The SF opted-out of the final year of his contract with the Clippers to become a free agent, and has the ability to have big games.

The Magic are a good fit, as they want one more scorer. Adding him would put them near the top at the East, if not at it.

The Hornets could also use another offensive weapon, to go along with Chris Paul and Co.

At this point, it looks very unlikely that Maggette will return to LA. He appears to be unhappy with the team, and wants to go elswhere.

A deal may be close, as it’s unusual for a player to lose all the money Davis will if he isn’t close to a deal with another team. LA does have the money.

What a signing this would be for them. They are desperate for a good point guard, and he’d be great alongside Eric Gordon. Plus, signing Davis would help convince Elton Brand, who also opted-out, that they’re trying to win a title. Those three wouldn’t be bad together.

I don’t like to make transaction predictions, but I really think a deal could happen soon, possibly this morning. Both sides seem to be a good match.

The Clippers certainly seem content on making a big splash. Davis is really the only star left, with Gilbert Arenas nearing a deal with the Wizards. Good for them, maybe they’re finally undergoing an organizational change.

This comes after his agent, Mark Stevens, made it official today.

While Artest is one of the Kings’ best offensive players, I’m not sure they should keep him. He’s getting old, and we all know about his off-court troubles. They are rebuilding, and trading him could bring in some talented youngsters. He should be involved in some rumors this off-season.

The veteran Brand has established himself as an elite big-man in the NBA, even considering the fact that he only played in eight games last season due to a knee injury.

However, Brand does apparently want to stay in LA with the Clippers. He would like to see them make some moves though, as according to this article, he was moved by how the Celtics put a few stars together and won a title. He wants to do the same thing, something that the Clippers probably won’t do.

Therefore, I think he might need a new home. The Clippers are rebuilding, so losing him and Corey Maggette might actually be better. Like Baron Davis, I doubt a team can sign him, although the Sixers might have the dough and want a quality big-man.

I do see a sign-and-trade as a more likely option for that reason. Miami is a team that will certainly show interest in him, as he has ties to Pat Riley. They might want to wait until next off-season though, as that’s when Shawn Marion will be gone.

The Heat would be a heck of a team if that happened, with Wade, Marion, him, and Beasley together. Talk about a good starting lineup.

The Clippers do have the money to resign him, so I wouldn’t be shocked if they work something out. They’ll have to sign somebody, perhaps Beno Udrih.

The AP on ESPN.com is reporting that Warriors’ point guard Baron Davis has opted out of the final year of his six-year deal, not getting the $17.8 million he was due and becoming a free agent.

 Negotiations on a long-term deal have been frustrating, to say the least. Davis, who is clearly the leader and best scorer on Golden State, has also not been very happy with the team not making any moves this off-season to improve.

It’s doubtful that any team will straight up sign Davis to a contract. Nobody has any cap room, with the exceptions of the Clippers, Grizzlies, and 76er’s. Those teams should not make a play for him.

However, a sign-and-trade is possible, as some teams are in need of a point guard, and Davis is only twenty-nine. I expect that there would be a market for him.

Still, I don’t think anything will happen. Davis obviously wants a ton of money, and I’m not sure how many teams will be willing to give it to him.

What a shock this is, nevertheless. Most thought that he would stay and honor the final year of his contract. We’ll see what happens with this.

 I’m not sure if I’ll be writing full-time on this blog, but I will be doing things like this.

1. What’s your take on the storyline that the Lakers-Celtics rivalry is back and the NBA is returning back to the glory days of the 80s?

Don Landrigan of with-malice.com: I’m not entirely sure that it’s actually going to happen… there are a few other teams who might have something to say about that.  New Orleans, Portland, Utah… all will want to have a part to play in the next few years.

Sam Panayotovich of Southside Perspective: The storyline is fantastic, but who says the glory days ended in the ’80s? I’m sure Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Co. would have around six convincing arguments stating otherwise. In all seriousness though, this is questionably the most legendary matchup in all of sports. And how better to break the curse of the Spurs and Pistons than to showcase a Finals matchup that pits the two most winningest teams in NBA history against each other. Talk about hitting the jackpot. After 21 years, the rivalry rises again as the new generation of players are ready to writing their own chapters in the record books. The main reason for all the hype, though, is the rich history. It’s about Russell vs. Chamberlain. Havlicek vs. West. Bird vs. Magic. It’s about 30 combined championships in only 61 years of the Assocation. It’s the Lakers and the Celtics, and it’s going to be all that we expected — and then some.

Ed Ziti of Lakers Library:  Thirty of the 61 championships have been one by either the Celtics or the Lakers, so I think it’s good to return to it’s roots.  However, they need to have other teams be able to vie for the title as well, to keep it competitive.  The NFL has done a great job of that.

