The AP reports:

LeBron James may persuade NBA players to give up their No. 23s, but a leaguewide retirement of Michael Jordan’s number seems unlikely.

James said on Thursday that he is considering switching his number next season and wants other players to do the same in honor of Jordan, the Hall of Famer who is often regarded as the league’s best player ever.

Major League Baseball retired Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 and the NHL did the same with Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99, but that hasn’t been done in the NBA. Spokesman Tim Frank said on Saturday that ”retiring a player’s number is a decision that has been made by the teams” and not the league.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

Basking in the glow of a victory over the Heat, Cavs superstar LeBron James looked over at his idol sitting in the stands at AmericanAirlines Arena on Thursday night and made a command decision.

Out of respect to Michael Jordan, who sat courtside and watched James score 34 points, James said he is planning on switching his number after this season from No. 23 to No. 6. It just sort of came out, but it was obvious he’s been thinking about it for a while.

And James wants to lead a movement to get every player who wears No. 23 in the league to give it up as a tribute to Jordan.

It sounds like LeBron is still merely thinking of doing it, so it isn’t guaranteed to happen. And as for the move, I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m as big a Jordan fan as anyone else, and I definitely think of Jordan when I hear “23,” but years more of LeBron would also make me think of him, too. And I’m not sure that would diminish any aspect of Michael Jordan. It would just diminish the number.

Thing is, I’ve never been a big jersey number guy. Others care about it more. So to me it’s no huge deal.

And, of course, LeBron switching numbers would also result in a lot more new jersey sales. But let’s not think about that right now.

The AP reports:

Frustrated by the repeated questions about his future, LeBron James said Wednesday that he won’t talk about his possible free agency next summer until after this season.

The Cleveland star and reigning NBA MVP said before the Cavaliers’ game against Orlando that all the talk is “getting old.”

“This free agent talk is getting old. It’s getting old and I think I’m going to stop. Tonight will be the last time I answer any more free agent questions until the offseason,” James said.

“I think I owe it to myself, and I owe it to my teammates. It’s just getting old. I’m focusing on this season, and this is going to be a really good season for us. I don’t want anymore distractions for my teammates, for my organization, for my family. This will be the last time I answer a free agent question for the rest of the year.”

The official InsideHoops.com opinion is that it’s most likely LeBron winds up re-signing with the Cavs in 2010. Talk of him going to the Knicks, or maybe the Heat or elsewhere also could be legit. But there’s no reason to think LeBron knows for a fact where he’d go. It makes sense to wait until the time comes and see the roster situation on all these teams before having a sure opinion. He’d probably love to star in New York’s Madison Square Garden, but only if he’ll be surrounded by real ballers, not fill-in guys that drag him down.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

Last Tuesday night was a potentially huge win for the Cavaliers’ franchise. And not just because they had a nice comeback victory against the Wizards.

A couple hours after the game, there was a massive party underway on The Q’s fourth-floor practice court. The team’s owners, especially majority owner Dan Gilbert, and top officials were celebrating and hugging amidst tables with high-end food and top-shelf alcohol. There was even a disc jockey. If not for the dozens of Issue 3 banners, you could have mistaken it for a five-star wedding reception.

Voters have cleared the way for Gilbert to build two casinos within the next three years, including one across the street from the arena he controls. The effect it will have on downtown is debatable, but there’s no doubt the impact it will have on the Cavs.

Gilbert’s victory — which amounted to pulling the sword from the stone after casino issues had failed four times before — can be attributed in part to how well he’s managed the Cavs since he bought them in 2005. It may have only been the beginning.

Gilbert should consider encouraging Cavs players to gamble there. Maybe they’ll lose all their money back to him.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West was caught a while back more or less dressed up like Rambo. The latest developments on that situation are worse than expected.

Ruben Castaneda of the Washington Post reports:

A Prince George’s County grand jury indicted Delonte West, a Washington area native who plays for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, on six weapons offenses Tuesday in a September incident in which he was arrested on the Capital Beltway with three loaded guns and an 8 1/2-inch bowie knife, authorities said.

In addition to the weapons offenses — each of which is a misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of three years in prison — the grand jury also indicted West, 26, on one count each of reckless driving and negligent driving.

