6 p.m.: We’ve reached the conclusion of the first day of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. We’ll be back Saturday for day two. Be sure to check NESN.com starting at 9 a.m. to see what topics are covered in the country’s biggest meeting sports data analysts.

5:55 p.m.: When asked about over-saturation of sports on television, Walsh points to increased audience sizes and competition from other outlets as proof that fans are actually underserved.

5:45 p.m.: The common challenge that teams in the NBA and Major League Baseball share is how to make teams profitable, Postolos says. Broad revenue sharing is one way leagues are facing this test.

5:40 p.m.: Walsh says that a lot of research will on concussions will come out in the next 12-24 months. He’s sure decision makers will take notice and act on it.

5:30 p.m.: Media is the biggest international opportunity at the moment, de Picciotto says. The next is taking brands globally (through sports). Finally, the movement of talent across borders gives players and fans a chance to see athletes from around the world.

He also thinks gambling has the potential to generate vast amounts of revenue, but it could kill sports as well.

On the question of performance-enhancing drugs, he says essentially need to keep up with societal values.

5:20 p.m.: Walsh asks how to use analytics to value sports properties — especially in increments of time.

PepsiCo has a proprietary model, according to Storms. “Nobody knows our business better than we do,” she says. The company uses a multi-stage process to evaluate the impact of any potential sponsorship or endorsement.

She concludes that there’s no way to measure the exact amount of product that sports partnerships move, but PespiCo is closer than it has ever been to doing so.

5:15 p.m.: Carter says leagues partner with media and sponsors to try and “surround the fan.” She adds that the old model of signage at a stadium no longer works.

5 p.m.: Walsh says we need innovative thinking about the playing of the game and the experience of the consumer.

He points to the fact that players are bigger, faster and stronger than they were decades ago, yet the size of the playing surfaces (specifically in the NFL and NBA) remain the same. “Why not make fields bigger to provide more excitement for fans,” he asks.

4:50 p.m.: The business of sports is our final panel of the day. Industry leaders will talk about the money side of this multi-trillion dollar industry.

Kraft Sports Group vice president Jessica Gelman will moderate the panel. She will be joined by Soccer United Marketing president Kathy Carter, Octagon president Phil de Picciotto, Houston Astros president George Postolos, PepsiCo vice president of global sports marketing Jennifer Storms, and ESPN executive vice president John Walsh.

4:45 p.m.: Schatz says the most overrated players are the ones whose athletic ability doesn’t translate into football success.

He points to D’Angelo Hall who is fast and has good hands but is poor in coverage.

He says Tony Romo is underrated because he is consistently one of the six or seven best quarterbacks in the league and one of the best in the fourth quarter … “as long as the game is not on national television.”

4:40 p.m.: The 49ers use analytics to better understand the tendencies of coaches — how they manage the clock and when they call time outs.

4:35 p.m.: Pioli says mutual respect is lacking in football when asked how to convince an NFL head coach to listen to an analyst who has never stepped on the field.

He says a coach must have an open mind, but it’s important how analysts present, deliver and communicate their information.

4:30 p.m.: Kremer asks how to quantify injuries and off-field problems. What value do you attach to those events?

No two injuries are the same, but Shatz argues that, en masse, players  are better at recovering from injuries in today’s game than they were in the past.

As for the character question, Pioli approaches it on a case-by-case basis, saying there’s no real way to measure something like that.

Pioli discusses the new player assessment tool being used at the NFL combine. He wants to know as much about a player’s mental makeup — specifically his levels of work ethic and level of selflessness (or selfishness).

4:25 p.m.: Demoff says the middle class is shrinking because teams are better at scouting and developing young players. Teams are now paying a premium for players they call “difference makers.”

4:20 p.m.: Demoff says the salary caps affect the schemes teams use. They “ultimately look for undervalued players and get as many of them as you can.”

He said more teams started playing 3-4 defenses a few years ago because nose tackles were undervalued. Now the best nose tackles command $12 million salaries, so teams are reverting to the 4-3 because the market allows them to get more bang for their buck with tackles to fit that system.

4:15 p.m.: Marathe calls the Patriots the “kings of replenishing.”

In the age of the salary cap, it’s impossible to keep a team together over the long term. “If every player took a 15-percent discount on their market rate, we still wouldn’t be able to keep them all,” he says.

He adds that the Patriots have been incredible at churning players yet remaining successful.

Pioli says that the Pats’ practice of stockpiling draft picks increases their chancing of landing good players. “Every pick is a gamble,” he said before adding that taking more gambles increases the chances of landing good players.

4:05 p.m.: Pioli says it’s tough to come up with a measurement to predict a player’s chance of success.

“Football is such an interdependent game. The success of a play has so many variables and depends on 11 indiviudals.”

Marathe expands on it, saying that trades don’t often work out because a player can succeed in one system, but look totally out-of-place in another.

3:55 p.m.: Pioli is no fan of the combine because there’s a difference between “pure speed” and “playing speed.”

He finds values in measurements. He says Tom Brady is such an accurate passer because he’s got huge hands.

Marathe talks about “hidden value” of 40-yard dash times, citing the case of Jerry Rice. He says Rice had an average overall 40 time, but his speed between 20-40 yards (what insiders call “the flying 20″) was one of the highest ever.

He said it translated into separation speed on the field. Rice was rarely, if ever, caught from behind.

3:50 p.m.: Demoff and Marathe say their teams are looking to hire analysts. The Rams are still working out how to deeper integrate analytics into their organization, while the 49ers have used one on the salary cap side for over a decade and are now using them on the football side.

Pioli says analytics have played a role in the game for ages. “Gut” decisions are based on prior experience and analysis, he says.

We’re just calling it something else now.

3:40 p.m.: Are you ready for some football?

The National Football League is undergoing an analytics revolution of its own. The Football Analytics panel will discuss how NFL coaches and teams are using data to evaluate players, map out strategy and make in-game decisions.

Andrea Kremer will moderate the panel. She will be joined by St. Louis Rams executive vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff, former Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, San Francisco 49ers chief operating officer Paraag Marathe and Football Outsiders founder Aaron Schatz.

2:40 p.m.: Robin van Persie does his exploring in the half second before the ball comes his way. It’s how he always seems to be one step ahead of defenders (despite not being particularly fast or quick) when he gets the ball in the final third of the field.

2:30 p.m.: Jordet says Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have the highest frequency of “visual exploratory behavior,” meaning the two stars look around and gauge their surroundings before receiving the ball.

He says the midfield players who complete the highest number of forward passes are the ones who do the most exploring. In other words, they’re reading the game and playing it at the same time.

He bases the research on Sky Sports’ player cameras.

2:25 p.m.: We’re going from one extreme to the other. Baseball and statistics are inseparable, but soccer has been slow to adopt statistical analysis.

Geir Jordet, director of psychology at the Norweigan Centre for Football (soccer) Excellence is presenting some new research on “The Hidden Foundation of Field Vision in English Premier League Soccer Players.”

He explores the concept of field vision. How can some players make the right pass every time they get the ball? We’re about to find out.

1:50 p.m.: The panel discusses how difficult it is to predict how a young player will perform in the big leagues. There’s no exact science or measurement device that will predict which players will overperform or underperform at the top level.

1:40 p.m.: Posnanski says there’s a real divide in the way journalists cover baseball. He thinks younger writers — especially on the internet — are more versed in the “new language” of analytics, while mainstream media still focuses on wins, losses, errors and other 100-year-old statistics.

He thinks baseball coverage is currently changing and will continue to change with the times.

1:30 p.m.: Zaidi says analytics are changing the way the game is played and how managers manage.

McCracken adds that managers tend to want to avoid risk. If he plays a star player and the player doesn’t deliver, “it’s the player’s fault.” If the manager plays an untested rookie and the youngster fails, “it’s the manager’s fault.”

