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• Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News: Yesterday, a source close to the situation confirmed to the Daily News that Brett Brown, who spent the past seven seasons on the bench as an assistant coach to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, had reached an agreement in principle for a 4-year contract to become the eighth head coach in the past 11 seasons. "He's going to be a great coach, he's really knowledgeable, has great energy, great vision at both ends of the court and a great way with players," said Mike Budenholzer, who was an assistant with Brown in San Antonio before taking the Atlanta head coaching job in late May. "Players respect him. He's demanding but they love him. He's got a great sense of humor but he's a great competitor, too. The competitive nature for Brett may be with his good nature, but he's a tough, competitive dude and that's more important to him than anything. In that city he's a fit, because he's blue-collar and he's a tough dude. He's a competitive person in every way, shape and form at every moment. At this level everyone is a competitor, but Brett has that extra level of competitiveness." Brown met with Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie on Wednesday last week in New York. It wasn't the first meeting between the two as Hinkie, then an assistant GM with the Houston Rockets, met with Brown for a position with that team a couple years ago.
• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: Kirk Hinrich played golf Monday, helping promote the PGA Tour's BMW Championship at Conway Farms Golf Club Sept. 12-15 with a charity event that also included Northwestern coach Chris Collins. In two months, Hinrich's real sport will take center stage. A much-anticipated Bulls season will take place with the return of Derrick Rose. Fans aren't the only ones excited. "I’m very excited," Hinrich said. "We have most of our guys back. We had some great additions. The anticipation of Derrick coming back healthy and it sounds like he’s motivated. We think we have a very good chance." Hinrich and Rose spent the early portion of this offseason working out at the Berto Center.
• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: Newly signed Kevin Martin won’t play with the Timberwolves until October, but he reached out a veteran leader’s hand to first-round draft pick Shabazz Muhammad after the former UCLA star got kicked out of the NBA’s rookie orientation program for breaking the rules. Martin asked the Wolves for Muhammad’s phone number and called him for a chat. So, too, did Wolves President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders after Muhammad was sent home after the first of four scheduled days to having a woman in his room. The program’s rules say no guests are allowed. “We talked,” Saunders said. “The biggest thing in any situation where there are rules and guidelines, you have to abide by them. That shows discipline. As I explained to him, part of being successful at our level is being disciplined, both on and off the court … He didn’t have much to say. He was very apologetic and just felt extremely disappointed in himself. We talked about his situation and his past, so you have to take what is a negative and turn it into a positive.” Muhammad likely will be fined by the league and will have to return next summer with the 2014 rookie class to complete the program. … Saunders said the team will not impose any punishment. “This is a league situation,” he said.
• John Brannen of the Houston Chronicle: Summer school has started for Dwight Howard. The reputation of his professors should draw the envy of every other big man in the NBA. Former Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon was hired by the team to mentor Howard shortly after the free agent signing. After some hijinks in Aspen, Colo., Howard has returned and is getting to work with the Hall of Famer. Jason Friedman of Rockets.com posted several pictures of Howard, coach Kevin McHale and Olajuwon during a workout Monday at Toyota Center.
• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Hawks’ first-round draft pick Lucas Nogueira will remain in Spain next season to continue his development. The native of Brazil will play another year with Asefa Estudiantes Madrid while the Hawks maintain his rights. The seven-foot center, taken with the 16th overall selection in June’s NBA draft, was caught in a crowded frontcourt after a number of offseason moves that included the additions of Paul Millsap, Elton Brand, Pero Antic and Gustavo Ayon. The team’s frontcourt also includes Al Horford and Mike Scott. “We are very encouraged by what we’ve seen from Lucas this summer,” general manager Danny Ferry told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Monday. “Going back to Estudiantes will allow him to continue develop while also playing meaningful minutes against very good competition. We will closely monitor his progress as he works towards his goals as a basketball player.”