Prince George’s prosecutors routinely seek jail time for people convicted of weapons charges, even first-time offenders. State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said West’s case will be handled no differently than any other.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

Prince George’s County (Md.) State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey announced today that West was indicted by a grand jury on a wide array of weapons counts, more expansive than the two-gun possession charges police applied when he was arrested following a traffic stop Sept. 17 outside of Washington, D.C.

West has been indicted on two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, two counts of carrying a handgun, two counts of transporting a handgun, and one count of reckless driving and one count of negligent driving. If convicted, West could face up to three years for each of the six gun charges and a $2,500 fine per offense.

The AP reports:

West was indicted on two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon, two counts of carrying a handgun, two counts of transporting a handgun, and one count each of reckless driving and negligent driving. The charges are all misdemeanors. Each of the weapons counts carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.

West was initially charged with just two counts of carrying a handgun and with driving in excess of reasonable and prudent speed.

Well, this all sounds fantastic.

Have a reaction? Discuss your opinion on the InsideHoops Cleveland Cavaliers forum.

Mark Puente of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (via blog):

Predators lurking for local children on the Internet could soon be talking to a 7-foot-1 undercover deputy.

The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy is reviewing paperwork to determine whether Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal is eligible to carry a gun and a sheriff’s five-point badge.

Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid last week notified the state agency, which determines officers’ eligibility, that he intends to deputize O’Neal if approved by the state, according to records obtained by The Plain Dealer. O’Neal held law-enforcement commissions in Arizona, Virginia and Florida. Reid declined to comment until the process is complete.

If O’Neal is approved, he would need to complete 36 hours of police training within six months and take the Ohio police examination to maintain the appointment, said Holly Hollingsworth, spokeswoman for the Attorney General. He would also have to pass a test on a shooting range.

This is one of the few things Shaq appears to take pretty seriously. He’s pursued it for a long time. But I still doubt he does it full-time after his NBA basketball career wraps up in a few years. Helping the law will probably be a side-hobby for the big fella.

The AP reports: Boston’s Big Three—plus Rasheed—spoiled Cleveland’s overhyped season opener on Tuesday night with a 95-89 win over the new-look Cavaliers, who may have LeBron James and Shaq but appear to be a long way from true title contenders. Paul Pierce scored 23 points, Ray Allen 16 and Kevin Garnett 13 in his first regular-season game since last March as the Celtics, overlooked by some this preseason, ended an 11-game losing streak in Cleveland and snapped a 16-game skid by visiting teams in games between the Eastern powers who figure to meet again sometime in May or June… Pierce made two crucial jumpers and two free throws in the final 1:03 to pace the Celtics, whose drive to a second straight title was derailed when Garnett injured his knee late last season. Rasheed Wallace, added as a free agent during the offseason, had 12 points. James scored 38 and O’Neal added 10 points—just two after halftime—and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who won their first 23 home games last season but are already 0-1 on their floor.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have exercised the third-year contract option on forward J.J. Hickson, Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.

Hickson’s extension keeps him under contract with the Cavaliers through the 2010-11 season.  In 62 games played as a rookie during the 2008-09 season, he averaged 4.0 points on .515 shooting and 2.7 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game. In six games (one start) during the 2009 preseason, Hickson posted averages of 9.8 points on .522 shooting and 3.5 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game.

“J.J. is a young, talented player who continues to work hard and still has a great deal of upside,” Ferry said. “We are excited to keep him in our program and help him fulfill his potential.”

The 6-foot-9 forward was selected with the 19th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft by Cleveland. The 21-year old played one season at North Carolina State, earning ACC All-Freshmen Team honors after averaging 14.8 points on a conference-best .591 shooting and 8.5 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game in 31 games.

The AP reports: LeBron James didn’t get any sympathy from his teammates when he came back to work after spending two days sick in bed. They ran the other way. “You come back around and everyone is like, ‘Ugh, you got the cooties,’” James said Thursday. “They don’t want to be around you.” James and two Cleveland teammates have tested positive for Influenza A, and are being treated as if they have the H1N1 virus by the Cavaliers, who are being proactive in dealing with a flu bug that already has sickened six players.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Maybe LeBron is faking it because he was afraid of having to see DeShawn Stevenson’s crazy tattoos.

