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NBA Rumors for Wednesday, Mar. 5

InsideHoops NBA rumors updated 2:30 p.m. ET. More NBA rumors stories and other news also appears on the InsideHoops basketball blog.

Everyone on the Boston Celtics is putting “BirthdayGate” behind them, but nobody really knows what happened. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher & Rich on Wednesday morning, and though he really didn’t want to revisit the situation, Ainge finally put some closure to the situation with Rajon Rondo. CBS Local

“I’d rather not talk about it – seriously, I’m not trying to hide anything. There’s nothing major to hide,” Ainge began. “I talked with Rajon about why he did what he did. I didn’t agree with it, but we had a good talk and we’re over it.” Ainge said Rondo’s choice to skip the Celtics trip to Sacramento two weeks ago to remain in Los Angeles and celebrate his birthday with family and friends was “definitely something we needed to talk about,” but stressed that it “wasn’t any big deal.” CBS Local

When pressed a little further, Ainge shed a lot more light on the situation. “What happened was he stayed in [Los Angeles],” said Ainge. “He let [head coach] Brad [Stevens] know and he let me know that he was going to stay in L.A. an extra day, and we didn’t think that he should. But it was his choice and (we told him) there may be consequences if you stay. It was that simple.” CBS Local

“Rondo is an emotional, stubborn kid. He’s very bright, and I don’t mind these kinds of emotions,” said Ainge. CBS Local

Defiant Knicks coach Mike Woodson admits he’s “failed’’ in some areas but said he won’t “quit.’’ “I still think I was the guy for the job and I still think I’m the guy for the job,’’ he said Wednesday. The Knicks are in shambles – on a seven-game losing streak that has plunged them 19 games under .500, all but out of the playoff race. No one in New York City can understand why owner James Dolan hasn’t put Woodson out of his misery. NY Post

Asked by The Post if his message no longer is reaching the players, Woodson said, “When you lose, everybody tends to reach. Sometimes you might send the wrong message. I think you learn a lot about your basketball team when you do lose. They learn a lot about each other. The character changes a little bit. We’ve had some struggle, a lot of struggles. I don’t think they’re tuning me out. They’re still listening, but just not getting it done on the basketball floor." NY Post

Woodson: “That’s the frustrating part of it. We’re in games. We’re competing. Then all of a sudden we forget how to compete. That’s strange as hell from a coaching standpoint. We got to keep working through it. I’m not going to quit. That’s just not my nature. I hope these guys don’t quit. I don’t think they are quitting.’’ NY Post

Woodson, who has spoken about “coaching harder,’’ claims there’s no locker-room in-fighting. J.R. Smith has questioned the team’s “heart,’’ Carmelo Anthony has questioned the team’s “pride’’ and Tyson Chandler has wondered aloud whether he wants to be part of the long-term future. NY Post

Woodson doesn’t seem ready to pull the plug on Raymond Felton as a starter despite his massive shooting slump in the wake of his gun-charge arrest last week. Woodson said he had a talk with Felton on Tuesday. NY Post

The Brooklyn Nets have signed center Jason Collins to a second 10-day contract, General Manager Billy King announced today. Collins, who signed his first 10-day contract on February 23, has appeared in five games for the Nets, totaling three points and five rebounds in 36 minutes. InsideHoops

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have reassigned guard Dwight Buycks to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. Buycks will continue to be included on the Raptors’ roster and will remain on the team’s inactive list. Buycks is expected to be in uniform tonight when Bakersfield faces the Texas Legends in Frisco, Texas (8 p.m. ET). InsideHoops

The Cleveland Cavaliers have assigned guard/forward Sergey Karasev to the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers exclusively owned and operated NBA Development League team, Cavaliers acting General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts. Karasev has appeared in 12 games for the Charge with averages of 13.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 30.0 minutes per game. InsideHoops

The 2015 free-agent class is a gem with Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Anthony buddy Rajon Rondo, Marc Gasol and possibly LeBron James and Chris Bosh if they don’t opt out this summer. “Where you going with this?’’ Anthony said half-kiddingly when Love’s name was mentioned. He was asked if he and Love, together on the 2012 US Olympic Team, are similar players as stretch 4s. NY Post

