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Dallas Mavericks interested in Andrew Bynum

After moving on from Dwight Howard’s decision to head to Houston, the Mavericks have started to seriously pursue Andrew Bynum, sources told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein.

However, the Mavs will proceed with caution due to the knee condition that caused the 7-foot, 285-pound Bynum to miss all of his lone season with the Philadelphia 76ers.

According to the sources, the evaluation process of the 25-year-old Bynum’s problematic knees will be “exhaustive.”

The Mavs consider their medical staff, headlined by Team USA athletic trainer Casey Smith and Dr. T.O. Souryal, to be the best in the league.

Reported by Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas

Free agent Dorell Wright and Trail Blazers agree to two-year, $6 million contract

Free agent wing Dorell Wright has agreed to sign a two-year contract for $6 million with the Trail Blazers, agent Greg Lawrence said.

The signing won’t become official until Wednesday.

“He was really impressed with Coach Stotts and Neil (Olshey) and how they thought he would fit in,” Lawrence said. “He’s excited about playing with (Damian) Lillard and he likes the city.”

Wright, a 6-foot-9 sharp-shooter, last season averaged 9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds as a reserve for Philadelphia.

Reported by Jason Quick of the Oregonian

Tyreke Evans says he wanted to stay with Kings

Tyreke Evans said it still hasn’t fully set in that at the start of his fifth NBA season he will not be a King.

His hope when free agency began July 1 was that he would reach an agreement to stay in Sacramento. Instead, Evans will head to New Orleans in a sign-and-trade on Wednesday, when the NBA moratorium on transactions is lifted.

“It’s been interesting just going through the process figuring out what was going to happen,” Evans said. “But at the end of the day, it was business. We (agent Arn Tellem and Evans’ family) did what was best for my career. We definitely wanted to stay in Sac, but that didn’t work out, so I have an opportunity to go to New Orleans.”

Evans will sign a four-year contract worth $44 million, the sum New Orleans offered him as a restricted free agent, and be dealt to the Pelicans in a three-team trade that will bring point guard Greivis Vasquez to Sacramento.

Reported by Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee

Clippers and Matt Barnes agree to three-year, $11-million deal

The Clippers continue to shape up their roster, this time agreeing to bring back one of their own free agents.

Free-agent Matt Barnes agreed Friday to a deal allowing the small forward to return to the team.

This caps a busy week for the Clippers after getting Chris Paul to agree to re-sign on Tuesday and doing a trade on Wednesday to acquire J.J. Redick from the Milwaukee Bucks and Jared Dudley from the Phoenix Suns.

Barnes will sign a three-year deal worth about $11 million, said NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the negotiations. The first two years of the contract will be guaranteed, the executives said…

The Clippers used part of the $5.1-million mid-level exception on Barnes, and it probably means they won’t be able to sign free-agent power forward Carl Landry, who walked away from a $4-million contract next season from the Golden State Warriors and was seeking at least that much in a new deal.

Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times

Andre Iguodala will join Golden State Warriors

The Nuggets are in Plan B mode.

Their top target this offseason was their own free agent, Andre Iguodala. But the swingman decided Friday to play for the Golden State Warriors, two NBA sources confirmed.

Iguodala accepted a four-year contract that will pay him $48 million. He can’t officially sign with Golden State until Wednesday.

The Nuggets are left without their most versatile player and best perimeter defender. It’s been a difficult couple of months for the franchise, which has suffered significant losses in the front office and now on the court…

Iguodala has been enamored with the Warriors for a while. When the Nuggets weren’t able to secure his services for days after the Sacramento Kings offered, then rescinded, a four-year contract worth $14 million annually, his exit from Denver seemed inevitable.

According to one source, the Nuggets offered Iguodala a five-year contract worth $60 million — with $52 million guaranteed. That’s right, the Nuggets presented a more lucrative offer than did Golden State. Yet the Warriors beat the Nuggets again.

Reported by Christopher Dempsey and Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post

Dwight Howard leaves Lakers for Houston Rockets

Dwight Howard has agreed to terms with the Houston Rockets, joining an up-and-coming team with one of the NBA’s most dynamic young players while becoming the biggest free-agent name to ever turn his back on the Lakers.

He ditched the Lakers despite their very public campaign to retain him, including numerous billboards around Los Angeles with his image and the simple slogan “STAY.”

But Howard left, eschewing pitches from Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and a team of Lakers executives in a lengthy meeting Tuesday in Beverly Hills…

Howard declined a five-year, $118-million contract offer from the Lakers to accept a four-year, $88-million deal with the Rockets, his third team in an 11-month period.

“Walt Disney said, ‘Big risks, big rewards,’” Howard said. “He put everything he had into ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,’ and the sky was the limit. Now there’s Disneyland and Disney World.

“It’s a big sacrifice leaving $30 million. Really, really a big sacrifice. But I want to win a championship and I want to get back to being the person who I am and have some fun and enjoy playing basketball. And I think that’s what I’ll find in Houston.”

Reported by Mike Bresnahan and T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times

Bojan Bogdanovic and Nets agree on 3-year contract

The Nets came to an agreement last night with 2011 second-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic, according to a league source.

Bogdanovic will sign a three-year deal with the Nets starting at about $2.5 million when the NBA’s moratorium on transactions ends Wednesday. The deal also contains a player option in the third year, the source said. The Nets used most of their taxpayer’s mid-level exception to sign Bogdanovic, the only way they could sign a player for more than the veteran’s minimum, due to the fact they are far over the luxury tax threshold.

By not using all of the mini mid-level exception — which starts at $3.18 million this year — the Nets saved themselves roughly $3 million on what will be a massive luxury tax bill thanks to their massive payroll following the blockbuster deal with the Celtics.

Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Chris Bosh to promote NBA on India tour

Having recently helped the Heat win a second-consecutive NBA title, Chris Bosh will turn his attention to helping the league conquer a new frontier.

The eight-time All-Star will visit Mumbai, India, July 16-18, to participate in a series of activities to help grow interest in the game. Having gained a stronghold in China, the NBA has targeted India and its population of more than 1 billion as the next lucrative international market.

Reported by Craig Davis of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Former NBA referee Hue Hollins dies

Former longtime NBA referee Hue Hollins died. He was believed to be 70.

Hollins’ death was announced by the NBA Referees Association.

Hollins officiated 19 NBA Finals games and five All-Star games during his 27-year career.

He was a native of Waco, Texas.

“Hue reached the pinnacle of officiating through an unmatched dedication to perfecting his profession throughout his 27-year career as an NBA referee,” NBRA general counsel Lee Seham said in a statement. “His hard work was always on display on the court, but never more evident than during his work in the NBA Finals, of which he worked every year during the 1990s. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”

Reported by the Sports Xchange

Matt Barnes will stay with Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to sign swingman Matt Barnes to a three-year deal that will pay him close to $12 million, a league source told Yahoo! Sports.

Barnes, 33, averaged 10.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 25.7 minutes as a reserve for the Clippers last season while making $854,389. After playing for eight different teams during his 10-year NBA career, Barnes is happy to get some security.

Reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports