NBA

Shelburne reports that Howard and the Clippers is "not happening for multiple reasons," and we agree with that assessment. Some had made waves previously by suggesting the team make a push for Howard and pair him with Chris Paul, but that's not going to happen in Los Angeles.

It seems obvious, but some had been speculating that Kobe could hang 'em up as a result of his Achilles injury. That was never a realistic scenario, and Bryant will have plenty to prove next season whenever he's able to get back onto the floor.

Dwight re-signing with the Lakers is reportedly "far from a done deal," even though L.A. can sign him to a maximum five-year deal worth more than other team's four-year offers. Among teams eager to sign him, the Rockets are said to "intrigue him the most," while the Mavericks are also on his radar. After living through the Dwightmare we're not inclined to read into these rumors -- keep in mind that Howard won't officially be a free agent until June 30th.

The mutual interest between Jackson and Chris Hansen, who headed the group trying to move the Kings, had become one of the league's worst-kept secrets. However, the NBA rejected the move and the Kings were sold to a group that will keep them in Sacramento, which Jackson said doesn't interest him. It also seems unlikely Jackson will be joining the Raptors front office, which had been one of the rumored landing spots for the former Lakers and Bulls coach. One thing that is clear is Jackson is very much interested in returning to the NBA in one form or another. Stay tuned.

Take this with a tablespoon of salt because it sounds like unfounded speculation and not real news. The Lakers and Hawks are "said to be two such teams, with both supposedly exploring the idea of improving their draft position," but that could be said of basically any team at this stage in the process. The report cites the Lakers as "willing to trade Pau Gasol," but it's based off of old information and nothing new. We're not putting much stock into this.

Gasol underwent a procedure to clean out his knees on May 9 and won't resume basketball activities for 12 weeks. His priority is to be healthy for the 2013/14 NBA season, not international competition. Gasol will turn 33 years old in July and is becoming an increasingly large medical risk for fantasy owners.

Clifford was expected to interview all along, so we're not surprised. It's not clear if he's a serious candidate, but he'll get at least one interview as the search rolls forward.