• Buddy Collings of the Orlando Sentinel: Former Lake Howell standout Nick Calathes flew to Memphis, Tenn., with his fiancee on Monday, prepared to finalize a two-year contract with the Grizzlies of the NBA. He texted the Sentinel on Monday night to say he will undergo a physical and sign a contract on Tuesday. Calathes' father, John, said his son is ready to live a lifelong dream of playing in the NBA after four pro seasons in Europe. "He's a Memphis Grizzly," the father said. "As far as Nick is concerned, it's a done deal, and as far as Memphis is concerned, it's a done deal. Nick is very much wanting to do this. He's a competitor, and this is what he's always dreamed of. He and Tiffany were supposed to fly up there on Sunday, but Nick was really sick over the weekend. They waited a day."
• Beckley Mason of The New York Times: In a basic sense, Udrih fills an obvious roster need. WithJason Kidd gone to coach the Nets and Pablo Prigioni, the incumbent backup point guard, well past his prime at 36, the Knicks sorely needed another ballhandler and shooter. Kidd’s final month as a Knick, in which he made only three shots in 12 playoff games, was memorable only for how badly he struggled. But Kidd was a key cog in the Knicks’ rotation throughout the regular season because he allowed Woodson to play three guards, and sometimes three point guards, at the same time. These small lineups fueled the Knicks’ fun and productive offensive style. Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony are the Knicks’ two best and most important players, but neither is a great passer. To create an efficient offense that promotes good spacing and ball movement, Woodson often filled out the rest of the lineup with savvy passers adept at running the pick-and-roll. Udrih’s well-rounded offensive game makes him a natural for such a role.
• Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune: With verification in hand, Lucas is still looking for validation. He backed up his strong two seasons in Chicago with a nondescript year in Toronto, averaging 5.3 points in 13.1 minutes per game. Jazz General Manager Dennis Lindsey had a bigger pool of information from which to draw, however. He knew Lucas since he was a child, and Lindsey worked for the Houston Rockets. Lucas II ran the tennis club where the Rockets practiced, and Lindsey became acquainted with his sons. And that’s part of the undeniable truth about John Lucas III, which is no different from any story about a son following his father’s footsteps into business. For all that Lucas III overcame on his own and accomplished through his own hard work and dedication, it was on a trail previously blazed by the men in his family. "It was a gift and a curse, too," Lucas said, "because people would be like, ‘He’s just there because his dad was in the NBA.’ But it’s not like that. I knew a lot of coaches’ kids and players’ kids who don’t have that shot." Lucas is known for being a fearless shooter, even to a fault. But that doesn’t necessarily equate to being selfish. "I know in Chicago all his teammates loved him," Thibodeau said. "I think his confidence comes from his work." And that is Lucas’ defining characteristic. "At the end of the day," he said, "I want people to know I worked hard. My dad didn’t pull any strings for me. He never did, he never would."
• Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post: When I first wrote about John Wall’s offseason tattoos, I included a warning that more ink was in the offing. “I think he’s gonna finish his back and probably get the rest of his chest done,” his tattoo artist, Randy Harris, told me then. “He’s going to get more before the season. Trust me. You’ll see me up in Washington.” Eventually, of course, we saw images of Wall’s “Great Wall” back tattoo. And also, a certain famous columnist was put off by the body art, not really because of the art, per se, but because of what it represented in some grander sense of growth and expectations and public statements and other things like that. Now, I love that certain famous columnist dearly. But in case he’s looking for a hot take on Wall’s newest body art, I do have a few suggestions: * “No time for sleep?” That seems like a poor pledge for an athlete, who would be better served treating his body as a temple, a temple that needs at least eight hours of sleep a night, plus mid-afternoon naps. Also, not sleeping is a poor example for today’s youth. The owl may be a symbol for wisdom and nocturnal efficiency in some lands, but “in Slavonic cultures, owls were believed to announce deaths and disasters,” according tothis article on The Owl Pages. Another story here says “in Czech folklore the owl, sýcek, is a bird of ill-omen.”
• Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com: I find myself in an unlikely position today. I'm not in any way a music reviewer or even an expert. I listen to a lot of stuff, some of it weird and some of it mainstream. But I know what I like. And by now, I think everyone knows I write -- and say -- what I think without a worry of offending anyone. I don't suck up to anybody, either, including the billionaire who owns the Portland Trail Blazers. And I am here to tell you today that I'm very much impressed with the music on Paul Allen's new album -- or more appropriately, the new album, "Everywhere at Once" by Paul Allen and the Underthinkers. … And if I may make a personal plea right now -- Paul, we really need a Rose Garden concert with this group of yours. I bought the album and I'd buy a ticket to a concert, too. And I can't think of any better endorsement than that.
• Doug Smith of the Toronto Star: It’s got to be a little bit like herding cats for Cory Joseph and other point guards trying to run the national men’s basketball team, getting players of wide-ranging skill levels and experience to put aside past learned behaviour and coalesce into some kind of smooth-running unit. There isn’t an abundance of time, about three weeks of practice and only a handful of games, and the stakes — a spot in next summer’s basketball World Cup — are huge. Joseph knows it’s a bit of a rush job and may not always look like it’s consistently successful right now but when the bright lights go on later this month in Venezuela, he’s confident all the kinks will have been worked out. “As a team we’re doing OK,” the San Antonio Spurs guard said Monday. “Obviously there are still some things we’re learning about each other but we’ll have it down pat before the tournament. “It’s keeping everyone together, making sure we’re all on the same page and taking advantage of everybody’s skills.” The point guard spot is providing one of the most intriguing battles for the team, which will join nine others at the qualification tournament in Caracas chasing four spots in next year’s World Cup in Spain.
• Michael Hunt of the Journal Sentinel: Seriously, I haven't been this enthused about seeing their product in at least a decade. It is encouraging that basketball decisions are finally being independently made by basketball people. The completely new direction of stripping down, going young, building around two talented big guys and reining in the payroll for the day when they might again become competitive has to be a welcomed change by anyone who understands the dynamics of small-market NBA realities. Think of it this way: Who would've imagined a year ago this time, as our Charles F. Gardner put it, that O.J. Mayo's pedestrian salary would be the team's highest?

• Percy Allen of The Seattle Times: For one afternoon, Kevin Durant belonged to Seattle once again. It was as if the lanky basketball superstar stepped into a time machine and transported back to the summer 2007 when the Sonics selected him No. 2 overall in the NBA draft. There he was Sunday, in the city where his professional career began, and the 24-year-old looked just like he did when he played his last game in Seattle five years ago. However, instead of his old green and gold No. 35 jersey, Durant wore a red No. 7. And instead of an NBA contest at KeyArena, he turned a summer-league game at the Jamal Crawford Pro-Am into a must-see event that drew manic fans to Seattle Pacific University. The crowd overflowed out of Royal Brougham Pavilion and snaked around the corner onto Nickerson Street. When Durant walked through a side door, the place went bonkers. And when he stepped on the court, the crowd of 3,000 greeted him with a standing ovation that lasted several minutes. … Durant took 62 shots — making 26 — and scored 63 points. He drained three-pointers and flushed dunks. Conroy (33 points) set him up for a thrilling alley-oop slam. Durant could have penned a storybook ending, but he missed a potential game-winning midrange jumper in the final seconds. In the extra period, the team led by Crawford (46 points), Washington Wizards guard Martell Webster (25) and former UW standout Tre Simmons (26) pulled away for a 147-141 victory. However, the real winners were the fans. “I’ve had a fun time here in Seattle,” Durant told the crowd while holding the microphone at midcourt. “I miss you guys. Thank you for the warm welcome, man. I can’t wait to come back. Thank you. I appreciate it.”
• Bernie Augustine of the New York Daily News: There is clearly some Air left in his Jordans. Michael Jordan wowed campers at his annual Flight School camp in California over the weekend, showing that His Airness can still fly — albeit at a lower altitude — by rising up and dunking with one hand. At 50-years-old. In a pair of jeans and Air Jordans. “This still happens,” was the description accompanying the photo sent out from the Twitter account of Jordan’s camp, @MJFlightSchool.A YouTube video shows a young camper defending Jordan, and when he goes for the steal the Hall of Famer drives the lane and throws down the one-handed jam. Jordan takes the youngster to school one more time in the short clip, playfully backing him down before spinning away and sinking a running left-handed hook shot. Something has clearly gotten into the NBA stars of the 1980s and 90s this summer, as they’ve reminded a younger generation that they still have it. Or at last some of “it.”
