A few random bits of info from around the league this Tuesday evening. 

• LeBron James tried to convince Taj Gibson to join the Heat last year, according to a report by Chicago Sun-Times reporter Joe Cowley. 
• After the Knicks handed the Celtics their worst home loss since 2010, New York's center Kenyon Martin had words for Boston, a team that supposedly could've signed him but opted not to, tweets the New York Times' Howard Beck. 
• SheridanHoops.com writer Moke Hamilton ranks the top free agents this summer. 
• Hoopsworld.com takes a look at the league's worst teams, and tries to figure out which organization has the brightest future. Anthony Davis and the Hornets are highlighted as one of the prime candidates. 

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

• Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman writes that Kevin Martin is performing up to expectations since being acquired by the Thunder in the James Harden trade.
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel thinks, in hindsight, that the Heat would have been wise to sign Andray Blatche this summer. Miami was held back by concerns about his effect on the locker room, as well as their belief in Josh Harrellson and Dexter Pittman, Winderman adds.
• Joe Freeman of the Oregonian admires the poise of Damian Lillard as the Trail Blazers rookie continues to impress.
• Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com likes what he's seen from Taj Gibson since signing a four-year extension with the Bulls.
• Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times adds to the praise of Gibson while also singling out Jimmy Butler for his defensive impact.
• Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun writes that Raptors bigs Amir Johnson and Ed Davis have not received due attention for their contributions.
• Rick Bonnell of the Oklahoman examines the Bobcats' defensive successes this season.
• Keith Langolis of Pistons.com says that rookie Kyle Singler has made a fan of head coach Lawrence Frank with his work ethic.
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle praises Patrick Patterson's improvement.

Since Martell Webster dubbed the Wizards' third game of the season, against the Celtics, a "must-win," the team has lost ten more games and now sits at 0-12. With a home contest vs. 6-8 the Trail Blazers on tap tonight, the club has a decent opportunity to finally notch its first victory of the season. As Michael Lee of the Washington Post writes, things will only get tougher going forward, with four road games against the Knicks, Heat, Hawks, and Warriors up next.

While we wait to see if Washington can get into the win column, let's check out a few updates from around the Eastern Conference....

• Jose Calderon tells Yahoo! Deportes that his goal next summer in free agency is to sign a multiyear deal (translation via HoopsHype).
• When he signed with the Nets, Jerry Stackhouse expected his role to primarily involve coaching and mentoring, but he's made the most of the playing time he's received, writes Howie Kussoy of the New York Post.
• Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio fielded primarily Cavaliers-related questions from fans in a chat today, including plenty of inquiries on trade possibilities involving Anderson Varejao.
• Taj Gibson tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Sulia link) that the pressure of living up to the contract extension he signed before the season isn't affecting his play at all.

Six players from the 2009 draft class signed extensions before Wednesday's deadline. James Harden, fresh off being traded to the Rockets, signed a five-year extension in Houston. Meanwhile, the 76ers signed Jrue Holiday to a four-year deal, as did the Bulls with Taj Gibson, the Warriors with Stephen Curry, the Nuggets with Ty Lawson, and the Raptors with DeMar DeRozan. Here are a few links dealing with the aftermath of these deals.

• The Daily Herald's Mike McGraw breaks down the financial implications of the Bulls' extension with Gibson.
• Sean Deveney of the Sporting News looks at several players who didn't receive extensions, including Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans, and Jeff Teague. He says this season will be important to them in setting their value.
• Deveney also writes that many prospective restricted free agents are seen as no more than backups, which could affect their worth on the open market.

Five players signed contract extensions on Wednesday's deadline day, and that doesn't even include Ty Lawson's new deal, which was completed on Tuesday. With this year's October 31st deadline behind us, let's round up some of the links relating to this year's class of extended players....

