According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, the Bucks have been prioritizing "strong-willed" candidates as they search for a head coach to replace ousted interim coach Jim Boylan. In his latest piece, Berger sheds some light on one reason for that requirement and touches on a couple other Bucks notes. Let's check out the highlights....

• Berger reports that Monta Ellis and Larry Sanders nearly came to blows in the locker room following the Bucks' Game Three loss to the Heat in the first round of the playoffs. According to Berger, Sanders called out the team for selfish play, saying that the Bucks needed "to start playing together as a team and stop worrying about next year."
• Ellis "took umbrage" with Sanders' comments, rightly assuming that they were aimed at him and fellow free-agent-to-be Brandon Jennings, according to Berger. Both Ellis and Jennings are likely to test the free agent market this summer, and reports have suggested that Milwaukee won't necessarily be either player's first choice.
• A member of the Sacramento group attempting to keep the Kings in the city has done some research on Ellis as a potential target if the team parts ways with Tyreke Evans, a source tells Berger.
• Berger notes that Nate McMillan and Kelvin Sampson have interviewed for the Bucks' head coaching job so far, and adds that the team is expected to reach out to Stan Van Gundy and Steve Clifford as well. Berger had reported both of those names previously, though last week he suggested Van Gundy would interview for the job, whereas now that doesn't seem quite so certain. Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times has indicated Van Gundy is unlikely to end up in Milwaukee.

Blake Griffin and Stephen Curry are the only players from the 2009 draft who've averaged more points per game during their careers than Tyreke Evans has. Yet while Griffin received a five-year maximum-salary extension and Curry got four years and $44MM, Evans wasn't one of the eight players cashing in on the more than $400MM that teams handed out in rookie-scale extensions this past offseason. Now he'll try to make his money as a restricted free agent this summer, hoping teams will look past his declining numbers and history of losing with the Kings.

An early season report suggested the Kings would trade Evans if they didn't think they could re-sign him, and despite interest from other teams, Evans remains in Sacramento. That might have more to do with apparent restrictions placed on the Sacramento's front office as a part of the team's pending sale than the thought that Evans might return to the Kings. The 23-year-old indicated in January that he wouldn't mind being traded, so it seems he's at least entertained the idea of playing for another team.

The Grizzlies inquired about the possibility of an Evans trade prior to the Rudy Gay deal, according to Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee, who added that the Lakers and Nuggets have had interest in the past. The Celtics made an ill-fated deadline-day run at trading for Evans. Unless Andre Iguodala exercises his early-termination option to get out of his contract with the Nuggets, none of those teams are set to have significant cap room this summer, so they appear to be unlikely destinations. When Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors looked at Evans' trade candidacy this season, he speculated that the Mavericks and Suns could become suitors, but the 6'6" guard would probably be far down the list of priorities for both teams, and especially for the Mavs.

Evans' scoring, rebounding and assists per game averages have declined each season since he won Rookie of the Year in 2010. Those numbers have fallen with commensurate decreases in minutes, however, and his per-36-minute averages have been fairly consistent the past three seasons. More telling is his PER, which is at 18.4 this season, exceeding his previous career high of 18.2 as a rookie. Indeed, Evans is having his best year as the advanced metrics tell it, setting new high marks in win shares per 48 minutes, true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentage. The latter two statistics are helped by his improved three-point shooting. Evans is making a third of his treys this season, and though that doesn't necessarily make him a proficient long-range threat, it's a vast improvement on his nightmarish 20.2% clip from beyond the arc last season.

Still, I think teams will be wary of overpaying a player that the woeful Kings have given less playing time in each successive year. Evans' dwindling minutes, at 31.8 per game this season, may speak as much to the problems in Sacramento as anything else, but they're a red flag nonetheless. The Kings have also moved him around, using him as a point guard and a small forward, but he seems best suited as a shooting guard, and perhaps playing out of position has held him back.

In any case, I don't think it's a slam dunk that Sacramento will tender the $6,927,157 qualifying offer required for them to be able to match offers for him this summer, so Evans might hit the unrestricted market. That could be a blessing in disguise for him, since other teams wouldn't have to worry about the Kings snatching him away, but it may also be a curse, since teams would know they needn't overinflate their offers in hopes that the Kings don't match.  

I wouldn't be surprised to see Arn Tellem, Evans' agent, issue a decree that his client won't sign for the mid-level exception, which will have a starting salary of $5.15MM next season, but the mid-level may be their best option. That would allow Evans to sign with a contending team that could nurture his development and help him continue to improve his outside shooting touch in ways the Kings perhaps couldn't. That might set him up to make much more on his next deal, so if Tellem negotiates a player option at the back end of a mid-level contract that would allow Evans to hit the market again while he's relatively young, that sounds ideal for both player and team.

Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW writes that the Mavericks are now in the market for adding a player after severing ties with guard Dominique Jones. Sefko comprises a list including Mike Bibby, Michael Redd, Earl Boykins, and Gilbert Arenas as available veterans who could be worth a look. Among the D-League hopefuls who could warrant an opportunity, Justin Dentmon, Chris Wright, or Sean Singletary come to mind. Sefko rules out the chances of Delonte West making a return to Dallas, citing that the team wouldn't want to reconnect after how badly things ended with him last year. You can find more of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes below:  

• Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer thinks Tristan Thompson should be a candidate for the NBA's Most Improved award. 
• Alex Kramers of The Kings Blog recognizes how Tyreke Evans has improved his perimter accuracy with daily extra work. 
• Jody Genessy of the Deseret News says that the Jazz haven't and won't make a roster move today, and the Salt Lake Tribune's Bill Oram echoes that those expecting Utah to sign Travis Leslie will have to wait (Twitter links). 
• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune introduces his list of college guards who would be ready to help the Timberwolves immediately with their size and skilled-shooting abilities. 
• MLive's David Mayo and Brendan Savage argued yesterday that the Pistons should take a look at O.J. Mayo this summer if he opts out of his deal with the Mavs, and Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News joins the chorus, believing the 25-year-old shooting guard would fill the team's need for perimeter scoring.
• Considering the need for a small forward, the health of Anderson Varejao, and the possibility that Marreese Speights leaves for free agency, Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer discusses the Cavaliers' pressing issues heading into the offseason.

1:35pm: Barring a last-minute surprise, the Warriors won't make a move to get below the tax, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The Kings had some interest in Jeremy Tyler, according to Spears, but it sounds like the two teams couldn't work out an agreement.

10:22am: Given the team's uncertain ownership situation, we expected a quiet deadline from the Kings, but Sacramento has already made a six-player trade, and is still discussing deals. According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), the Kings have talked to the Warriors about acquiring one of Golden State's minimum-salary players, with cash as a sweetener.

Sending cash and a player to Sacramento now would help the Warriors save money later, if the team can dip below the luxury-tax threshold. Trading a pair of players from a group of minimum-salary guys that includes Charles Jenkins, Jeremy Tyler, and Kent Bazemore would allow Golden State to avoid being a taxpayer this season.

The Kings, meanwhile, are allowed to take on up to $3MM in cash via trade per season. The team acquired $1MM in its deal with the Rockets, but still has room to take on more, as Sam Amick of USA Today tweets.

While a Kings/Warriors swap would be a minor one, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee isn't ruling out the possibility that Sacramento could explore a larger deal, tweeting that the Kings may revisit Tyreke Evans talks.

Just to make sure they don't slip through the cracks, here are a few odds and ends from overnight and this morning, as the trade deadline creeps closer....

• Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com expects the Bulls to stand pat at the deadline, since Carlos Boozer and Richard Hamilton aren't drawing a ton of interest.
• The Warriors are shopping Jeremy Tyler, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, while Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group says (via Twitter) Charles Jenkins is also being shopped. I would guess Golden State has discussed both players with Sacramento, as the Warriors attempt to get below the tax line.
• Spears also tweets that Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins have been given the impression by the Kings that they won't be moved today.
• If they don't move Eric Gordon today, the Hornets will likely revisit trade talks this summer, writes John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
• Teams with the draft rights to players currently overseas could find those guys to be valuable trade chips, and A.J. Mitnick of SheridanHoops.com profiles the top five assets stashed away in Europe.
• The Thomas Robinson trade between the Rockets and Kings came together in about 48 hours, having been initially hatched on Monday, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

As the Celtics continuing to target backcourt help, the club is making a deadline-day run at Tyreke Evans, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). However, a source familiar with the situation tells Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee that Evans won't be moved today (Twitter link).

Jones had reported earlier today (via Twitter) that he was hearing the Kings could revisit trade discussions for Evans, noting that a knee injury earlier this season slowed talks when he could have been moved. It's a little surprising that the Kings are so active, given the team's uncertain ownership situation, but the Seattle group was consulted on yesterday's six-player trade and would presumably also be apprised on any other deals.

It's unclear what sort of package the Celtics could put together for Evans. Players like Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Bass would all be good matches from a salary perspective, but I doubt the Kings would want to take on a long-term contract. Some sort of package of cheaper players on shorter deals, like Fab Melo, Leandro Barbosa, and Jason Collins, may appeal more to Sacramento, if the club is listening to offers.

