Posted by Royce Young

 Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweeted at around 11:30 a.m. ET that the Cavs were in active trade talks with the Timberwolves to acquire point guard Jonny Flynn. Flynn is represented by LeBron's agent as well as LRMR, LeBron's marketing firm.

Two interesting things here: 1) Can Cleveland really sway LeBron's decision at this point with a trade like this? Is that the reasoning behind it? Or are they already trying to move on? Regardless, obviously the major, most pressing concern for LeBron in returning to Cleveland is the supporting cast. So the Cavs are trying to remedy that by grabbing a promising young point guard. Makes sense. But this is like 11th hour stuff here. Maybe LeBron already knew about these talks a week ago. Maybe the Cavs promised LeBron they were going to be active in the trade market to improve the team. Or again, maybe they're trying to move on. Who knows. Well, we'll know in about nine hours I guess.

2) David Kahn trading a point guard? So maybe that's why the Wolves talked with Luke Ridnour. Can't just trade Flynn away and then have a reasonable amount of point men, no. Kahn's got to have his garage full of them. But seriously though, trading Flynn could potentially open up the door to bring Ricky Rubio over in the next few years. Rubio was miffed when the Wolves drafted Flynn. Maybe clearing that spot could help relations a bit. This could actually make a little sense. That is until we see the deal is probably for Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson.

Whatever the case, if this trade happens, it'll add a little more drama to a day that's already chock full of it. And that's really what we need, right?

Posted by Matt Moore
Let's call it. The New Jersey Nets are off the board for LeBron James. We knew this probably by Tuesday, (or when they fell to third in the lottery, really) but today it pretty much became official. The Nets have agreed to terms with small forward Travis Outlaw on a 5-year, $35 million deal according to ESPN. The deal will give the Nets some much needed depth at a postion they've given up space at in an attempt to sign a max free-agent, which of course, they did not. It's kind of a big amount to be giving a default option, but Outlaw is certainly capable, is a veteran that knows what he's doing, and shores up the position. With Derrick Favors so raw, they needed some experience at the forward spot in between Favors and second-year man Terrence Williams.

Not exactly the brilliant star signing Mikhail Prokhorov probably hoped would start his tenure as owner.

Outlaw averaged 14 points on less than 40% shooting last year , being traded midseason to the Clippers in the Marcus Camby deal. He's only 26 this season, so he's got some upside, but it certainly seems like a resigned kind of signing to put that much money into a player that doesn't help take the Nets from the worst record to anything repspectable on his own.

 Posted by Matt Moore

 Everyone thinks they've got a line into "LeBron's camp" and depending on who you talk to, he's either completely being pushed towards the Heat, or being told not to leave Cleveland . Pretty much no one has any idea what's going on, and everyone is being fed information that may or may not be accurate. What's interesting is how completely World Wide Wes William Wesley has been pushed (seeminlgy) from this process. Maverick Carter from all accounts really has pulled off a complete coup, even though he has really nothing on his resume to speak of that jumps off the page at you.

Posted by Matt Moore

In yesterday's episode of LeBron-o-rama , we saw that New York was the heavy favorite. That was soon to be overridden by late last night's report that the Heat had become the front-runners to court a King. But the real answer to this riddle? No one knows where James is going. Probably not even LeBron.

 Throughout this entire process, James has kept his thoughts and feelings close to his vest. While Dwyane Wade spoke more openly about what he was feeling and thinking, and Bosh let it be know through various leaks, James has been a sphinx. Silent, unmoving, a riddle in statue form. The news that's come out about his thoughts or preferences? They've all been concepts that come from "sources" close to the situation. You know who's close to the situation? James. That's it. The whole kit and kaboodle.

And most strange in all of this? There have been no leaks that put him back in Cleveland. Not the location of the announcement . Not the movement of his tax documents . And not the prospect of the super team. It's all leaning away from Cleveland.

Why?

Why in a time when there is abject speculation from every angle and degree, where every person with an agenda for James going to his or her city, is there no significant word about Cleveland?

And again, the reporter who's followed his entire career, who's been a step away from him from the time he hit high school, that guy isn't hearing anything ? A guy who's as widely respected in NBA media circles as anyone and who has had the, er... mouth of LeBron James (since if he had his ear LeBron would be listening to him, and that's not really, you know, let's just move on), that guy has heard nothing. Zilch. Zero. Nada.

Something's up.

Now, it could be that James is trying to downplay the devastation he's about to wreak on the city of Cleveland and state of Ohio. Both financially and personally, a whole bunch of Ohio folks are about to be crushed if he has in fact decided to bolt. It would make sense to put distance between James and Cleveland publicly.

Plus, Cleveland just doesn't have the media to drum up rumors. And the media they have won't do it. So we're left with silence about Cleveland. And it could be that that silence says more than anything. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. We'll know tonight. But the one thing I am sure of?

