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NBA Rumors for Saturday, Feb. 4

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JaVale McGee finished runner-up to Los Angeles Clippers all-star forward Blake Griffin in the slam dunk contest last season, despite arguably having the most creative dunks, and said on Friday that he might be open to competing again if asked participate. “I thought about it, of course. It’s possible,” McGee said before shootaround in Toronto. “Always possible.” Washington Post Blog

McGee ranks third in the NBA in dunks with 50 this season, trailing only Griffin (56) and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (52), who won the competition in 2008 and has since retired from the event. Washington Post Blog

In their past two losses to Chicago and Orlando, Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard made more free throws (25) than the Wizards attempted (22). Overall, the Bulls and Magic attempted 70 shots from the foul line, made 54, and defeated the Wizards by a combined 16 points. The dramatic disparity forced Wizards owner Ted Leonsis to take NBA officials to task for how his team is being treated. Washington Post Blog

“As a young team; we have not yet established a relationship with the officials; they seem to blow the whistle with abandon on our team; I can see how disheartening it is at times on our players,” Leonsis wrote on his blog, Ted’s Take. Coach Randy Wittman complained about the lack of respect for his team after the Wizards’ 109-103 loss in Orlando, where the Magic took 39 free throws, the Wizards attempted nine and John Wall failed to make a trip to the foul line for only the second time this season. “We got nine guys on their rookie contracts. Right now they’re not getting the respect. That’ll come. If we keep playing as hard as we play night in, night out, we’ll eventually get calls.” Washington Post Blog

"I'm not a popular guy, I guess," Chris Bosh said matter-of-factly of the fan vote for All-Star starters. "I don't think I am. I don't appeal to the popular crowd." Why? "I don't know," he said. "That's a good question. And you know, it doesn't really matter to me. I just try to be the best player I can be." Wade said the popularity will come. "Chris is just starting to get into the public eye, in a sense, the last year," he said. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"I never read too much into TV," Bosh said. He also never reads too much into NBA popularity contests. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Jason Collins had an MRI on his sprained left elbow Friday. The team is waiting on the results of the test for a better indication of how much time Collins will miss. However, coach Larry Drew ruled Collins out for Saturday’s home game against the 76ers. “Right now they are calling it a real bad sprain,” Drew said. “We’ll see if there is other damage.” Atlanta Journal Constitution

Collins was injured in the first quarter of Thursday’s blowout loss to the Grizzlies. His arm was pinned by the Grizzlies’ Dante Cunningham while on the floor going after a loose ball. An X-ray was taken, and the injury was ruled a sprain. The Hawks have already lost starter Al Horford after surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle. Atlanta Journal Constitution

Some of the free-agent center options include Erick Dampier, Kyrylo Fesenko, Dan Gadzuric, Joel Przybilla, and D.J. Mbenga. Without Horford, Drew said he was comfortable with two centers, a starter and backup, to put into the rotation. Should the Hawks be without Collins for an extended period of time, Drew would be left with the one starter in Pachulia, who has spent much of his career as a reserve, and an undersized backup in Johnson. Atlanta Journal Constitution

The New Orleans Hornets are taking center Chris Kaman off the trade market for now and will permit him to return to the team, league sources confirmed Friday afternoon. But Kaman will not be with the team for Saturday night's game against the Detroit Pistons. He is likely to rejoin the team before Monday night's game against the Sacramento Kings at the New Orleans Arena. New Orleans Times Picayune

There have been several teams, including the Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers, that expressed an interest to obtain Kaman in a trade. But league sources confirmed the Hornets were unable to land what they were seeking in a deal. The Hornets have until March 15 deadline to trade Kaman or any other player on the roster. New Orleans Times Picayune

Trail Blazers center Greg Oden will undergo an arthroscopic procedure today in Vail, Colo. to remove debris from his right knee, the team announced. It is his fourth knee surgery since becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft. Blazers interim general manager Chad Buchanan said it's too early to say today's knee procedure will end Oden's season. "That would be speculation at this point,'' Buchanan said. "We are going to continue to stand by and support Greg and listen to what the doctors have to say after the surgery.'' Oregonian

The right knee has not given Oden problems since 2007, when he had microfracture performed before the season started. His left knee was the knee in question during his December visit in Vail, Colo., when the team deemed he had suffered a setback because of an issue with a non-weight bearing ligament in his knee. Oregonian

Since Greg Oden was drafted in 2007, he has scored 773 points, grabbed 602 rebounds, blocked 117 shots, and now — will have undergone four knee surgeries. The Trail Blazers announced that the center will undergo an arthroscopic procedure later today in Vail, Colo., to remove debris from his right knee. As to how this will affect his expected return date, Portland's acting general manager Chad Buchanan said by text that "until we get a prognosis from the doctors, it would be all speculation on a timetable for his return." Columbian

The Clippers and free-agent forward Kenyon Martin have agreed on a mini-midlevel deal that will be finalized as soon as Martin passes a physical, according to an NBA individual familiar with the negotiations. Martin, who played for the Xinjiang Tigers in China and had been required to wait until their season was over before rejoining the NBA, was cleared to return to the NBA by FIBA, the international basketball federation, Thursday. LA Times Blog | Fan Discussion

Martin has a home in Los Angeles and is a friend of Clippers guard Chauncey Billups, a teammate with the Nuggets. Other teams that had been interested in Martin were the Lakers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks. LA Times Blog

Marcus Morris was sent to the D-League. Marcus Morris would have rather stayed in the NBA. The Rockets would rather do whatever they think is best for the Rockets. The rest was weird and funny and almost entirely irrelevant, but we do enjoy things that are weird and funny. Of course he was sent to the D-League. He was not in the Rockets rotation when he was hurt. And he was in the D-League at the time. The Rockets did not send him there thinking his game lacked a sprained ankle and now that he has one, he’s ready to move into the rotation. He’d have played sooner if he just had more experience spraining his ankle. Houston Chronicle Blog

If the Rockets thought nothing of him, then they could keep him around, let him sit at the end of the bench and waste his time. They have high hopes for him. They invest in the D-League team because they want to use it to make their players into better players, as they had for Aaron Brooks and Patrick Patterson. It’s not because they think it important to have the team in McAllen wear red. Houston Chronicle Blog

Rick Adelman said again tonight that Malcolm Lee will be sent down to the D League next week for a rehab assignment in his return from Dec. 30 knee surgery. Lee is not with the team tonight in New Jersey. Minneapolis Star Tribune

The mother of Detroit Pistons rookie point guard Brandon Knight is suing a Lexington, Ky., hotel over an incident that allegedly happened last month, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. Knight's mother, Turgenia (Tonya) Knight, claims she was discriminated against, assaulted, battered and defamed at the Hyatt Regency on Jan. 7. Detroit Free Press

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