Free agent forward Louis Amundson has sparked interest from several teams, including the Lakers and Clippers, according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein.

Bartelstein said in an interview with the Los Angeles Newspaper Group that his client plans to finalize a deal with a team within the week, though he wouldn’t go into exact specifics what role and terms would best suit Amundson.

Amundson had meetings with the Lakers and Clippers and even worked out at the team’s respective facilities in recent weeks, but it remains unclear if he winds up playing in Los Angeles.

Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)

Basketball star Lamar Odom was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence early Friday after a California Highway Patrol officer saw his white Mercedes-Benz traveling erratically on a San Fernando Valley Freeway.

The husband of reality TV star Khloe Kardashian was stopped shortly before 4 a.m. and was arrested after a field sobriety test.

The CHP said Odom’s car was observed traveling in a ‘’serpentine manner” before he pulled off the freeway.

”Mr. Odom showed objective signs of intoxication and was unable to perform field sobriety tests,” the CHP said in a report. Authorities said he later declined to take a chemical test.

Reported by the Associated Press

The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that they have signed free agent forward Antawn Jamison.

Jamison is well past his prime and at this point is strictly backup material. That said, he’s a fantastic addition to any team’s frontcourt, as a supporting cast veteran.

Jamison, 37, is a two-time NBA All-Star (2005, 2008) and was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2003-04 while with the Dallas Mavericks. Jamison brings career averages of 18.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 1,061 career games (864 starts) to the Clippers.

A veteran of 15 NBA seasons with Golden State, Dallas, Washington, Cleveland and the Los Angeles Lakers, Jamison appeared in 76 games (six starts) with the Lakers last season and averaged 9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds. Jamison enters the 2013-14 season ranked ninth among active players with 19,958 career points and eighth in total rebounds with 8,102.

Originally drafted by the Toronto Raptors with the fourth overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft before being traded to the Warriors on Draft Night in exchange for college teammate Vince Carter, Jamison averaged 19.0 points and 9.9 rebounds in three seasons at the University of North Carolina. In his final collegiate season, Jamison was named the Naismith College Player of the Year and earned AP Player of the Year and the John R. Wooden Award after averaging 22.2 points and 10.5 rebounds.

Born in Shreveport, LA, Jamison was named to the 1998-99 All-Rookie Second Team and was a member of the USA National Team at the 2006 FIBA World Championships.

This hardly seems to be the episode Lamar Odom wants aired out on reality television.

Amid reports that Odom has suffered from drug addiction, it appears fewer and fewer teams are less interested in his services. After planning to officially sign veteran forward Antawn Jamison Wednesday at the veteran’s minimum worth $1.4 million, the Clippers no longer are interested in resigning Odom, according to a league source familiar with the team’s thought process.

Once Jamison’s signing becomes official, the Clippers will have 14 players under contract, one player shy of the NBA’s imposed maximum number of players allowed on a roster. But the Clippers plan to fill out the last roster spot at some point during training camp, which begins in late September, according to a source. The Clippers would welcome Odom to training camp, though it remains unclear if he’d be interested in just that. Odom’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, hasn’t responded to numerous requests for comment regarding his client in recent days.

Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)

Prosecutors have slapped down allegations that retired hoopster Scottie Pippen assaulted an autograph seeker outside a Malibu restaurant last June.

The Los Angeles District Attorney said Tuesday it will not press charges against the former Chicago Bull because the man who claims he was roughed up was legally drunk at the time, may have been the aggressor and did not have injuries consistent with the beatdown he claimed he suffered.

An investigator also found that while alleged victim Camran Shafighi complained of severe pain to his ankle and demanded a splint after the incident, staff at UCLA Medical Center later saw him walk without a limp.

The emergency room staff also said Shafighi faked seizures that would mysteriously disappear when a doctor ordered him to “stop it,” a DA filing obtained by the Daily News states.

Reported by Nancy Dillon of the New York Daily News

Antawn Jamison may have improved his odds of winning a first NBA title by moving to a team with zero championships.

The veteran free agent agreed to a one-year contract with the Clippers on Monday for the veteran’s minimum of about $1.4 million, bolstering a bench that last season was among the best in the league.

“Happy to stay in LA. But with the @LAClippers!” Jamison tweeted.

Jamison, a 15-year veteran who spent last season with the Lakers on another minimum deal, has stated his desire to play for a title contender at this point in his career. He has never reached the conference finals in previous stints with the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers and Lakers.

Reported by Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times

TMZ are one of the world’s leading kings of gossip. They have extremely good sources, and a long period of time have proven themselves to be right far more often than they are wrong.

That said, we at InsideHoops.com hope that the following report about Lamar Odom is inaccurate:

The marriage of Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom is in crisis, and TMZ has learned … the core reason is hardcore drug abuse.

