Considering it's still early September, it's been a relatively eventful day when it comes to NBA news. The Bulls and Luol Deng have reportedly stalled on contract extension talks, the Mavericks have invited 2012 first-rounder Fab Melo to camp, and the Pacers have officially signed Darnell Jackson. Not to mention LeBron James shared a few thoughts on his free agency, which may be a rare occurrence this season.
Here are a few more of the day's miscellaneous stories:
- Although Deng appears ticketed for unrestricted free agency next summer, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune notes that extension talks between Deng and the Bulls looked bleak in 2008 as well, but the two sides worked out a deal. While that doesn't mean it'll happen again, it also means negotiations shouldn't necessarily be considered over, says Johnson (Twitter links).
- Devin Ebanks tweeted earlier today that he's en route to Orlando, which is notable, since the free agent forward has received a camp invite from the Magic, as Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweets. For now, Ebanks, who has also drawn interest from the Mavericks and Hawks, is just in town to work out for the Magic, a source tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link).
- In a piece for The Score, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com explains why certain lesser-known players can't be traded without their approval, while superstars like Dwight Howard and Chris Paul don't have no-trade clauses. By Deeks' count, 18 players can't be traded without their approval this season.
- Zach Lowe has published another interesting column for Grantland, making the case for why the NBA should consider reducing games from 48 minutes to 40. The chain reaction from such a move could have an effect on max contracts and the way teams use their cap space, as Lowe explains.
- New Clipper J.J. Redick is looking forward to playing for a contending team again, as Eric Patten writes at Clippers.com.