Next summer is going to be crazy in the world of the NBA with all the talented folks who are going to be free agents and nobody is going to be feeling it more than the world's biggest free agent: LeBron James(notes).

For a short while, it was believed that James would move to New York so he could dominate that city and expand his empire. But the New York Knicks have continued to implode, so there's no real attraction to leaving the comforts of home to attempt to right a quickly sinking ship. What everybody seems to think now is that James will eventually re-sign with the Cavs for a tidal wave of cash. But now comes another option: Move to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers don't have a lot of salary room but they'd love, love, love to team up Kobe Bryant(notes) and LeBron James, according to Bulls.com. The 31-year-old Bryant is going to need someone to pass along the keys to the Laker Mythologymobile. And why not the 24-year-old James? James doesn't seem afraid to take a strong supporting role, which would likely suit Bryant just fine.

But somehow L.A. has to convince Cleveland to do a sign-and-trade deal because there is no other way to fit James under its current salary structure right now. Still, that could mean a talented player for Cleveland instead of the big nothing it will get if James walks next summer.

Source: Bulls.com

Los Angeles Lakers big man Pau Gasol(notes) has got something going on with his right hamstring. He had a sonogram on it over the weekend and an MRI this week. The results were sent to his personal doctor and his parents back in Spain, according to the Los Angeles Times. Before you call Gasol a mama's boy, you should remember that his mother is a doctor and his father is a hospital administrator.

It's looking like it's not going to hold the big guy up for much longer. He apparently had a "pretty good workout" yesterday. He'll miss his fifth game in a row tonight but he reportedly might be back in action on Friday against his former team, the Memphis Grizzlies.

Coach Phil Jackson isn't saying jack about it, though: "We'll see," he said. "We hope he can get a practice in this week."

Source: Los Angeles Times

The word is that Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Pau Gasol(notes) has a tear in is hamstring so don't be expecting to see him in the lineup in the next week, according to the Los Angeles Times.

According to the paper, a sonogram over the weekend showed a possible tear in his right hamstring. So he got some MRI tests done yesterday, which team docs will look at today. The news of a tear would not be a good thing for the Barcelona-born 7-foot forward/center.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar may be on the NBA champions right now but there is word that he could moving from the top of the heap to the bottom of the pile pretty soon.

Abdul-Jabbar is currently employed by the Los Angeles Lakers but his role as a special assistant to head coach Phil Jackson has apparently decreased this season, according to the Los Angeles Times. Now the Memphis Grizzlies are apparently after him to come work for them. Rumor has it that the Grizzlies asked the Lakers if they could talk to the Hall of Famer and Los Angeles gave Memphis permission. That would explain what he was doing at the Grizzlies' practice on Monday and why he supposedly had dinner with the Memphis big men on Sunday.

Abdul-Jabbar never ceases to surprise.

Source: Los Angeles Times

NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Paul Gasol's hamstring isn't feeling great right now and it apparently may keep him out of Tuesday's opener against the Los Angeles Clippers, according to the Los Angeles Times.

He missed yet another preseason game last night and will miss the final one today against the Denver Nuggets, though he did have a light practice yesterday. "He had some questions about how it felt after a limited practice," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "To alleviate the response that he had, we just thought it was probably best to back off."

Last year, Gasol played in 104 games. Most of his Lakers teammates stayed healthy last year, except for Andrew Bynum(notes), who missed 32 games with a torn knee ligament. Bynum also missed the game last night because of a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder that he suffered while reaching for a rebound against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
That'll only keep him out for a few days but it's looking like the Lakers won't be as lucky on the health front as they were last year.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko(notes) is apparently back in his Russian homeland right about now, dealing with an undisclosed family matter, according to Deseret News.

While the team has excused the absence, it will mean that the 6'9" forward will miss two preseason games against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers. He is supposed to return by Sunday's possible machup against he Los Angeles Lakers or Charlotte Bobcats.

Perhaps something is wrong with father-in-law Andrei Lopatov, who was on the Russian national basketball team for 14 seasons.

Source: Deseret News