The AP reports: NBA icons, All-Stars and A-plus-list celebrities LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal made their debut as Cleveland teammates on Tuesday night and had immediate chemistry in the Cavaliers’ 92-87 preseason-opening victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. James and O’Neal worked several pick-and-rolls, showing off a two-man game that with a little polish could be unstoppable… James, wearing a pink pair of his signature Nikes for breast cancer awareness month, scored 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 14 minutes. O’Neal, who said his goal is to “win a ring for the King” in Cleveland, scored six points and added three rebounds and a block in 15 minutes. Neither played in the second half.

Good NBA seats are expensive. Fans shelling out big money to sit near the court should expect a good view of the action.

But what about when players get off the bench and remain standing for a while? On the one hand, it’s nice to see guys cheer their teammates. On the other, these giants prevent fans from seeing what they paid to see.

The Cavs are one team with players who remained standing a lot, and now the league office has reportedly taken action.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

The NBA has issued a memo to its teams directing players on the bench to remain seated during games. Game officials will be keeping a closer eye and will issue faster warnings and possible technical fouls if not followed. Players are permitted to cheer, but standing during regular-game action and blocking the fans’ views apparently isn’t going to be allowed.

That goes for Tuesday night’s first preseason game at The Q, where the Cavs will host the Charlotte Bobcats in the first of eight practice games before the season opener.

The Cavs weren’t exactly thrilled that their custom has been legislated.

“It is hard to take that out of the game,” LeBron James said. “Part of the game is emotions, your teammates are all you have. That was part of the reason we played great basketball, because we cheered each other.”

I support the league protecting the paying fan’s view.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West seems like a nice-enough guy, and he’s a talented combo guard, but the guy has some issues. Unfortunately, the Cavs now have a bit more of a distraction to deal with.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

West hit a new low Tuesday on the first day of training camp, skipping both of the team’s workouts. The absences were unexcused and caught the team off-guard after West reported to Monday’s media day. It has now left the Cavs immersed in a gray area of how to proceed with their talented but troubled guard.

“Delonte is in Cleveland,” Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry said in a statement. “He is addressing a personal matter and did not attend practice.”

According to a source, West was in his home for the day and did not leave to come to practice. There was no indication whether West was planning on coming to today’s workouts.

Whatever is going on, I hope Delonte is OK and not in some sort of bad situation beyond what everyone knows.

Shaquille O’Neal is old but still good (and big) enough to contribute positively to a team. I worry that he’ll throw Cleveland Cavaliers chemistry off a bit this season, though.  Even if he’s more effective than Zydrunas Ilgauskas for stretches, Big Z can hit open mid-range jumpers that Shaq can’t make.

Anyway, Cleveland welcomed Shaq to town in style. The AP reports:

Shaq got in one last party before training camp.

Shaquille O’Neal, the big man Cleveland is counting on to deliver this championship-starved city a title, was welcomed to town Sunday with a star-studded party that included sports celebrities and Average Joes looking to rub elbows with them.

Fashionably late, O’Neal arrived in an SUV at 11:15 p.m. as fans, one of them holding a life-size cardboard cutout of O’Neal in an Orlando Magic uniform, cheered on the sidewalks and took pictures of the town’s newest superstar, who will be teammates with reigning league MVP LeBron James.

O’Neal has had a good first impression of Cleveland.

”It’s a nice town,” he said. ”The entertainment is already here. Everything is here. The Browns are here, LeBron is here and now I’m here.”

NBA preseason begins this Thursday.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Anderson Varejao is in a good place right now as far as his basketball life both home and abroad is concerned. Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

Not only is Varejao sporting a new contract, he’s also got his national hero status back.

Healthy and with a new six-year, $48 million deal, he was able to play to Brazil in the FIBA Americas Championship in Puerto Rico. He played well, averaging 13.6 points and 8.4 rebounds, and the Brazilians won the gold medal and qualified for next summer’s world championships. Team USA didn’t take part.

