The Blazers announced on Friday that they have not yet reached an agreement with free agent Hedo Turkoglu, despite reports to the contrary.
The deal cannot be made official until July 8th anyway, but for the moment neither the Blazers nor Turkoglu's agent would confirm the agreement. The Raptors remain interested in Turkoglu, but right now all signs point to his signing with Portland. Jul. 3 - 6:28 pm et
Source: Oregonian

Pau Gasol will play for Spain in the European Basketball Championships, according to the Associated Press.
Spain coach Sergio Scariolo will be working with the Lakers to develop a regimen that is "the best for the player," but owners should be concerned that Gasol has played a lot of basketball over the past two years. Expect all parties to play it safe with him, and we wouldn't be surprised if he got a bit less run this year than last. Jul. 3 - 6:25 pm et
Source: European Basketball Championships

Rasheed Wallace is not expected to make a decision on the Celtics' offer of a mid-level exception contract for at least a week, according to the Boston Globe.
The report says that he will meet with teams next week, which takes a little bit of the luster off of Boston's superstar recruiting session from Thursday. Orlando, San Antonio, Cleveland, and Charlotte are among the interested parties, but the bottom line is that Wallace is going to keep his options open for at least a week. Jul. 3 - 5:14 pm et
Source: Boston Globe

According to a report by Matthew Sekeres of the Toronto Globe and Mail, Steve Nash's agent is set to meet with Suns general manager Steve Kerr next week to continue discussions on a contract extension.
Nash has remained confident that a deal will get done, but has also named New York as the place he would like to end up if the deal falls through. With the Suns leaning towards keeping Amare Stoudemire, and the Knicks seemingly out of contention for Jason Kidd, there might be more to this story than we thought a week ago. Jul. 3 - 3:31 pm et
Source: Arizona Republic

According to ESPN's Henry Abbott, swingman Hedo Turkoglu has reached an agreement in principle to join the Portland Trailblazers.
The arrival of Turkoglu will put the Blazers on a small list of teams that will be picked to compete with the Lakers for the Western Conference title. His versatility combined with the talent surrounding him on the roster will make him a multi-category threat once again. Jul. 3 - 3:12 pm et
Source: ESPN.com

Pistons executive Joe Dumars told the media on Friday that it was "not a given" that Avery Johnson will be hired as head coach.
Dumars said Johnson was still being considered, and the only other candidate from his original shortlist is Cavs assistant John Kuester, whom he has not even requested permission to contact. This may be a bit of posturing, and Johnson still looks like the front runner to get the job. Jul. 3 - 3:02 pm et
Source: Detroit News

According to a report from Lakers.com, Phil Jackson will continue to coach during the 2009-10 season.
"After consulting with Lakers team internist Dr. John Moe, I feel confident that I can gainfully pursue an NBA season with another long playoff postseason. All things point to go!," said Jackson. This is great news for Lakers fans, considering the team just brought in the circus that travels with Ron Artest. Jul. 3 - 2:52 pm et
Source: Los Angeles Daily News

Hoopsworld.com is reporting that Jason Kidd is expected to notify the Mavericks on Monday that he is going to accept their contract offer and stay with Dallas.
The Mavs are offering Kidd somewhere around $18 million more than the Knicks, which is probably the main reason for this decision. If Kidd does shun the Knicks, they will still desperately be looking for a point guard to run Mike D'Antoni's offense. Jul. 3 - 1:32 pm et
Source: Hoopsworld.com

Phil Jackson's return to the Lakers bench this season is nearly guaranteed, with an expected announcement coming from the coach early next week.
ESPN.com reports that an NBA coaching source says it's "99.9 percent" certain that Jackson plans on coaching the Lakers again as they defend their title. With the volatile Ron Artest now on board, getting Jackson back is even bigger news. Jul. 3 - 1:05 pm et
Source: ESPN.com

The Magic are not likely to match the Mavericks' reported mid-level offer to center Marcin Gortat, and are now pursuing Rasheed Wallace.
"Those numbers are a little rich for a back-up center, a guy playing behind my best player (Dwight Howard)," GM Otis Smith said. Gortat could very well start for Dallas, but would see extremely limited minutes behind Howard, so it makes sense for the Magic to let him go. Wallace's future is up in the air, with many teams still in the hunt for his services, including the Celtics. Jul. 3 - 12:34 pm et
Source: Orlando Sentinel

The Bulls and Pistons could be working on a sign-and-trade deal that would keep Ben Gordon in Detroit, but send Allen Iverson to Chicago.
This may just be the thoughts of CBS' Ken Berger, and not an actual plan the teams are discussing, but it's probably worth noting that a deal could be worked out that would send Iverson to the Bulls. The Grizzlies, Bobcats and Heat are also said to be interested in signing Iverson. Jul. 3 - 10:58 am et
Source: Detroit Free Press

Jason Kidd reportedly has offers from both the Knicks and Mavericks, and will decide whether to forfeit about $12 million to play for Mike D'Antoni instead of returning to the Mavericks.
The Knicks offered Kidd three years at about $18 million, while the Mavs offer is for three years, but closer to $25 million or $30 million. Kidd would love to play for D'Antoni and favors NYC because his children live there. Twelve million dollars is a lot of cash, but at this point in his career, Kidd could very well decide to play where he'll be happiest. Jul. 3 - 10:40 am et
Source: New York Daily News

Antonio McDyess is being pursued by several teams, including the Pistons, where he played last season.
Other teams showing interest include the Spurs, Cavaliers, Celtics and Suns, but it's still a mystery as to where he might land. Jul. 3 - 10:33 am et
Source: Detroit Free Press

Jose Calderon was not healthy last season, but is in great shape again and hoping to have a big year for the Raptors.
Calderon was far from a fantasy bust last season, but failed to live up to the hype, mainly due to leg and finger injuries. "I had good numbers (12.8 points, 8.9 assists) but I was not the real Jose Calderon," he said. "If I can get those numbers up a little bit, maybe to 15 and 10 or 15 and 9, and I am 100 percent, I know I can compete against all the point guards in the league." Calderon will be a popular point guard target in fantasy drafts again, and should pay off - if he can stay healthy. Jul. 3 - 10:27 am et
Source: Toronto Star

The Knicks intend to sign shooting guard Morris Almond, as long as he performs well for their Summer League team.
This news further signals the likely departure of Nate Robinson to free agency, although nothing is set in stone. Almond still isn't likely to be worth a fantasy pick this fall, regardless of where he ends up. Jul. 3 - 10:18 am et
Source: New York Post