• Taj Gibson's deal with the Bulls is worth roughly $34MM in guaranteed salary, plus up to $38-39MM with incentives, which are both individual- and team-based, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (Twitter links).
• Gibson probably could have earned a larger contract on the open market next summer, but wanted to stay with the Bulls because he's happy in Chicago, says Sam Smith of Bulls.com.
• Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group spoke to Stephen Curry about the process of negotiating a new deal with the Warriors. The piece also includes conversations with team owner Joe Lacob and GM Bob Myers.
• DeMar DeRozan was prepared to play out the season with or without a contract extension, but he's happy to have it out of the way, writes Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld.
• Doug Smith of the Toronto Star feels that the Raptors, in locking up DeRozan, bid against themselves when it wasn't necessary.
• Sean Deveney of The Sporting News examines the consequences of a wild week for the Rockets and James Harden, who finalized a five-year maximum-salary extension yesterday.
• Having not received an extension from the Kings, Tyreke Evans tells Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee that he's fine with just focusing on his play on the court for the rest of the season.

11:43pm: The Bulls officially announced the extension in a press release.

"I’m very happy that I’m going to remain a Bull for the long haul," Gibson said. "The Bulls are like my second family and I’m excited to know that I’m going to continue to wear 'Bulls' across my chest."

11:19pm: The base pay comes to $32MM, but incentives could make the deal worth $38MM, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

10:52pm: Gibson said the money in the offer from the Bulls didn't change tonight, but contract language did, reports Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

10:39pm: Sam Amick of SI.com tweets that agent Mark Bartelstein says the incentives would only bring the deal up to $38MM, which was initially believed to be Gibson's base pay.

10:28pm: There are incentives in the extension that could bring it up to $40MM, the amount Gibson was asking for earlier tonight, Johnson tweets.

10:12pm: Taj Gibson and the Bulls have agreed to an extension, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports (Twitter link). The deal is for four years and $38MM, tweets Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com. The two sides bridged a reported $8MM gap, as Gibson was seeking $40MM while the team offered $32MM. He told Johnson before Chicago's win over the Kings tonight that he didn't think he'd change his mind an accept the team's offer, but evidently the Bulls upped the ante enough for his liking.

Assuming a $9.5MM salary for Gibson next year, the Bulls appear set up to be a luxury tax team again in 2013/14. They have about $74MM on the books for next year, a number they can knock down to $70MM if they waive Richard Hamilton, whose $5MM deal is only guaranteed for $1MM. The decision to extend Gibson's contract seemingly puts fellow power forward Carlos Boozer at greater risk of being waived via the amnesty clause next summer, since he's due $15.3MM in 2013/14 and $16.8MM the year after that.

Gibson has never averaged more than the 9.0 points per game he put up as a rookie in 2009/10, and has seen his minutes decrease in each of his three seasons. He's expected to take on a larger role this year as the lone remaining member of a well-regarded second unit that helped the Bulls to the league's best regular season record two years in a row. Though he scored only 7.7 PPG last season, his per-36-minutes point production was a career-high 13.6, and his PER has steadily climbed over his time in the league, reaching 16.9 last season. 

This year's deadline for extension-eligible fourth-year players to sign new deals is just hours away, arriving at 11:00pm CT today. Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka, and Ty Lawson came into the day as the only players with new contracts, while Stephen Curry reached an unexpected agreement with the Warriors this morning and James Harden agreed to a maximum deal with the Rockets this afternoon. Will we see any other extensions signed before the night is out? We'll track today's extension-related rumors and rumblings right here:

• Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago reports Taj Gibson is seeking a four-year extension worth $40MM while the Bulls are offering $32MM. Sam notes a $36MM figure in the middle would be equal to what fellow forwards Ryan Anderson and Jeff Green got over the summer, and less than the $10MM or more Sam believes Gibson could command as a restricted free agent next summer (All Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

