Dwight Howard is reportedly interested in signing with the Rockets and Mavericks this offseason. (Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images)

Soon-to-be free-agent center Dwight Howard will give “strong consideration” to signing with the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks, CBS Sports’ Ken Berger reported on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping for a quick decision from Howard on whether he will re-sign with the team, but it appears likely that the process will be drawn out.

According to Berger, Howard is most intrigued by the Rockets, who would need to make a few moves to be able to sign Howard. Berger reported that Howard likes the Rockets’ roster, which includes a young star in James Harden and a complementary, 26-year-old 7-footer in Omer Asik.

Before he was traded to the Lakers last offseason, the Rockets were involved in discussions to acquire Howard from the Orlando Magic.

The Mavericks would also have to make a few minor moves to be able to get under the salary cap and sign Howard.

The one advantage the Lakers have in upcoming negotiations with Howard is the ability to offer him more money to stay in Los Angeles. Under the collective bargaining agreement, Howard can sign a five-year, $118 million contract to stay with the Lakers, or a four-year, $87.6 million deal with another team. The Lakers, however, will be hamstrung in any attempt to improve their roster if they re-sign Howard.

After the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, Howard didn’t give any indication of whether he was planning to re-sign with the team.

“For me, I’m going to do what’s best for myself, what’s going to make me happy,” Howard said. “At the end of the day, I can’t control who likes me and who dislikes me but I have the right to be happy. That’s what I’m going to do. That’s the biggest thing right there.”

Bulls guard Nate Robinson will be a free agent this summer. (Issac Baldizon/NBA/Getty Images)

Chicago Bulls guard Nate Robinson was forced into action during this postseason because of numerous injuries to three starters.

He responded well, averaging 16.3 points in 33.7 minutes in 12 playoff games.

It might be his last appearance with the team, according to Comcast SportsNet Chicago. Robinson will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after making $1,146,337 this past season. Robinson has indicated that he would like to return to the team but knows there is ”limited space.”

From CSN Chicago:

However, with Rose’s expected return next season, Hinrich having another deal on his contract and rookie point guard Marquis Teague needing at least the opportunity to develop in game situations, it’s unlikely that next season will be in Chicago for the instant-offense scorer and fan favorite.

If it was up to Robinson, though, the little man with the big heart would be back in the Windy City.

“I would love to. Honestly, I really would, but knowing the guys we have here, I know it’s probably limited space for me. But we’ll see how it goes. Talk to my agent and stuff like that and figure out what’s the best plan for me,” the loquacious speedster said. “I love this team, I love these guys and if I could stay here, it would be wonderful.”

Chris Paul will become an unrestricted free agent this July. (Joe Murphy/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Clippers are “very confident” that free agent to-be Chris Paul will re-sign with the team despite its disappointing, first-round exit in the NBA Playoffs.

“The No. 1 priority for us right now has to be re-signing our star player, Chris Paul,” Clippers vice president of basketball operations Gary Sacks told reporters, according to ESPN.com. “That’s our goal, that’s what we want to do. We want to put ourselves in a position to do that. We feel this organization is in a position to move forward with that goal in mind. It’s always difficult, it’s never easy, but we feel confident we can be successful.”

Paul will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and he will be among the most sought-after names on the open market. He will be eligible to sign a five-year, $107.3 million extension after July 1.

If Paul signs with another team in free agency, he would be eligible for a four-year, $79.7 million contract. That means Paul would be leaving $27.6 million on the table to sign elsewhere.

The Clippers were ousted from the playoffs by the Memphis Grizzlies in six games, in a series that included four straight losses to end Los Angeles’ season. In exit interviews, Paul sounded noncommittal about his future with the Clippers.

Nuggets forward Andre Iguodala is expected to opt out of his contract. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Denver Nuggets forward Andre Iguodala is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract, forgoing $16 million in salary he would be owed next season, reports the Denver Post.

If Iguodala opts out he will be an unrestricted free agent, and the $16 million salary for next season is a player option. He made just under $15 million in the 2012-13 season.

Iguodala played in 80 games this past season, averaging 13 points, 5.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds a game for the Nuggets. He averaged 18 a contest in the team’s first-round playoff series loss to the Golden State Warriors.

More from the Denver Post:

The Nuggets have $51 million in guaranteed salary already tied up for next season. The salary cap was $58.044 million for the 2012-13 season. The luxury tax is $70.307 million. Neither of those numbers will go down next season, meaning even with contract decisions to be made on Iguodala and unrestricted free agent Corey Brewer, the Nuggets, who were well under the luxury tax, are in good financial shape.

