Don't ask me where my sources come from. I have telepathy, thought transference, E.S.P., a sixth sense. Just kidding. I simply like starting rumors because I believe I should be a GM in this league. Just kidding again. But I'm sure the Clippers could use me.

With Donnie Walsh all but promising that Zach Randolph will be moved, it makes logical sense to think that the new Knicks GM will send him to his former team, the Indiana Pacers.

Especially with Jermaine O'Neal being traded to Toronto, it makes even more sense for the Pacers to go after a decent power forward.

Meanwhile the New York Knicks, who decided to go with Danilo Gallinari in the draft, never got the point guard they were seeking although they still have Stephon Marbury and recently added Chris Duhon. Marbury isn't going anywhere because of his contract and diminishing skills. Duhon can play both guard spots, which means Nate Robinson is major trade bait.

Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised to see the following trade happen:

Indiana receives: PF Zach Randolph, PG Nate Robinson

New York receives: F Troy Murphy, PG Jamaal Tinsley

There have been headlines coming out of Atlanta reporting that SF Josh Smith and the team are far from agreeing on a long term contract. Smith, who had a breakout year both on offense and defense, was heavily coveted by Philadelphia and the L.A. Clippers, among others, but we all know what happened with those two teams.

With Mike Bibby's ridiculous $15 million contract due to come off the books after next season, Hawks management is taking their time and completely weighing their options. Are they going to resign both Bibby and Smith to lucrative long term deals or do they believe that the future of their franchise is better off heading in another direction? Atlanta's recent history suggests the latter.

This is the same team that failed to keep Dominique Wilkins, Kevin Willis, and Doc Rivers together for many years and the same team that broke up Dikembe Mutombo, Steve Smith, and Mookie Blaylock after they couldn't get past Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the nineties.  

So what's the deal in Atlanta? Here's a potential sign-and-trade deal that can be consummated in the next couple of months if the Hawks are indeed only looking to build for the short term.

Atlanta gets: F Lamar Odom

Lakers get: F Josh Smith

For several years now, the Chicago Bulls' roster has been out of balance. And that's why the Bulls never seem to make any progress. By picking up Derrick Rose in the draft, they basically sent the message that they were no longer happy with Kirk Hinrich and the $10 million they owe him each year for the next five years. Moreover, with Duhon bolting for The Big Apple, the Bulls no longer have a reliable back up point guard. And best believe Ben Gordon is not going to be playing the point guard position either.

By trading away Ben Wallace for Drew Gooden (and his expiring contract) last season, they made it known they weren't satisfied with the progress of Tyrus Thomas and his lack of low post offensive production. It was clear they needed a player who could operate down low and make plays. Chicago is definitely going in another direction and most importantly, they want to go young and rebuild all over again.

For several months now, the L.A. Lakers have made it clear they no longer believe Lamar Odom is their man at the small forward position. Though he shows flashes of brilliance, his lack of consistency in playing at a high level just doesn't cut it for a championship contender like the Lakers. In fact, they even offered Odom to the Bulls last year in an attempt to acquire the relentless Argentinian Andres Nocioni. It might happen now.

Lakers receive: F Andres Nocioni and PG Kirk Hinrich

Bulls receive: F Lamar Odom and PG Jordan Farmar

And finally, wouldn't it be nice if the Sacramento Kings could get a former player back? The Kings' freewheeling offense, led by Kevin Martin and Beno Udrih, seems to be the perfect fit for outside shooter deluxe Hedo Turkoglu. Hedo would return to his former team, but this time around he's a better and more complete player.

The much talked about Ron Artest, therefore, moves east to Orlando to play alongside Dwight Howard to form one of the most imposing defensive tandems in the NBA. On paper, this looks like a quality and reasonable trade for both teams. Artest is given the chance to show his worth by playing for a legitimate playoff contender in Orlando. Meanwhile the Maloofs get a low-risk player in Hedo at slightly under $7 million per year for only two more years, and most importantly they are familiar with him.