1:20 p.m.: When asked what the newest developments in baseball analytics, Keri says that teams are increasingly privatizing and keeping data in house. McCracken thinks this will slow the growth of the baseball analysis.

He goes on to say that video analysis is the next frontier in the field.

Zaidi says baseball analysis is too tied to outcomes rather than skills themselves. The A’s are trying to move in the direction of skill-based analysis rather than outcomes (which are the results of those skills).

1:15 p.m.: Zaidi drew chuckles from crowd when he said Billy Beane calls him “The Emotional Stat Guy.”

He adds that baseball decisions are very complex and there are a lot of disagreements, but Beane has to make the final call at the end of the day.

1:10 p.m.: Posnanski says that baseball provides new things to measure and quantify almost every day. Where some sports might see diminishing returns from the avalanche of data, he thinks that won’t be the case in baseball.

McCracken thinks the data can be dangerous. Some take a new stat and run with it without “completely understanding” the data that they’re seeing.

12:55 p.m.: We’re getting set for one of the most anticipated panels of the first day — on baseball analytics.

Sabermetrics are gaining influence among baseball’s decision makers. Grantland staff writer Jonah Keri, NBC Sports writer Joe Posnanski, statistical analyst Voros McCracken and Oakland Athletics director of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi will discuss how teams are using analytics to gain a competitive advantage. ESPN’s Lindsey Czarniak will moderate.

11:20 a.m.: Polian and MacMullan talk about the Manti Te’o hoax and its effect on the player.

The former Colts general manager thinks the hoax won’t have a negative impact on his career over the long term.

“The hoax that he was a victim of  is a story, and it’s a gigantic story —  people can’t get enough of it,” Polian says. “Does it affect Manti Te’o the football player? I would submit to you absolutely not.”

MacMullan agrees with that assessment, but she thinks the hoax has had negative effects on his preparation for the NFL combine.

“He was probably not capable of preparing the way he would have liked to have because of all the outside noise and all the outside things that have happened to him.

“I don’t know this for a fact, but perhaps he may have under-performed at the combine because anyone that went through what he went through, regardless of how much you think he was involved or not involved, it had to have been devastating. There had to have been a lot of sleepless nights. There had to have been a lot of days he probably didn’t eat, and I’m sure a lot of days he didn’t work out the way he wanted to.”

11 a.m.: Pagliuca talks about the perspective owners and managers need. The best ones see things over an 82-game season “like a movie.”

Polian talks about a parallel universe we live in. Fans and media expect perfection over the course of an 82, 16 or even 162-game season. Professionals know that perfection is “almost never achievable,” and coaches teach against mistakes that are part of the business.

10:50 a.m.: Burke and Van Gundy have spoken about the most difficult aspect of their jobs as coaches and general managers.

They agree that the hardest part is cutting players — guys that “bleed for you” as Burke says. The human element, specifically the bonds that form in the locker room are tough to break.

10:45 a.m.: Burke likes hard coaches. They’re his favorite ones. But the former Toronto Maple Leafs president and general manager says “the harder the coach is, the shorter his shelf life.”

10:40 a.m.: Pagliuca tells us that one of the best decisions the Celtics have made (since he’s been one of the team’s owners) was not firing Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers in the 2006-07 season.

10:20 a.m.: Van Gundy is discussing the Dwight Howard saga in Orlando. He says Howard asked for him to be fired and was causing a problem in the Magic locker room.

He wished Magic management would come out with a statement — either back him with a new contract or fire him — and end the distraction. They didn’t.

Polian says Jim Finks, Red Aurebach and Branch Rickey are the three greatest executives in history. He adds that coaches are useful for a maximum of 10 years. The ones that are able to “recognize and prepare them [players] are the ones that last longest.”

10 a.m.: “It’s Not You, It’s Me: Break-Ups in Sports” is our first panel of the day. Moderator Jackie MacMullan will lead a discussion about high-profile trades, public disputes over hirings and firings and other media spectacles.