“It was a good summer for me, it was good to be able to play for Brazil again,” Varejao said. “When I was at the airport in Sao Paulo on my way back, there were people who wanted to take their pictures with me now.”

Varejao said it helped that the team’s performance in Brazil got excellent television coverage at home. But what he did after he came back didn’t hurt his reputation, either.

The Cavs remain one of several favorites in the Eastern conference to reach the NBA Finals.  The team is playing Varejao more money than what a role player expects to make. I’m not sure how much he can improve.

Charlotte Bobcats General Manager Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed free agent combo guard Ronald “Flip” Murray. The seven-year NBA veteran averaged 12.2 points in 24.7 minutes last season for Atlanta. Per team policy, terms of the deal will not be released.

“This signing adds depth, experience and athleticism to our backcourt and increases the number of players on our roster who can compete at multiple positions,” Higgins said.  “Flip has a proven track record in this league as a guy who can score and distribute the basketball and we are extremely excited about what he brings to this team.”

The 6-3 Murray was originally selected by Milwaukee with the 42nd overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. He holds career averages of 9.9 points, 2.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 412 games with Seattle, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana, Atlanta and the Bucks. In addition to his scoring, he averaged 2.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 80 games (two starts) for the Hawks last season. During Atlanta’s 2009 NBA Playoffs run, he averaged 11.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 11 games.

No stranger to the Carolinas, Murray starred collegiately at Shaw University in Raleigh, where he was named NCAA Division II National Player of the Year, First Team All-America and CIAA Player of the Year after leading the Bears to 28-5 overall record and Division II Final Four appearance as a senior.

The Bobcats also added guard Antonio Anderson, who went undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft. The 6-6 University of Memphis standout averaged 10.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.4 steals in 34.3 minutes last season.

Share your Bobcats opinions in the InsideHoops Charlotte Bobcats forum.

Apparently the Cleveland Cavaliers failed to inform guard Delonte West that they do not want him to make like a road warrior and strap up tons of guns to himself while speeding on some crazy three-wheeled motorcycle, cutting off police cruisers in the process.

Silly them. Because now he’s reportedly done just that.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

Cavaliers guard Delonte West is facing weapons charges after being pulled over on his motorcycle while carrying a small arsenal near his Maryland home late Thursday night.

Prince George’s County police said West was carrying two concealed handguns and a shotgun when he was pulled over on Interstate 495 near his offseason home in Brandywine, Md. around 10 p.m. Corporal Clinton Copeland said West was speeding and cut off a police cruiser while riding on his three-wheeled 2009 Can-Am Spyder motorcycle.

After being stopped West informed police he was carrying a gun in his waistband, which was a 9mm Beretta. Police also found a Ruger .357 strapped to his leg and a shotgun inside a guitar case that was slung over his back. West was traveling alone.

Maybe West was just riding to the store to buy some juice.

Read NBA fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed free-agent guard/forward Sasha Pavlovic. Per team policy, terms of the contract offer were not disclosed. It was reported by multiple outlets to be a one-year deal for around $1.3 million.

“We are excited to add Sasha to our team,” said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “His size and athleticism will help round out our wing position and provide us added experience.”

Pavlovic, a 6-8 wing from Serbia, has appeared in 381 games (127 starts) over his six-year career, averaging 5.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. His best statistical season came in 2006-07, when he averaged 9.0 points per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from behind the arc. Pavlovic has helped the Cavaliers reach the postseason in each of the last four years, including a playoff run to the NBA Finals in 2007 in which he averaged 9.2 points per game during the postseason.

Originally selected by the Utah Jazz with the 19th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Pavlovic appeared in 79 games as a rookie before being selected by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2004 Expansion Draft. Pavlovic was subsequently traded to Cleveland, where he’s played each of the past five seasons.

The Phoenix Suns didn’t feel they had a need or use for Sasha Pavlovic, so the team and player have parted ways. Stefan Swiat of Suns.com reports:

As expected, Sasha Pavlovic’s basketball career in Phoenix was finished before it ever even began. The Suns have agreed to buy out Pavlovic’s contract in a move that will allow the team greater salary cap flexibility moving forward.