• John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News: Let me start by saying, I think it's a bit ridiculous that it has taken new Sixers czar of basketball Sam Hinkie nearly 3 months to finally come up with a candidate worthy enough to offer his head coaching job. Even if we know that Hinkie's "analytical" approach to managing is the exact opposite of an "instinctive" one, 3 months is a long time for dotting all of the i's and crossing the t's. … Brown doesn't have the Sixers over a barrel, but if you're Hinkie and you've waited this long to come up with the right coach, can you afford to have him turn you down? How would you then sell the next guy in line as anything more than a temporary hire or a guy desperate for any head-coaching job? That would be a humiliating confirmation of how bad people think of the Sixers' situation. Still, I like that Brown has some kind of hammer over Hinkie because at the minimum he should be able to coax out a long-term commitment as the coach. … With the Sixers expected to lose anywhere from 55 to 65 games, a one-and-done scenario could definitely be in play for the next coach If I were Brown, I'd insist on a 4- or 5-year contract from the Sixers - one that gives management incentive to stick by me through some anticipated lean times. Honestly, the next coach getting a long-term commitment also would be best for the Sixers.
• Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post: “I understand,” Greg Oden said. “My body is not going to be when I was 18, able to run all day and jump over people. I can’t do that now. It’s just not going to happen. My knees, the wear and tear of the surgeries, I understand that. “But I’m going to play as hard as I can, and I’m going to try to jump over people, and I’m going to try to run all day. If my body lets me, I’ll do it.” In that sense, he is grounded. That is good. His comeback, however, could be grounded, too, by the slightest slip. It might not even take a touch. That’s how brittle he is. That’s how fragile this comeback is. That’s what Heat fans need to understand. Oden’s return to game action should not be based on anything that is occurring inside the team. Bosh is getting beaten on the boards? Doesn’t matter. Chris Andersen can’t sustain last season’s success? Doesn’t matter. The team endures a losing streak of some length? Doesn’t matter. All that matters is how Oden feels about his readiness, and how the Heat feel about that feeling. In fact, even when Oden clears himself for greater responsibility, Heat decision-makers should stall him some, just to make sure.
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: Kendrick Perkins himself admitted that he was displeased with his performance last season. And so he's dedicated this offseason to developing his skills and improving his game. … Perkins' motivation is twofold. The Thunder's second-round exit last season still is fresh in his mind, and he knows he didn't help the team as much as he would have liked to. As for the former, the basketball world now seems to be overlooking the Thunder going into the 2013-14 season, something that isn't lost on the Thunder. “They count us out,” Perkins said. “But at the end of the day we feel like each guy at the end of the season said we were going to come back better. So we feel like each guy just got to step their roles up a little bit more and step their games up and we feel like we can do that.” Perkins will be the first to say that he's starting with the man in the mirror. He's heard his critics this offseason, and while he isn't making any vows to shut them up Perkins is using their criticism as fuel. “One thing I learned, and I learned this from Kevin Garnett, is don't only read the good things about you,” Perkins said.
• Bob Finnan of The News-Herald: One could bill next July as the Summer of LeBron II. But as far as the Cavaliers are concerned, their most pressing need might be signing All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to a contract extension. The Cavs can offer Irving an extension in July 2014, undoubtedly for maximum dollars. … "I know it's your job to ask about it, but I'm not really worried about that right now," he said. "I'm going to focus on my third year and worry about that in the summertime." … The 6-foot-3, 191-pound Irving said he's content in Cleveland. "Right now I'm a Cavalier," Irving said. "This is where I am. All that other stuff, I'm not worrying about it. I'm living in the moment right now. I want to work with the coaching staff and get to the playoffs. That's all I can do right now, give it my all. All that future stuff, I'm not really worrying about it." He wants to make it clear that rumors on Twitter last month about him not re-signing with the Cavs were false. "My job is to play basketball," Irving said. "That guy on Twitter that said that, (he's not) close with my family. I wanted to let Cleveland know those rumors were bogus and nothing to worry about."
