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The Dallas Morning News reports:
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Dirk Nowitzki is considering joining the German national team this summer to help their chances of qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Nowitzki told ESPN 103.3 FM on Tuesday that he would decide within a few weeks.
Germany must finish among the top six of the 24 teams at the EuroBasket tournament to be eligible to qualify for the next Olympics.
Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports:
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“Absolutely not, no ifs ands or buts,” Kahn said. “Kevin will be on this team next year and I expect Kevin, as I’ve said numerous times, to be on this team for many, many years. I see him as being a very important part of our future.”
He took the same stance on Rubio, even though it’s conceivable Cleveland could take Arizona’s Derrick Williams first in Thursday’s NBA draft. That would leave Duke point guard Kyrie Irving available two days after the Wolves welcomed Rubio to the franchise.
“Ricky Rubio will not be traded by the Timberwolves,” Kahn said. “You can go to sleep on it. He’s here for a long, long time.”
Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:
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The Griz are reluctant to part with players in their rotation, according to a source with knowledge of Heisley’s thinking. Heisley has swiftly rejected any trade offers for Gay. He’s also panned deals for O.J. Mayo because they haven’t presented a significant upgrade over the third-year guard.
Heisley is said to have informed the Grizzlies’ front office that he will no longer sign off on any deals he perceives as cheap, like the failed February transaction that would have sent Mayo to Indiana for forward Josh McRoberts and a first-round pick.
However, the Griz have gauged interest in Mayo, and he appears to be the player most likely to be moved this summer if offers for him improve.
Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times reports:
For the last several days, there have been rumors the Bucks were seriously exploring the possibility of moving back from their No. 10 position in Thursday night’s NBA draft.
Bucks general manager John Hammond conceded he’s had on-going discussions with several teams but declined to go into details. There has been widespread speculation the Bucks have had in-depth talks with the Houston Rockets, who have two first-round picks — Nos. 24 and 23 — and are desperately trying to move up in an attempt to select a much-needed center.
But it appears discussions between the Bucks and Rockets involve more than just exchanging picks. The scuttlebutt is both teams are receptive to swapping players as well.
The teams have tossed around different trade scenarios with Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova being prominently mentioned.