Kings get: F Hedo Turkoglu

Magic get: F Ron Artest

Other significant players who could quite possibly change zip codes before next season are the Hawks' Josh Childress, the Pistons' Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince, the Mavericks' Josh Howard, Utah's Andrei Kirilenko, and Miami's Shawn Marion.

The wheeling and dealing isn't done, folks. In fact it's only just begun.

 

... the Dallas Cowboys are the team to beat in the NFC. 1) Their defense is only going to get better after their letdown against the Super Bowl champs at home in the playoffs, and 2) it will be T2: Judgment Day for Terrell and Tony, two Pro Bowlers who are on a major mission.

... the New York Giants will not repeat as champions. 1) the impact of Michael Strahan's absence both on the field and in the locker room is already being felt, and 2)  another one of their long time leaders, Jeremy Shockey, is uninspired and unhappy being a Giant.

... the NFC EAST is the best division in pro football. 1) Washington and Philadelphia are playoff caliber teams with playoff style defenses, and 2) the Redskins and Eagles, who finished #3 and #4 in the division last season respectively, gave up less total points than the two teams who finished ahead of them in the division.

... the San Francisco 49ers are wild card bound. 1) Quarterback Alex Smith, who has already gone through three offensive coordinators in his brief career, will finally have two leaders that are a perfect fit for his style of ball - offensive genius Mike Martz and future Hall-of-Famer Isaac Bruce - and 2) future Hall-of-Fame Linebacker Patrick Willis (you heard it here first), who possesses the intensity of Mike Singletary and the field awareness of Ken Norton Jr., anchors an up-and-coming defense built to fit the mold of the Baltimore Ravens that won the Super Bowl a few years ago.

... the Arizona Cardinals could potentially be the most exciting team to watch in football. 1) Cornerbacks Roderick Hood and Antrel Rolle, who combined for 10 INTs and 5 TDs last year, have a knack for big plays, and 2) there's nothing better than watching Matt Leinart  throw to two big, strong receivers like Anquan Boldin, who could easily turn a 10-yard slant into a 75-yard TD and Larry Fitzgerald, who seamlessly jumps over defenders to catch deep touchdown passes, not to mention the revival of aging running back Edgerrin James, who rushed for over 1,200 yards last year after most people said he was done.

... the NFC West will be the most interesting division in football this season. 1) No one knows what to expect from the Seattle Seahawks, who no longer have their former MVP Shaun Alexander, and 2) no one knows what to expect from the St. Louis Rams, who won only three games last year, but this time around are expecting the services of QB Marc Bulger, RB Steven Jackson, and WR Torry Holt for a full season.

... the Green Bay Packers will be the most interesting team to keep tabs on the entire season. 1) Brett Favre, and 2) Aaron Rodgers.

... the Minnesota Vikings are my favorites to win their division. 1) Adrian Peterson and the Vikings' ever improving defense, which added All-Pro DE Jared Allen, and 2) Brett Favre?

... we shouldn't expect much from the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. 1) the Lions have no defense, and 2) the Bears have no offense.

... the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will make the playoffs and lose in their first game. 1) As long as Jeff Garcia remains the starting quarterback, you'll know what to expect, and 2) Mike Alstott is not what he used to be.

... the rest of the NFC South does not interest me at all. 1) The only things worth watching are Steve Smith scoring touchdowns, and 2) waiting to see if Reggie Bush finally happens.

... the New England Patriots will lose their dominant form for good. 1) Tom Brady realized he wasn't Joe Montana, and 2) Randy Moss realized he wasn't Jerry Rice.

... the Miami Dolphins will win two games this year. 1) Bill Parcells is good for one win, and 2) Ricky Williams is good for the other.

... the rest of the AFC East is uninteresting to me. 1) The New York Jets have Chad Pennington, and 2) the Buffalo Bills have been in rebuilding mode for the last decade.

... the San Diego Chargers will keep trying to reach the Super Bowl but never get there. 1) When Norv Turner is your coach I wouldn't count on it, and 2) I believe we've already seen the best of LaDanian Tomlinson.

