After the whirlwind of free agency has finally died down, the New Orleans Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul is concerned with his teams current situation. “He wants out,” a source told CBS Sports. “He wants to play with another superstar. He wants to follow LeBron’s model of teaming up with other great players.”

CBS Sports reports that the point guard would prefer getting traded to the New York Knicks, the Orlando Magic or the Los Angeles Lakers. It added that if Paul has his way, he’s played his last game in a Hornets jersey.

Paul still has two years left on his contract, but he has voiced to the Hornets that if the team can’t put a competitive team on the court, he wants out, and who can blame him. The Hornets have hired a new coach, Monty Williams, a new general manager in Dell Demps, and now huge crisis is already upon them. Hornets have started a youth movement around Marcus Thornton and Darren Collison, who flourished as rookies amidst all the injuries last season. David West and Emeka Okafor are solid big men, and James Posey, and Peja Stojakovic are still good contributors. With a healthy Chris Paul the Hornets could challenge for one of the bottom 4 playoff spots, but a championship is out of the question.

Kobe Bryant made trade demands in 07′ and he was rewarded with Pau Gasol, but of course that was the Los Angeles Lakers. New Orleans attempt at keeping Paul happy seems limited and a longshot, but I still believe he will remain with the Hornets through the 10-11′ season.

But what if they did trade him???

Paul has limited chance of joining the defending champs in Los Angeles due to the players the Hornets would get in return, so lets not ponder that nightmare.

The Magic and Knicks both have the players, but the Houston Rockets have all the Knicks picks, so the Magic seem to be in the drivers chair. Also, teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Houston Rockets have the pieces to make a deal work.

Can’t help but feel a tad sad for Paul watching all his friends sign with teams that they wanted too, while he hangs out in the French Quarter with Peja. Bummer.

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The Atlanta Hawks offered Joe Johnson 6 years, and $119 million dollars. Joe Johnson vanished from the Hawks in the Playoffs last year, and lashed out at Hawks fans for their criticism of his poor play. Owners are quick to complain about player salaries, but are quick to deal out ridiculous contracts.

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It would appear the Milwaukee Bucks have some deep pockets, or a limited intelligence. Either way the Bucks are looking to expound on their success from last year:

Adrian Wojnawroski is reporting that Drew Gooden has signed a five-year, $32 million dollar deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.  WOW!

Bucks have also re-signed John Salmons for $39 million over five seasons.

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Los Angeles Lakers report the signing of a mega free agent Phil Jackson. “Count me in,” said Jackson. “After a couple weeks of deliberation, it is time to get back to the challenge of putting together a team that can defend its title in the 2010-11 season. It’ll be the last stand for me, and I hope a grand one.”

A member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Jackson established a new Lakers franchise record for regular season victories earlier this year, earning his 534th career victory with a win over the Charlotte Hornets on February 3. The fastest coach to 1,000 career victories, his total of 1,098 regular season wins ranks him fifth all-time while his .705 winning percentage is the best in league history. Additionally, Jackson ranks first all-time in NBA postseason history with a .697 winning percentage (225-98). His 225 playoff victories are also the highest postseason win total for any head coach in league history.

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Minnesota Timberwolves reach agreement in principle with Darko Milicic on a 4 year $20 million deal. In other words desperate times call for desperate measures. Darko must have the best agent in the world, or the Timberwolves are unaware who Darko is.

(Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

Ron Artest with the GREATEST postgame interview speech ever. Happy for Ron!

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The NBA got what it wanted, a seventh game in the Finals between the leagues two most cherished franchises. Kobe Bryant, the Finals MVP, scored 23 points despite 6-of-24 shooting, and the Lakers won their 16th NBA championship Thursday night, dramatically rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Celtics 83-79 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Pau Gasol had 19 points, and 18 rebounds. Ron Artest  added 20 points, 5 steals and was by far the MVP of Game 7. He held Paul Pierce to 5 of 15 shooting.