2. Also, for Kobe personally, what’s your reaction to the renaissance of his public image (especially in light of his trade demands this summer)?

Don Landrigan of with-malice.com: Amazing.  Hard to believe it’s true, but I do (believe).  Would never have believed it possible.  But the next big step is to maintain that.  Because now, you’re an adult, there’s no going back to behaving childishly.

Sam Panayotovich of Southside Perspective: The transformation from goat to hero for Kobe Bryant just goes to show you that nothing matters in this business more than winning. It’s ironic how a player can  tarnish his reputation by throwing his young teammates under the bus, bashing the organization and demanding a trade, yet when he commandeers his team to the NBA Finals, everything is hunky-dory. Not that I have a problem with how things transpired, it’s just that Laker fans have seemed to let things blow over. Why can’t the rest of us as well? There’s no question that Kobe has always wanted to win. In the incident over the summer, he was frustrated with management because he didn’t feel he had the right pieces around him to win. Oh my god. Blasphemy! Shame on you Kobe for telling the truth! Now, here we are almost a year later, and the additions of Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher and Sasha Vujacic have propelled this team from pretender to championship contender. Hmm. Turns out No. 24 was right after all …

Ed Ziti of Lakers Library:  I try and keep away from who the NBA is glorifying this very minute, but feel that Kobe was thrown under the bus a few years back.  Very few of the guys in the NBA are “bad guys,” most of them are good human beings and that’s how I would classify Kobe.  As far as his renaissance, I think the other guys on the team have had more of a renaissance then Bryant.   It’s difficult to pass the ball to guys who consistently miss shots.  Most people can’t relate to that, and that has a lot to do with Kobe’s bad image.

3. I don’t really know much about the Lakers postseason being underwritten by the Mass. lottery (as CNBC’s Darren Rovell discussed with David Stern on “The Call”), but how do you think Stern and the NBA has handled the questions of gambling in the sport and concerns about the product’s public image in general?

Don Landrigan of with-malice.com: I think they’ve done pretty well… there’s no avoiding the specter of gambling, and there’ll always be people who will take advantage of that.  Unfortunate, but that’s human nature.

Sam Panayotovich of Southside Perspective: David Stern has done a tremendous job in all facets of the game. He has taken a mediocre business and globalized it into a billion dollar, worldwide enterprise. The Association as we know it has improved by leaps and bounds since he’s been in the Commissioner’s office and he never gets the credit he undeniably deserves. With that said, I believe Stern has done the best job possible in terms of the Donaghy scandal and other gambling relating problems. He didn’t try and hide the issues or sweep them under the carpet — he stood tall and dealt with them like a professional. As for the image of the game, he has implemented a respectable dress code for players to prevent the ‘gangster’ image and promote a well-rounded, professional look. I’m not worried at all about the sanctity of the NBA with Stern leading the way.

Ed Ziti of Lakers Library:  I don’t know if we’ll ever know the answer to that one, and most of us hope it fixes itself and goes away. BONUS - Who do you think will be the top five picks in the NBA draft?

Don Landrigan of with-malice.com: 1. Rose…
2. Beasley…
3. Mayo…
4. Bayless…
5. Lopez…

Sam Panayotovich of Southside Perspective:

1. Derrick Rose

2. Michael Beasley

3. O.J. Mayo

4. Jerryd Bayless

5. Anthony Randolph

Ed Ziti of Lakers Library:

1. Rose
2. Beasley
3.  Lopez
4. Bayless
5.  Love

Man, I can’t stand the San Antonio Spurs. Maybe it’s Gregg Popovich’s barking from the bench. I’m pretty sure if that if I was in traffic and merging into one lane and the car next to me is driven by Mr. Popovich, he would cut me off without much of a thought. In fact, I think the only Spur who might let me in would be the gentleman from France, Tony Parker.

Maybe all the flopping by Manu Ginobili gets me riled up, but hey, he’s a foreigner. Perhaps it is because his English is not so good? Tim Duncan’s icy stare rattles my nerves, but his free throw shooting reminds me of an ostrich laying an egg for some reason, so that breaks the ice for me.

Then there is the defensive “tactics” of Bruce Bowen. There’s kicking the back of Amare Stoudemire’s leg, kicking the face of Wally Szczerbiak (yes, click here) and kicking Chris Paul in the groin (Bowen was suspended for a game and fined $37,000 for this, even though the officials on the court called the foul on Paul!).

For this series, Cheap Shot Bob Horry took his goonness out on David West’s back. I mean, I can understand if he didn’t have a history of it and didn’t play for the Spurs, but ask Steve Nash about this play from last year. I actually don’t think it was an intentional shot on West, but what draws my ire there is that the fans in San Antonio chanted “Horry, Horry…” as West laid injured on the floor. What a bunch of motherf’ers! From the organization to the fans, they show no class. David Robinson should be embarrassed.