John Buccigross, Bill Polian, Steve Pagliuca, Brian Burke and Stan Van Gundy will explore how high-profile changes affect on-field performances.

9 a.m. ET: In the span of seven years, the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has become the place to be.

Sports insiders,  executives and leading researchers from around the country and beyond descend on Boston for two days  to discuss role of analytics in the sports industry with each other and thousands of students.

The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center is the site of this year’s conference. Nate Silver, Brian Burke, Adam Silver, Mark Cuban, Jonathan Kraft and Michael Wilbon are just a few of the panelists that will be on hand to give and receive insight into how sports are being changed by “big data.”

We are on hand for the 2013 conference, looking to see where the next breakthrough in sports analytics will come from. Join us here on March 1 for the latest on sports data analysis.

Have a question for Marcus Kwesi O’Mard? Send it to him via Twitter at @mkomard, his Facebook page or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.

Photo via Facebook/MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

The Celtics are conducting “preliminary talks” with the Los Angeles Lakers about swapping Rajon Rondo for Dwight Howard, according to CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger. While Berger points out that the deal “hasn’t gained any traction,” it seems like, at the very least, the Lakers and Celtics are talking about the possibility of trading two of their biggest stars.

While the two teams may not be ready to pull the trigger on the potential blockbuster just yet — considering Rondo is out with a torn ACL and Howard is playing at less than 100 percent — the two rivals might be willing to revisit the deal this offseason.

“It’s possible that the talks could be tabled until after the season,” Berger writes. “In that case, Howard would have to agree to a sign-and-trade to the Celtics.”

There would need to be some serious cap maneuvering by both teams to get a deal done involving the two stars, since Rondo makes just $11 million in salary while Howard is on the books for closer to $20 million per year.

While Jackson’s agent said shortly after Johnson’s firing that his client wasn’t interested in the gig, a new report has surfaced stating otherwise.

Jackson, an 11-time NBA champion coach, would be interested in exploring the possibility of coaching the Nets “for sure,” a person with knowledge of his thinking reportedly told CBSSports.com. Jackson is reportedly one of several candidates in play, and he would want to explore all aspects of the job before expressing a willingness to take it.

According to the CBSSports.com report, the same source also indicated that coaching in New York is a situation that would intrigue Jackson because he “has a lot of history there.”

Jackson, who turned 67 in September, won six titles with the Bulls and five with the Lakers. He was rumored to be a candidate for the Lakers’ head coaching vacancy earlier this season, but Los Angeles instead opted for Mike D’Antoni.

With Steve Nash still sidelined with a leg injury, and his status very much unclear at this point, the Lakers are believed to be considering free-agent options. Among those options is Delonte West, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein.

The Lakers are reportedly weighing the pros and cons of creating a roster spot for West, who was released by the Mavericks in October following two separate team-imposed suspensions.

West undoubtedly has the talent to play in the NBA. Capable of playing at both the one or the two, West has been a solid contributor when healthy. However, in addition to injury woes, West has been plagued by some off-the-court issues throughout his career, and they may actually stem from his battle with bipolar disorder.

The 29-year-old guard averaged 9.6 points and 3.2 assists in 24.1 minutes per game over 44 contests with the Mavericks last season. He has also spent time with the Celtics, Cavs and Sonics over the course of his eight-year NBA career.

Stein reports that the Lakers could also take a look at Mike James and Jonny Flynn while exploring free-agent point guard options, although West might be atop their Christmas list. Los Angeles would have to trim its roster either way, though, as it’s currently full with 15 players.

No firm decisions made yet but Lakers, I’m told, ARE weighing pros and cons of creating roster spot to sign Delonte West to ease PG crisis

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) December 12, 2012

Sense I get is that D-West, widely regarded as top available PG, is at the top of Lakers’ list … but word is they’ll indeed look around

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) December 12, 2012

Two other available PGs that I have to believe Lakers will look at in addition to exploring trade options: Mike James and Jonny Flynn

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) December 12, 2012

According to The Boston Globe, the Celtics have considered bringing in Erick Dampier for a look, but all remains quiet on the Kenyon Martin front.