Multiple sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ … Lamar has had a problem for 2 years. It got so bad, last August Khloe pressured Lamar to go to rehab. Lamar went to a facility in San Diego, but he was so resistant Khloe hired private investigators to secretly stand guard at the rehab place to make sure he didn’t leave. The P.I.s stood guard 24/7.

Our sources say Lamar constantly threatened to leave and Khloe made several visits to prevail upon him to stay. We’re told after 3 weeks, Lamar left for good.

Reported by TMZ.com

We wish the best for Odom, and will keep an eye on this story if anything additional develops. 

Chris Paul has already seemingly done the impossible by turning the long-languishing Los Angeles Clippers into a force in the Western Conference. Now he’s taken on another big task - rebuilding the reeling NBA players’ association.

Paul was elected president of the players’ union Wednesday, replacing Derek Fisher and giving an organization cloaked in turmoil some much-needed star power at the top.

The vote by NBA player representatives came six months after the union fired Billy Hunter as executive director, a position that remains vacant and follows about 18 months of in-fighting and drama that occurred during the negotiations for the latest collective bargaining agreement. Hunter countered with a wrongful-termination lawsuit in May, accusing Fisher of conspiring with NBA officials during the 2011 lockout.

”It’s not about me as president or the first vice president, it’s about the players as a whole,” Paul said in a conference call Wednesday night.

Reported by W.G. Ramirez of the Associated Press

A floor general in basketball is always important. But when you take a group of stars and try to teach them to also play like smart role players, leadership is even more crucial than ever. With that said, Team USA could really use a point guard like CP3.

Chris Paul has changed his mind and is leaning toward playing in the 2016 Olympics.

The Los Angeles Clippers point guard, who was on the 2008 and 2012 gold medal teams, said he was leaning heavily toward bypassing the 2016 Games — until Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski announced he was returning to coach the team.

“If it had been another coach than Coach K, I was prepared to be done,” Paul told ESPN.com.

Paul will be 31 when the 2016 Olympics, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, take place. He will still likely be a major piece for the team, despite a strong crop of young and talented point guards that includes Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry.

Reported by Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com

So far, Kevin Durant and Kevin Love are in. It’ll be fun seeing who else joins the squad.

Metta World Peace wants to play for the New York Knicks, according to a person close to the veteran small forward.

World Peace cleared waivers late Sunday afternoon, making him an unrestricted free agent. A source told ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst that the Knicks, who can offer him part of their taxpayer mid-level exception [roughly $1.7 million], already have reached out to the former Los Angeles Laker.

While the Knicks are World Peace’s first choice, he is also holding onto the Los Angeles Clippers and China’s Shanghai Sharks as possible teams to join next season.

World Peace spoke Sunday with Yao Ming about playing in Shanghai, a source said.

Reported by Chris Broussard of ESPN the Magazine

The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that they have signed first round draft pick Reggie Bullock. All first round picks are guaranteed to receive a contract, so this is standard.

Bullock, 22, was the 25th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. The guard was a Second-Team All-ACC performer during his third and final season at North Carolina. The 6-foot-7 inch Bullock averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 35 games with the Tar Heels, hitting 88 3-pointers, the third most in a single season in UNC history while shooting 46.3 percent from behind the arc.

Bullock was the Tar Heels third-leading scorer in 2012-13 and starred in the postseason, earning First-Team ACC All-Tournament honors.

A star at Kinston High School in North Carolina, Bullock finished his collegiate career with 188 3-pointers, the eighth most in North Carolina history, and appeared in 100 total NCAA games. In each of his three seasons at UNC, he posted improved numbers in minutes, points, rebounds, assists and field goal percentage.

The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired two future second-round draft picks as part of a three-team deal involving the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns, General Manager John Hammond announced today. As part of the trade, the Bucks re-signed free-agent guard J.J. Redick and dealt him to the Clippers, with Los Angeles sending Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler to Phoenix in exchange for Jared Dudley. Both the Clippers (2015 or 2016 with protections; 2017 unprotected) and Suns (2014 from Toronto) will send a future second-round pick to the Bucks to complete the deal.

“The addition of a very dynamic young player in Eric Bledsoe and an All-Star veteran in Caron Butler is very exciting for the Suns,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby.  “At the same time, we thank Jared Dudley, a consummate professional in every respect.  He takes our best wishes with him to the Clippers.”

“We are thrilled to add Eric and Caron to the Phoenix Suns,” said Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough.  “They were both key parts of the Clippers team that set a franchise record for wins last season and we are excited to add their athleticism, shooting, and leadership to our organization.”

Widely considered one of the best young guards in the NBA, and one of the league’s most highly sought-after players this offseason, Bledsoe is an athletic, two-way player entering his fourth NBA season.  Listed at 6-foot-1, the 23-year-old Bledsoe has a 78-inch wingspan and a 40-inch vertical leap.

