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The NBA pretty much goes year-round. But maybe not right now. The giant NBA information machine is creeping along at subsistence levels. And it's no wonder: Many executives, insiders, agents, journalists and editors who collaborate to make news all seem to be on vacation.

(A hundred NBA journalists' subliminal messages to Clippers owner Donald Sterling: Sign Allen Iverson if you must, but please do so in a way that is not too newsy, or kindly wait until I'm back in the office.)

But this NBA summer is hardly out of stories to watch. 10 headlines to expect before the season starts October 27:

1. Minnesota Has a New Coach
There was the potential for a ton of coaching upheaval this offseason. As the season concluded, there was chatter -- which didn't pan out -- about change in New Jersey, Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago and Golden State. Meanwhile Philadelphia, Detroit, Sacramento and Washington will all enter the fall with new leaders (Eddie Jordan, John Kuester, Paul Westphal and Flip Saunders, respectively). 

3. Allen Iverson Finds a Team Iverson has long been one of the NBA's most relentless warriors: The tiny guy who uses creativity, quickness, guile and toughness to score against bigger and stronger players. It's one of the best shows in the world. But everyone always knew his style of play would age poorly and the numbers have started to show he has been hurting his team with his inefficiency. However, after flaming out in Detroit, he'll have a lot to prove and he's still one of the best free agents remaining. It's a no-brainer that Iverson will find a team, and soon. The Clippers have been the primary rumored target, but doesn't some part of you want to see him back in Philadelphia for old time's sake? (Ray Amati/NBAE via Getty Images)

And then there's Minnesota. New Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn has put his imprint on the team in fundamental ways -- by shipping out half the roster and making a big splash in the draft. But Kahn's most profound change came in parting ways with Kevin McHale -- who had defined and guided the team's first two decades as an executive and coach.

Who will Kahn choose? He has been thorough and painstaking. (July 7 quote: "We're a third of the way through preliminary interviews.") Reports have ESPN's Mark Jackson, Laker assistant coach Kurt Rambis and Rocket assistant Elston Turner as the finalists, and the team owner has intimated the process could be concluded soon.

2. Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo Are or Are Not 100%
When healthy, the Celtics of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are essentially unbeatable. They won a championship their one full season together and almost beat the Eastern Conference champion Magic without Garnett a few months ago.

Garnett has been out of sight all summer. Will he be back at 100% or close from his injury? If so, the Celtics are powerful contenders. If not ... the upgraded Cavaliers and Magic will have to be considered the favorites in the East.

Meanwhile, in the absence of Garnett, the most productive Celtic in the playoffs was Rondo, who was rumored to be on the block early in the summer. On draft day Chad Ford reported: "Several league sources told me about Doc Rivers' relationship with Rondo. They say Rivers has told them Rondo is 'impossible to coach' and 'stubborn.' The worry is that if the Celtics give him a big contract extension next year, he'll be even more unmanageable in the future."

Pencil the Celtics in as contenders. But realize, there is a lot of volatility in that market.

4. Teams Find Partners, Investors, or Buyers
The Bobcats are for sale. The Grizzlies have been willing to entertain offers for quite some time. The Nets insist they are on rails to Brooklyn but that move would require a ton of financing (even to play in a cheaper stadium that has been compared to a "shed"). The Kings are pining for a stadium in Sacramento ... or San Jose, or Anaheim. In every case, owners are sniffing around for cash that does not yet seem to be on offer.

5. An Innovation That Changes the Season
About this time last year, Phil Jackson empowered Kurt Rambis to overhaul the Lakers' defense. Even early in preseason they were clearly a cut above. "And," points out David Thorpe, "they never looked back."

Somewhere, right now, some smart basketball mind is doing something that will change the upcoming NBA season. Thorpe's guess: "Several teams, like Cleveland, Orlando and to some extent Houston have made things really hard for offenses by flooding ball side zones, and then really rotating and helping to keep people from getting open behind the zone. Maybe this is the summer a clever offensive mind figures out how to punish teams for that kind of defense."

8. Together At Last It wasn't exactly love at first sight for Ricky Rubio and David Kahn. It was more like Kahn said: "You're still available? Wow! OK!"  (And Rubio responded, in essence: "The Minnesota Timberwhats?") But Kahn has been steadfast in his courtship, and even made a July trip to Spain in an effort to hurry along buyout negotiations. Rubio still really wants to play in the NBA. So some kind of teamwork is looking more and more likely. (Rodolfo Molina/Getty Images)

6. David Lee and Nate Robinson Will or Won't be Knicks
The New York Knicks are, of course, intent on a strategy of rebuilding through free agency next summer. At the same time, they have two key free agents this summer, in David Lee and Nate Robinson, who would like to continue the rebuilding process under Mike D'Antoni. But will the Knicks pay up to keep Lee and Robinson?

Salary cap projections from the league suggest the Knicks need to be very frugal now to have cap room for a maximum-salary player next summer. But if you're building a winner, doesn't it seem counterintuitive to let players of this quality walk away?

7. Carlos Boozer: Traded or Not?
Carlos Boozer opted in to his Utah contract. But he seems to have opted out of the idea of playing for the Jazz. He has spent his summer talking up cities like Chicago and Miami, while saying Utah has promised to trade him. The Jazz deny making promises, but acknowledge they're pursuing trades for one of the West's best big men. Stay tuned.

9. Injuries with Impact
The Clippers and Pacers have some of the worst attendance in the NBA -- and optimism for each team hinges on recent lottery picks. Blake Griffin was the top overall pick for the Clippers, while University of North Carolina legend Tyler Hansbrough became a Pacer with the 13th pick. Both, however, are battling injuries at the moment: Griffin has a bum shoulder and Hansbrough is dealing with a recurring shin injury.

Meanwhile, Tony Parker suffered an ankle injury playing for the French national team, and many NBA players headed for qualifying tournaments for next summer's world championships. This after Manu Ginobili was hurt playing for his national team last summer. Cross your fingers that's the end of this story, but this summer has the potential to be a major intensification of ongoing player battles between the NBA and national teams.

10. Unemployed NBA Players
There won't exactly be bread lines, but some players you watched play in the NBA last season will be looking for work somewhere else soon.

To save money, many teams (even the wealthy Lakers) have decided to carry short rosters -- just 13 players, instead of the allowed 15. On opening night, there could be 30 or 40 fewer NBA jobs than a year ago. At the same time, dozens of draftees and imported free agents (everyone from David Andersen with the Rockets to new Bull Jannero Pargo) have already filled roster spots.

As of this morning there are 381 signed players. If every team sticks to a roster of 13, just 24 more will get contracts. (As many as 71 could get jobs -- that would put every roster at the maximum 15). Meanwhile Chad Ford lists 40 notable free agents, from David Lee to Morris Almond. The full list is at 70.

Do the math. Forced retirement is a quiet reality of every summer. This year, the musical chairs could be especially harsh.