“We’ve done a thorough analysis of the marketplace,” Martin’s agent, Andy Miller, said, “and at this stage, Kenyon is obviously biting at the bit for an opportunity to get back in and show his wares. So we’ve broadened our scope from where we were originally, and that was obviously on the heels of free agency opening up. We wanted to be with a playoff-bound team and have a significant role.”

Miller also noted in the report that he has not had any conversations about Martin with Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge since July.

Martin, who turns 35 at the end of the month, played for the Clippers in 2012, averaging 5.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-9 forward has always been an impressive defender, though, so it’s rather surprising that he remains unsigned.

Dampier, a 6-foot-11 big man, received very few minutes in 15 games with the Hawks last season. The 37-year-old has also played for the Heat, Mavericks, Warriors and Pacers. He averaged a career-high 13.7 points and 13.3 rebounds per game with Golden State back in 2003-04.

Check out 10 big men who could be on Celtics’ wish list>>

Photo via Flickr/Keith Allison

David Stern

Perhaps the grief will soon subside, though. According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, league sources have indicated that Stern is determined to get a franchise back to Seattle between now and his 2014 departure.

Obviously, a lot would have to happen before the second coming of the Seattle SuperSonics — or whatever it is that they'll be called — take the hardwood, but it's at least some encouraging news for those Pacific Northwest NBA fans still reeling from their team's move to Oklahoma City. The team, of course, relocated after the 2007-08 season.

Wojnarowski reports that Stern has become a strong ally of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's group, which is reportedly trying to buy the Kings in an effort to move the franchise to Seattle.

So, for now, the disappointment in the Emerald City still lingers. But hang tight, because there could be hope.

Click here to see the top 10 controversial moments of David Stern's NBA career >>

According to Yahoo! Sports' Marc Spears, Arenas is close to signing a one-year deal in China with the Guandong Southern Tigers.

Arenas, who is currently a free agent, was amnestied by the Magic before the start of last season. He eventually appeared in 17 games with the Grizzlies. His impact was minimal, though, as he averaged just 4.2 points in 12.4 minutes per game.

The 30-year-old was once one of the NBA's premier scorers, averaging a career-high 29.3 points per game with the Wizards in 2005-06. He was selected to three All-Star Games from 2005-07, but his career has been on a bit of a downward spiral ever since.

Perhaps a change of scenery could prove to be the right move. Hey, it worked for Stephon Marbury.

Despite an offseason in which the Lakers brought in Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to compete for a championship, there are reportedly some who believe the team could already be targeting LeBron James.

According to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst, several teams' executives have said they believe the Lakers are positioning themselves to make a run at James in 2014, when the reigning MVP can choose to become a free agent.

Now, it should be noted that this report is really speculative at this point, as only those in the Lakers' front office truly know whether or not James' name has come up in talks about the future. But it's an interesting idea, nonetheless.

Kobe Bryant has said in the past that he could retire after two more seasons, meaning — as Windhorst points out — his $30.4 million, Pau Gasol's $19.2 million, Metta World Peace's $7.7 million, Steve Blake's $4 million and Jordan Hill's $3.5 million are slated to come off the books. That would leave Steve Nash ($9.7 million) and Howard, if he is eventually re-signed, as the only players signed for that season.

Obviously, a lot can change between now and then, and James is technically signed through 2016 and could choose to stick around in Miami. But observers around the league reportedly expect James to opt out of his contract after the 2014 season no matter what, which would make the superstar a free agent once again.

"It's not a mistake that all those deals end the same year Kobe's does. They have probably been planning for their next phase for a while," one general manager told ESPN.com. "The Busses and [Lakers GM] Mitch [Kupchak] are always thinking about the next big deal."

That next big deal would be a huge deal.

