So let's get this straight:

On Wednesday, a player (Jerry Stackhouse) said he was about to be traded and had already decided to re-sign in 30 days with the team that was trading him (Dallas) because the team that was trading for him (New Jersey) only wanted to cut him. He welcomed such a deal because, well, he'd still get paid, he wouldn't have to move and he was excited that the point guard he was being traded for (Jason Kidd) would be a better fit for his original (and soon-to-be future) team (Dallas) than the guy who's currently lockering a couple doors down from him (Devin Harris).

Then while waiting for said trade to be completed, the player (Stackhouse) learned the deal had been blocked by another teammate (Devean George), who only recently, had requested a trade, but now didn't want to be dealt because it possibly would cost him money on the free-agent market. Even though this same player (George) just burped up what little market value he had by going 0 for 11 while some of his own fans criticized him for being "selfish."

Don't you just love the NBA?

Fortunately for us, this drama gets to play out at least one more day. No one involved knows exactly how it will end, but here's betting Kidd eventually ends up in Dallas.

Somehow.

Read More »

The initial reaction among Western Conference executives to Friday's news that the Los Angeles Lakers had landed Pau Gasol?

Shock.

General reaction No. 2?

We've got problems.

The Memphis Grizzlies didn't make too many friends among their West peers after shipping Gasol to the Lakers for a package that included center Kwame Brown, rookie guard Javaris Crittenton and a pair of first-round draft choices. One GM who hadn't yet heard the news went silent when told details of the trade.

"Wow," he said finally. "Did that really just happen?"

The San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks have shared the conference's penthouse amongst themselves in recent seasons, but might now have to make room for one more tenant. Said another West executive: "I really think it's a Big Four now."

The Lakers certainly have their version of the Big Three to match up with the Tim Duncan-Manu Ginobili-Tony Parker, Steve Nash-Amare Stoudemire-Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki-Josh Howard-Jason Terry triumvirates of their rivals. Andrew Bynum had already developed into one of the league's best young centers before his knee injury. If he returns healthy midway through next month, the Lakers will have two skilled post players for Kobe Bryant to play off.

One GM was already dreading trying to match up with the Lakers' length: Gasol and Bynum stand 7 feet; Lamar Odom is 6-10; and Bryant 6-6. The Lakers still have questions to answer: Will Bynum completely recover from his knee injury in time to regain his rhythm before the playoffs? How is Gasol going to handle playing on a considerably larger stage? But they certainly like their position much more than they did two days ago.

 "Give them credit," the executive said. "Having Kwame's expiring deal was huge for them and they took advantage of a team desperate to shed salary. Memphis basically gave Gasol away."

League sources said the trade also spurred a flurry of phone calls from more than a few West teams seeking to reassess their own options. Dallas was already involved in discussions with New Jersey regarding Jason Kidd, and though coach Avery Johnson told reporters in Boston Thursday that "we're moving forward with our team," league sources said the Mavericks haven't given up their pursuit of Kidd just yet.

"The Lakers just shook everything up," said a Western Conference player personnel director. "I think a lot of teams now think they need to do something.

"Look at Denver and Golden State. If you're just trying to do better than you did last season and get out of the first round and you draw the Lakers? You're going to have to bring more than what you got now."

So Anderson Varejao gets his $17 million and a chance to prove he's worth more in two seasons, and the Cleveland Cavaliers get back their floppy-haired, frenetic forward at a below-market cost.

And, for that, even the Cavaliers' rivals should be thankful.

By staring down Varejao's stubborn agent, Dan Fegan, Cavs GM Danny Ferry struck a blow for front office officials everywhere. Ferry didn't just beat one of the league's toughest negotiators -- "Danny Ferry cleaned (Fegan's) clock," said one giddy rival agent -- he prevented Fegan from setting a precedent for other prospective holdout candidates.

Had Ferry caved to Fegan's contract demands, which, at one time, were said to average $10 million a season, future restricted free agents would have had considerably greater incentive to stage their own sit-and-wait campaigns.

"To an agent, this could have become the NFL," said a general manager of another NBA team, alluding to the NFL's propensity for enduring training-camp holdouts. "We could have lost all decorum to team building."

Cleveland officials were "pleasantly surprised" when they were notified Varejao had signed the Charlotte Bobcats' three-year offer sheet worth slightly more than $17 million. The Bobcats' offer contains an opt-out clause allowing Varejao to become a free agent after two seasons, one season earlier than the Cavs would have liked, but also one season later than Fegan initially sought in his negotiations with the team. More importantly, the offer is for less money annually than what the Cavs had offered. Charlotte didn't bother to structure the contract to include a large lump payment, further evidence even the Bobcats knew the Cavs planned to keep Varejao.