The Hawks reportedly nixed a last-minute trade of Josh Smith before he becomes a free agent after the season. (Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Josh Smith was not traded before Thursday’s NBA deadline, and will include Atlanta among his free-agent options at season’s end. But a person familiar with Smith’s plans told USA TODAY that Smith is “highly unlikely” to re-sign with the Hawks.

Smith’s 17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and the Hawks’ hesitation to commit to a maxed-out extension put him at the top of coveted trade targets prior to the deadline. His numbers this season are slightly above his averages from nine seasons in Atlanta.

The Hawks reportedly were on the verge of dealing the 27-year-old to the Bucks until Atlanta GM Danny Ferry pulled the plug at the last minute.

“We value Josh,” Ferry told NBA TV. “He’s been important to our program here the last several years, and I’ve enjoyed working with him this year. He’s an important part of this team, and we look forward to finishing the year well with him.”

Smith has said publicly that he’s worth a max contract, estimated to be worth $94 million over five years, and told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

“I feel like I’m a max player,” Smith said. And yes, that is the first time he has said that.

“I feel I bring a lot to the table. I have a lot of versatility. For what I do and what I give this ball club, I feel like I’m worth it.”

Smith again: “There shouldn’t be any hesitation. I’m Josh Smith, I’m not anybody else. I ‘m not Michael Jordan, I’m not LeBron James, I’m not Brook Lopez. I’m Josh Smith. You can’t look at what might’ve happened with another person. Let’s say Joe [Johnson]. You can’t say, ‘I’m skeptical of giving another person that’ because of whatever they feel like happened.”

Point guard Jeremy Lin will be wearing a Houston Rockets uniform this season because the New York Knicks did not want to match the Rockets 3-year, $25 million offer. (Bill Baptist/Getty Images)

The New York Knicks let popular point guard Jeremy Lin go to the Houston Rockets via free agency based on one reason: finances, reports ESPN.com.

“Basically, it comes down to the fact that Houston made a commitment to him that we weren’t prepared to make,” Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald said. “But I’m very happy for Jeremy that things worked out for him personally and for his family and I wish him the best.”

Lin eventually signed a 3-year, $25.1 million offer sheet from the Rockets in July. The deal includes a $14.8 million payment in the third year.

The Knicks instead brought in veteran point guards Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd. Felton shot just 41 percent last season while averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 assists a game.

“I was out of shape when we first went there,” Felton said. “I’m in shape now, ready to go and I’ve got a big, big chip on my shoulder. So I look forward to this season and I’m definitely happy to be back in this New York Knicks jersey.”

Center Josh Harrellson reportedly worked out for the Heat. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Free agent Josh Harrellson, the 6-foot-10 center waived last week by the Houston Rockets, is drawing interest from the Miami Heat according to a report by ESPN.com’s Tom Haberstroh.

A league source told ESPN.com the Heat brought Harrellson in for a workout Thursday morning.

Harrellson, who averaged 4.4 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 33.9 percent of his three-pointers last season as a reserve big man for the Knicks and Rockets, was let go to make room for new Rockets guard Carlos Delfino.

Haberstroh has more on why Harrellson might be a good fit in Miami:

A rare rebounding big man who can stretch the floor, Harrellson joined Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love and Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova as the only qualified players last season to average over nine rebounds and made at least a 3-pointer per 36 minutes on the floor. Though he lacked the height of a traditional center, Harrellson primarily backed up Knicks center Tyson Chandler last season. . .

. . .Because the Heat have already used the taxpayer’s mid-level exception to sign Allen, Miami would only be able to offer Harrellson a minimum contract for 2012-13. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the Knicks would have to wait until July in order to sign fan favorite Harrellson.

Would James Harden benefit from living in low-key OKC? (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Whether or not the Oklahoma City Thunder can or will re-sign sixth-man scorer James Harden is a prominent NBA storyline.

Oklahoman columnist Jenni Carlson thinks she’s found another reason for Harden to re-sign with the Thunder and it has to do with the revelation — via Internet party pics — that Harden, like many NBA players, likes to party.

If Carlson’s name sounds familiar, she’s the same journalist whose 2007 column on former quarterback Bobby Reid set off Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy’s now famous “I’m a man, I’m forty!” viral video and catchphrase.