Despite playing behind All-NBA First Team guard Chris Paul in 2012-13, Bledsoe averaged career highs scoring (8.5), rebounds (3.0) and steals (1.43) and added 3.1 assists in 76 appearances, 64 of which came in a reserve role.  In fact, the box-score-stuffing Bledsoe started 12 games a season ago and in those opportunities averaged 14.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.50 steals.  A high-level ball-handler who can create his own shot, as a starter Bledsoe averaged 4.1 free-throw attempts per game, which would have matched Suns guard Goran Dragic’s team-leading average from 2012-13.  Bledsoe is coming off a season in which he shot a career-best from both the field (.445) and three-point range (.397) last season.

Dudley, 28, appeared in 79 games (50 starts) for the Suns last season, averaging 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists. A San Diego native who attended Horizon High School, Dudley shot 39 percent from three-point range in 2012-13. He connected on 106 three-pointers last season, the third time in his career he has made 100 or more three-pointers in a season. The six-year NBA veteran brings career averages of 9.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 449 games (147 starts) for both the Charlotte Bobcats and Suns. He is also a career 41-percent shooter from beyond the arc and 80-percent from the free throw line. The former Boston College star was the 22nd overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Bobcats after earning Second Team All-American honors as a senior.

Redick, 29, averaged 14.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 78 games (13 starts) last season with the Bucks and Orlando Magic. A veteran of seven NBA seasons, Redick has appeared in 424 career games (54 starts) and owns career averages of 9.4 points, 2.0 assists while shooting 39 percent from three-point range and 88 percent from the foul line. Redick was the 11th overall selection of the 2006 Draft by the Magic after a decorated four-year collegiate career at Duke that saw him named the 2005-06 AP, John Wooden and Naismith College Player of the Year.

Butler is a two-time NBA All-Star (2007, 2008) and former 20-point scorer who has averaged double-digit scoring in 10 of his 11 NBA seasons.  A 6-7, 217-pound small forward, Butler owns career averages of 15.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.46 steals in 730 games (697 starts) with Miami (2002-04), the LA Lakers (2004-05), Washington (2005-09), Dallas (2010-11) and the LA Clippers (2011-13).

A former 2003 All-Rookie First Team selection, Butler has made six playoff appearances in 11 career seasons.  The UConn product averaged better than 20.0 points in both 2007-08 and 2008-09, including a career-high 20.8 points in the 2008-09 season.  Butler is entering the final season of a three-year deal signed with the Clippers on Dec. 9, 2011.

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed free agent forward Matt Barnes, guard Darren Collison, center Ryan Hollins and guard Chris Paul.

Paul, 28, re-signs with the Clippers after two scintillating seasons in L.A. The North Carolina native enjoyed another successful season in 2012-13, earning First Team All-NBA honors for the second straight season and his fifth overall All-NBA honor. Paul was the MVP of the 2013 All-Star Game and was also named a member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the second straight season. Paul appeared in 70 games (all starts) and averaged 16.9 points, 9.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.41 steals in 33.4 minutes. He led the league in steals per game and assists-to-turnover ratio while finishing second in the NBA in assists per game while leading the Clippers in assists, steals and free throws made. Paul earned the NBA Western Conference Player of the Month award for December after helping the Clippers to a 16-0 month and became the fourth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career points and 5,000 career assists before his 28th birthday.

A six-time NBA All-Star, Paul played the first six seasons of his career in New Orleans and was the 2005-06 NBA Rookie of the Year. The former Wake Forest star owns career averages of 18.3 points, 9.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 555 career games.

Barnes, 33, returns to the Clippers after having a career year in Los Angeles last season. The 10-year NBA veteran averaged a career-high 10.3 points in 2012-13 to go along with 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 25.7 minutes in 80 games (four starts). The UCLA product has played for eight NBA teams in his career and holds career averages of 7.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.7 steals in 640 games (182 starts).

Collison, 25, is another former UCLA star and a native of Rancho Cucamonga, CA where he attended Etiwanda High School. Collison joins the Clippers after appearing in 81 games (47 starts) for the Dallas Mavericks last season, averaging 12.0 points, 5.1 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 29.3 minutes. The four-year veteran started his NBA career in New Orleans where he was teammates with current Clipper Chris Paul. Collison brings career averages of 12.1 points, 5.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 296 games (219 starts) with the Mavericks, Indiana Pacers and Hornets.

Hollins, 28, returns to the Clippers after posting averages of 3.4 points and 2.3 rebounds over 11.1 minutes while playing in 60 games. A Pasadena, CA native and former standout at UCLA, Hollins owns career averages of 4.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 374 games (55 starts) with the Clippers, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Bobcats over his six-year career.