The Cavaliers intend to match the offer sheet not long after it hits their desk. They want Varejao in uniform as quickly as possible. He isn't going to fix all of their problems, but he'll certainly help.

The Cavs also aren't worried about the comments Varejao made last week when he claimed he no longer wanted to play for Cleveland, dismissing them as the type of rhetoric that sometimes surfaces during difficult negotiations. Even if Varejao is disgruntled, he still needs to play hard -- and continue to be a good teammate -- if he wants to eventually land the type of payday he feels he deserves.

For now, Varejao will take his $17 million and the Cavaliers will celebrate. So should nearly every other team.

This was supposed to be Gilbert Arenas' summer of love. He'd opt out of his contract with the Washington Wizards, looking for a contender willing to open his wallet and pay him.

If that team happened to be the Wizards? Great. If not? Nice doing business with you, but don't forget to forward my mail.

As one of the NBA's most entertaining showmen, Arenas deserves every penny coming to him. The question now, of course, is just how many pennies he lost Wednesday when the Wizards announced their All-Star guard will be sidelined for at least three months after undergoing surgery on his left knee for the second time in less than eight months.

If all goes well, Arenas will be back on the floor in March. With as pedestrian as the Eastern Conference looks these days underneath Boston and Orlando, that should be plenty of time for Arenas to help lift the Wizards into the playoffs, if they need any help.

But it likely is not enough time for Arenas to convince his potential suitors to hand him a max contract. Knee injuries, particularly those with the word "microfracture" attached to them, don't make for an attractive entry on one's résumé. And while Arenas' procedure wasn't as serious as those performed on Nets point guard Jason Kidd and Suns power forward Amare Stoudemire, he has now had complications with the knee since his initial surgery in April.

"I would say this hurts him a lot," said one Western Conference player personnel man.

That same executive cautioned that Arenas isn't like most players. He's just 25 and has the work ethic to make a complete recovery.

But Arenas didn't figure to have too many free-agent options anyway, barring Washington agreeing to a sign-and-trade deal. There aren't going to be many teams with hefty salary cap room and some of those, like the Chicago Bulls, probably will use the money to take care of their own free agents.

So unless the Wizards offer Arenas the kind of contract he's seeking, his summer of love might have to wait until 2009.

In the midst of the NBA playoffs three years ago, commissioner David Stern was asked during a radio interview to give his dream matchup for the finals.

"Lakers vs. Lakers," Stern quipped.

Stern's joke naturally didn't play well in San Antonio and the league's other small markets, and with good reason: There was more than a hint of truth to it.

For much of the past decade, no team has come close to providing the type of compelling drama the Los Angeles Lakers seem to produce on a daily basis. This fall's preseason -- which typically has even the most zealous of NBA fans yawing -- has been dominated by Kobe Bryant's will-they-or-won't-they trade speculation. The commissioner, at least privately, has to like that.

Only two days after Stern returned the NBA's referee scandal to the nation's headlines by announcing policy and personnel changes, Bryant and the Lakers ushered Tim Donaghy off stage left.

News that the Lakers and Chicago Bulls have been talking trade quickly yielded to another chapter in the ongoing drama: Phil Jackson questioning his mercurial guard's commitment to the team.

Bryant, who has been bothered by a sore right wrist, didn't travel with the Lakers to Las Vegas Friday for L.A.'s final preseason game. After watching Bryant shoot just 33 percent and commit 30 turnovers in the six exhibition games he did play, Jackson told reporters in Los Angeles Saturday that Bryant "obviously hasn't thrown his heart and soul into performing on the floor."

"That hurts me a little bit," Jackson said. "He was going to work at this thing and (would) put his full being into this. Right now, he's having a hard time doing that."

Bryant didn't agree with his coach's assessment.

"That (should be) the least of his concerns or anybody's concerns," Bryant told reporters. "You don't have to worry about that. ... I'm ready to play. Period. You don't have to worry about me."

The Lakers expect Bryant to play in Tuesday's season opener against Houston. Bryant, in turn, hasn't given any indication he intends to sit out the game, provided, of course, he's still wearing a Lakers uniform.

And when he does step on the court Tuesday night, Stern, along with more than a few other NBA fans, will be parked in front of a TV watching.