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If you are interested in following along with the latest gossip on Dwight Howard. As these things go sometimes, there are conflicting reports. Here's what Hoopsworld had to say.

NBA PM: Howard Forcing His Way to Nets? | HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

The Lakers have already been informed that Howard won’t sign a long-term deal in Los Angeles, according to sources close to the situation. If the Lakers were to trade for Howard, he would opt out and test free agency. Howard’s interest in Los Angeles has always been overstated, mainly because he doesn’t want to follow in Shaquille O’Neal’s footsteps and he doesn’t want to go through another rebuilding process anytime soon. With Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in their thirties, Howard would be reaching his prime just as his All-Star teammates were declining.

And here is Ken Berger's take.

Postups: Recent coach changes may foreshadow ouster of some GMs

Despite assertions to the contrary, the Lakers remain firmly on Howard's list of three teams he's asked to be traded to, along with the Nets and Mavericks, multiple people familiar with the situation said. The Lakers' clear preference is to trade Pau Gasol in a Howard deal and not Andrew Bynum, who was elected as an All-Star starter for the first time this week.

Obviously it is all speculation and here-say at this point, but it at least sounds as if Dwight Howard just can't make up his mind and nobody really knows what he wants.

Also see: Trade rumors have always been a big part of sports culture - Steve Rushin - SI.com

It's commonly accepted NBA wisdom that Danny Ainge would like to find a way to rebuild the Boston Celtics. He apparently wants to avoid the mistake his former team, the Phoenix Suns, made by holding on to their star players too long. Many trade rumors have been floated with the name of one Celtics player or another attached, but in his weekly chat ESPN's Chad Ford went a step further.

The entire Celtics team is on the block.

Ford, of course, could have been speak (chatting online) off the cuff and the statement came at the of an answer that included trade discussion about Chris Kaman, Pau Gasol and the New York Knicks "shopping Amare hard". Ford didn't offer any other specifics but his co-worker and self-avowed Celtics homer Bill Simmons had an idea of his own.

Simmons in one of his notorious lists, suggests the Celtics swap Rajon Rondo, Marquis Daniels and Jermaine O'Neal's expiring deal for Steve Nash, Grant Hill and Marcin Gortat. It's a suggestion that even Bill calls "unlikely".

Here's a fun rumor that probably has already outlived its worth. LeBron James back to Cleveland! (Note: this is from Sam Amico, the same guy that floated the rumor of Paul Pierce to the Lakers. Sam is a nice guy, but sometimes his rumors just make me shake my head.)

Cleveland return in LeBron's future?

Now, there is talk that James is less-than-thrilled with certain aspects of the Heat organization. Sources in Miami say that while James still thoroughly enjoys playing alongside fellow stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, he doesn’t particularly care for the heavy-handed and disciplined style of team president Pat Riley. James can opt out of his contract at the end of the 2013-14 season, and speculation is he will strongly consider it if Riley remains in his current role. And the team James would be eyeballing most in free agency, say those close to the situation, would be the Cavs.

Apparently Brian Windhorst thinks there could be some small chance that this could happen someday. In related news, ...I got nothing. I can't come up with a less believable analogy. You are on your own.

I'm not giving in to the blow it up plan yet, but it seems like a popular topic of conversation so who am I to begrudge you the opportunity to discuss it? So I'll propose a trade each day and let you rip it to shreds and/or find some value in it.

I'm not mentally or emotionally prepared to sign up for trading Paul Pierce for anyone. That said, if we decided to "blow it up" and trade Ray and KG and Paul let Danny know that he'd like to be dealt as well, rather than have to suffer through another rebuilding process, then I guess you'd have to listen to him and do what's best for him and the team.

So far, the idea that makes the most sense and seems somewhat reasonable to me is trading him to the Memphis Grizzlies for Rudy Gay. The idea is far from original - several people have suggested the idea - but I saw it first on WEEI.