• The Cavs have passed on an extension for Omri Casspi, the Plain Dealer reports via Twitter.
• The Warriors had no intention of letting Stephen Curry go, regardless of whether they reached an extension, and the same is true for the Raptors and DeMar DeRozan, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
• A league source told Kyler that Ty Lawson's extension "set some things in motion" regarding extensions for other players (Twitter link).
• In a piece discussing the team's decision to pick up Quincy Pondexter's option, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal notes the Grizzlies never spoke with Arn Tellem, the agent for Wayne Ellington, about an extension for his client. 
• Jrue Holiday is content however his extension negotiations with the Sixers turn out, writes John Finger of CSNPhilly.com. “I’m happy and I want to be here and if we wait until the end of the season there are more options. I’m happy either way,” Holiday said. 
• The Bulls and Taj Gibson's camp are still talking, according to TNT's David Aldridge, and agent Mark Bartelstein told Shama Charania of RealGM.com, "Never say never" (Twitterlinks).
• Gibson told K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune he doesn't think he'll change his mind and accept the Bulls offer after the game tonight. "I doubt it," Gibson said. "Gotta move on."
• A source close to talks between the Raptors and DeMar DeRozan expressed a hint of optimism that a deal will be reached, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
• The Bulls' offer to Taj Gibson isn't changing, and the two sides are separated by roughly $8MM on a four-year proposal, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
• A deal between the Grizzlies and Wayne Ellington won't take place, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, who adds Ellington was well aware he wouldn't get an extension. 
• Talks about extensions for Taj Gibson and Jrue Holiday are expected to go "down to the wire," Ken Berger of CBSSports.com hears (Twitter link).
• Jrue Holiday tells Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com that the Sixers have come back to him and his agent with a counter-offer regarding an extension. There's no indication of how close the team's offer is to getting something done, but Holiday says there's some reason for optimism, according to Moore (Twitterlinks).
• A source close to the talks between the Raptors and DeMar DeRozan is pessimistic about the chances of an extension agreement, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. However, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun hears that a deal, one in the neighborhood of four years and $34MM, is is still possible. Earlier this afternoon, we heard from Adrian Wojnarowski and Wolstat that the two sides were making progress (links below).
• Barring a late surge of momentum, an extension for Taj Gibson from the Bulls appears unlikely, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
• With an extension from the Bucks almost certainly not coming today, Brandon Jennings had mixed feelings, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Wayne Ellington was prepared not to receive a contract extension from the Grizzlies, telling Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link): "It’s always something you think about. Now it’s something I’ve got to work for."
• While there's no deal in place yet, the Raptors and DeMar DeRozan have made progress in talks on a four-year extension, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun hears the same thing (Twitter link). After initially expressing skepticism that a deal would get done, Wolstat now thinks there's a 75% chance the two sides work something out, predicting an annual salary of $8MM+ (Twitterlinks).
• All signals continue to suggest the Raptors won't be extending DeMar DeRozan today, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
• Jrue Holiday still isn't ruling out an extension, telling Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com "you never know what will happen" (Twitter link). One league source places the odds of the Sixers extending Holiday at 50/50, tweets Ken Berger of CBS Sports, while Moore hears the point guard is seeking $12-13MM annually (Twitter link).
• The Bulls "remain hopeful" that Taj Gibson will accept their extension offer by tonight, says Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com.
• James Harden has yet to sign an extension with the Rockets, but it's still expected to happen before the end of the day, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
• Reports continue to suggest that Brandon Jennings will not be extended by the Bucks before tonight's deadline. Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is the latest to say that Jennings isn't expected to receive a new deal, citing multiple sources.
• Jrue Holiday hasn't heard anything from the 76ers or his agent about a possible extension, tweets Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News. Holiday added that Lawson's $48MM extension doesn't affect him, since "I want what I want" (Twitter link via Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com).
• It appears the Sixers are at least still exploring a new contract for Holiday. Head coach Doug Collins told the media that Tony DiLeo didn't come to the team's shootaround, likely because the GM was in his office talking about a potential Holiday extension (Twitter link via Cooney).

Stephen Curry didn't want extension talks to go down to the wire, but it appears that's the case, as Curry's comments to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle lead Simmons to conclude that agent Jeff Austin and Warriors GM Bob Myers continue to try to work out a deal (Sulia link). Since Curry left a preseason game after tweaking his ankle ten days ago, we've heard multiple reports suggesting a deal was unlikely. Nothing's final until tomorrow's 11:00pm Central time deadline, and with about 24 hours to go, there's news on another extension-eligible player among notes from the first night of the 2012/13 regular season.