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld shares a number of trade rumors and updates in his latest NBA AM piece, so let's dive right in and round up the highlights....

• The Knicks likely won't make a deal in the next week, but if they do, it will probably involve Iman Shumpert being moved for a more proven veteran. Jared Dudley's camp claims there's nothing to reports of the Knicks' interest, but according to Kyler, sources in New York say Dudley is exactly the sort of veteran the Knicks are considering.
• Sources say the Mavericks have assured Darren Collison he's not going anywhere, but Kyler says that may be simply to boost Collison's confidence rather than a set-in-stone stance. O.J. Mayo and Chris Kaman also have trade value, though the Mavs may prefer to keep Mayo.
• Until the Kings are officially sold, the Maloofs and Geoff Petrie aren't prevented from making roster moves, but the team still isn't expected to do a whole lot at the deadline. One rival club that expressed interest in Tyreke Evans wasn't able to make much progress, says Kyler.
• ESPN.com's Chad Ford suggested yesterday that Danny Granger might make more sense as a trade candidate this summer, a point Kyler echoes. Paul George will be extension-eligible starting in July, and Granger will be entering the final year of his contract, making a possible deal more logical for the Pacers.

Kings guard Tyreke Evans is playing his best ball of the past few years right now,  and he's doing so all the while not showing concern with his free agency situation, writes CSNPhilly.com's Jabari Young. Sacramento chose not to extend Evans earlier this season, and there's much speculation around the league regarding whether or not he could be traded before the deadline. 

• As ESPN.com reporter Marc Stein wrote earlier in his Weekend Dime column, the Grizzlies showed great interest in Tyreke Evans' services before moving Rudy Gay. 
• Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant is enjoying his time as the team's prime facilitator, writes the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina. 
• The Commercial Appeal's Geoff Calkins gives his impression of Tayshaun Prince's debut with the Grizzlies, and what it could mean for the team moving forward. 

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.com took questions from his followers on his Twitter account on Saturday morning, covering the Raptors' acquisition of Rudy Gay along with other topics.

• Until they see how Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan play together, the Raptors plan to keep both on the roster.
• Bryan Colangelo's next move should be to get out of Andrea Bargnani's contract, Kyler writes.
• The Grizzlies offered Gay to the Magic for J.J. Redick, and were rejected.
• The Magic would be willing to trade any player on their roster for the right price, Kyler writes, although they value players like Maurice Harkless very highly.
• The Hawks would prefer to keep Josh Smith, but they are exploring their options before the trade deadline.
• Kyler thinks everybody on the Mavericks is available at the trade deadline, with the exception of Dirk Nowitzki.
• The Celtics are very active in trade talks, but don't have many assets to offer.
• Given the Kings' ownership situation, Kyler doubts they move Tyreke Evans or any other player before the deadline.
• Kyler doesn't think the Jazz will trade Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson unless they can preserve flexibility.

ESPN.com's Marc Stein has posted his latest Weekend Dime column, featuring updates on several prominent players whose names have been featured in trade rumors ahead of the February 21 deadline. Here are the highlights of Stein's report:

• Stein doesn't believe the Lakers will trade Pau Gasol before the deadline, although the Raptors are making a push to acquire him with a package built around Andrea Bargnani.
• Although the Clippers have shown no indication of wanting to trade Eric Bledsoe, a swap of the third-year guard to the Celtics for Paul Pierce could make the most sense for both sides, Stein writes.
• Celtics GM Danny Ainge recognizes that Pierce and Kevin Garnett don't have the value that would likely make it worth trading then, so he may instead look to move Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, or Jeff Green to get the team under the luxury tax threshold.
• The Hawks have been gauging trade interest in Josh Smith, Stein reports. Although they are very open to moving the forward, there is hesitance because other teams don't want to risk him walking in free agency and Atlanta doesn't want to take on long-term salary.
• Executives around the league don't expect the Jazz to trade Al Jefferson, saying they will either move Paul Millsap instead or stand pat.
• Given their ownership situation, the Kings will likely not make any moves before the deadline. There has been interest in Tyreke Evans, although DeMarcus Cousins remains untouchable.
• The Trail Blazers are not looking to make any moves that will help them in the short term, preferring to preserve their flexibility.
• Teams expect the Magic to trade J.J. Redick, but executives tell Stein that GM Rob Hennigan is asking for young talent or draft picks for the veteran sharpshooter.