Green Street " Irish Coffee: Four Paul Pierce Celtics trade scenarios

In this scenario, the Grizzlies would be the team saving money, as Gay is due $19.3 million in 2014-15. With Gay injured last season, Memphis came within one game of the Western Conference finals, as Shane Battier played 28 minutes a night and provided leadership for an inexperienced team. Once Zach Randolph gets healthy, the Grizzlies would be fielding a starting lineup of Marc Gasol, Randolph, Pierce, Tony Allen/O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley. That's a serious contender. Meanwhile, the Celtics get younger at small forward, reuniting the Rondo-Gay forehead alley-oop combination from this past summer.

This is a good example of the Celtics taking on a salary, but at least it is a salary that comes with a bigtime talent. Gay was overpaid the moment he signed that contract, and that might be the reason Memphis would be willing to trade him. That said, he's a very, very talented and young wing player that would serve us well in the future.

Assuming the Celtics don't take on additional salary in any Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett deals, you could potentially sell Dwight Howard on teaming up with Gay and Rondo for the future. At the very least, Gay is better than any non-Dwight/Deron free agent we could land this offseason and we'd still have cap space to burn.

Like I said, I want Paul retiring a Celtic, but if he asks to be traded, we could do worse than to get Rudy.

Another day, another tremor signaling an upcoming potential earthquake.

David Stern defends 66-game NBA season, but it's hard to argue injuries have hurt product - NY Daily News

But with Paul Pierce dealing with heel issues, Kevin Garnett fading, Ray Allen still effective shooting threes but headed for his 37th birthday and the Celtics 5-8 entering the weekend, the team’s owners gave GM Danny Ainge the official go-ahead to move any member of the troika. "We’ve got to move on," said one Celtics official. "Let’s face reality."

Without [Jeff] Green or [David] West, ownership finally conceded the team doesn’t have the quality reinforcements to make a deep run. Ainge says he won’t hesitate to trade off any member of the Big Three in the right deal. If he can find any takers.

I don't like it, I'm against it, and I'm still skeptical it will actually occur. But there are more and more signs that it could very well happen. Is the end near? Well, ...maybe.

When we heard that DeMarcus Cousins may or may not have demanded a trade, you just knew that Danny Ainge would at least pick up the phone and give the Kings a ring. According to Mark Murphy, that's just what he did.

The Celtics, like most teams, have called Sacramento to gauge what it would take to trade for DeMarcus Cousins. The young, disgruntled Kings center has been suspended from the team for his disagreements with coach Paul Westphal.

"It's highly unlikely," a league source said of the Celtics' chances of landing Cousins. "I'm not sure that any team is going to get him. The thing is that everyone knows he's a wreck. They're not going to get what he's worth."

All of which makes perfect sense. Cousins is a loose cannon and an emotional guy. I get the feeling that what he said was out of frustration and not a legit trade demand. He's too talented to give up on and the Kings know they'd get pennies on the dollar for him at this point, so by all accounts they'll ride it out. But I guess you never know at the trade deadline or in the offseason what the future could hold.

Update: David Aldridge reports that the Celtics are still expected to sign Pietrus, but...

NBA.com | Hang Time Blog

But agent Bill McCandless said Friday morning that he thought there was a “15 percent” chance that a team would claim Pietrus off of waivers before he clears. But that team would have to pay Pietrus the $4.2 million on his original contract (that is pro-rated for the 66-game regular season this year; Pietrus originally was to make $5.3 million this season). Pietrus and the Suns worked out a buyout that will pay him $3 million of the $4.2 million once he clears waivers; after that he’d be free to negotiate a new contract with the team that signs him.

**

Pietrus leaning 'heavily' towards signing with Celtics

Mickael Pietrus, recently released by the Phoenix Suns, is leaning "heavily" towards signing with the Boston Celtics, according to a league source.

Great news if true. He's a plus defender that can knock down shots.

In addition, Pietrus is a player who one league executive said would be "a great fit" for the Celtics.

"Without Jeff Green, they really don't have an athletic wing player," said an NBA scout. "Sasha (Pavlovic) has some athleticism, but he's not in the same class as Pietrus. And Marquis (Daniels), he's a solid player, but you wouldn't consider him as an athletic wing guy."

Works for me. Of course there's always a catch.

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