... the Oakland Raiders will contend for the AFC West division. 1) Jamarcus Russell and Darren McFadden are as good as advertised, and 2) the additions of CB DeAngelo Hall and S Gibril Wilson coupled by emerging safety Michael Huff gives the silver-and-black attack arguably the best defensive backfield in the NFL, and the addition of WR Javon Walker immediately makes Jerry Porter a better receiving threat on offense.

... the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos will be two of the worst defensive teams. 1) Although the Chiefs were 5th in the league in passing yards per game last year, the absence of pass rush specialist Allen will open things up for opposing teams against the Chiefs' defensive backs this time around, 2) although nobody in Denver wants to admit it, the Broncos have been in rebuilding mode for quite some time now.

... I still believe the Indianapolis Colts are the team to beat in the AFC. 1) They did a great job of grooming WR Marvin Harrison's replacement, Anthony Gonzalez, by giving him valuable experience last year and he didn't fail to impress, and 2) as long as Peyton Manning continues to do commercials, it means he's still sharp and on his game.

... the AFC South is the second best division in pro football. 1) Vince Young is a true leader, a true franchise player, and his Tennessee Titans are a true playoff contender. 2) JAX, TEN, IND, and HOU were a combined 29-19 against the conference last year and I have no reason to believe anything will change this year.

... the Cleveland Browns are the best football team in the state of Ohio. 1) Derek Anderson, Jamaal Lewis, Braylon Edwards, and Kellen Winslow are rising fast, and 2) the Bengals' Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson are sinking faster than the Titanic.

... the Baltimore Ravens may wind up being the worst team in the conference. 1) No more Steve McNair, and 2) no more Air McNair.

... it looks like the Pittsburgh Steelers are the best team in the conference. 1) Defense (#1 in yards given up per game), defense (#2 in points given up per game), and more defense (#3 in pass yds and rush yds given up per game),  2) being balanced out by offense (Ben Roethlisberger), offense (Willie Parker), and more offense (Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, and Heath Miller).

... Brett Favre wants to come out of retirement. 1) It's boring in Wisconsin, and 2) it's even more boring in Mississippi.

 

Joe Dumars said the other day that he is doing his best to improve his aging team and there's "a 50-50 chance" something might happen in the coming months.

Aside from the Tracy McGrady rumor, nothine else significant has surfaced.

Personally, I don't believe T-Mac would be a wise long term investment for the Detroit Pistons because if you look at the Pistons' magic formula over the years, it has never been about a one-man show. And T-Mac is certainly a one-man show.

He averages about 25 per game while the Pistons' current leading scorer doesn't even top 20 per. Deeeetroit Basketball is all about spreading the wealth and team ball, and I'm not so sure T-Mac has the type of personality to stand up to guys like the vocal and enigmatic Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton because throughout his career McGrady has always been the number one option.

In addition, the Detroit organization prides itself on having players that play excellent team defense and nowhere in McGrady's resume does it state that he's a superb defender. He's an average defender, but certainly not one to lock anyone down.  And with T-Mac's propensity to go one-on-one and score in bunches, I don't think Wallace and Hamilton would be too happy. Considering Detroit's system on offense, wherein they set constant picks to free up Hamilton and allow Rasheed to operate in the low post as well as the top of the key, McGrady would only be frustrated by the lack of touches and isolations he would get as a Piston. Therefore, I don't see this trade happening unless a third team is involved.

If the Pistons are going to ship some players, they will want a reliable scorer, a top rebounder, and a big man in return who is adequate on defense and is a team player who fits the Detroit mold. One of the main reasons they lost to Boston in the ECF is because the aging Antonio McDyess was simply too inconsistent and he was often beat on the boards by Kendrick Perkins. And although Jason Maxiell was game, he just didn't have enough big game experience to make a resounding impact. Finally, Theo Ratliff is a free agent so there's no telling who the Pistons' backup center will be next year. It's plainly obvious Dumars needs some ammunition inside.

Detroit would probably also want a back up point guard since Lindsey Hunter is thiscloser to receiving AARP benefits. With Rodney Stuckey ready to blossom and Juan Dixon continuing to possess a shooting guard mentality, nothing is clear at point guard for Detroit. The same can be said at the small forward position, with Jarvis Hayes gone and Walter Hermann unsure about returning.