Here’s why she thinks Harden can benefit from playing in OKC and partying elsewhere:

Everyone thinks Oklahoma City needs James Harden.

Turns out, it might be the other way around.

Have you seen pictures from the All-White Yacht Party?

Six-time All-Star Jermaine O’Neal agreed to a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns. (Dan Lippitt/NBA/Getty Images)

Free-agent forward Jermaine O’Neal has agreed to terms with the Phoenix Suns, the Arizona Republic reports.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the Suns had been offering a one-year deal worth the league minimum.

An oft-injured six-time All-Star, O’Neal played with the Boston Celtics the past two seasons, only playing in 49 games.  Last season, he started 24 games averaging five points and 5.4 rebounds a game. He underwent surgery on his left wrist in March.

O’Neal, 33, has averaged 13.7 points and 7.4 rebounds for his career.

Josh Childress could be headed to the Wizards. (Barry Gossage/Getty Images)

Phoenix Suns unrestricted free agent Josh Childress has reportedly caught the interest of the Washington Wizards, according to a tweet on Tuesday afternoon from Michael Lee of The Washington Post.

Childress played in only 34 games last season for the Suns before amnestied by the team in July. He scored 2.9 points and grabbed 2.8 rebounds in 14 minutes per game last season.

Despite averaging nearly 12 points and five rebounds per game in 2007-08, Childress made a move to Greece in summer 2008 to play for the Olympiacos team for two seasons. He made $6 million with the Suns last season and was owed $13 million over the next two seasons before he was cut under the Suns’ amnesty clause this summer.

If picked up for a veteran’s minimum, Childress could provide a lanky, low-cost perimeter player off the bench if the Wizards end up starting their recently acquired swingman Trevor Ariza.

One player who may follow in Childress’ footsteps is Indiana Pacers unrestricted free agent Lou Amundson, who is reportedly in talks to sign with a team in Greece. But according to Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports, it’s unlikely Amundson will go to Greece. He is instead looking at the New York Knicks or Charlotte Bobcats:

Panathinaikos has been mentioned as a possibility but the Amundson camp is wary about how Josh Childress’ game fell off after he went to play in Greece and returned to the NBA.

Amundson, who made $2.7 million last season, is looking for another salary in the ballpark of $3 million. The Knicks, under their current roster, would not be able to afford him. He averages over 10 rebounds per 36 minutes, so the team that does pick him up will get a cost-effective upgrade to their rebounding.

Probably a long shot, but #wizards are among a handful of teams that have expressed interest in Josh Childress, according to a source—
Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) August 07, 2012

Paul Millsap is expected to decline a contract extension from the Jazz to enter free agency after next season. (Melissa Majchrzak/Getty Images)

The Utah Jazz have offered forward Paul Millsap a three-year, approximately $25 million extension that he is expected to decline to enter free agency next offseason, The Salt Lake Tribune’s Brian T. Smith reported Saturday. From Smith’s report:

Initial indications are Millsap won’t agree to the extension, though, preferring to enter free agency in 2013 with plans to cash in on an inflated 2012 market that saw mid-tier forwards such as Gerald Wallace, Andrei Kirilenko, Nicolas Batum and Ryan Anderson recently receive lucrative multiyear contracts.

The 27-year-old Millsap is entering the last year of a four-year, $32 million deal that was controversial at the time the Jazz signed him. The Jazz matched the offer, which was frontloaded by the Portland Trail Blazers.

But Millsap has become one of the Jazz’s most important players. He has started all but two of the 140 games in which he’s appeared over the last two seasons for the Jazz. Last season, he averaged close to a double-double at 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

It’s easy to see why Millsap would opt for free agency with the Jazz’s current offer. If he becomes a free agent, he would be eligible for a four-year deal from another team — and a five-year deal from the Jazz.

Andrei Kirilenko will return to the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves after spending last season in the Euroleague. (Bulent Kilic/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Timberwolves are finalizing a deal with forward Andrei Kirilenko that will pay him $20 million over two seasons, reports Yahoo! Sports. The deal also includes a player option for 2013-14.

The Brooklyn Nets were also in contention for Kirilenko. Kirilenko last played in the NBA during the 2010-11 season with the Utah Jazz, where he spent 10 NBA seasons.

Kirilenko, 31, has career averages of 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds and played last season with CSKA Moscow of the Euroleague.