The Spurs came out firing in Game 7 and took a nine point lead at the half. They extended the lead to 15 to start the fourth quarter. The Hornets got within three when Jannero Pargo hit a three with 1:35 to go, but Manu Ginobili hit 6-for-6 from the line in the last minute to seal the victory for the Spurs. He finished with 26 points and the Spurs won, 91-82,

I hope the Lakers destroy the Spurs in the Finals. It would have been great to have Andrew Bynum back by now, but he is undergoing surgery on Wednesday. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom will be a handful for Tim Duncan. Kobe Bryant will have to deal with that pest, Bowen, but the Lakers role players stepped up all year long and will need to play well in order to put away the Spurs.

The Hornets had a great season, but couldn’t get it done in the end. David West finished with 20 points and 9 rebounds, while Chris Paul added 18 points and 14 assists. They combined to shoot 16-for-37 in the game, which wasn’t quite good enough. However, the power in the West changed this year from the Mavericks and Suns to the Hornets and Lakers. It’s too bad it had to end this way for the Hornets, but lets hope the same fate doesn’t befall the Lakers. I’m taking them in six games.

“If that means some personnel changes need to happen, then so be it. We know we need to get better.”

LeBron obviously didn’t go out and say that the Cavs needed personnel changes, but you have to believe that he thinks that. And why not, all of us do.

It’s not that the Cavs don’t have anyone for LeBron. Delonte West, Daniel Gibson, Ben Wallace, and others are all nice players.

However, James doesn’t have that one complimentary player on offense who can handle the load occasionally. One guy can’t win a championship, and LeBron is no exception. It is amazing how well he has done with the Cavs, getting them to the championship last season, but he just can’t keep on doing it solo.

Therefore, someone who is good on offense has to be acquired, either by the trade or free agency. It’s not like Cleveland doesn’t have any money. They have roughly $30 million in expiring contracts, and you would have to think that they wouldn’t mind releasing some.

I’m not saying they have to go out and get Gilbert Arenas. But, they need a guy like Scottie Pippen, or Pao Gasol/Lamar Odom. They aren’t the greatest players in the world, but they’ll get the job done and help the stars out. Until James gets one, the Cavs won’t be an elite team.

Hopefully for their sake they can manage to acquire one this offseason, or LeBron will be frustrated once again. They better get one soon, or he could leave to further advance his career.

As you well know, the home team has commandingly won every game of this series, with the road team looking completely different than when they were at their home arena. We shall see if that trend continues tonight.

The Spurs would be one to overcome the loud crowd in New Orleans. They have the playoff experience, they have the confidence, they have the veterans, and they have the talent. It will just be a question of whether or not it shows up.

Basically, they have to play San Antonio basketball. This means the physical play that some people, not including me, consider to be dirty. They have to slow the ball down and not let the eager Hornets team run up and down the floor on them.

One of the key guys will be Manu Ginobili, who was the best scorer for them in game six. He either needs to get his shot going, which will allow him to drive to the hoop as a result, or get some transition buckets. He’s incredibly talented when his shots are going down, and the Spurs need him to contribute tonight.

Also, it would help them greatly if their bench came through, providing a spark on the road. Ime Udoka did it last game, and they’ll need either him or someone else to do it again.

Lastly, they can’t start losing their cool and turn the ball over, as the Hornets will make them pay. Even with all their experience, they are still prone to doing this, and can’t do it tonight.

For the Hornets, I think it comes down to two guys on offense: David West and Peja Stojakovic.

West struggled in game six, eventually coming out because of re-injuring his back. He probably won’t be fully healthy tonight, but still needs to have a decent game. It’ll be very tough with Tim Duncan on him, but he needs to make a solid contribution, or the Hornets will have a more difficult time winning.

Stojakovic will be guarded by Bruce Bowen, one of the best defenders in the NBA at the start of the game, so he isn’t expected to do much then. However, once Chris Paul starts playing like he’s capable of, with Bowen being preoccupied with Peja, Bowen will have to keep his attention on him. This means that Stojakovic will be open for the heavily guarded Paul. It will be very important for him to hit those open shots, not making Paul and West do all the scoring.

The Hornets just need to go out there and have fun, playing their type of energized basketball. It is very tough to not be rattled and intimidated by the Spurs, as they won’t hesitate to be physical. They have to overcome it, and show the Spurs that they will run on them early. If they can do this and get their confidence back from the get go, they could easily win.

Unfortunately, I don’t think will happen. The Spurs are just too good and have been doing what they’re doing for too long to lose this game, at least in my opinion. I expect them to dominate right from the tip.