Just as we were crossing into the realm of what could be considered 'drama,' by some accounts, some fairly enlightening news has come out of the Lakers' camp in regards to Andrew Bynum's recovery.

But first, here's a quick timetable of what's gone down as of late:

July 3rd:  Andrew Bynum did indeed receive medical clearance from doctors Thursday and will begin training in earnest by mid-July. His agent, David Lee, said the Lakers center did not have any pain or swelling in his surgically repaired left knee and will be ready to go by training camp in October. [O.C. Register]

July 9th: Kupchak also questioned whether center Andrew Bynum has been cleared by his doctor to begin training. Last week, Bynum's agent, David Lee, said his client had been given medical clearance by Dr. David Altchek and would start training in two weeks. "I'm not saying what he (Lee) said isn't true," Kupchak said, "I'm saying he has not been cleared." [OC Register]

[Complete Story at LA Hoops Blog]

The Clippers concluded SPL play yesterday with 78-80 loss to the Hornets, finalizing a 2-3 record amid quite an eventful week or two in the front office.

The five games served their purpose for the three Clips that matter most in terms of development for the season. Al Thornton, Eric Gordon, and Marcus Williams all posted solid averages throughout.

Though he only played two games because of a strained hammy, Clippers' first-round draft pick Eric Gordon led the team in PPG, posting 19 in addition to his 5.5 RPG and 2 APG. Al Thornton played all five games, averaging 15.8 PPg and 5.6 RPG.

The Clippers had two regular season roster players with the free agent tag playing in the SPL. Marcus Williams averaged 11.6 PPG and 5.8 RPG and Nick Fazekas averaged 9.2 PPG and 5.2 RPG.

A lot of eyes were on the second round picks, center, DeAndre Jordan and guard, Mike Taylor. Jordan led the team in RPG, with 7.2 in addition to his 7.4 PPG. Mike Taylor averaged 10.2 PPG despite posting an embarrassing 5.8 turnovers per game...

[Complete Story at LA Hoops Blog]

Hats off to The Lakers Nation for getting the word out about this. AM570's Joe McDonnell is reporting the the Lakers will not be matching Ronny Turiaf's $17 million, four year offer from Golden State.

I know, It's just hearsay at this point in time, but Joe is one of the most professional guys on radio, and is known for his reliable sources.

It's really going to pain me to see Ronny in a different uni next year, but at the same time, it wouldn't have made monetary sense for the Lakers to pay out that kind of change for what is essentially an energy backup. I have a feeling that the frontladed nature of the contract also drove the Lakers away. Reports noted Ronny will be receiving $10 million in the first season of the new contract.

[Complete Story at LA Hoops Blog]

Rookie, Joe Crawford made headlines Wednesday night as his buzzer-beating runner granted the Lakers their second win in the Vegas summer league. His game-winning shot was backed with 10 points and six rebounds on the night. Four other Lakers finished in dubs, including Brian Roberts and Lorenzo Mata-Real, who both finished with 12.

Coby Karl kept pace with his SL averages, scoring 14, but the show was stolen by an unlikely contributor.

Nik Caner-Medley with 19. Who? Let's open the file.

Nik Caner-Medley, a product of New England, led Maryland in scoring in his junior and senior year (2005-2006), in route to a no-show at the draft. Nik signed a Summer League contract with the Pistons in 2006, only to go down with a foot injury for five months. Since then, he has played in Germany, back in the SL with the Kings, in the NBADL, and most recently in Spain. He's a 6-8, 200lb forward. If he keeps posting big numbers, maaaybe we'll see him don the purple and gold come November. This guy is new to me, but I'll be keeping my eye on him.

Oh yeah... I forgot to mention that the Lakers beat the T-Wolves. Kevin Love (probably my favorite rookie) lit it up. 18 points and 17 rebounds. I'm really excited to watch this guy ball. Corey Brewer put up 19, and POOH JETER! chimed in with 15.

[Complete story at LA Hoops Blog]

[2:10pm]
Ah yes, the gem of the NBA offseason is upon us. Rumors have been circulating for days now, and the "don't believe everything they tell you" rule is already in effect. Yesterday the news outlets were reporting the deal that sent Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto for TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, and the 17th overall pick. Well, early this morning there were reports that the deal didn't go down. Then, just hours ago, O'Neal himself confirmed the deal, showing a great amount of respect for Pacers' president, Larry Bird, saying "We both agreed that the timing was perfect. His focus on getting them (the Pacers) to a level where they can grow and start to be competitive was tremendous."

