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The Orlando Magic have begun informing teams that Dwight Howard is no longer on the trade market, two sources told ESPN.com.

The Magic have decided that none of the various offers they've received, most notably from the New Jersey Nets and Los Angeles Lakers, is worth executing, according to sources.

To avoid any more drama, the team is no longer taking calls on Howard, sources said.

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The Toronto Raptors drafted Jonas Valanciunas with the No. 5 pick in the 2011 NBA draft knowing it would be at least a year before he came to the NBA.

But a source close to the team told ESPN.com on Saturday that there's a small chance they might be able to get him this season.

The source said that the team reached out to Valanciunas' agent over the weekend to gauge the center's interest in joining the Raptors in 2011-12. If Valanciunas has interest, the Toronto would have to work out a buyout with his team in Lithuania, Lietuvos Rytas.

Valanciunas does not currently have an NBA buyout for this season in his overseas deal, but things have changed for Lietuvos Rytas over the past five months. They failed to qualify for the Euroleague this season and the team will likely lose critical sponsorship money. Given the current situation, they need money more than Valanciunas.

Does the Lithuanian center want to come to the NBA this season? Valanciunas told NBA teams prior to the draft that he felt he needed at least one more year in Europe to get stronger and play more minutes at the highest level before coming abroad.

But the Raptors believe Valanciunas may be better served by joining the NBA now. The 19-year-old big man spent the entire summer and fall playing in Lithuania, giving him valuable experience. He showed what he was capable of in U-19 play, averaging a tournament-high 23 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game to lead Lithuania to the gold medal. Against Team USA and Florida's Patric Young, a projected first-rounder in 2012, Valanciunas had 30 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks.

With the shortened NBA season, expectations also won't be as high. If Valanciunas came to the Raptors, he can practice with the team, get minutes off the bench and use the season to acclimatize to the NBA. By the start of training camp next fall, the Raptors believe he would be ahead of where he would be if he stayed in Europe.

If the Raptors are able to get Valanciunas now, it will be a major coup. Many NBA scouts believe he was the best long-term big man prospect in the 2011 draft and Toronto has a major need at the 5.

The news would also come as a blow to the Cavs. Cleveland had been high on Valanciunas and was expected to select him with the No. 4 pick. However, concerns about his buyout situation in Lithuania arose the week before the draft and the Cavs opted to play it safe and instead take Texas' Tristan Thompson after taking Duke's Kyrie Irving with the first pick. Had they known Valanciunas could come over this season, they likely would've taken him at No. 4.

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The Cavaliers have told both Kyrie Irving’s and Derrick Williams’ agents that they won't tip their hand on whom they are drafting, so we do have some real drama going into the No. 1 pick.

I’m continuing to hear both Bismack Biyombo and Brandon Knight at No. 5. Jan Vesley looks like a lock at No. 6. It looks like Tristan Thompson or Bismack Biyombo at No. 7 to the Bobcats.

The Pistons will likely take who is available among Thompson and Biyombo, with Thompson preferred.

Will it be Kawhi Leonard or Chris Singleton at No. 9 to the Bobcats?

Will it be Jimmer Fredette or Kemba Walker at No. 10 to the Kings?

Kemba Walker or Alec Burks at No. 12 to the Jazz? Markieff Morris, Kemba Walker or Iman Shumpert at No. 13 to the Suns?

Alec Burks or Markieff Morris at No. 15 to the Pacers?

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The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed in principle to a three-team trade with the Sacramento Kings and the Charlotte Bobcats, multiple sources said Thursday.

The Bucks will get Sacramento's Beno Udrih, Charlotte's Stephen Jackson and Shaun Livingston and the 19th pick from the Bobcats in Thursday night's draft, while Charlotte obtains the No. 7 pick from Sacramento and forward Corey Maggette from Milwaukee.

The Kings will get guard John Salmons from Milwaukee and the 10th pick in the draft. Charlotte will keep the No. 9 pick.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the draft. But will they also snag another lottery pick?