Minnesota is finalizing a two-year, $20 million contract with free agent forward Andrei Kirilenko, league sources tell Y! Sports.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 25, 2012

Update: (July 27, 1:40 p.m.): The deal for Kirilenko has gone through. The team issued a press release welcoming Kirilenko to the Timeberwolves.

Also part of the three-team deal, the Hornets grabbed Brook Lopez and Hakim Warrick from the Suns.

The @Hornets have acquired Robin Lopez, Hakim Warrick and cash from the @PhoenixSuns

—
Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) July 27, 2012

Randy Foye will reportedly sign a one-year contract worth $2.5 with the Utah Jazz. (Noah Graham/Getty Images)

Randy Foye, an unrestricted free-agent guard who started 48 games last season for the Los Angeles Clippers, will reportedly sign a one-year contract with the Utah Jazz, according to a tweet late Monday night from Ric Bucher of ESPN. The deal is worth $2.5 million, according to Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com.

Utah’s backcourt will now be identical to the one the Clippers used last season, as Foye’s former teammate in Los Angeles, Mo Williams, ran the point last season in “Lob City” and signed with the Jazz this offseason.

It’s not clear whether Foye will start at shooting guard for the Jazz, or if head coach Tyrone Corbin will go with the taller guard-forward Gordon Hayward. In addition to Foye, Williams and Hayward, the Jazz have Alec Burks, Earl Watson, DeMarre Carroll and Jamaal Tinsley as guards currently under contract.

In 25 minutes per game last season, Foye averaged 11 points on 39-percent shooting for the Clippers. He signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the team in July 2010.

I'm on vacation but you know I can't pass a chance to serve and honor Jazz fans: Randy Foye signs 1 yr deal. Solid pick-up.—
Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) July 24, 2012

The Phoenix Suns re-signed guard Shannon Brown to a two-year, $7 million deal. (Barry Gossage/NBA/Getty Images)

The Phoenix Suns re-signed reserve guard Shannon Brown to a two-year deal worth $7 million, his agent confirmed Friday.

Brown, 26, has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Bobcats and the Los Angeles Lakers. He won two championship rings with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.

Brown started 19 games and played in 59 for the Suns in 2011-12, scoring a career high 11.0 points while playing 23 minutes per game.  He shot 36.2 percent from three-point range and 42 percent overall.

Agent Mark Bartlestein says Suns have re-signed G Shannon Brown for two years, $7 million.—
David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 20, 2012

The Boston Celtics reportedly acquired guard Courtney Lee in a sign and trade deal. (Issac Baldizon/Getty Images)

The Boston Celtics agreed Thursday to acquire Houston Rockets guard Courtney Lee and send forward JaJuan Johnson to the Rockets in a sign and trade deal, reports Yahoo! Sports.

The length of the contract and financial terms for Lee were not disclosed. Rockets also get a second round pick from the Charlotte Bobcats that Boston owned along with Johnson, E’Twaun Moore and Sean Williams in the deal.

Lee, a fourth-year player from Western Kentucky University, averaged 11 points in 58 games with the Rockets last season.

Johnson, a former Big Ten Player of the Year at Purdue University, played in 36 games in his rookie season averaging 3.2 points.

RT @SpearsNBAYahoo: Celtics to acquire G Courtney Lee from Rockets in a sign and trade sending back F JaJuan Johnson, sources tell Y!—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 19, 2012

The Portland Trail Blazers decided to match the $46 million offer sheet from the Minnesota Timberwolves for forward Nicolas Batum. (Sam Forencich/NBA/Getty Images)

The Portland Trail Blazers notified the Minnesota Timberwolves that they have officially decided to match the four-year $46 million offer sheet to forward Nicolas Batum.

The 23-year-old Batum averaged a career-high 13.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last season.

“I’m very happy about it,” Batum said recently about the possibility of him returning to the Blazers. ”So we will see what happens tomorrow with the physical, and I’m going to talk with the media Friday before I go back to France, so you will know everything Friday.”

Portland faced a deadline of 9 p.m. Wednesday to decide whether to match the Timberwolves’ four-year, $46.5 million offer sheet to retain Batum.

Sources confirm @JerryZgoda report: to no one's surprise, Blazers officially match the $46M offer sheet to Nicolas Batum offered by Wolves.—
David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 18, 2012

The Los Angeles Lakers signed forward Antawn Jamison to a one-year deal on Wednesday. (David Liam Kyle/NBA/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Lakers and free agent forward Antawn Jamison agreed to a one-year deal on Wednesday, Yahoo! Sports reports.

