- Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Bill Duffy, a member of Jim Dutcher's greatest recruiting class when he coached the Gophers, is now one of the top-rated agents in the NBA, representing players such as Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns and many other top players. Duffy is also a great judge of talent, according to former Timberwolves chief Kevin McHale. So when Duffy says he didn't have Ricky Rubio, the team's top draft choice, rated as fifth in the first round, you listen. 'To be honest with you, the other kid, Brandon Jennings, who played in Italy, ranked higher,' said Duffy, referring to his client, a point guard who was picked 10th by Milwaukee. 'I had three other first-round point guards, but I didn't have [Rubio] ranked that high. I think he is pretty good, but I think he might be a little hyped up. He is a flashy guy and he is young, but I think it is a lot of hype. I mean, he will be a good player, but they are trying to compare him with my guy Steve Nash or John Stockton -- I don't see that.' Duffy said he believes it will be a challenge for Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn to get Rubio in the lineup in the next two years."
- Janis Carr of The Orange County Register: "The talk (at this moment) is Lamar Odom is 'leading strongly toward accepting' a 5-year, $34 million deal from Miami. From conversations I've had, I'm convinced that those reports are nothing more than agent posturing. Even the fact Pat Riley flew to Los Angeles this weekend still doesn't change the fact Odom wants to remain with the Lakers. (The Heat president owns a house in L.A.) Ramona Shelburne of the L.A. Daily News said that 'theories and facts change from day to day.' But the belief among those who know say Odom will remain in Los Angeles and will make it official soon."
- Janis Carr of The Orange County Register: "Guess Pat Riley isn't the only person fron the Miami Heat who has headed west in search of Lamar Odom. On Sunday, Dwayne Wade tweeted how he just landed in Los Angeles about 8 p.m. and then tweeted this: Do you believe him? 'I'm in LA to bring odom bac to miami with me lol lol lol. LA fans dnt get mad at me. Do you believe him? Or is he just LOL?"
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "The issue is not whether Lamar Odom or his agent are playing the Heat's free-agent interest against a bid for a larger contract offer from the Lakers. Of course, that's what they're doing. This issue is that this is the very reason that Pat Riley has remained patient this offseason, rather than carve into a mid-level exception that would have to remain intact for any chance for an Odom reunion. To a degree, it also is why Riley refuses to mortgage his future this offseason, even with a very limited chance to make a significant splash next summer. Riley's thinking remains this: If there is any chance, as meager as it might be, to land LeBron James or Chris Bosh next summer, how can he possibly move in any other direction? ... Is Lamar headed back to South Florida? Probably not. But as long as there is a sliver of a chance, you can't cut into that mid-level exception to entice the likes of an Allen Iverson or Jamaal Tinsley. So you wait. And hope."
- Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News: "In retrospect, Andre Miller was all but gone the day last season ended. Given the current stance of 76ers president/general manager Ed Stefanski, that would appear to be the case. Miller, an unrestricted free agent, signed a 3-year contract Friday with the Portland Trail Blazers that could be worth as much as $21 million. By all accounts, the first 2 years are guaranteed at about $14 million, with the Blazers holding an option on the third year. This was the reality: The Sixers were not offering more than 1 year at the NBA midlevel exception of roughly $5.8 million. Miller and agent Andy Miller were insisting on significantly more money and 3 years. Neither side showed any inclination to change. The Blazers' reality: They are coming off a 54-victory season and feel Miller's experience and point-guard skills could help their young players improve and ultimately go deeper in the playoffs. The Sixers' reality: Miller could have meant a handful of additional victories in the coming season, but his presence would have further delayed the development of Lou Williams, starting his fifth season, and first-round draft choice Jrue Holiday. We'll never know how the Sixers would have reacted if Miller had accepted their offer."
- Geoffrey C. Arnold of The Oregonian: "The reviews around the league for the Trail Blazers' acquisition of Andre Miller are generally positive. 'It's going to help them out a lot,' Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant said. 'He and Brandon Roy in the backcourt together? I was just telling my brother the other day, 'That's going to be a monster.' ' The Blazers on Friday signed the former Philadelphia 76ers point guard to what is believed to be a three-year, $21 million contract. The move addressed one of the Blazers' major offseason goals of adding an experienced point guard capable of taking some of the scoring pressure off Roy and forward LaMarcus Aldridge. 'He took a lot of pressure off me,' Philadelphia forward Andre Iguodala said. 'My scoring went up, but I took fewer shots. The game was easy and I didn't have to work as hard. He made it easy for all of us. Those guys are going to love him. Roy and Aldridge's games are going to go up to another level. Everybody's game is going to step up because of Andre.' "
- Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune: "Hornets point guard Chris Paul wished he had an answer as to why the team has been inactive in the trade arena during the offseason, but he suggested it might not matter. Paul said he has no issues playing with the same roster the team ended with last season. He doesn't think it will take an additional piece to turn the Hornets' fortunes around. It's more of a team attitude adjustment thing in Paul's opinion. 'It wasn't necessarily that we just needed someone extra," Paul said Sunday at a basketball court dedication at Hardin Playground in the 7th Ward. 'We just needed something extra as a team. We could have motivated ourselves a little bit more and figured out different things. It's not necessarily a person.' ... 'It's a crazy situation, but that's why the people in the front office get paid the big bucks to make those decisions, Paul said. 'I control what I can control. That's how I go out and perform. When we get to team camp, we'll see what we have, and we'll go from there.' When asked if he anticipates Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower making any kind of transaction before the start of training camp, Paul said he's as clueless as everyone else. 'I don't know,' Paul said. 'I'm just like you; I don't know. I'm waitin
g to see. I'm not pressed for anything. Like I said, I think it's more about our mind-set in camp. Regardless of if anything happens before the season, it's not going to be anything drastic. We're basically going to have the same team as last year." - Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: "In July 2006, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade both signed three-year deals with a player's option for a fourth season rather than re-upping for five seasons. Tim Duncan did a similar three-year deal in 2000 as opposed to the then-maximum seven-year extension. Oklahoma City is in position to appease Durant on either front. Durant's new deal wouldn't kick in until the 2011-12 season, when the Thunder has just more than $14 million committed to five players -- Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Byron Mullens and D.J. White. That kind of cap space has become imperative for the Thunder to have if it has any interest in re-signing Durant and fellow 2007 classmate Jeff Green without soon having an uncontrollable payroll. It's why we haven't seen Oklahoma City overpay for David Lee and why the Thunder didn't blow the budget on Paul Millsap, Ben Gordon or Anderson Varejao. GM Sam Presti, in two short seasons, has built the Thunder into a team that his best player wants to play for and a franchise that is in very good position to keep him around. So relax, Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant isn't going anywhere. How many times does he have to say it before we believe him?"
- Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: "From the e-mails I've been getting recently, Pistons Nation isn't exactly cool with the off-season. It seems the addition of free agents Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Chris Wilcox is drawing a big yawn. Many would have rather Joe Dumars go in another direction besides drafting multitalented forwards Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko. Fans are waiting for the next big move. But if Dumars only signs a third point guard and brings aboard a journeyman big man like former Piston Ben Wallace before the opener, it has been a solid off-season. On Day 1 of free agency, he identified the free agents he wanted (Gordon and Villanueva) and got commitments. With little money to spend, he probably got the big man with the highest upside (Wilcox) in the NBA's bargain-basement bin. And Daye, Summers and Jerebko proved in Las Vegas that they have the potential to be productive players."
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