As we prepare for an eight-game evening slate that includes the Hawks and Bulls jockeying for Eastern Conference positioning in Chicago, let's check out a few odds and ends from around the NBA:
- No one team tops Greg Oden's wishlist, including the Heat, says TNT's David Aldridge on NBA.com. Oden isn't even planning to compile a list of possible destinations until he's 100% healthy — if he can't get there, he won't come back, according to Aldridge.
- The next stop for veteran NBA big man Francisco Elson could be in Iran, according to a MehrNews.com report (hat tip to HoopsHype). The sporting director for Mahram, a team based in Tehran, Iran, says Elson will train with the team this week and possibly sign a contract later this month.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford and Jay Bilas both identify UNC's James Michael McAdoo as one of the most overrated prospects in college basketball in their latest Insider-only piece.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer also explores the 2013 draft class, hearing from two scouts that work for teams with potential top-10 picks. Neither scout was overly impressed with this year's prospects, with one opining: "I don’t think this is a good draft. This is the year you should consider trading your draft pick — no matter where it is."