Sources say the Cavs have been very actively trying to do just that, with a massive $14.5 million trade exception as the device. The offer? Give us your pick and we'll take back a bad contract into our trade exception, which permits the Cavs to take back salary of more than $14 million.

In that scenario, the Sacramento Kings and the Detroit Pistons look like the most intriguing potential partners. Would the Kings be willing to give up the No. 7 pick if the Cavs gave them Ramon Sessions and took back Francisco Garcia? The Kings are already under the salary cap, but Garcia has $12 million over two years on his contract, and Sacramento would love to move him.

Or if it's Detroit at No. 8, Cleveland could swallow an even bigger contract, such as that belonging to Richard Hamilton ($12.5 million next season) or Charlie Villanueva (three years, $24 million remaining).

The Cavs would love to get Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Jonas Valanciunas in the lottery. Or they could also make a stab at getting Minnesota's No. 2 pick for, let's say, the No. 4 and No. 7 (or No. 8) picks.

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The Boston Celtics are taking a hard look at Marquette's Jimmy Butler and Boston College's Reggie Jackson with the 25th pick in the draft. But there's another potential option for Boston.

The Celtics are open to moving out of the draft altogether if they can trade their pick for a young player. The Celtics have a $2.4 million trade exception that would allow them to take back a young player without having to send anything in return other than the 25th pick.

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The Raptors love Brandon Knight, but would they take Bismack Biyombo even if Knight is on the board at No. 5? I'm hearing it's a real possibility.

If Knight doesn't go fifth, there's almost no chance he gets past Sacramento at No. 7. If that's the case, then Kemba Walker could be in for that Jimmer-Kemba showdown in Utah at No. 12.

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The Cavs have some serious stat guys on their staff. That may explain why they are so high on Tristan Thompson, who John Hollinger has rated third in his Draft Rater.

If the Cavs take Thompson at No. 4, I'm hearing Jonas Valanciunas, who I currently have in the 4 spot in Mock Draft 7.0, probably goes No. 8 to the Pistons.

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We just published our Mock Draft 7.0, where a number of areas are still a bit hazy. Although I'm feeling pretty solid on picks 1-3, the Cavs are still trying to decide between Jonas Valanciunas and Tristan Thompson at No. 4. They had both players in town this week to meet with owner Dan Gilbert.

Picks 5 and 6 also feel very solid right now depending on what happens at the top. The Raptors have been high on Brandon Knight for weeks, and the Wizards have been high on Jan Vesely for months.

To me, the biggest wild card right now is with the Kings at No. 7. I don't think they are in love with anyone on the board. Not Kemba Walker. Not Kawhi Leonard. Not Jimmer Fredette. They're clearly talking to a number of teams about a trade. Walker is our default pick right now, but there's a good chance he won't be the pick.

If Walker doesn't go No. 7, he could slide ... but how far? The Bobcats will look at him at No. 9. But to me, the most intriguing scenario of the entire draft will happen if Walker and Fredette are both on the board for the Jazz at No. 12. If the Jazz take Enes Kanter at No. 3, they are likely to go with a guard here.

There will be enormous pressure on Utah to draft Fredette here and good reasons to do so. But would the Jazz really pass on Walker, a guy whom they seriously considered at No. 3, to take the hometown hero? I don't think so. I think if both players are on the board, the Jazz would take Kemba. It wouldn't be a hugely popular decision in Utah, but Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor isn't afraid to do the unpopular thing.

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Is Thunder point guard Eric Maynor worth a lottery pick? Sources say the Thunder have been quietly gauging interest in Maynor during the past few days in an attempt to move up into the top half of the first round. They've spoken to the Kings (No. 7) and Bobcats (No. 9) in particular in the past few days.

Maynor was the 20th pick in the 2009 draft, which was one of the most loaded point guard drafts. With so few quality point guards on the board this year, would a team covet him more than Kemba Walker or Jimmer Fredette?