The Celtics are among the teams to have Martin "on their radar," MSG's Alan Hahn reports on Sulia. The rival Knicks are also reportedly interested in the 34-year-old.

The problem that the Celtics — and other teams — are running into, however, is meeting K-Mart's financial desires. Martin has reportedly remained steadfast on not accepting the veteran's minimum, which decreases Boston's chances of signing the former All-Star.

CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely described the Celtics' chances of signing Martin as "slim to none," and SI.com's Sam Amick reported last week that while the Celtics and Lakers have shown interest in the power forward, there's questions about whether Martin will opt to sit out or retire if he doesn't get the deal he wants.

Martin, a well-respected defender, averaged 5.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 22.4 minutes per game over 42 contests with the Clippers last season.

Photo via Wikipedia/Kenyon Martin

Three NBA teams have expressed major interest in Pietrus, and two of the teams "seem motivated to get a deal done," according to CSNNW.com. The 30-year-old reportedly also has a strong overseas option on the table that contains an escape clause.

Pietrus played in 42 games with the Celtics last season as he battled injuries. According to CSNNW.com, the French surgeon who performed arthroscopic knee surgery on Pietrus in the summer of 2011 didn't remove a large piece of cartilage, which caused Pietrus to suffer excruciating pain and forced him to play 80 percent on one leg last year. He also had his right knee scoped this summer, so it seemed for a while that
teams were being very cautious when it came to showing interest in the
veteran swingman.

When healthy, Pietrus has been an effective role player, though, so perhaps it's time for someone to take a flyer. Pietrus reportedly feels "10 times better than last season," and while the overseas option is on the table, it's believed that he prefers to play in the NBA.

Pietrus had stops with the Warriors, Magic and Suns before joining the Celtics last season. He's averaged 8.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game throughout his nine-year NBA career.

It's unclear how much Pietrus is seeking in free agency, but his agent said in July that Pietrus is not a "veteran's minimum player."

E'Twaun Moore

Moore, who was dealt away by the Celtics this offseason as part of the deal that netted Boston Courtney Lee, has been searching for a new home after getting waived by the Rockets. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Moore has agreed to contract terms with the Magic, and the team will announce the move in the near future.

Moore played sparingly with the C's in his rookie campaign in 2011-12. He appeared in 38 games and averaged 2.9 points in 8.7 minutes per contest. He should see increased playing time in Orlando, however, which will give him an opportunity to show off whatever potential he may have.

"There's an opportunity there in Orlando, and I think he wanted to seize the opportunity," Mark Bartelstein, Moore's agent, reportedly said. "Both [Magic general manager] Rob Hennigan and [Magic assistant GM] Matt Lloyd did a great job of recruiting him, making their pitch and explaining why it'll be a great fit."

Moore's deal with the Magic is reportedly expected to be for two seasons. The 23-year-old was drafted in the second round (55th overall) out of Purdue in 2011.

Photo via Facebook/E'Twaun Moore

Scalabrine is in line to join Tom Thibodeau's Bulls coaching staff, according to CSNChicago.com.

Former Bulls assistant coach Rick Brunson took a position with the Bobcats, which created an opening for Scalabrine. Former Magic assistant Steve Clifford was reportedly considered for the job, but he opted to join Dwight Howard — whom he coached in Orlando — out in Los Angeles. That reportedly makes Scalabrine the front-runner for the gig.

Scalabrine previously expressed a desire to keep playing, but there's a chance he didn't generate much interest. The 34-year-old played in just 46 games over the last two seasons with the Bulls, averaging 1.1 points in less than 5 minutes per contest.

Even while his playing career was in jeopardy, though, Scalabrine managed to stay around the game as an analyst for the Celtics, and his basketball IQ should be an asset to Thibodeau's staff.

Photo via Facebook/Brian Scalabrine

The Thunder, Bulls, Wizards, Nuggets and Grizzlies have all been mentioned as possible suitors for Redd, according to FOX Sports Ohio's Sam Amico.