Marc Cornstein, Pavlovic’s agent, approached the Suns recently to talk to the team about a prospective buyout. If Pavlovic would have remained with the Suns, there was a reasonable chance that he would have been waived in December, allowing the organization to pay much less of a luxury tax to the league.

The 6-7 guard/forward averaged just 4.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game last season.

Half the fun of talking about LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and other top stars isn’t just raving about what they do on a basketball court. Speculating about where they may play in the future is just as entertaining.

Mike McGraw of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald reports (via blog):

Asked if the Bulls would be his No. 1 destination should he leave Miami next year, Wade replied, “If I disclose that kind of information, the articles this season aren’t as exciting anymore. Speculation is not the same. You guys ain’t going to have nothing to talk about me.”

Then asked what would keep him Miami, Wade provided this answer: “Well, first of all I love the organization. I love what it stands for, from the owner Mickey Arison on down. It’s a first class organization. We’ve had some good times in Miami. I love the weather. It’s become home for me for the past six years. Hey, it’s not my fault Miami drafted me at No. 5 (in 2003) and Chicago did not move up (from No. 7).”

While LeBron, Wade and other top stars probably do have a strong opinion about what team they may try to play for once their current contracts  run out, it’s safe to assume they really aren’t 100 percent sure. Things can happen. Rosters change. Teams that appear to be attractive can shake things up. So while the speculation will continue, it’s mostly all in fun, because no matter what sources a reporter may have, the players themselves are perfectly likely to change their mind in the future.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed veteran power forward Joe Smith  to a contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Sund.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “the contract is a one-year deal Tuesday for the veteran’s minimum salary, approximately $1.3 million.”

“Joe’s acquisition provides us with a solid complement to our frontcourt,” said Sund. “Not only does he bring years of experience to our team, but his versatility gives our coaching staff a player who can play multiple positions and an individual who will provide tremendous leadership in the locker room.”

The 6-10, 225-pound Smith is a 14-year NBA veteran who most recently played 21 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. Before joining the Cavs, he spent time with the Oklahoma City Thunder (where he participated in 36 contests), who bought out the remainder of his contract and released him on March 1. Smith saw action in 13 playoff games for Cleveland, averaging 5.5 ppg and 3.7 rpg (.460 FG%), and on the season, tallied 6.5 points and 4.7 rebounds (.496 FG%, .750 FT%).

Smith brings career numbers of 11.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists (.456 FG%, .790 FT%) per game to the Hawks, where he will join experienced frontcourt mates Al Horford, Josh Smith and Zaza Pachulia. The NBA’s number one overall pick in 1995 by the Golden State Warriors, Smith was the consensus College Player of the Year at Maryland in 1995 and named to the 1995-96 All-Rookie team in addition to finishing third in the voting for the league’s Rookie of the Year award.

He has played in 52 postseason games over his career, scoring 6.5 points and grabbing 4.6 boards, while shooting .459 from the field and 78 percent from the line.

He spent two-and-a-half seasons with Warriors, tallying a career-best 18.7 points in his second year and was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers midway through the 1997-98 campaign. Following one year with the Sixers, Smith joined the Minnesota Timberwolves for the first of two stints in 1998-99 before signing with the Detroit Pistons for the 2000-01 season.

Following a return to the Timberwolves in the summer of 2001, Smith played two more years with Minnesota before moving on to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2003-04. After three seasons with the Bucks, he played in only 11 games with the Denver Nuggets before being traded (along with Andre Miller) back to the Sixers (for Allen Iverson) for the remainder of the 2006-07 season.

For the next season (2007-08), Smith was a member of the Chicago Bulls and played in 50 contests, averaging 11.2 points before being traded in a three-team deal to Cleveland. He was a part of another three-team trade later that summer when the Cavaliers sent him to Oklahoma City, where he remained until he returned to Cleveland.

He was named Associated Press All-American and was the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Player of the Year as a sophomore at Maryland. In two seasons with the Terrapins, he averaged 20.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

Joseph Leynard Smith, born July 26, 1975 in Norfolk, VA, will wear uniform number 32 with the Hawks.