Who are the Thunder after? Like a lot of teams, it seems they are in hot pursuit of Lithuanian big man Jonas Valanciunas.

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What's the hottest place to be right now in the NBA draft? It appears to be the mid-lottery.

The Pistons, Bobcats, Bucks and Warriors are getting flooded with calls from teams looking to move into that range.

Among the teams that have made calls? The Rockets (who are offering picks Nos. 14 and 23), the Pacers (No. 15 and Brandon Rush), the Knicks (No. 17 and Toney Douglas) and the Spurs (George Hill).

Sources say the Rockets and Spurs are interested in Jonas Valanciunas if he ends up sliding. The Spurs also are eying Washington State's Klay Thompson, according to sources. The Knicks are looking at both Thompson and Jimmer Fredette with that pick. For the Pacers, it's Fredette.

The bigger question is, will any of them make a deal?

The Pistons are seriously considering the Rockets' offer -- especially if Kawhi Leonard and Tristan Thompson are off the board. The target at No. 14?
Markieff Morris. Morris wowed the Pistons in a big workout Tuesday, and they feel he could still be on the board there.

The Bobcats are in the most interesting situation. They are trying to package picks Nos. 9 and 19 to move up a few spots to get a shot at drafting Leonard. However, if Leonard is off the board, the Bobcats might be inclined to do a deal with Houston or San Antonio.

I don't think the Bucks or Warriors are inclined to do the Spurs trade, as Hill doesn't hold a huge appeal for either team. The Rockets trade might hold some interest, but not until certain players are off the board. Both the Bucks and Warriors have interest in Valanciunas if he falls, and both teams also are fans of Thompson.

We're getting ready to put together Mock Draft 7.0 for Thursday.

I've been on the phone all day and here's a sneak preview of where we think it's heading at the top of the draft, as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.

1. We still have the Cavs taking Kyrie Irving at No. 1. While they haven't said anything definitively, most signs still point in that direction.

2. The Wolves continue to debate between Derrick Williams and Enes Kanter at No. 2. However, it appears that Williams still holds a slight edge there despite the fact that the Wolves are beginning to tell teams they're taking Kanter. While I do think the Wolves are strongly considering Kanter, I think the fact that the news has gone public is an attempt by Minnesota to see if Kanter generates more trade interest than Derrick Williams did.

3. The Jazz remain silent about their decision at No. 3. But for the first time in a week, signals are starting to emerge that Kanter might be the pick here -- if the Wolves don't take him.

The Jazz are facing a classic dilemma. They think Kanter would be the best prospect available but feel a greater need at the point guard position. However, it appears the Jazz may go ahead and draft talent over need and hope they can land a point guard, like Jimmer Fredette, at No. 12. If the Wolves take Kanter at No. 2, then the Jazz would snatch up Williams at No. 3.

4. If Kanter is off the board, the Cavs will have to choose between taking Jonas Valanciunas and Texas forward Tristan Thompson. I think they are actually leaning toward Thompson. The Cavs love Valanciunas, but have concerns about his inability to play in the NBA next season. Those concerns would dissipate if they trade down, but at No. 4 they are hesitant to take him.

Sources say the Cavs brought Thompson back for a second workout on Monday along with Williams, Kanter and Brandon Knight. Thompson met with owner Dan Gilbert and, from what I can gather, there's a growing comfort level with Thompson at No. 4. That should come as some vindication for our own John Hollinger. On Monday, Hollinger's Draft Rater pegged Thompson as the third-best prospect in the draft.

5. At No. 5, the Raptors will have a choice between Knight, Kawhi Leonard and Bismack Biyombo. Despite the recent push to improve their defense, I doubt they let a talent like Knight slip past them at 5.

Check back on Thursday morning for the full Mock Draft 7.0.

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On Tuesday, we were about 90 percent sure that Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams would be the first two players off the board on Thursday night.

Scratch that.

