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

Kidd has agreed to join the New York Knicks, according to a report by ESPN's Marc Stein. The specifics of the deal have yet to be released, but it's likely that the money will be worth more than the reported three-years, $9 million the Mavericks were prepared to offer as of Thursday morning.

The 39-year-old point guard, who spent his first three seasons in the NBA with the Mavericks, has been with Dallas for the past five seasons. His numbers have dropped off considerably since joining the Mavs during the 2007-08 season, but he did play a big role in helping the franchise capture its first NBA championship in 2011.

Kidd averaged just 6.2 points and 5.5 assists per game last season — both career lows. He started all 48 games he played for the Mavs in 2011-12, but his minutes dropped off considerably to just 28.7 per night– also the lowest of his career.

Even at his advanced age in the NBA, Kidd can still be a valuable asset on most teams and can even provide the same spark of his younger years on occasion.

For the Knicks, Kidd should be a viable option to start at point guard and will likely be used as a tutor for Jeremy Lin, if he stays in New York. Otherwise, Kidd could be seen as a replacement for Lin, who has been offered a four-year, $30 million deal by the Houston Rockets.

Either way, Kidd should play an important role for the Knicks as he'll better supply the Big 3 of Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. He should also benefit the team in its quest to make it beyond the first round of the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2000.

The free agent point guard is now being wooed by the New York Knicks, according to Yahoo!’s Adrian Wojnarowski, and they have become the “frontrunners” to acquire his services.

According to the report, the 38-year-old Nash and the Knicks are “in the critical stages” of talks for a three-year deal worth between $27-$30 million that would be a result of a sign-and-trade with the Suns. In return, the Knicks would send Phoenix guards Iman Shumpert and Toney Douglas among other players.

Nash has also reportedly been extended a monster offer from Toronto to sign there, but Wojnarowski indicates it is Nash’s preference to play in New York if the Knicks can make it work.

Ray Allen

Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix was told that the Knicks and Heat are at the top of Allen's list if he doesn't re-sign with the Celtics, according to ESPN.com.

Jared Zwerling of ESPN.com reports that the Heat will be more attractive to Allen in the offseason, though, because they can offer more than the veteran's minimum of $1.4 million — which could be the Knicks' spending limit on free agents.

The Clippers reportedly could also be "more attractive" to Allen than the Knicks, because they too are a top team that can offer more money.

As mentioned, though, this all depends on whether or not Allen returns to the Celtics, where he reached three Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals — including winning one — in the last five years.

Allen, a 10-time All-Star, is the most illustrious 3-point shooter in the history of the NBA. Despite injury problems this season, which forced him to lose his starting job to Avery Bradley, we could see the 36-year-old knock down shots for a few more years.

Where Allen will be doing that shooting is still very much a mystery. But this recent report probably won't go over too well with Celtics fans.

Brown was fired after that horrific start in Charlotte and has been resting his mind and body in retirement ever since. But it looks like the 71-year-old will be once more roaming the sidelines. This time in the college ranks.

After less than two seasons away from the game, Brown is set to return to the hardwood as the head coach at Southern Methodist University after days of negotiations, according to ESPN.

Still the only coach to ever win both an NCAA national title and NBA championship, Brown will be taking over an SMU program that finished a dreadful 13-19 in 2011 and hasn't made an NCAA tournament appearance since 1993.

Brown will lead the Mustangs into a new era in the school's sports history, as SMU is set to join the Big East conference in the 2013-14 season.

The only remaining issues that need to be ironed out appear to be the rest of Brown's coaching staff. Brown has reportedly asked Illinois State head coach Tim Jankovich to fill the coach-in-waiting role, and the Redbirds coach is supposedly leaning towards taking the job.

Brown has also offered positions to Illinois assistant Jerrance Howard, regarded as one of the nation's top recruiters, and Kentucky assistant Rod Strickland, a former NBA player that spent the last year in an administrative role on John Calipari's staff.

During his 38-year coaching career, Brown has coached 13 different teams, including three prior stints in the college ranks. Brown won the NCAA national title in 1988 with Kansas, but left after the season for a return to the pros.

He finally won a ring in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. But Brown only lasted one more season in the Motor City, leading the Pistons back to the Finals, before jumping ship once more for the chance to coach the New York Knicks.

Brown is 1098-904 in his career on the NBA sidelines and 177-61 in college stints at both UCLA and Kansas. Brown actually started his coaching career at Davidson in 1972, where he lasted just one month and never coached a game before jumping ship for a chance to coach in the ABA –  a great precursor to his career.

Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Worjnarowski reports that the Knicks head coach has resigned, citing a source who said the decision is based on "conflicting visions of club's future."

According to Wojnarowski, assistant coach Mike Woodson will take over as the team's interim head coach.

Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick suggests that it D'Antoni's departure from the team was a "mutual decision."

Whatever the reason, D'Antoni's tenure was under siege of late, stemming over frustration with the team's play with Carmelo Anthony back in the lineup.

The Knicks had captured the country's attention earlier this year, but after Anthony returned the lineup to play alongside Jeremy Lin, the team has sputtered and fallen out of the playoff race in the East with six straight losses.

Deadspin reports a source has indicated D'Antoni could be headed to Washington or Charlotte, "otherwise he would not have left."

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is unhappy with head coach Mike D'Antoni, and it's becoming less and less likely that the two will be able to work together in New York moving forward, according to the New York Post.

"There are several indications the alliance is getting worse, not better," writes the Post's Marc Berman, "and it seems inconceivable both will be back with the Knicks next season."

Berman also writes that Anthony is "disgruntled" with the situation, and he opted not to join a huddle during a timeout on Monday night in the Knicks' loss to the Bulls. However, Anthony says that is nothing new.

Since Anthony returned to the Knicks lineup on Feb. 20, the Knicks have stumbled mightily, going 2-8 over that stretch. To put that in even more perspective, New York was 8-1 in the nine games prior to Anthony's return, a run that was keyed thanks in large part to the play of Jeremy Lin. 

Perhaps more than coincidentally, Anthony's return has coincided somewhat with a drop-off in Lin's level of play. The point guard is shooting just 39 percent from the floor and averaging 16 points per game since Anthony returned.

And according to Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com, New York will have him back. Sheridan is reporting that the Knicks picked up the $14.2 million option on Billups for the 2011-12 season on Wednesday.

The Knicks’ deadline to pick up the option or pay Billups a $3.7 million buyout was set to expire Friday.

In 21 regular season games with the Knicks, after coming over along with Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets, Billups reminded everyone that he wasn’t just a throw in player, averaging 17.5 point per game and 5.5 assists.

He's less encouraged about point guard Chauncey Billups.

Neither injured player practiced Thursday. Stoudemire stayed at home so driving wouldn't aggravate the pulled muscle causing the back spasms that kept him out of the second half of Game 2. Instead, Knicks trainers would come to him.

"You don't know until he wakes up," D'Antoni said of Stoudemire's status for Friday, when the Knicks return to Madison Square Garden trailing 2-0.

Billups underwent treatment for his strained left knee at the Knicks' training facility. He said he had a cortisone shot and had the knee drained Wednesday. Billups missed Game 2 after he was hurt on a drive to the basket near the end of the series opener.

"Just hoping for the best," Billups said.

Asked why he was less optimistic about Billups, D'Antoni said with a laugh, "He hurts more."

According to ESPN.com, things won't be getting easier for Carmelo Anthony's team, as two of his teammates and fellow playmakers, Chauncey Billups and Amare Stoudemire, could be out for Game 3 after sustaining injuries in the first two games.

Both players received MRI scans on Wednesday that confirmed Stoudemire has a pulled muscle in his back and Billups strained his left knee. Stoudemire is listed as day-to-day, while Billups is "questionable" for Friday's game.

Billups sustained his injury during an attempted layup in Game 1 and he was forced to sit out the second game of the series.

Stoudemire sat out the second half of Game 2 after complaining of back spasms. He claims he will be ready to play Friday.

"I should be ready for Game 3," he told reporters in Boston. "We'll see how it goes [Wednesday] and next day, but I'm pretty sure — I'm hoping — I'll be ready Friday."

Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni confirmed that Stoudemire will be ready to go.

"He should be OK Friday. … He just felt a little twinge," he said.

According to the Associated Press, Stoudemire will sit out his third straight game on Tuesday as the Knicks face off against top-seeded Chicago. The Knicks' power forward sprained his ankle last week in Philadelphia when he stepped on Sixers forward Thaddeus Young's foot while blocking a shot.

Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters that Stoudemire is still not at full strength, but he won't rule him out for Wednesday's final regular season game against the Celtics. The Knicks have secured sixth place in the Eastern Conference, however, so it may be a smart move for D'Antoni to rest his star until the playoffs.

The Celtics and the Knicks are scheduled to kick off their playoff series on Saturday at TD Garden in Boston.