Jamison was sought after by the Charlotte Bobcats, the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors, and will make the league minimum next season.

A 15-year veteran playing for his fifth team, Jamison averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game last season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Lakers are reportedly still in the market for Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard or possibly free agent Jermaine O’Neal.

Lakers has to agreed to terms to sign free agent forward Antawn Jamison to a one-year deal paying the minimum, source tells Y! Sports.—
Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 18, 2012

All good? Now Carmelo Anthony says he hopes the Knicks match the Rockets’ contract offer to Jeremy Lin. (Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images)

The New York Knicks will have to decide whether to match the Houston Rockets’ contract offer to point guard Jeremy Lin on Tuesday, and they got surprising approval from their superstar on Monday night.

Speaking to reporters after Team USA’s 80-69 win over Brazil on Monday night in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics, Carmelo Anthony said that he hoped the Knicks could “get it done” and get Lin back.

“I hope we can get it done, man,” Anthony said, according to CBS Sports’ Ken Berger. “I would love to see him back. Honestly, I would definitely love to see him back. But knowing the business of basketball, it’s kind of a tough situation for both parties. For Jeremy, I know that he definitely wants to be back in New York and (Madison Square Garden chairman) James Dolan definitely wants him back. But it’s just a matter of figuring it out at this point.”

Berger reported that it’s still unclear whether or not the Knicks will match, but most indications point to them letting Lin walk. But Anthony’s position comes as a shift from Sunday, when he called the Rockets’ three-year, $25 million offer to Lin — which pays Lin $15 million in the third year — “ridiculous.”

“It’s not up to me,” Anthony said with a laugh. “It’s up to the organization to say they want to match that ridiculous contract that’s out there.”

Anthony tried to clarify that comment on Monday, putting the onus of the “ridiculous” contract more on the Rockets’ side of negotiations.

“It was ridiculous for them to do what they did as far as throwing that out there and making it tough on us to sign him back. That’s why it’s called free agency, though,” Anthony said.

Knicks teammate J.R. Smith backed up Anthony when speaking with SI’s Sam Amick on Sunday. Smith suggested that  Lin’s contract could cause problems in the locker room  with the Knicks’ chemistry.

“Without a doubt,” he said. “I think some guys take it personal, because they’ve been doing it longer and haven’t received any reward for it yet. I think it’s a tough subject to touch on for a lot of guys.”

O.J. Mayo announced on his Twitter feed Monday night that he will sign with the Dallas Mavericks, joining a roster that has been drastically overhauled this offseason.

I will be signing with dallas! #Mavsnation

— OJ Mayo (@JuiceMayo32) July 17, 2012

Yahoo Sports’ Marc J. Spears reported on Sunday that the free agent Mayo had also drawn interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns. The Suns had been expected to make a strong push after losing out on restricted free agent Eric Gordon, whose offer sheet was matched by the New Orleans Hornets.

The 24-year-old Mayo earned $5.6 million last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, and terms of the deal weren’t immediately disclosed. He averaged 12.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game last season with the Grizzlies.

The Mavericks have claimed forward Elton Brand off waivers and signed center Chris Kaman and now Mayo after losing out on their biggest free-agent target, Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams. Dallas also picked up shooting guard Dahntay Jones and point guard Darren Collison. They lost guards Jason Terry to the Boston Celtics and Jason Kidd to the New York Knicks in free agency.

UPDATE (12:40 a.m. ET): ESPN.com’s Jeff Caplan that Mayo’s deal is for two years. The second year is a player option.

Mayo deal is 2 years with second being a player option.

— Jeff Caplan (@ESPN_Caplan) July 17, 2012

Meanwhile, Mavs owner Mark Cuban replied to Mayo via Twitter to welcome his team’s newest addition:

@JuiceMayo32. Welcome to the family OJ. We are fired up !! MFFL Mavs/Mayo Fan For Life !

— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) July 17, 2012

Antawn Jamison has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, joining Steve Nash as the team’s offseason additions. (Gary Dineen/Getty Images)

Free-agent forward Antawn Jamison will sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, The Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell reported Monday night. Jamison had drawn interest from the Charlotte Bobcats, the Brooklyn Nets and the Golden State Warriors. From Bonnell’s report:

The Bobcats were recruiting free agent Jamison as both a power forward and a veteran mentor to a young team. Jamison was torn between the chance to play for his hometown team or to pursue a championship with what figures to be his last NBA contract.