The first half was overwhelmed by each teams defense as the Celtics committed 8 turnovers and were out-rebounded on the offensive glass 15 to 2. The Lakers shot 26.5% in the first half and Ron Artest lead all scores with 12, and the score was 40-34. Los Angeles had the worst NBA Finals shooting percentage for a winning team in the shot-clock era.(32.5%)

Paul Pierce had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who just couldn’t finish the final quarter of a remarkable playoff run after a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Kevin Garnett added 17 points and Rasheed Wallace had 11.

Rajon Rondo finished 2 boards shy of his third triple double of the playoffs with 14 points, 10 dimes, and 8 boards.

Exactly two years to the day after Boston beat the Lakers by 39 points to clinch the 2008 title, Los Angeles got revenge for perhaps the most embarrassing loss of Bryant’s career.

The Lakers will hold a parade Monday, with the team riding floats from Staples Center down Figueroa Street to the USC campus in downtown Los Angeles. A rally at the Coliseum last year attracted 95,000 fans, but the Lakers are skipping the arena in favor of a more interactive celebration, the team said.

(Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

(Photo by Ronald Martinez-Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Lakers were in need of some home-cooking and in Game 6 they dominated the game from start to finish, winning 89-67. The NBA Finals will go a full 7 games for the second time in 16 years (2005 Pistons-Spurs).

Kobe Bryant aggressive from the tip scored 26 points, and had 11 boards.  Pau Gasol added 17 points and 13 rebounds, and 9 assists.  Boston had the second lowest-scoring performance in NBA Finals history. Only Utah’s infamous 54-point performance against Chicago in 1998 was worse than this offensive disaster.

Ron Artest rebounded from his poor offensive play with 15 points, and 3of 6 from beyond the arc.Lakers bench outscored Boston’s 25-11 and won the board battle 52-39.

Celtics appeared to be resting on the fact they only had to win one game, just not Game 6. Ray Allen lead Boston with 19 points, but the team shot 33% from the field and 21% from deep. Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Paul Pierce combined for only 35 points.

Kendrick Perkins injured in the first quarter, did not return. He suffered a right knee sprain, and will be re-evaluated tomorrow.

Thursday’s game will be only the 17th Game 7 in Finals history (out of 64 Finals) Series tied 3-3.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez-Getty Images)

Twenty-two NBA teams, including 11 that appeared in the 2010 NBA Playoffs, will compete in this year’s NBA Summer League. For the second consecutive year, a team of NBA Development League Select players will also participate in the action taking place at the Thomas & Mack Center and the COX Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Marketing partners included in the event are adidas, EA SPORTS, Gatorade and T-Mobile.

This year’s event will feature the Washington Wizards, who won the top overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. Other participating teams with top five selections in this year’s draft include the Minnesota Timberwolves(fourth overall pick) and the Sacramento Kings (fifth overall).

Additionally, 10 of the top 14 picks are expected to participate in Las Vegas this summer.

Joining the above-mentioned teams scheduled to appear in Vegas this summer are the Dallas Mavericks,Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers,Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards.

Tickets for the 2010 NBA Summer League are on sale and can be purchased by calling 702-739-FANS, through UNLVtickets.com or by visiting the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office and UNLV Ticket Outlets. All general admission tickets are $25 for the day; seniors and children (3-12) are $15 for the day; and children two years and under are admitted free of charge.

A complete broadcast schedule will be released at a later date.

Schedule after the jump.