• Michael Lee of The Washington Post: “I’m so thankful for the position that I’m in,” Otto Porter said in a recent telephone interview. “There are a lot of guys who would love to be in my position, so just to see how far I’ve come in two or three years, coming from a small area to now I’m here in the NBA and it’s all happened so fast, it’s amazing.” From the moment he declared for the draft out of Georgetown, Porter has been flooded with information about what it takes to survive in a high-profile occupation. Last week, that information was condensed to a four-day session of seminars and workshops at the NBA’s rookie transition program in Florham Park, N.J., designed to educate players on the challenges that come with handling their finances, relationships and health. Porter and fellow Wizards rookie Glen Rice Jr. were among the nearly 50 players in attendance to receive frank instruction and personal tales of hardship and perseverance from former and current players such as Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, Jerry Stackhouse and Kyrie Irving and other experts in their respective fields. They also gained an understanding of the expectations that come with being part of a business that generates more than $4 billion in annual revenue.
• Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: The roster makeover has been significant, and this clearly looks like a more competitive team than the one that bumbled its way to a 28-120 record the past two seasons. They drafted Indiana power forward Cody Zeller and signed free-agent center Al Jefferson. They re-signed shooting guard Gerald Henderson and power forward Josh McRoberts. In two lesser moves – but ones that fill needs new coach Steve Clifford identified – they’ve added veterans Jannero Pargo and Anthony Tolliver as third options at point guard and power forward, respectively. Tolliver agreed to a one-year, veteran-minimum deal Saturday. Once he formally signs, the Bobcats will have 13 guarantees for next season, with an NBA-maximum 15 roster spots available. The Bobcats also have power forward Jeff Adrien on an unguaranteed contract and have indicated they will work out guard Seth Curry, the Charlottean and former Duke star, who went undrafted in June. With 13 guarantees, this is pretty much the roster the Bobcats will bring to UNC-Asheville for training camp in October.
• Staff of The Dallas Morning News: Norm Hitzges: How long a contract do you suspect you'll offer Dirk once he gets into free agency this year and you start the re-up discussion. Mark Cuban: I have no idea. But I'll talk to Dirk about it. Pretty much whatever he wants. Dirk's got a no-trade deal, so whether it's one year, three years, 20 years, it really doesn't matter. He gets to sign and re-sign as often as he wants. The length of the contract is more about how long longer Dirk wants to play more than anything else. Particularly with a young kid, he's gonna want to spend time, but he's also going to want to get some sleep. I don't see Dirk walking away from the game anytime soon. Dirk really wants to come back and send a message to everybody that he's got a lot left. The thing about Dirk is he's skill driven. He's basketball-IQ driven, he's wins driven. He's not driven by athleticism. As long as he stays healthy, he could play for a long time.

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• 49th pick Erik Murphy of the Chicago Bulls
• 5th pick Alex Len of the Phoenix Suns
• 38th pick Nate Wolters of the Milwaukee Bucks
• 23rd pick Solomon Hill of the Indiana Pacers
• 11th pick Michael Carter-Williams of the Philadelphia 76ers
• 10th pick C.J. McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers
• 20th pick Tony Snell of the Chicago Bulls
• 15th pick Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks
• 12th pick Steven Adams of the Oklahoma City Thunder
• Undrafted Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today

• 49th pick Erik Murphy of the Chicago Bulls
• 5th pick Alex Len of the Phoenix Suns
• 38th pick Nate Wolters of the Milwaukee Bucks
• 23rd pick Solomon Hill of the Indiana Pacers
• 11th pick Michael Carter-Williams of the Philadelphia 76ers
• 10th pick C.J. McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers
• 20th pick Tony Snell of the Chicago Bulls
• 15th pick Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks
• 12th pick Steven Adams of the Oklahoma City Thunder
• Undrafted Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today