Month: July 2012

• The 2012 NBA draft took place on Thursday night, and we have the full results, including all six draft-night trades, right here. Anthony Davis, was, of course, the first overall pick.
• The Celtics' started free agency with some good news, as the team reached an agreement to bring Kevin Garnett back to Boston on a multiyear deal.
• Dwight Howard and new Magic GM Rob Hennigan met for the first time, and it wasn't exactly love at first sight. Howard is reportedly upset because he believes the Magic "blackmailed" him into opting into the final year of his deal. He's requesting a trade to the Nets, and the Magic have started fielding offers.
• Deron Williams declined his player option and officially became the No. 1 free agent on the market. One report indicated he's leaning toward the Nets, while another suggested that he and Jason Kidd are a package deal.
• A pair of restricted free agents are hot commodities, as the Trail Blazers have made Roy Hibbert a max offer, while the Timberwolves have made a "serious offer" to Nicolas Batum.
• The Mavericks, Clippers, Jazz, and Rockets finalized a blockbuster trade that sent Lamar Odom to the Clips and Mo Williams to the Jazz.
• The Bobcats and Pistons agreed to swap Corey Maggette for Ben Gordon and a future first-round pick.
• The Bucks acquired Samuel Dalembert from the Rockets in a four-player deal that also included three draft picks.
• The Timberwolves acquired Chase Budinger from the Rockets in exchange for the 18th pick in the draft.
• The Rockets are working toward an ultimate goal of landing Dwight Howard via trade.
• The Bobcats turned down a handful of offers for the No. 2 pick leading up to the draft, including a Timberwolves proposal involving Derrick Williams.
• Blake Griffin is expected to sign a five-year extension with the Clippers early in the free agent period.
• The Lakers began to explore Pau Gasol trades once more, with the Hawks and Rockets among the interested parties.
• The Hornets officially bought out Rashard Lewis.
• The Hawks landed a replacement for Rick Sund, hiring Danny Ferry as their new president and GM.
• The Pacers also made front office changes, as Donnie Walsh replaced Larry Bird as team president while Kevin Pritchard took over from David Morway as GM.
• NBA veteran Anthony Parker announced his retirement.
• The league and the players' union agreed to a compromise on the Bird Rights ruling, which will allow Jeremy Lin, Steve Novak, and other players claimed off waivers to retain some form of Bird Rights.
• Steve Nash, who is being courted heavily by the Raptors and other teams, doesn't expect to take long to decide on a destination.
• The Nets and Hawks engaged in discussions on a trade that would bring Joe Johnson and his $89MM+ contract to Brooklyn.
• Jamal Crawford, Jameer Nelson, and J.R. Smith were among the players who opted out of their contracts, while Jason Maxiell and Jordan Farmar were among those to opt in.
• A few days after we heard of mutual interest between Ray Allen and Miami, a report suggested that the Heat were making Allen its top offseason target. The Grizzlies are also expected to aggressively pursue the sharpshooter.
• The NBA awarded the Celtics a 2013 second-round pick from the Thunder as compensation for Jeff Green's health problems after Oklahoma City sent him to Boston.
• Brandon Roy has narrowed his list of potential destinations to five, and plans to meet with those teams this week.
• Scott Brooks and the Thunder are still finalizing the details on a new contract, but agreed to the basic terms of a deal.
• Jordan Hill is drawing interest from a handful of teams, including the Warriors, Magic, Heat, and Suns.
• Michael Beasley and O.J. Mayo were among the 2008 lottery picks to become unrestricted free agents this week.
• The Rockets shopped Luis Scola in trade talks, while the Spurs shopped DeJuan Blair.
• Team USA took a hit for the London Olympics, as Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and LaMarcus Aldridge all pulled out.
• The Pistons reached a contract agreement with last year's second-round pick Kyle Singler.
• The Cavaliers agreed to terms on a deal with undrafted rookie Kevin Jones.

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