The only person who knows what's going on has "Chosen One " written on his back.

Posted by Royce Young

Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported it and Ken Berger of CBSSports.com has confirmed it: Ray Allen has re-signed with the Celtics inking a two-year, $20 million deal. The second year is a player option.

Allen, who turns 35 later this month, is likely looking at this as his last stand. One of the game's all-time shooters, Allen averaged 16.3 points per game last season. He always said he wanted to return to Boston and obviously, he got his wish.

As Zach Lowe of Celtics Hub points out , the price is $5 million less than Pierce’s per year salary and the length of Allen’s deal means that if he takes the player option, his contract will expire at the same time as KG’s deal.

Boston was really the only place that made a ton of sense for Allen to stay. Other teams with cap space are currently eating it up (hello Miami) or just didn't have a good spot for Allen (Clippers, Thunder). This is a deal that makes sense for both Boston and Ray Allen, and surely one Celtics fans are happy about.

Posted by Royce Young

Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times reports the Warriors and Knicks are potentially close to a deal that would send David Lee to Golden State and Anthony Randolph to New York via a sign-and-trade.

The rumored deal would send Randolph plus "a few other pieces." The hangup? LeBron James. According to Thompson, if LeBron decides to go anywhere but New York, the trade has potential. Otherwise, it might die. If LeBron decides to go to New York, in order to make room for his max contract, the Knicks would have to drop Lee to free up the cap space. That would end the sign-and-trade possibility and GSW's shot at Lee. But if LeBron doesn’t go to New York, then the Warriors are in play.

As for what Lee might get, Thompson said the Warriors won't offer Lee a max deal, but GSW's ceiling is a six-year contract starting somewhere around $13 million.

Thompson also said three other teams have offers on the table for a sign-and-trade with Lee, but that's just if LeBron opts to play somewhere other than New York.   

The Bulls aren't walking away empty-handed from this free agency period.

Sources tell CBSSports.com's Ken Berger that the Bulls have reached an agreement with Carlos Boozer. The news was first reported by ESPN and the Chicago Tribune 's KC Johnson.

Boozer fits a need for the Bulls, providing low-post scoring and rebounding to go alongside Joakim Noah, and provides a veteran on a relatively young crew. He's not the most sterling of free agents, but he does bring some high efficiency. Boozer averaged 19.5 points and 11.5 rebounds last season (contract year!) for the Jazz, with 21.3 PER. It doesn't put him in any elite levels, but if he can provide scoring for the Bulls offense as a post-presenct, that's what they need.

KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune also makes note that the deal leaves space for a max contract if the Bulls can sign one. The only target remaining of course, is LeBron James. And trying to figure out where he's going is like trying to answer the Sphinx's question underwater.

If the Bulls don't land James, they'll still have an improved team next year with Boozer, but will be paying a pretty penny for him at 34 years of age when this deal expires. The Bulls will have to hope Derrick Rose becomes the superstar and that Boozer's scoring and Noah's defense is enough, along with whatever else the Bulls can acquire, to contend for a championship.

-Matt Moore

All of Cleveland, I want you to click away. Go read KB talking about Kevin Durant. Or the Browns. Something. But you don't need to read this, it will do you no good, and probably doesn't mean anything anyway.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer has indicated that where LeBron James holds his announcement about free agency tomorrow night will not be an indication of his decision . That said, along side the information about New York rising up the chart we brought you earlier, there's been an interesting wrinkle come out of the woodwork.

Frank Isola of the NY Daily News reports an uncomfirmed rumor that James is making the announcment from the home of Alan Houston. This vibes with what Windhorst also tweeted today about the announcement coming from Greenwich, Conneticut (Houston lives in Greenwich). Greenwich, if you didn't know, it widely considered a New York suburb.

UPDATE: Allen Hahn of Newsday reports the same .

If James were returning home, why would he make the announcement from the home of a former Knicks? Even if an alternative rumor Isola suggests, that the announcment is coming from a Boys and Girls Club in town, is correct, why would James announce from a New York suburb that he's returning to Cleveland? Why not stay home and make the announcement from Akron? Or if he's headed to Miami, why not from South Beach in Dwyane Wade's home?

Maybe just to mess with us.

It's not out of the realm of possibility that James is dropping hints to throw people off. There have been no indications outside of these types of ancillary indications that James is considering anything but Miami or Cleveland, and mostly just Cleveland. Throw in the fact that Windhorst also reported (again, via Twitter) that James is filming segments around Akron for part of his website, and you have a perplexing look at what's going on.

James may have a plan in place, a decision made, he may not. But the way things are shaping up, one thing's certain. The speculation won't end until 9p.m. EST tomorrow night.

-Matt Moore