Dwyane Wade says he keeps hearing his name mentioned in trade rumors involving the Bulls and Miami Heat. Would the Bulls give up the No. 1 draft position to the Heat in exchange for Wade and the No. 2 overall selection? Or some combination of other players and picks? "I have heard my name being talked about, and I can't worry about it," Wade said Monday at the Attack Athletics training facility on the West Side. "There is one thing in this league that you have no control over. If another organization wants you, then you should feel good to be wanted." Chicago Tribune
When he is not dealing with trade rumors and tabloid gossip regarding personal relationships with the likes of Star Jones, Wade has been rehabbing his body at Tim Grover's elaborate facility. "Not just for now, but for the rest of my career I want to make sure my body is strong," Wade said. Chicago Tribune
Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that Flip Saunders will not return next season as the team's head coach. "Decisions like this are difficult to make, especially with the success we have had throughout the last three regular-seasons," Dumars said. "However, at this time, I feel it is necessary to make a change. I thank Flip for his hard work and dedication, but it is time for a new voice to lead our team." InsideHoops.com
Flip Saunders was fired as Detroit Pistons coach Tuesday, four days after his team was eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. AP/MBNBC
Alonzo Mourning, whose season ended when he suffered severe knee and leg injuries in a game in December, said that if his body gets healthy, he'd like to play one more season before finally calling it a career. "I just want to get my body right to do it. I need to get my body where my mind is," said Mourning, while appearing at Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor's charity golf event. Mourning, 38, has said several times previously that a return wasn't out of the question - but yesterday's comments may have been his strongest yet. AP/Philadelphia Inquirer
"I want to come back and play another year," Zo said at Jason Taylor's charity golf event Monday. "I just want to get my body right to do it. I need to get my body where my mind is." Recall that after the regular season Mourning said he'd need four or five months to decide whether his knee would allow him to return. That means the announcement will probably come after Zo's Summer Groove Introducing D. Wade (previously Zo's Summer Groove), which is scheduled for July 9-13. Palm Beach Post
Gilbert Arenas told me that after looking at his contract today, he actually needs to file paperwork for opting out by June 20th, 10 days before the June 30th deadline. Free agency opens July 1. Arenas said he still plans on doing so as soon as late next week. He said he'll have a lawyer look it all over and make sure everything is tight. Washington Post
I asked Gilbert "why wait" at all and he responded with: "Just in case anything happens, I'll be covered." Translation: If the guy hurts the knee or gets hit by a bus, he'll still get $12.8 million next year. Washington Post
Arenas: "Actually, I'm going to be out of the country until the middle of July." He'll be traveling in China so other teams interested in making a play had better have a good cell phone signal. Washington Post
Yesterday, Arenas reiterated that he intends to opt out of the final year of a contract with the Wizards that would pay him $12.8 million. But he also said he'll wait until the June 30 deadline to file the paperwork with the NBA, which means it's going to be a long, flirtatious offseason, as he tries to extract a maximum-level contract; something in the neighborhood of $100 million over six years is what he would like, please. Washington Post
Arenas plans to represent himself in negotiations, which merely suggests the confidence he has in himself, and his ability to be both smart and winsome in dealing with Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld. "I'm not opting out to leave, I'm opting out to sign," he has said, as if that isn't a sly maneuver to have it both ways. Washington Post
First, let's consider the minuses. There is a seemingly compelling case to be made -- and some fans are making it -- that the Wizards don't need Arenas. When he was healthy and started 70-plus games in 2006-07, they went 41-41. This season they went 43-39, despite the fact that he made just 13 starts on his bad knee. There was a negligible difference in the team's shooting percentage, which hovered right around 45 percent during both seasons, or assists, averaging 19.6 per game this season, versus 20.2 in 2006-07. (Both seasons ended in first-round playoff losses.) Washington Post
Golden State has the 14th overall pick in the June 26 draft, and Nelson said the Warriors have no plans to trade their selection. He believes the draft is deeper and bigger than a year ago, and made no secret of his desire to add a big man to his roster. San Francisco Chronicle
Though he assumes that Baron Davis and the rest of the Warriors' core will be back, Nelson also admits that the new season will bring a new philosophy. Brandan Wright and Marco Belinelli, who rarely played during their rookie season, already have begun practicing in Oakland again, and Nelson insists they will be worked into the rotation. San Francisco Chronicle
