Heat guard Dwyane Wade spends the offseason in his Chicago-area hometown, but don't count on him becoming a Bull anytime soon. The Heat has no interest in trading Wade, a five-time All-Star and 2006 Finals MVP -- not even for the No. 1 pick, three sources close to Wade and the Heat said Tuesday. The reaction came a day after Wade, speaking to reporters after a workout in Chicago, said he heard rumors the Bulls had interest in trading for him. Miami Herald
''I have heard my name being talked about, and I can't worry about it,'' Wade reportedly told the Chicago Tribune on Monday. ``If another organization wants you, then you should feel good to be wanted.'' Wade can opt out of his contract in two seasons and become a free agent. Miami Herald
Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace are most likely to go. Rip Hamilton and Antonio McDyess are most likely to stay. Tayshaun Prince falls somewhere in between. I will explain all that in a second. But first, a word about the coach: Detroit Free Press
Billups has four years left on his contract, but the last year is not guaranteed. He is owed $36.3 million over the next three years - reasonable by the NBA's unreasonable standards. So he is highly tradeable. Detroit Free Press
Rip isn't going anywhere. He is still among the best in the NBA at using screens, and he is a rare player who can average 20 points per game without dominating the ball. Detroit Free Press
Rasheed Wallace, who refused to address his future with Pistons, apologized for being late before sitting down for a question-and-answer session moderated by espn.com columnist Scoop Jackson. And there were no bombshells there. Rasheed Wallace said it was tough sitting at home with the NBA Finals set to start Thursday. He said his biggest weakness was his "big mouth." And he didn't sound like somebody who wanted to leave Detroit, as he talked about how much he loved his chemistry with teammates Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups. Detroit Free Press
McDyess, who turns 34 next season and has two years and $14 million left on his contract, is probably the least likely to be moved. He's not likely to draw much interest. Prince and Hamilton are the youngest members of the Pistons' core group. Neither has an outrageous contract. Prince is due $31 million over the next three years and Hamilton is due $22 million over the next two, though he can opt out after next season. Detroit News
"I'll make a significant trade," Dumars, the Pistons' president of basketball operations, declared. "… "We have a core group of guys here that for the first time in six years I'm letting teams in the league know I'll do a deal. … I'm open for business." See that? None of the navel-gazing GM's and presidents often give the media. No hiding behind, "We'll sit down and take a look at things." Detroit Free Press
The name that is expected to be actively bandied about is that of starting point guard T.J. Ford. The point-guard combination of Ford and Jose Calderon was considered one of Toronto's strengths two season ago, but it turned into a bad chemistry experiment this year, particularly after Ford returned from a neck injury in February. National Post
Jose Calderon is a restricted free agent, but throughout the season, Toronto's president and general manager, Bryan Colangelo, said he was going to retain him. The Raptors have the right to match any offer Calderon gets from another team, a process that begins July 1. Ford drew interest around the league at last week's pre-draft camp in Orlando, although teams might try to lowball the Raptors given the guard's history of neck injuries. He has two years plus a player option for 2010-11 left on his contract, which totals US$25-million. National Post
The Raptors have several players with contracts that expire at the end of next season, and could likely offer an attractive package in an attempt to upgrade at the swingman position. The contracts of Rasho Nesterovic (US$8.4-million), Anthony Parker (US$4.55-million), Jorge Garbajosa (US$4.35-million), Joey Graham (a shade less than US$2.5-million) and Maceo Baston (US$1.97-million) all come off the books next year. Toronto could very well look to trade some of those deals to acquire a more productive player with a lengthier contract. National Post
While no one wants to come out say it on the record, the Raptors are listening very closely (but not shopping!) to offers for T.J. Ford and based one the activity at the Orlando pre-draft camp, there seems to be a legitimate (read not stiff; not bad contract; not bad guy) market for the oft-injured point guard, with as many as five or six teams making inquiries. The Raptors have had some conversations with Ford's agent, Arn Tellum, and he's being kept in the loop as both parties seek an amicable separation. There is also interest in Jose Calderon, but the Raptors seem more certain than ever that barring some absolute jaw-dropping offer, Calderon will stay with the club with Ford on the way out, though hopefully not for pennies on the dollar. Globe and Mail
The one-sided nature of the trade inspired a lot of people to believe that retired Memphis GM, Jerry West, a Lakers' legend, played a part in facilitating the deal. West was instrumental recruiting Wallace as his replacement in Memphis and still holds a close relationship with Heisley. His history in Los Angeles, especially his bond with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and star Kobe Bryant, made even the fair-minded cynical about the scenario. Yahoo
One source with knowledge of the process said the Bulls had made the most credible offer. For Gasol and Memphis' Hakim Warrick, the Bulls were willing to part with Andres Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, Thabo Sefolosha, possibly Adrian Griffin and draft picks. Yahoo
Warriors coach Don Nelson bristles at the notion that he doesn't develop young players adequately. For what may be his final season, he'll have no other choice. Nelson acknowledged over the weekend that he will return to the Warriors' bench for the 2008-09 campaign and finish off his contract at a salary of $5.1 million. On Tuesday, he insisted that he is comfortable with the idea of incorporating little-used 2007 draft picks Brandan Wright and Marco Belinelli into his rotation, even if it means risking a step backward in the Western Conference standings. Contra Costa Times
Don Nelson said he couldn't speculate what kind of impact this new Warriors order would have on star guard Baron Davis, who is weighing whether to opt out from the final year of his deal, passing up $17.8 million in the process. Davis was extremely disappointed at Golden State's inability to repeat as a playoff participant and may not want to wait on a franchise that's looking further down the road. Contra Costa Times
The plan has obvious implications for several other Golden State free agents. Second-year center Patrick O'Bryant made it clear during the season that he has no interest in returning to a Nelson-led team, and veteran forwards Matt Barnes and Mickael Pietrus might be pushed out in order to get the younger players more court time. Contra Costa Times