• There's "growing speculation" the Bulls will let the deadline pass without signing Taj Gibson to an extension, reports Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Andrew Bogut believes "a lot is riding on this year" for the Warriors, and Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group says much of that is riding on Bogut's shoulders. Fellow Bay Area News Group scribe Monte Poole goes the other way, suggesting Curry is the focal point of the team.
• Thunder coach Scott Brooks has confidence in Hasheem Thabeet, and his performance in the preseason was one reason the team included Cole Aldrich in the trade, as John Rohde of The Oklahoman chronicles.
• The Bobcats are counting on offseason trade acquisition Ben Gordon to be their go-to scorer at the end of games, writes Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer.
• With a year still to go before his five-year max extension kicks in, the Clippers want to make sure Blake Griffin stays healthy for the long haul by incorporating more mid-range shooting into his arsenal, as Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News examines.
• Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reportedly had to be talked into waiving Delonte West, and Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com notes the affection he has for the troubled guard (Twitter link).
• The James Harden trade has the Rockets thinking playoffs, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle documents.

The 2012/13 season is now under way, as the Cavaliers and Wizards have tipped off in Cleveland. Even as we celebrate the start of a new season, there are a few offseason matters still to be resolved, with decisions on rookie-scale extensions chief among them. There's news on a couple of Central Division players up for those extensions this evening, along with other a few other notes of interest.

• Knowing other teams can't backload an offer to Taj Gibson in restricted free agency the same way the Rockets did with Omer Asik this past summer, the Bulls are holding firm on their four-year extension offer of $30-32MM to Gibson, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports. Still, the two sides have made progress in talks that Gibson characterized as positive, Johnson adds.

Earlier updates:

• The odds of an extension for Brandon Jennings are "more none than slim," according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link). Last we heard, Jennings was reportedly seeking a deal worth $9-10MM from the Bucks.
• The success of the past two seasons gave Bulls GM Gar Forman and vice president John Paxson leeway as the team regressed the summer in the wake of Derrick Rose's injury, but the executives will ultimately be judged by whether they find another star to complement their former MVP point guard, David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune believes. 
• In the same piece, Haugh notes that Forman doesn't anticipate losing Taj Gibson in restricted free agency if the Bulls don't sign him to an extension before tomorrow's 11pm Central time deadline.
• Despite last season's success, few pundits are predicting another step forward for the Pacers, who are still approaching this year with the mentality of an underdog, writes Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
• Anderson Varejao's name has come up in several trade rumors over the past several months, but Zach Lowe of Grantland.com opines that he's just the sort of players the Cavs should want around their younger guys (Twitter link).
• Cavs owner Dan Gilbert regrets guaranteeing his team would win a championship before LeBron James, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal notes (Sulia link).

We're a few days removed from the Rockets' acquisition of James Harden, but that doesn't mean that reaction pieces or additional details have stopped rolling in. Today, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel wonders if the Thunder got as much for Harden as the Magic did for Dwight Howard, and DeMar DeRozan talks to Eric Koreen of the National Post about how he, Harden, and other members of the 2009 draft class approach their contract situations. Meanwhile, Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game hears from one GM that Sam Presti didn't canvass the entire league for the best deal for Harden, presumably since Presti didn't want to create an avalanche of rumors (Twitter link). And finally, Bill Simmons of Grantland adds that Harden and his agent were seeking a 15% trade kicker as part of extension talks with the Thunder.

Now that we've rounded up today's Harden-related links, let's turn to the afternoon's non-Harden notes:

• Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld examines a few players who could be trade candidates between now and the deadline, including Rudy Gay, who Kennedy says would be open to a move.
• The Timberwolves have inquired on the recently-waived JaJuan Johnson, but don't figure to be a match, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
• Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star Telegram spoke to Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson about a number of topics, including the team's chemistry with so many new players on board.
• Extension talks between Taj Gibson and the Bulls are ongoing and are expected to push up against tomorrow's 11:00pm CT deadline, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports (Twitter links).
• Scottie Pippen is interesting in eventually becoming a head coach in the NBA, as he told The Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN 1000 in Chicago (ESPNChicago.com has the details and quotes).
• Mark Deeks of ShamSports tweets the details on a pair of contract buyouts: Jordan Williams will receive $420K from Atlanta after being waived by the Hawks, while Keyon Dooling will receive $400K from the Celtics following his retirement.
• Dionte Christmas, who was released by the Celtics this month, appears headed for CSKA Moscow, according to Eurohoops.net (hat tip to Sportando).
• A Spurs' second-round pick in 2009, Jack McClinton is hoping to earn a spot in the D-League this year and eventually receive an NBA call-up, writes David Pick at Eurobasket.com.