The Lakers targeted Jamison in their search for backup big men, along with Elton Brand and Jermaine O’Neal, ESPN Los Angeles reported on Friday.

The 36-year-old Jamison scored 17.2 points per game and had 6.3 rebounds per game last season while playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But he also hit a career-low 40.3 percent of his shots from the field.

Jamison becomes another piece to the Lakers’ veteran puzzle. They have also added point guard Steve Nash this offseason.

The Brooklyn Nets signed 17-year veteran Jerry Stackhouse to a one-year contract. (Fernando Medina/NBA/Getty Images)

The Brooklyn Nets continue to work over their roster, signing veteran guard Jerry Stackhouse to a contract, the team announced Monday.

Stackhouse, 37, signed a one-year deal, worth $1.3 million.

Stackhouse is expected to provide scoring off the bench behind Gerald Wallace, Joe Johnson, and Deron Williams. The 17-year veteran, who has played for eight different teams, averaged 3.6 points in 30 games with the Atlanta Hawks last season and has averaged 17.4 points, 3.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds for his career.

The Brooklyn Nets have signed veteran guard/forward Jerry Stackhouse.—
Nets PR Dept. (@Nets_PR) July 16, 2012

Luis Scola will sign with the Phoenix Suns after the team won an amnesty auction on Sunday. (Rocky Widner/Getty Images)

Luis Scola will sign with the Phoenix Suns after the team won an amnesty auction on Sunday evening for the former Houston Rockets forward, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com:

The NBA’s 30 teams were notified shortly after 5 p.m. ET on Sunday that the Suns won the blind bidding for Scola, which requires interested teams under the salary cap to bid no less than $3 million for this season and $10-plus million for the next three seasons.

Stein said it’s not immedately known how many teams bid for Scola, beyond the Suns and Dallas Mavericks.

Scola will join a revamped Suns team that saw the departure of two-time MVP Steve Nash this offseason but also the acquisition of Scola’s former teammate in Houston, Goran Dragic, and Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley.

The Rockets used the team amnesty clause on Scola during the off-season to free up $21 million off their cap that’s owed to him over the next three years. He averaged 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 31 minutes last season for the Rockets.

Raymond Felton is on his way to New York after the Knicks traded for him Saturday night.  (Rocky Widner/NBA/Getty Images)

UPDATE: (10:52 p.m.)

The New York Knicks search for a point guard may be over. The Knicks obtained guard Raymond Felton and veteran forward Kurt Thomas from the Portland Trail Blazers late Saturday night, reports The New York Daily News.  Felton will sign a three-year, $10 million deal, according to league sources.

Felton has played eight seasons in the NBA, including five with the Charlotte Bobcats, and spent a year each with the Knicks, Denver Nuggets and Trail Blazers.

Felton averaged 11.4 points and 6.5 assists per game last season.  The Knicks are still deciding on whether to match the offer sheet that guard Jeremy Lin signed with the Houston Rockets.

The Knicks have three days to match Houston’s offer and coach Mike Woodson said week that Lin would ”absolutely” return. The Knicks also signed veteran guard Jason Kidd to a contract.

The Knicks have acquired Raymond Felton and Kurt Thomas from Portland for Jared Jeffries and Dan Gadzuric, sources tell the Daily News—
Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) July 15, 2012

Knicks close to obtaining point guard Raymond Felton in sign and trade with Blazers, source tells Y! Sports.—
Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 15, 2012

Guard Landry Fields will be in a Toronto Raptor uniform next season after the Knicks declined to match the offer sheet he signed. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

The New York Knicks opted not to match the offer sheet guard/forward Landry Fields signed with the Toronto Raptors, reports The New York Times.

Fields signed a three-year deal with the Raptors that will pay him roughly $20 million over the span of the contract.

After a spectacular rookie season, Fields’ scoring, rebounding and shooting percentage all decreased in his second year. He posted averages of 8.8 points, 2.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds last season.

The Knicks will not match Toronto's offer on Landry Fields. He'll be a Raptor.—
Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) July 15, 2012

Guard C.J. Watson agreed to a two-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBA/Getty Images)

Guard C.J. Watson agreed to a two-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets late Saturday, securing the team’s need for a backup point guard behind All-Star Deron Williams.

Watson, 29, will play at the veterans minimum and owns the player option for the second year.

