The Los Angeles Clippers have officially been granted an audience with the King. The team announced it will be one of the small group of teams LeBron James will take meetings with at an undisclosed location in Northeastern Ohio with a chance to pitch the merits of joining their organization. A team source said the meeting will not take place Thursday but will happen sometime within the next two days. - ESPN
Dolan wants to look James in the eye and detail his background as an owner willing to spend whatever it takes, and take him through a $800 million "transformation" of the Garden with a video display. There will be talk of James having his own show for MSG Network — a no-brainer if interested. According to a source, the pitch will include a montage videotape of the Knicks’ bank of celebrities and former players Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Walt Frazier and Bill Bradley raving about the Big Apple and playing for the championship Knicks teams. - New York Post
The Oklahoma City Thunder opened the free-agency period with a visit to a familiar face. Sources with knowledge of the Thunder's plans said team officials met with star forward Kevin Durant at his new Oklahoma City home at one minute past midnight Thursday to formally open negotiations on a contract extension. - ESPN
To land Bosh, the Rockets would have to work a sign-and-trade with the Raptors. The team could offer a players like Jordan Hill, Aaron Brooks and the expiring contracts of Jared Jeffries and David Anderson for Bosh. - ESPN
As soon as the NBA's free-agency clock finally clanged late Wednesday night, the Timberwolves invited Memphis forward Rudy Gay and New York forward David Lee to visit Minnesota. Gay is scheduled to visit with team officials and tour Target Center on Thursday. Lee is due in Saturday. - Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Al Jefferson has requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves tried to move Al leading up to the NBA Draft. Two teams that have shown serious interest include the Denver Nuggets and Chicago Bulls. - HoopsWorld
In an interview with FanHouse early Thursday morning, after the free agency period had begun, Hammond said he spoke to both Salmons and his agent, Joel Bell, by phone, shortly after midnight EDT. He plans to negotiate with Bell during the day Thursday. "We've told him that we want him back,'' Hammond said of Salmons, who opted out of a contract that would have paid him $5.81 million next season. But is the feeling mutual? "I think so,'' Hammond said. "We talked at the end of the season about how much we appreciated the season that he had and helping us get back to the playoffs. And he appreciated that.'' - FanHouse
Already he is a laughingstock on the Internet. A headline on Yahoo! Sports read: “Jefferson opts out of contract, mind.” Incredulous at Jefferson's decision, respected NBA basketball executives pondered preposterous pecuniary precedent. “This one is right up there with Bonzi Wells,” said one Western GM, recalling how Wells walked away from a five-year, $37 million offer from the Kings in the summer of 2006, then ended up with a two-year, $4.5 million deal in Houston. - San Antonio Express-News
With NBA rumors buzzing like a stadium full of vuvuzelas, a source close to Jazz unrestricted free agent Kyle Korver said the 3-point sharpshooter doesn't believe he is coming back to Utah. "He's about 95 percent certain that he's not coming back," the source said Wednesday, hours before the start of the NBA's free agency period. - Standard-Examiner
The Lakers, meanwhile, had their own issues on which to dwell Wednesday night, none of them including the frenzy surrounding LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. They called the agent for Derek Fisher right after free agency began and expressed interest in having the 14-year-veteran return for another run at a championship. - Los Angeles Times
Coach Avery Johnson will concentrate on his approach and James’ play as huge pieces of a resurgent team with quality youth in place. Team president Rod Thorn can show how he twice brought the team from the brink and, even if he’s not in place in two more weeks, that with Prokhorov’s determination to have a dynasty, the commitment to winning is ferocious. Dmitry Razumov, CEO of Prokhorov’s Onexim company, will pitch business opportunities awaiting James. - New York Post
Riley's itinerary also will soon have him in Akron, Ohio, where he will join at least four other teams scheduled for individual presentations to Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, the prized catch in a free-agent class that includes more than 150 veterans. - South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Dolan wants to look James in the eye and detail his background as an owner willing to spend whatever it takes, and take him through a $800 million "transformation" of the Garden with a video display. There will be talk of James having his own show for MSG Network — a no-brainer if interested. According to a source, the pitch will include a montage videotape of the Knicks’ bank of celebrities and former players Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Walt Frazier and Bill Bradley raving about the Big Apple and playing for the championship Knicks teams. - New York Post
The Oklahoma City Thunder opened the free-agency period with a visit to a familiar face. Sources with knowledge of the Thunder's plans said team officials met with star forward Kevin Durant at his new Oklahoma City home at one minute past midnight Thursday to formally open negotiations on a contract extension. - ESPN
To land Bosh, the Rockets would have to work a sign-and-trade with the Raptors. The team could offer a players like Jordan Hill, Aaron Brooks and the expiring contracts of Jared Jeffries and David Anderson for Bosh. - ESPN
As soon as the NBA's free-agency clock finally clanged late Wednesday night, the Timberwolves invited Memphis forward Rudy Gay and New York forward David Lee to visit Minnesota. Gay is scheduled to visit with team officials and tour Target Center on Thursday. Lee is due in Saturday. - Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Al Jefferson has requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves tried to move Al leading up to the NBA Draft. Two teams that have shown serious interest include the Denver Nuggets and Chicago Bulls. - HoopsWorld
In an interview with FanHouse early Thursday morning, after the free agency period had begun, Hammond said he spoke to both Salmons and his agent, Joel Bell, by phone, shortly after midnight EDT. He plans to negotiate with Bell during the day Thursday. "We've told him that we want him back,'' Hammond said of Salmons, who opted out of a contract that would have paid him $5.81 million next season. But is the feeling mutual? "I think so,'' Hammond said. "We talked at the end of the season about how much we appreciated the season that he had and helping us get back to the playoffs. And he appreciated that.'' - FanHouse
Already he is a laughingstock on the Internet. A headline on Yahoo! Sports read: “Jefferson opts out of contract, mind.” Incredulous at Jefferson's decision, respected NBA basketball executives pondered preposterous pecuniary precedent. “This one is right up there with Bonzi Wells,” said one Western GM, recalling how Wells walked away from a five-year, $37 million offer from the Kings in the summer of 2006, then ended up with a two-year, $4.5 million deal in Houston. - San Antonio Express-News
With NBA rumors buzzing like a stadium full of vuvuzelas, a source close to Jazz unrestricted free agent Kyle Korver said the 3-point sharpshooter doesn't believe he is coming back to Utah. "He's about 95 percent certain that he's not coming back," the source said Wednesday, hours before the start of the NBA's free agency period. - Standard-Examiner
The Lakers, meanwhile, had their own issues on which to dwell Wednesday night, none of them including the frenzy surrounding LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. They called the agent for Derek Fisher right after free agency began and expressed interest in having the 14-year-veteran return for another run at a championship. - Los Angeles Times
Coach Avery Johnson will concentrate on his approach and James’ play as huge pieces of a resurgent team with quality youth in place. Team president Rod Thorn can show how he twice brought the team from the brink and, even if he’s not in place in two more weeks, that with Prokhorov’s determination to have a dynasty, the commitment to winning is ferocious. Dmitry Razumov, CEO of Prokhorov’s Onexim company, will pitch business opportunities awaiting James. - New York Post
Riley's itinerary also will soon have him in Akron, Ohio, where he will join at least four other teams scheduled for individual presentations to Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, the prized catch in a free-agent class that includes more than 150 veterans. - South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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