The Los Angeles Clippers today waived forward DaJuan Summers. The Georgetown product appeared in two games for the Clippers last season, averaging 1.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 3.5 minutes of action. Summers will play for the Clippers in the upcoming 2013 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

He was originally signed to a 10-day contract on March 15, 2013 and then for the rest of the season on April 4.

The Clippers continue to shape up their roster, this time agreeing to bring back one of their own free agents.

Free-agent Matt Barnes agreed Friday to a deal allowing the small forward to return to the team.

This caps a busy week for the Clippers after getting Chris Paul to agree to re-sign on Tuesday and doing a trade on Wednesday to acquire J.J. Redick from the Milwaukee Bucks and Jared Dudley from the Phoenix Suns.

Barnes will sign a three-year deal worth about $11 million, said NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the negotiations. The first two years of the contract will be guaranteed, the executives said…

The Clippers used part of the $5.1-million mid-level exception on Barnes, and it probably means they won’t be able to sign free-agent power forward Carl Landry, who walked away from a $4-million contract next season from the Golden State Warriors and was seeking at least that much in a new deal.

Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to sign swingman Matt Barnes to a three-year deal that will pay him close to $12 million, a league source told Yahoo! Sports.

Barnes, 33, averaged 10.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 25.7 minutes as a reserve for the Clippers last season while making $854,389. After playing for eight different teams during his 10-year NBA career, Barnes is happy to get some security.

Reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports

Any player that can make it rain from outside is worth adding to an NBA roster. One such talent is shooting guard J. J. Redick. A guy who can really shoot.

Unrestricted free agent J.J. Redick is being pursued by several teams, according to media reports.

And one of those teams with serious interest, according to ESPN.com and the Los Angeles Times, is the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Clippers have agreed to a maximum contract with starting point guard Chris Paul and are looking for shooters to complement him in the backcourt. Redick, acquired by the Bucks at the trade deadline in February, is one of the top shooters on the free-agent market.

Yahoo Sports reported that Redick met with Clippers coach Doc Rivers on Monday night.

Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Blog)

NBA free agent negotiations begin tomorrow, and the biggest name on the market is a little point guard. And as expected, even before his team managed to land coach Doc Rivers, CP3 is expected to stick with his squad and re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Chris Paul got off the NBA’s free-agent board about as quickly as he gets down the lane for the L.A. Clippers.

To no one’s surprise, Paul has decided to stay with the Clippers, where he’s running the show and can sign on July 10 for a maximum contract worth $107.3 million over five seasons.

Once the Clippers had obtained Doc Rivers in a trade with the Celtics last week, Paul’s future in Los Angeles was cemented. Paul’s representatives sent out word on Saturday night, more 24 hours before the start of free agency, that he would not entertain any offers from other teams.

With Paul off the board, the biggest name to hit the open market will be Dwight Howard, who was scheduled to meet with the Houston Rockets at 12:01 Monday morning. Howard doesn’t want to stay in L.A. and is expected to become a Rocket. He will meet over the next few days with the Mavs, Hawks, Warriors and Lakers.

Reported by Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News

Doc Rivers is one of only four active coaches who have won an NBA title — with Boston in 2008. His Celtics also reached the Finals in 2010, losing to the Lakers in seven games.

“Of all the coaches that were available, he was the best in my opinion,” All-Star forward Blake Griffin said by phone from a plane bound for Europe. “I’m really excited about this. I haven’t been this excited in a while. It gives us a strong guidance from a coaching staff.”

With Rivers officially on board, the Clippers’ next priority is to re-sign Chris Paul, who will become an unrestricted free agent Monday. They are expected to offer the All-Star point guard a maximum five-year contract worth $107.3 million. Rivers’ hiring almost certainly enhances the team’s chances of retaining Paul.

When the Clippers and Celtics first began negotiations, the proposed deal had Rivers and forward Kevin Garnett coming to L.A. for Clippers center DeAndre Jordan and a first-round pick.

But NBA Commissioner David Stern rejected that deal, saying it was illegal under the collective bargaining agreement for a player to be traded for a coach.

Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times

Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge thought Doc Rivers was going to be the next Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan or even Red Auerbach - coaches who stayed with one team for decades.

Rivers got the nine-year itch.

”He felt like it was time for a change. He felt like we all needed a change,” Ainge said on Tuesday night after the deal to allow Rivers out of his contract to coach the Los Angeles Clippers was final. ”That was his rationalization, or justification, for going to the Clippers: that this was better for everybody.”

After weeks of negotiations that at one time had Boston stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce joining Rivers in Los Angeles, the Celtics announced on Tuesday that the NBA approved the deal to allow their coach to go to the Clippers in exchange for a first-round pick in 2015. Ainge said in a news conference that he had not begun looking for a new coach because he couldn’t believe until late in the on-again, off-again process that Rivers was actually leaving.

Reported by Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press