Watson is in his sixth year in the NBA and averaged 9.7 points and 4.1 assists in 25 starts with the Chicago Bulls last season.

The Mavericks continue their stockpiling of players, claiming forward Elton Brand off amnesty waivers. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBA/Getty Images)

The Dallas Mavericks claimed forward Elton Brand off the amnesty waiver wire on Friday, reports Yahoo! Sports and ESPN.com.

If Brand went unclaimed on waivers, he would have been free to sign as a free agent wherever he chooses. The Mavericks won the rights to Brand with a $2.1 million bid.

Brand, a two-time All-Star, will still make $18 million that the Sixers owe him next season, but he will have had to be offered to teams under the salary cap through the waiver process. Last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, he averaged 11 points and 7.2 rebounds in 60 games.

The Mavericks have signed center Chris Kaman and point guard Darren Collison to one-year deals this week and are still in pursuit of Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

The Dallas Mavericks have successfully claimed Elton Brand off amnesty waivers, a league source tells Y! Sports.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 13, 2012

Nets guard Joe Johnson says that the Nets have the best team in New York City. (Getty Images)

Newly acquired Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson isn’t shy about saying who he thinks is the best team in New York City.

“The Nets. Definitely, the Nets,” Johnson said at Friday news conference at Brooklyn. ”I haven’t been this excited since my Phoenix days,” when asked what he thought about him and guard Deron Williams playing together.

Of course, those afflliated with the organization are going to agree with him as Nets general manager Billy King took it one step further.

“This is a great day because it’s a day when we put together the best backcourt in the NBA,” referring to Johnson and Williams, who signed a contract worth $98 million over five years this week.

The Nets haven’t made the playoffs since 2007 and have gone 58-172 the past three last seasons, including a 22–44 record last season in New Jersey.

The Chicago Bulls have traded three-point specialist Kyle Korver to the Atlanta Hawks. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBA/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bulls traded shooting guard Kyle Korver to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday and the deal will be complete pending a physical passed by Korver, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Also discussed in the deal is a possible sign-and trade-deal with guard Kirk Hinrich. The Hawks recently showed interest in Korver after receiving a traded player exception in the Joe Johnson deal to the Brooklyn Nets.

Korver, 31, is a 10-year veteran who averaged eight points and two rebounds last season. He is one of the league’s top three-point shooters, having shot 40 percent or better each of the past four seasons.

Pending passed physical, Bulls have traded Kyle Korver to Atlanta. Could be sign-and-trade w/Hinrich. Details soon at chicagotribune.com.—
K.C Johnson (@KCJHoop) July 13, 2012

The Houston Rockets used the amnesty clause on Luis Scola clearing $21 million from their salary cap. (Garrett Ellwood/NBA/Getty Images)

The Houston Rockets have decided to use the amnesty provision on forward Luis Scola, according to Yahoo! Sports. The amnesty clause allows teams to release a player without having their salary count towards the salary cap.

The reports says the team will likely file paperwork on Friday and that the Dallas Mavericks are one of the teams who will likely pursue Scola.  The Rockets are likely clearing out cap space in pursuit of Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

Scola still had three years and $21 million on his contract with Rockets. Scola, who was part of the gold medal winning Olympic team for Spain at the 2004 Athens games, averaged 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounded while playing all 66 games last season.

Houston has decided to use the amnesty provision on Luis Scola and will likely file with NBA on Friday, league sources tell Y! Sports.—
Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 12, 2012

RT @WojYahooNBA Scola has three years and $21 million left on his contract. The Rockets are clearing space in pursuit of Dwight Howard deal—
Howard Beck (@HowardBeckNYT) July 12, 2012

The Charlotte Bobcats are looking to acquire forward Kris Humphries from the Nets. (Gary Dineen/NBA/Getty Images)

The Charlotte Bobcats, who are in desperate need for some frontcourt help, are once again inquiring about the services of Brooklyn Nets forward Kris Humphries, according to the Charlotte Observer.

The Cleveland Cavaliers backed out of a deal yesterday that would have sent Humphries there because they did not like what they would have gotten in return.

The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Humphries would likely command a paycheck of $10 million a year over three or four seasons, according to reports.

