Odds & Ends: Wolves, Rockets, Balkman, Draft

The Timberwolves had been looking into obtaining an injury exception to sign a 16th player, but the team is unlikely to add anyone to the roster at this point, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. That includes Dominique Jones, whose camp has been reaching out to teams. David Kahn isn't interested in the ex-Maverick, says Wolfson (Twitter links). Here are a few more updates from around the Association:

• The Rockets have "quietly been sending out signals" that they'd be willing to trade Omer Asik and/or Jeremy Lin this summer in a deal that would upgrade their roster, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com.
• Former Knick and Nugget Renaldo Balkman has been banned from the Philippines' professional basketball league following an altercation with a teammate, according to a Reuters report (via the New York Times). The 2006 first-round pick had been playing for the Petron Blaze Boosters.
• Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com isn't buying the narrative that borderline draft prospects should enter this year's draft because the class is weak. According to Givony, while the 2013 draft looks weaker than normal at the top, it seems to have "great depth" outside of the top five (Twitter links).
• Amare Stoudemire's contract, which continues to look worse, represents the "Original Sin" of the present Knicks' era, writes Howard Beck of the New York Times.
• With Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard scheduled to face their old teams this week, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com revisits the blockbuster deals that sent the two stars to their current clubs.