[2:23pm]
Reports out of the east say the the Bucks and Nets are close to a deal involving Richard Jefferson and Yi Jianlian. The move is said to send Jefferson to Miluakee for Yi and forward, Bobby Simmons. A Fox Sports headline suggests that the deal could be a step in the Nets' pursuit of LeBron James.

[2:30pm]
Well, here's the craziest rumor thus far: TheLakersNation is reporting the rumor that the Heat and the Lakers are engaged in talks that would send Lamar Odom to Miami for the #2 pick in the draft (likely Michael Beasley), Udonis Haslem, and Mark Blount. The deal could shore up the Lakers sticky situation at SF, however a rookie fix might not be the answer.

[2:48pm]
More Lakers rumors involve a deal with Seattle for their early second round pick. The Lakers are reportedly interested in IUPUI point guard, George Hill. Hill, who is touted as an early second round pick is "a very smooth offensive player that is able to score from anywhere on the court relying on his finesse and fundamentals ... Has tremendously efficient shooting percentages: 55% FG, 45 % 3PT and 81% FT ... Fills the stat sheet in all categories with 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game ... He's long and lanky which enables him to play bigger than his actual size," according to NBADraft.net.

[3:01pm]
Just some quick trade news via the AP:

1. The Hornets have agreed to send their first-round draft pick, the 27th overall, to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for cash that could help New Orleans add a key free agent to a rising young squad
2. The Nuggets traded the 20th pick to the Bobcats on Wednesday in exchange for a future, protected first-round pick. The Bobcats, who also hold the ninth pick on Thursday, may now get a chance to address needs at center and point guard.

[4:04pm]
Oh Yeah, I love the draft day buzz. The television coverage has just begun, and Van Gundy is already laying down the fail. Man, I sure miss Chuck. Nevertheless, the Bulls are on the clock... just around 25 minutes until the pick, and they have just confirmed that they will be selecting Rose. This means the door is open for that outlandish rumor that would send Beasley, Udonis Haslem, and Mark Blount to the Lakers in exchange for LO. Still though, RUMOR.

[4:32pm]
Stern is getting the boo treatment. The party is starting. The Bulls are officially on the clock... even though we already know what's going to happen.

[4:37pm]
"With the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis." Good choice. This was a tough choice for the Bulls, and in my opinion they made the right decision. Not only was Beasley's maturity in question, but Rose's performance in the tourney had to be hard to turn down. ...Plus he's a local kid. Expect big things from this kid.

[4:40pm]
Soo, the Heat are on the clock. Now lets see if the LO rumors have any validity.

[4:43pm]
Alright, the Heat just took Beasley, despite the rumors of a possible OJ Mayo surprise. As of now, the LO to Miami rumors were just rumors. I'll be staying on top of it though.

[4:48pm]
The Wolves just selected good old OJ Mayo, making this the first draft ever to feature three freshmen as the first three picks. Bilas says Mayo is the most NBA-ready player in the draft, and I think I'd agree. There's a lot of hate out there for Mayo, but his game might translate better to the NBA than everyone thinks.

[4:55pm]
The Sonics took Russell Westbrook. Love this guy. It will be interesting to see if he can fit in at PG... and if he can, the Westbrook/Durant backcourt is going to be a force.

[5:02pm]
K-Love to the Grizz. Love has expressed his desire to play in Memphis, and... well, he should fit in well there. Kevin has bulked up significantly, and cut out a lot of fat with some wonder diet. I really like Love's potential.

[5:06pm]
Here's the Knicks pick... They picked the Italian guy. Boos everywhere. Danilo Gallinari was the Euro League rising star of the year last season, and Bilas seems to be in love with him... He'll be fun to watch. Plus, Coach D'Antoni and the kid's dad are buddies.

[5:13pm]
The Clippers just took Eric Gordon from Indiana. Good move. I was thinking they would (stupidly) go for Lopez, but, clearly their C and PF dudes are locked down. Nice addition for LAC.