Enter the Los Angeles Lakers. With all the focus on Ron Artest coming to L.A., one thing is clear. No significant progress has been made. Yet.

And with Lakers' management doing a great job of keeping things under wrap like they always do, one would only assume that they're continuing to talk to other teams about potential trades.

On February 2007, I suggested that the Lakers go after Pau Gasol since he would be a perfect complement to the triangle offense with his all-around game. For over a year there were no significant rumors of the Lakers being even remotely interested in dealing for Pau, although they were probably keeping a close eye on him from a distance. All everyone talked about was that the Bulls were heavily interested in the Spaniard but nothing ever came of it. One year later the Lakers swiped Gasol as quickly as a debit card, withdrawing the Spaniard from the Grizzlies with no one expecting it.

With everyone talking about Artest, how do we know Mitch Kupchak and Magic Johnson aren't quietly making calls and sending text messages to Dumars in the morning and late at night? Every time I catch a glimpse of Dumars at the summer league in Las Vegas, he's always on his phone messing with his texts. Could it be possible the Lakers are saying Lamar Odom isn't available to Sacramento because he would be a better fit in Detroit playing alongside Wallace and Hamilton as the third option and number one rebounder on the team? Is L.A. native Tayshaun Prince secretly speaking with Olympic teammate Kobe Bryant behind closed doors after practice and being the undercover liaison between both teams?

Whatever happens in the coming months will be interesting and intriguing all at the same time. The trade that nobody has mentioned thus far is the one involving 2004 Finals combatants Detroit and Los Angeles. Both teams have recent history as trade partners when the Lakers acquired Maurice Evans from Detroit a few years ago for a couple of picks.

Prince and Chauncey Billups (approx. $20 million combined annual salaries) for Odom, Jordan Farmar,  Chris Mihm, and second round pick Joe Crawford (approx. $19-20 million combined annual salaries).

The Pistons get two expiring contracts, a highly sought after point guard, they address needs, and most importantly they get younger while still being able to compete in the East and clear much needed cap space for the future by relieving themselves of their long term obligations to Tayshaun and Chauncey.

Meanwhile the Lakers create a veteran-laden starting lineup of Billups, Bryant, Prince, Gasol, and Bynum and move the aging yet dependable Derek Fisher to the bench to create a stable lineup that will probably remain the same for the next three years minimum.

A Pistons' team source recently downplayed a rumor that T-Mac was close to being acquired, noting instead  that Houston was "just one of many teams to whom the club has spoken about potential trades." Is one of those teams the Lakers?

We shall see...

Many people want to put the blame on Elton Brand and claim that he wasn't upfront with his loyalties to the Clippers and that his deceitful ways have changed their perception of him.

Many people want to point their fingers at agent David Falk, saying he's just another greedy superagent who wanted revenge on the Clippers for not signing his client Mike Bibby many years ago and trading him away only to pick a bust by the name of Michael Olowokandi at number one. But frankly, neither Brand nor Falk was at fault here.

The bottom line is the Clippers upper management, namely owner Donald "Don't call me Tommy Lee Jones" Sterling and Elgin Baylor, had a complete lack of open communcation with their so-called franchise player throughout the entire process and this led to Brand's exit out of Los Angeles.

When Falk openly stated that this deal "could have been done in 10 minutes," what does that tell you?

When Mike Dunleavy says that Sterling had given him complete authority on the negotiations, what does this imply?

And when the primary mode of communication between player and organization is text messaging, it only reveals one thing: the separation between the two entities. The impending result is what we have now, another lackluster Clippers team. But I hope you prove me wrong, Baron Davis.

All in all, Sterling and Baylor seemed like they were never committed to keeping Brand here for the long term. They saw his achilles injury as a complete liability to their financial outlook for the future. They thought Brand would inevitably fizzle out (after all, he is an undersized power forward at 6-8) in a couple of years, and therefore it wouldn't be worth it to keep Brand as their franchise player. This helps to explain why the Clippers originally offered only $70 million, which insulted Falk, who adamantly responded, "My job is to look out for my client, Elton Brand."

