lot that could happen between now and June. Until then, here's the latest from around the East.

• Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald figures guard Terrel Harris' endorsement deal with Peak, a shoe company with promotional ties to the Heat, means he's a safe bet to make the opening-night roster. Harris has no guarantee on his minimum-salary deal.
• Steve Novak, a Wisconsin native who went to Marquette, explained his choice of the Knicks over the Bucks in free agency to the New York Post's Marc Berman. "We talked several times when I’ve been a free agent. I never know for sure at what level," Novak said of the Bucks. "But no, I wanted to be back. If I could choose Milwaukee or New York, hands down, New York. It’s the truth."
• Doug Smith of the Toronto Star disagrees with a scout who thought Raptors rookie Jonas Valanciunas looked "soft" and "scared" in a preseason game this week.
• Nets guard Joe Johnson says he's eager to share the ball with Deron Williams and get away from the "iso-Joe" style of play that placed the offensive load on his shoulders when he was with the Hawks, writes Howard Beck of The New York Times.
• John Denton of Magic.com delves into Nikola Vucevic's rich basketball bloodlines, a pedigree that Magic coach Jacque Vaughn believes will serve him well as he attempts the Herculean task of replacing Howard at center.

In less than two months, the Knicks will travel across town to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to face the Nets in the 2012/13 season opener. It'll be the start of what the NBA is hoping will be a renewed rivalry, and former Knicks president Donnie Walsh is fascinated to see how it plays out.

"I think it’s going to be an unbelievable rivalry," Walsh told Fred Kerber of the New York Post. "The Knicks still will have their fans but the Nets now have an entire borough. And Manhattan and Brooklyn have always been rivals.... Even when New Jersey was really good, the rivalry wasn’t there. This is fantastic for the city, great for Brooklyn. Knick fans are loyal but there are enough people in Brooklyn to support a second team."

Here are a few more of today's Knicks-related items:

• Howard Beck of the New York Times reports that Ronnie Brewer will miss six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his knee (Twitter link).
• Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld writes that the Knicks will certainly be an older team this season, but it remains to be seen whether or not they'll be a better team.

Earlier updates:

• Walsh also told Kerber that he likes the Knicks' roster, and doesn't buy the popular theory that Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire can't play together.
• In a Q&A with Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, Steve Novak discusses his role, his goals for the season, and the challenge of playing in what could be the NBA's toughest division.
• The Knicks have new attitudes to go along with their new uniforms, according to Anthony Sulla-Heffinger of the New York Post. Within the piece, Tyson Chandler praises his teammates for being willing to give up a month of their summers to participate in a "pre-training camp" starting next week. Chandler also noted that not having to deal with a lockout this summer should put him in far better position heading into his second season with the Knicks.

While most players' contracts include annual raises, or at the very least, identical annual salaries, Steve Novak's new contract with the Knicks is a little different, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports explains (Twitter link). Novak's deal starts at a little over $4MM, dips to below $3.5MM by 2014/15, then rises back up to $3.75MM for 2015/16. The unusual structure of the deal provides the Knicks a small amount of savings in the years when the rest of the team's roster will get extremely expensive.

Deeks shared a number of other contract details from around the league, via Twitter, so let's round them up....

• The Spurs' deal with Danny Green is for three fully-guaranteed years and $11,287,500, with no options.
• Andre Miller will earn $5MM in each of the next two seasons with the Nuggets. The third year of his deal is partially guaranteed for $2MM of $4.625MM.

Earlier updates:

• Jason Thompson's five-year deal with the Kings is worth $30,187,500, though year five is only partially guaranteed for $2.65MM.
• According to Deeks, the previously reported figures for Ersan Ilyasova are a little high -- his deal with the Bucks is worth $40MM over five years. The first four years are guaranteed at $7.9MM each, then year five is partially guaranteed for just $400K of $8.4MM.
• Jamal Crawford received the full mid-level for four years from the Clippers, but the final two years of the contract are only guaranteed for $1.5MM each.
• Marcus Camby's contract with the Knicks, $13,151,319 over three years, descends in value, with just $1,025,890 of $4,177,208 guaranteed in the third season.
• Every first-round pick to sign so far has received the full 120% of the rookie scale.
• DeShawn Stevenson will earn $2,240,450 in each year of his three-year deal with the Hawks, though only the first season is guaranteed.
• Kyle Singler's fully-guaranteed deal with the Pistons is worth $3,135,000 over three years, with no options, while Victor Claver's deal with the Trail Blazers is also fully guaranteed and will pay him $4MM over three years.
• Jason Kidd (Knicks; three years, $9.09MM), Ian Mahinmi (Pacers; four years, $16MM), and Gerald Green (Pacers; three years, $10.5MM) all received fully-guaranteed contracts with no option years.
• The Nets' agreement with Reggie Evans is worth $5,086,905 over three years, and is fully guaranteed.
• Hasheem Thabeet's contract with the Thunder appears to be for more than the minimum salary. Deeks pegs the value at three years and $3.65MM, though only the first year and $500K of year two are guaranteed. Oklahoma City will be using either a portion of their mid-level or bi-annual exception for that deal.
• I would guess Thabeet's deal will come out of the MLE, since the Thunder are also using a portion of the mid-level on Hollis Thompson, who signed a three-year minimum-salary contract. Only $75K is guaranteed, however.
• Doron Lamb received a three-year, minimum-salary deal from the Bucks, with the third year nonguaranteed.

THURSDAY, 2:23pm: The Knicks have officially re-signed Novak, the team announced in a press release. Novak himself also announced the deal via Twitter, attaching a photo of him signing his contract.

MONDAY, 1:55pm: The Knicks and Steve Novak have agreed to terms on a new contract, according to agent Mark Bartelstein. Bartelstein says the deal, which is fully guaranteed, will pay Novak $15MM for four years (Twitter links via TNT's David Aldridge).

Heading into the offseason, there was speculation that the Knicks wouldn't have the means to retain Novak, but an arbitrator's ruling allowed Novak to retain Early Bird rights, making it easier for New York to make him a competitive offer and bring him back. Due to that ruling, the Knicks won't have to use any form of mid-level or bi-annual exception to re-sign the sharpshooter.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reported last week that nearly a dozen teams expressed some interest in Novak on the first day of free agency, but said at the time that the Knicks felt good about their chances of re-signing the 29-year-old.