2010 NBA Summer League Game Schedule:

Friday July 9

COX Pavilion

1 PM – Denver vs. Dallas

3 PM – Houston vs. Phoenix

5 PM – Detroit vs. LA Lakers

7 PM – Golden State vs. New Orleans

Saturday July 10

COX Pavilion

1 PM – Toronto vs. Phoenix

3 PM – LA Lakers vs. Denver

5 PM – Detroit vs. Golden State

7 PM – Dallas vs. Houston

Sunday July 11

COX Pavilion

1 PM – New York vs. Denver

3 PM – Portland vs. Houston

5 PM – Washington vs. Golden State

7 PM – Miami vs. New Orleans

Monday July 12

COX Pavilion

1 PM – LA Lakers vs. New York

3 PM – Sacramento vs. Detroit

5 PM – Dallas vs. Milwaukee

7 PM – Washington vs. LA Clippers

Thomas & Mack

3:30 PM – San Antonio vs. Minnesota

5:30 PM – Phoenix vs. NBA D-League

7:30 PM – Memphis vs. Atlanta

Tuesday July 13

COX Pavilion

1 PM – Denver vs. Chicago

3 PM – Cleveland vs. NBA D-League

5 PM – Milwaukee vs. Memphis

7 PM – Portland vs. New Orleans

Thomas & Mack

3:30 PM – Houston vs. Toronto

5:30 PM – Sacramento vs. LA Lakers

7:30 PM – Golden State vs. Miami

Wednesday July 14

COX Pavilion

1 PM – Denver vs. Houston

3 PM – New York vs. Toronto

5 PM – LA Clippers vs. Chicago

7 PM – Sacramento vs. Minnesota

Thomas & Mack

3:30 PM – Atlanta vs. San Antonio

5:30 PM – Cleveland vs. Phoenix

7:30 PM – Detroit vs. Miami

Thursday July 15

COX Pavilion

1 PM – LA Lakers vs. San Antonio

3 PM – Golden State vs. Phoenix

5 PM – Washington vs. Dallas

7 PM – LA Clippers vs. Portland

Thomas & Mack

5:30 PM – Atlanta vs. Milwaukee

7:30 PM – NBA D-League vs. Memphis

Friday July 16

COX Pavilion

1 PM – Detroit vs. New York

3 PM – Toronto vs. Sacramento

5 PM – Washington vs. New Orleans

7 PM – Memphis vs. Minnesota

Thomas & Mack

5:30 PM – Cleveland vs. Chicago

7:30 PM – Milwaukee vs. Miami

Saturday July 17

COX Pavilion

1 PM – New York vs. Washington

3 PM – Miami vs. Cleveland

5 PM – LA Clippers vs. San Antonio

7 PM – Minnesota vs. Portland

Thomas & Mack

3:30 PM – Toronto vs. New Orleans

5:30 PM – Sacramento vs. Chicago

7:30 PM – NBA D-League vs. Atlanta

Sunday July 18

COX Pavilion

1 PM – Cleveland vs. Milwaukee

3 PM – Chicago vs. Portland

5 PM – Dallas vs. Sacramento

Thomas & Mack

1:30 PM – San Antonio vs. Memphis

3:30 PM – Atlanta vs. Minnesota

5:30 PM – LA Clippers vs. NBA D-League

SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

All Times listed are local Las Vegas time.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Boston Celtics continue to turn to a different player each game to lead them and in Game 5 the Celtics captain Paul Pierce stepped forward. Pierce got the openings he had been denied all Finals, and lead the Celtics to a 92-86 win, to take a 3-2 series lead. Pierce was able to get separation from Ron Artest and scored a team leading 27 points.

Rajon Rondo finished with 18 points, 8 dimes, and a whopping 7 turnovers. Ray Allen was unable to get going from beyond the arc, but Ray Allen is still perfect form the free throw line(14-14).

Kevin Garnett scored 18 points with 10 boards. Celtics get the win shooting 13 less free throws.

The Celtics defense was reminiscent of 08′ at times throughout the game, but in the 3rd quarter Kobe Bryant tried to get his team over the hump single-handeely. He scored 23 straight Lakers points between the 4:23 mark of the second quarter until there was 2:16 left in the third. But that’s also the time when the Celtics built their biggest lead: Over that span, they expanded the lead from one point to 13. Bryant finished with 38 points.

Pau Gasol has nearly vanished from the Finals scoring 12 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.

Lakers head home for Game 6 on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, and a victory then or in Game 7 in L.A. on Thursday would give the Celtics a record 18th NBA championship.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers when asked about his teams chanches heading back to Los Angeles for Game 6, “We’ve played our best on the road all year.”

*SIDENOTE: The Houston Rockets trailed Knicks 3-2 going home in 1994 and won.  It took John Starks getting 3 blocked at end of Game 6 and shooting 2-for-18 in Game 7.

Celtics lead the series 3-2

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)