Redd, a 2004 All-Star, has averaged just 28 games the past four seasons. That includes appearing in just 18 games in 2009-10 and 10 games in 2010-11 — his last two seasons with the Bucks before signing with the Suns as a free agent last season.

Redd averaged 8.2 points in 15.1 minutes in 51 games with Phoenix in 2011-12. The oft-injured swingman did enjoy a solid stretch in the early to mid 2000s, though, including a season in which he averaged 26.7 points per game in 53 contests.

Photo via Wikipedia/Michael Redd

That's the way things are looking, according to ESPN's Marc Stein, who is reporting that a phone call to process the trade with the league office is scheduled. The deal involves four teams — the Lakers, Magic, 76ers and Nuggets.

The Lakers will receive Howard while Andre Iguodala heads to the 76ers. Philadelphia will get Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson, and the Magic will acquire Aaron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic and one protected first-round draft pick from each of the other three teams. Orlando will also receive some cap flexibility, as Howard was set to make $19 million in 2012-13 while Richardson was owed $12 million through 2014, with a $6.5 million player option in 2014-15.

Pau Gasol is not being traded, according to Stein, so the Lakers will enter next season with a lineup featuring Howard, Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. Look out, rest of the NBA.

After Dwight Howard trade talks managed to stay out of the news for a brief period of time, it looks like speculation is once again about to pick up.

Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Magic, Lakers, Nuggets and 76ers are engaged in four-way talks about a blockbuster deal involving Howard, which would send the center to Los Angeles to team up with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash.

The four teams have reportedly been engaged in talks for several days, and while no deal is imminent, sources tell Wojnarowski that the discussions have substance.

There are reportedly a number of moving parts in the ongoing talks, but the basic framework of a possible deal would involve Howard and Nuggets forward Al Harrington going to the Lakers, Sixers guard Andre Iguodala going to the Nuggets, Lakers center Andrew Bynum going to the Sixers, and Lakers forward Pau Gasol and Nuggets guard Arron Affalo going to the Magic.

The Magic would reportedly also receive draft picks and salary cap relief as part of the proposed deal.

Bynum may seem like the more attractive option talent-wise, but Wojnarowski reports that the Magic would have a better chance of moving Gasol in another deal to get further assets, and landing the Spanish big man would also eliminate the concern over whether Bynum would ink a long-term extension with Orlando.

It’s also noted in Wojnarowski’s report that Bynum’s and Gasol’s potential destinations could be fluid in the talks, but that in any event, one would go to Orlando while the other goes to Philadelphia.

We’ve seen plenty of rumors involving Howard this offseason, so we should probably tame our excitement at this point. However, talks have reportedly “grown serious” over the course of this week.

Photo via Flickr/Keith Allison

Kenyon Martin

Martin is considering the Lakers and Nets in free agency, according to Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick.

The forward is reportedly holding up signing with a new team, though. This comes despite him having lost most of his negotiation leverage in the wake of other frontcourt free agents signing for the veteran's minimum.

As Amick points out, Martin joins the likes of Leandro Barbosa, Jermaine O'Neal, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus, Josh Howard, Michael Redd, Louis Amundson, Joel Przybilla and Anthony Tolliver as players waiting longer than normal for a job.

Martin averaged 5.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 22.4 minutes per game with the Clippers last season. Those all represent career lows, but he was still very efficient and could be a nice piece off the bench for a contending team.

First, Martin will have to realize where the market stands.

Photo via Flickr/Keith Allison

According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, Minnesota is working to complete a three-team deal that would give them cap space to pursue free agent Andrei Kirilenko. Kirilenko is reportedly considering a return to the NBA, and would like to make his decision before the Olympics.

The T-Wolves are reportedly helping facilitate a trade that would send Phoenix' Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick to the New Orleans Hornets. Minnesota would reportedly send Wesley Johnson and a lottery-protected first-round pick to the Suns as part of the deal.