In 2011-12, Humphries made $8 million and averaged career highs in points, rebounds, blocks and minutes per game

RT @rick_bonnell: Exclusive: Bobcats are re-engaged in acquiring Kris Humphries to upgrade their power forward spot, source tells Observer—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 12, 2012

The Indiana Pacers agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with guard D.J. Augustin. (Kent Smith/NBA/Getty Images)

The Indiana Pacers have agreed to a one-year deal with Charlotte Bobcats guard D.J. Augustin, according to the Indianapolis Star.  The contract is worth $3.5 million.

Augustin averaged 11 points and a career-high 6.4 assists for Charlotte last season, who went on to set the NBA record for futility in one season. The Bobcats went 7-59, and lost their last 23 games of the season.

Augustin will replace Darren Collison who was traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

Pacers have agreed to a 1 year deal with DJ Augustin, according to a source.—
Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNBA) July 12, 2012

Los Angeles Lakers free agent Ramon Sessions will reportedly sign with Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats, according to a tweet Thursday afternoon from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Sessions spent last season with the Lakers, playing only 23 games because of injury. But he averaged 12.6 points and 6.2 assists in 30 minutes per game for the team last year and shot 48-percent from the field and 49-percent from three.

He has shown flashes of brilliance at times; as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, Sessions recorded a team record 24 assists to go with 20 points and eight rebounds in a 2008 game against the Chicago Bulls. That same year, he scored 44 points against the Detroit Pistons.

Sessions made $4.2 million in his one year with the Lakers. Terms of his new contract have not yet been disclosed.

Bobcats are finalizing a deal to sign Lakers free agent guard Ramon Sessions, sources tell Yahoo! Sports.—
Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 12, 2012

Darko Milicic will reportedly be amnestied by the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Danny Bollinger/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Timberwolves will reportedly amnesty center Darko Milicic in an effort to free up cap space to covet Portland Trail Blazers restricted free agent Nicolas Batum, according to Ric Bucher of ESPN.com:

Milicic has two years and $10 million remaining on his contract, but only $7 million is guaranteed. Once finalized, Milicic will go through a modified amnesty process.

The modified amnesty process is described by Bucher as one in which teams can make “blind bids” to pick up the balance of the money owed to Milicic. If no bids are placed, Milicic becomes an unrestricted free agent.

The Wolves reportedly offered Batum a four-year deal worth $45 million. Bucher said that Batum’s agent told The Associated Press that Batum wants to play for the Wolves and hopes that the Blazers do not match any competing offers or let Batum go via a sign-and-trade. But Blazers GM Neil Olshey said the team plans to match any offer Batum receives.

As for Milicic, its unclear where he will go next. He averaged 4.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16 minutes per game last season for the Wolves. Selected second overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2003 NBA Draft, Milicic is widely regarded as one of the most disappointing draft picks in NBA history.

Brook Lopez’s max deal with the Brooklyn Nets means the Dwight Howard pursuit is over … for now. (Brian Babineau/NBA/Getty Images)

The Brooklyn Nets have reached a four-year, $60.8 million deal with center Brook Lopez, according to multiple reports.

The Charlotte Bobcats were also reportedly in pursuit of Lopez.

Lopez, who has been one of the players mentioned in a possible Dwight Howard trade, is expected to sign the deal tonight. The earliest that Lopez can be traded is Jan. 15.

Lopez broke his right foot and missed the first 32 games of the season. He played only five games in the lockout-shortened season before the Nets shut him down after he twisted his ankle.

Deal is $60.8M/4 yrs. Bobcats had committed to offer sheet; Nets gave Lopez similar contract to avoid having to match. Same as Indy/Hibbert.—
David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 11, 2012

The Dallas Mavericks are poised to sign free-agent center Chris Kaman. (Layne Murdoch/NBA/Getty Images)

The Dallas Mavericks are ready to sign free-agent center Chris Kaman, according to ESPN.com. Neither the length of the deal or financial terms have been released.

Kaman, a nine-year veteran, reportedly received interest from the Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings.

Kaman averaged 13.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in 47 games last season for the New Orleans Hornets.

Kaman and new teammate Dirk Nowitzki also teamed up on the German national team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

RT @ESPNSteinLine: Mavs on verge of signing All-Star C Chris Kaman. Deal to be finalized later Wednesday (FORMER ALL-STAR OBVIOUSLY)—
Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 11, 2012

Mavericks have agreed in principle to sign center Chris Kaman, a source tells Yahoo! Sports.—
Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 11, 2012

Partnering up with @swish41 and heading to the Mavs……..—
Chris Kaman (@ChrisKaman) July 11, 2012