Falk wanted max money. The Clippers said no way. Brand wanted a guaranteed six-year deal with an opt-out clause in the final year. The Clippers weren't willing. In reality, Sterling never believed that Brand would be the man to take his team to the promised land. Once again, the Clippers remain the Clippers. End of story.

The difference between the two Los Angeles franchises is, without a doubt, one of commitment to excellence. While the Clippers aren't willing to do whatever it takes to put together a team that could have potentially generated three All-Stars in Brand, Davis, and Chris Kaman, the Lakers continue to be the mark of excellence around here.

Jerry Buss will continue to meet with Kobe Bryant in Spain to discuss important team matters, and Mitch Kupchak will continue to oversee the roster with every intention of building a championship team while taking complete ownership of his duties.

Meanwhile, former Lakers great Elgin Baylor remains incredibly quiet and subdued as the Clippers' VP of Basketball Operations, making me wonder if he is actually content on keeping the Clippers in the basement by never doing anything worthwhile with his personnel. Come to think of it, the ex-Laker may even be indirectly helping his former team in the process because the things he does and the things he doesn't do never pose a challenge to the crosstown rivals.

Speaking of the Lakers, isn't it great to be a fan of the purple-and-gold these days? With Ron Artest and Kenny Thomas coming and Lamar Odom and Ronny Turiaf going, the NBA will once again feel the tremors of another Lakers' juggernaut in 2008-'09.

And after this deal is completed, kudos will have to be given once again to Buss, Kupchak, and the rest of the Lakers' organization for maintaining their commitment to tradition and improving another championship dynasty.

Year after year, slowly and slowly, this particular Lakers' group continues to make improvements after being patient and analyzing the results, then modifying their strategic plan, and ultimately getting rid of weak links.

First it was the uninspired Smush Parker. Next it was the lazy Brian Cook. And then came the human brick, Kwame Brown. Now, the Lakers are about to exchange their inconsistent and unassertive small forward Odom in order to address their most glaring need - defensive toughness at the three position - by bringing in arguably the most intense lockdown forward in the game today.

And by taking on Thomas and the last two years of his $18 million contract, L.A. basically replaces the expensive Turiaf with another tough minded veteran who will be an asset to the Bench Mob.

Thomas, who may not bring the same type of enthusiasm, energy, and dancing skills as Ronny, is an otherwise more polished offensive player than Turiaf. He's a hustler on the boards and is an adequate defender at both forward positions as well, sort of like a poor man's A.C. Green if you will.

All I'm saying is this: the defending champion Boston Celtics better do all it can to resign James Posey and keep their roster intact because this Lakers team is only going to get better from here on out. The Celtics know that the Lakers never had the full services of two of their best defenders during the Finals (Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza), and yet L.A. still managed to win two games.

The Boston Three Party also knows that the Lakers are about to field a team that will have four potential All-Stars next year - Bryant, Pau Gasol, Bynum, and Artest.

The actor Paul Pierce, sooner than later, will see the difference between Ron-Ron face guarding him the entire game as opposed to Odom or the space cadet, Vladimir Radmanovic. By the way, whatever happened to that MRI he said he was going to take after the season ended?  

Leon Powe will notice that Thomas will muscle him up a lot more than Ronny ever did and Kenny will make Leon work a lot more on the defensive end because he once averaged 15 points per game.

And K.G. and K.P. will finally feel the wrath that is Bynum and Gasol on the frontline.

And I haven't even talked about the MVP yet.

The Lakers are already so deep with another year of vital playoff experience and they still have their midlevel exception of $6 million to utilize on someone like Posey. Perhaps they could even split up their midlevel in order to add two more big men like Kurt Thomas and Dikembe Mutombo to bring in even more defense off the bench.

However it turns out, one thing is for sure: The Lakers' Assault definitely continues.

And the Clippers? They've been getting clipped ever since they left Buffalo.