[5:17pm]
Here's the Bucks' pick. Woah. They went with Joe Alexander. Alexander is a great SF out of West Virginia, but I was thinking the Bucks were going to go with Brook Lopez having just dealt Yi Jianlian to the Nets. Interesting.

[5:24pm]
Oh man. The Bobcats passed up on Brook Lopez as well. DJ Augustin. Everyone was saying they were going to pick big, but instead, went with one of the smallest guys in the draft. New Jersey is on the clock, and Brook Lopez is going to be a present if they take him.

[5:27pm]
Lopez is turning into the Matt Leinart of the draft. NBADraft.net projected Lopez to go fourth to the Sonics. He's got to be sweating.

[5:30pm]
There it is. Lopez to the Nets with the 10th pick. The crowd appears to approve. What a steal. Lopez is a tough guy with a 7'5" wingspan. I'm going to slow down the updates for now. I'll keep you posted with any big news... and of course the highly anticipated Lakers' #58 pick. NBADraft.net has JR Giddens (6'5" 208lbs. SG) out of New Mexico going there. You might remember GIddens as a transfer from Kansas.

[7:13pm]
Huge addition for the Hornets just now. Darrell Aurthur out of Kansas sunk to the 27th pick after suspicion of a kidney issue. He stated that his last blood tests came back clear, and that he's 100%. Crazy.

[10:01pm]
Well, tonight was quite the night. Trades EVERYWHERE. I spent five hours in front of the TV tonight, and I must say, not until the middle of the second round did I get bored. The Lakers had the 58th pick, and they took Joe Crawford, a 6-4 213 shooting guard out of Kentucky. Crawford averaged 18ppg and was 4th in the SEC in scoring. The tape on him that I saw looked more indicative of PG play, though I haven't seen much. I did notice a ton of driving layups/dunks. Crawford shouldn't have trouble making the team (probably a J-Critt type role), come November.

Here's his full scouting synopsis courtesy of NBADraft.net writer Derrick Brownson:

Strengths: Athletic player, who plays bigger than his 6-4 size because of a great vertical leap. Known for his athletic driving lay ups and highlight film dunks ... Has became a team leader and has made himself more assertive especially on the offensive end in his senior season ... Has shown steady growth in his 4 year stay at Kentucky ... Has flourished under Billy Gillispie and became the face of Kentucky basketball this season and one of the main reasons why Kentucky has elevated it's play down the stretch ... Versatile player who is good at many things but not necessarily great at one ... Has begun to live up to the potential he showed coming out of college in his past two years ... Has solid form on his jumpshot and great potential to be a very good shooter ... Above average passer for a 2-guard who is a solid off the ball player with solid driving and shot creating abilities ... Plays with heart and works hard on both ends of floor, has shown solid court sense and team leadership skills, he doesn't try to force plays that aren't there ... Unselfish player, putting the team above himself ... Could become a solid NBA player with right team/situation ... Most likely at best will become valuable role player on next level ... With solid workouts/camp performance has possibility to become a 2nd round pick.

Weaknesses: Undersized at the shooting guard position on the next level, although his athleticism helps to compensate ... Must learn to value the basketball, and cut down on turnovers better ... Since he's not really great at one thing, he would need to find right the fit with a team that values what he brings to the table and could possible run 3-guard system at times for him to flourish ... Might be better off for his career in the long run to play in Europe for couple years (ala Charlie Bell) to develop certain skills that are needed at the NBA level ... Still needs to learn how to get teammates involved better ... To his credit, he has shown maturity since freshman year and hasn't been involved in any issues since ... Has never really shot a terrific percentage from 3-point range or free throw (though it's solid) and can be streaky, as shown when he scored 28 points against Houston and then scored just 5 against a lesser Tennessee Tech team ... Plain and simple just needs more developing in his overall game and find a specialty to become valuable in the NBA ...

Notes: Was a highly ranked (top 25) player coming out of High School along with Renaissance (MI) running mate Mailk Hairston ... Originally committed to University of Michigan but changed his decision to be a part of a freshman class that included Rajon Rondo, and Randolph Morris ... Had issues his freshman year under coach Tubby Smith and considered transferring but was ultimately talked out of it ... [NBADraft.net Page]

*ALL TIMES PACIFIC