Kirilenko returned to Russia last season, and was eventually named the 2012 Euroleague MVP and selected to the All-Euroleague First Team. He last played in the NBA in 2010-11, averaging 11.7 points per game with the Jazz — the team with which he's spent all 11 of his NBA seasons.

Kirilenko is reportedly seeking in the vicinity of $8 million annually, and has ruled out the Brooklyn Nets because of their inability to pay him any more than the veteran's minimum.

Photo via Facebook/Andrei Kirilenko

According to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard, Orlando is telling rival executives that Howard might not be traded after all. An executive who has had discussions with the Magic regarding Howard reportedly said they will only trade the six-time All-Star in a deal that's great for the franchise — a stance they've reportedly had for a "week or so."

There is definitely the possibility that this is all an effort by Orlando to gain leverage in ongoing negotiations. Perhaps by stating that Howard won't be dealt, a team will finally offer up what the Magic are looking for in exchange for their star center.

Broussard reports, however, that another executive who has talked with Orlando said he thinks the Magic may start the season with Howard and wait until the trade deadline in February to move him.

Holding onto Howard until February perhaps could land the Magic a better deal, but it's hard to imagine the big man returning to Orlando after everything that's gone on this offseason. Last season wasn't pretty in its own right, and that was before the saga really kicked into high gear.

The overriding sense, according to Broussard, is that Howard may not be moved for weeks, if not months.

And here we thought — or at least hoped — the end was near.

But Thursday brought about some good news for the C's, as it appears that Lee will be headed to Boston after all.

The Houston Rockets have agreed to trade Lee to the Celtics for second-year forward JaJuan Johnson, E'Twaun Moore, Sean Williams and a second-round pick, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. 

Lee, who was drafted 22nd overall by Orlando in 2008, will now join his fourth NBA team. Although he's been a solid contributor during his four seasons, Lee has been unable to secure a permanent role with either the Magic, Nets or Rockets.

Joining a veteran crew in Boston, Lee does bring some playoff experience with him as he was a starter on the Magic's 2009 NBA Finals team.

Lee has become best known as a deadly shooter and solid perimeter defender during his short pro career. He's averaged 11.4 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting nearly 39 percent from three-point land. His role in Boston will likely be as a backup to Avery Bradley at shooting guard, and he'll be relied on along with Terry to help boost the scoring on the second line.

The departing Johnson, a first-round pick traded from the Nets on draft night in 2011, didn't get much run with the C's last year, averaging just 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 36 regular season games.

Johnson is not a traditional big man but still has a great deal of potential on the interior. The Rockets likely see Johnson as depth in their frontcourt, and he should see a fairly significant rise in playing time with Houston.

Moore, who was expected to take on a much larger role in Boston's backcourt next season, scored 2.9 points over 38 games with the Celtics last season after beign taken 55th overall out of Purdue in 2011. Williams didn't sign with the Celtics until near the end of the 2012 season, and played just three regular season games with the C's. The second-round pick in the deal is also supposedly the one Boston received from Oklahoma City earlier in the offseason in return for the Jeff Green's health problems.

Photo via Facebook/Courtney Lee

The Celtics have expressed some interest in Delfino, according to CSNNE.com.

Boston, of course, lost Ray Allen to the Miami Heat, and O.J. Mayo, who was rumored to be of interest, is slated to become a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Courtney Lee is another guard the Celtics have been linked to, but the C's might not be able to afford him now that Jason Terry has signed for the midlevel exception.

Delfino, who has played the last three seasons in Milwaukee, averaged 9 points while shooting 36 percent from beyond the arc in 28.5 minutes per game last year. He averaged a career-high 11.5 points and 32.4 minutes per contest for the Bucks in 2010-11.

The Celtics would only be able to offer Delfino their bi-annual exception, which is worth about $1.9 million, if they're unable to work out a sign-and-trade with the Bucks. That could make it difficult to bring in the 6-foot-6 swingman, but the possibility is at least out there.

Photo via Flickr/Keith Allison