The dazed, confused, and overweight spectacle that is Shaquille O'Neal was hoping to revive his sordid and rundown rapping career by mocking Kobe Bryant, the Lakers, Patrick Ewing, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during his freestyle performance at a NYC nightclub this past weekend, adding another chapter to the ultra-famous Kobe-Shaq feud of yesteryear.

For Shaquille, this was great for entertainment. It was even more impressive for attention. For bloggers, this is grand.

Strikingly reminiscent of Tupac Shakur's Hit 'Em Up, wherein the late poetical lyricist trashed his ultimate rival Biggie Smallz, Diddy, and the rest of his east coast counterparts, O'Neal is becoming more g-h-e-t-t-o fabulous by the minute. Some will call it gangsta. I call it a desperation act.

So today, after having lunch with Mamba, I asked him if he was going to let this slip by the wayside. I asked him if he was going to allow O'Neal to mock him and Kareem just like that. Kobe was hesitant, reiterating how much this is being blown out of proportion. 

Plus, "I'm not a rapper," he said. "I do real music. I play instruments. All Shaq does is recite poems."  

So I told Kobe, "Here brother, have another drink."

Thirty minutes later, we arrived at my music studio. An hour after that, we drank "20 shots" just as Kobe had wanted. And 15 minutes after that, I put on an instrumental version of Hit 'Em Up.

"Remember when 2Pac did this?" I asked Mamba.

"Yeah," he replied. "This was the s-h-!-t back in the day "

"It's your turn now," I said resoundingly. "You're the MVP. Don't ever let a chump talk to you like you're his b-!-t-c-h."

At that point, it seemed as if I had ignited a fire under Kobe. He had this look of ferocity I had never seen before. Not even in the NBA Finals did Kobe look this vicious and intense.

"Okay, one more shot," Kobe demanded.

Here are the unedited lyrics that Bryant fired off. While he was on the mic, I was busy throwing elbows and roundhouses at the life-size picture of Shaq in a Suns uniform which I pinned on the punching bag inside my garage.

Enjoy, and tell 'em all what it tastes like.

I get off when I want

so I tell you how it be

you can't even stay wit a woman

let alone be like me

you're all about the cash

can't win without Flash

callin' me a clown and a joke

ha ha ha

wannabe Tone Loc

Big Bustin' wit Steel

never get anotha movie deal

Big Floppin' wit Kazaam

took the money like thank you ma'am

Blue Chips was weak

yo' future is bleak

hopeless and miserable

better go fix yo' knee

you ain't even top ten

yet you mock Pat and Cap

talk smack, spit c-r-a-p

20 kids on yo' lap

divorced wit no woman

and u still can't rap

Your badge just got copped

like Shaunie got popped

Train her with a trainer

She'd leave you for Desagana Diop

so if it sounds like s-h-!-t

then you know he ain't legit

like against the Spurs

when Fatburger quit

Get outrebounded by Oberto

got stats like Mihm

get outhustled by Kurt Thomas

No longer grabbin' rim

HOOK

so I tell you how it be

Shaq got exiled from Miami

so I tell you how it be

you got dumped by Pat Riley

let me tell you how it be

Shaq gotta hate on me

to get on tv

and rap fo' free

End HOOK

Spit at me

I spit at you

Pretendin' to be cool

Yet you the fool

can't jump

can't move

can't shoot a lick

better inbound tha rock

before you put up anotha brick

I'll give you a mil

to pay off the rest

cuz you need it dawg

your broke with no bulletproof vest

yo' time is up

you tastin' last place

I get off whenever I want

now tell me how my nut tastes!

Repeat HOOK 2x to fade

Afterwards as Kobe got in his Aston Martin, he talked about how he couldn't wait to face the Suns next year.

In fact, he promised to dunk over O'Neal as well as give Andrew Bynum plenty of opportunities and shot attempts to humiliate the Big Hater. And once Bryant gets that one perfect opening in the middle of the lane to throw one down on the sumo wrestler, he's literally going to make him taste his ass. It'll be the hottest selling poster ever made.