Late Tuesday night, sources told ESPN.com that the Wolves were strongly considering taking Enes Kanter with the No. 2 pick.

However, don't get out your Sharpie and write Kanter into the No. 2 spot just yet. The Wolves are continuing to debate between Kanter and Williams and are exploring a number of trade possibilities with both the No. 2 pick and players on their roster. The outcome of those talks will ultimately steer the direction of this pick.

The phones have been ringing off the hook Tuesday with just 48 hours to go before the NBA draft. Here are some more quick hitters on what I'm hearing.

• Would the Kings be willing to send the No. 7 pick to the Nuggets for Raymond Felton and the No. 22 pick? The Kings have had interest in Felton, but it's probably going to take them giving up the No. 7 pick to get him. I wouldn't be shocked to see the Nuggets grab Jonas Valanciunas or Bismack Biyombo if they could get up to No. 7.

• The Raptors' hiring of Dwane Casey might affect their draft plans. Casey is a defensive specialist, and when he looks at the Raptors' roster, there isn't much to like on that front. GM Bryan Colangelo has built an offensive juggernaut, but defensively, the Raptors are pretty terrible. That might explain why the team is zeroing in on three excellent defenders -- Brandon Knight, Biyombo and Kawhi Leonard -- at No. 5. I've had Jan Vesely going here for weeks, and others have been pushing for Kemba Walker here, but it sounds like neither player is atop the Raptors' board right now.

• I'm hearing that if either Leonard or Walker is on the board at No. 8, the Pistons are likely to take one of them. If both are gone, it's down to Biyombo, Tristan Thompson and Markieff Morris. The Pistons really like Valanciunas as well, but sources say they aren't willing to wait a year to get him.

• Lots of Knicks fans were shocked when I put Iman Shumpert at No. 17 in the latest mock draft. The Knicks actually tried to shut Shumpert down from more workouts after they saw him, but Shumpert kept working out. While so much of our focus on the Knicks has been on their offensive options -- Klay Thompson, Jimmer Fredette and Marshon Brooks -- it sounds like the voices arguing for size and/or defense might be winning the day. A source inside the Knicks told me Tuesday afternoon that it's likely the Knicks will select either Shumpert, Nikola Vucevic or Morris at No. 17. The team also is intrigued by Brooks, but he seems to be losing some traction.

• Larry Bird shot down a rumor that the Pacers and Timberwolves were discussing a Roy Hibbert for the No. 2 pick trade.

"We're not doing that," Bird said at a news conference Tuesday. "I'm not interested in trading Roy. Roy is one of our core group guys."

The Wolves are trying to find a trade partner for the No. 2 pick, but the Pacers' refusal to give up Hibbert for it (and the Wizards' refusal to part ways with JaVale McGee) show just how difficult that task might be. Both Hibbert and McGee were mid-first-round picks.

• Sounds like the Bucks also are very open to moving down a few spots in the draft. Both the Rockets (Nos. 14 and 23) and the Pacers (No. 15 and Brandon Rush) appear to be possibilities.

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As I wrote in my mock draft, news that Jonas Valanciunas won't play in the NBA next season makes it unlikely the Cavs will select him at No. 4. However, it doesn't mean the Cavs still won't draft him. I'm hearing the Cavs are exploring moving down a few spots in the draft to take him. The goal is to secure another first-round pick to compensate them for not getting Valanciunas to play this season. One potential scenario has the Wizards giving up Nos. 6 and 18 for the No. 4 pick. The caveat? Enes Kanter has to be there at No. 4 for the Wizards. If he's not, there's no deal.

The Cavs, for their part, would take Valanciunas at No. 6 and add a third asset at No. 18. Jordan Hamilton and Marshon Brooks are among the possibilities with the latter pick.

If the Cavs don't select Valanciunas, it appears he still won't fall out of the lottery. I have him at No. 14 in my latest mock. But I'm hearing this afternoon that the Bucks might select him at No. 10 if he's on the board, and the Warriors are even more likely to take him at No. 11.

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