Truth & Rumors > NBA

03:46 PM ET 05.20 | The Toronto Raptors are preparing to make Denver Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri a "major financial offer" to take over their basketball operations with current team president Bryan Colangelo moving to the business side of the franchise. Such an offer would likely provide Ujiri with a substantial raise upon his current contract with Denver, which is set to expire this summer. The Nuggets will presumably attempt to retain their star executive after he won NBA Executive of the Year this season, but it's clear Toronto ownership will be an aggressive suitor after Ujiri built a contender just years after trading Carmelo Anthony in a franchise-altering move. Colangelo won an Executive of the Year with Toronto in 2007, but couldn't build a consistent winner after numerous questionable moves, including the acquisition of high-salaried star player Rudy Gay this year.

Yahoo! Sports

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03:31 PM ET 05.20 | Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard may be considering a move to the Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks through free agency this offseason, but the crosstown Los Angeles Clippers won't be suitors for the big man. With players like Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan already under contract, it's expected that L.A. will try to retain point guard Chris Paul with its available cap space this summer. Paul is an impending free agent like Howard, but he's a stronger fit for the Clippers' roster and the general familiarity between the two sides makes him a more palatable option. Still, some analysts had wondered whether Howard could be a possible consolation prize for Los Angeles should Paul sign elsewhere. For now, it appears that's not a strong possibility.

ESPN Los Angeles

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07:10 AM ET 05.20 | What's next for Dwight Howard? With the Lakers hoping for a swift decision from [Howard] on his free agency this summer, the All-Star center has given no indication he will rush the process and has privately indicated that he plans to give strong consideration to multiple teams, league sources told CBSSports.com. ... [Word] already has spread to multiple levels of his support staff that Howard re-signing with the Lakers is far from a done deal. With six weeks to go before Howard becomes an unrestricted free agent, the team that is said to intrigue him the most is the Houston Rockets, according to multiple people briefed on internal conversations surrounding Howard's free-agent decision.

CBS Sports

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07:09 AM ET 05.20 | A J.R. Smith-Chris Smith combo package may be nearing reality in New York. The Post has learned point guard Chris Smith, J.R. Smith's brother who injured his knee during Knicks training camp, has fired his agent, Marc Cornstein, and will hire J.R.'s rep, CAA superagent Leon Rose, who also handles Carmelo Anthony. J.R. Smith is expected to opt out of his contract and re-sign with the Knicks in a four-year deal starting at about $5 million because the Knicks own his early-Bird rights rules. The Knicks could be outbid for J.R. Smith by an under-the-cap team, though it's unlikely considering his playoff flop. But having Chris Smith as part of the package has convinced the Sixth Man of the Year he wants to stay.

New York Post

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07:05 AM ET 05.20 | Meet the new Hornets -- same as the old Hornets? The Bobcats have started pursuing a name change to Charlotte's original NBA team, an informed source confirmed to the Observer. Though the Bobcats will need permission from the league to make such a change, incoming NBA commissioner Adam Silver has twice indicated that shouldn't be a problem. What's still in question is when the name change could be implemented and how extensively the Bobcats would assume the Hornets' old look. The source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, would not comment on whether the popular teal-and-purple color scheme would return to Charlotte.

Charlotte Observer

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