With the expiring contracts of Chandler, Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani, the Knicks will have flexibility at next year’s trade deadline. If it looks like Love is leaving frigid Minnesota, the Wolves may trade him for any asset they can, and the Knicks would pounce at a sign-and-extend for Love the way they landed Anthony three years ago. One league source said of the Knicks’ bid for Love, “They’re selling New York fans land in New Mexico.’’ NY Post

MAIN MORNING NBA RUMORS STORIES

There was a gust of certainty Monday, a rarity in one of the most uneasy seasons in Lakers history. Steve Nash clearly wants to return next season. "I want to come back for sure," he said Monday. It's a longshot he'll even be back this season from recurring back soreness, but he's already looking to the future, where he's scheduled to earn $9.7 million in 2014-15 as the final part of a three-year, $28-million contract. LA Times

The Lakers have until Sept. 1 to determine whether they want to waive Nash via the "stretch provision," in which his salary is spread out over the next three years. Or they can bring him back for one more season and try to play him while paying him. LA Times

There's also a small chance Nash obtains a medical retirement from the NBA during the off-season, in which case the Lakers still have to pay him but his salary does not count toward the cap. LA Times

Nick Young said he would return next week for the Lakers' two-game trip to Oklahoma City and San Antonio. He has sat out 10 of the last 11 games because of knee soreness and is the Lakers' second-leading scorer, averaging 16.8 points. LA Times

Knicks center Tyson Chandler is so disillusioned, he isn’t sure he wants to be part of the team’s long-term future. With the Knicks in chaos, owner James Dolan is going to look to rebuild or reload at season’s end. Whether Chandler, who is starting to show signs of age, is part of the blueprints is unclear. And Chandler may not want to stick around either. “That’s something I have to visit during the offseason,’’ Chandler said. “We’re all going to have a lot of decisions to make.’’ NY Post

Kenyon Martin, anticipating his return by next week, revealed he underwent platelet-rich plasma therapy on his chronic left ankle issue nearly four weeks ago. Martin shut down his season on Jan. 16, but didn’t reveal he would undergo the procedure that is known in the medical community as an alternative treatment for arthritic conditions. The Knicks are 6-16 since their defensive sparkplug went down. NY Post

The Boston Celtics announced today that forward Gerald Wallace underwent successful arthroscopic surgeries on his left knee and his left ankle this morning at New England Baptist Hospital. The surgeries were performed by Celtics team physician Dr. Brian McKeon and was assisted by Dr. Mark Slovenkai. Wallace will be out for the remainder of the season. Wallace, a 6’7” forward appeared in 58 games for the Celtics this season and averaged 5.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 24.4 minutes per game. InsideHoops

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward/center Arinze Onuaku from the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers exclusively owned and operated NBA Development League team, to a second 10-day contract, Cavaliers acting General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts. Onuaku has appeared in 27 games for the Charge this season with averages of 14.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.0 block in 24.2 minutes per game. He will be available for tonight’s Cavs game against the San Antonio Spurs at Quicken Loans Arena. InsideHoops

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed free-agent forward Tony Mitchell (6-6, 216) to a 10-day contract, General Manager John Hammond announced today. Mitchell is the 28th “Call-Up” of the 2013-14 season from the NBA D-League. Mitchell has spent the better part of the last two seasons with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Milwaukee’s affiliate in the D-League. After going undrafted out of the University of Alabama in 2012, Mitchell signed with Fort Wayne and appeared in 48 games during the 2012-13 D-League season, averaging 21.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. InsideHoops

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed center Justin Hamilton to a 10-day contract. Hamilton joins the Bobcats from the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA D-League, becoming the 29th Gatorade Call-Up this season. He will wear No. 41. The Bobcats roster now stands at 15 players. In 37 games played for the Skyforce this season, the 7-0 Hamilton is averaging 19.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 assists in 35.8 minutes, while shooting .491 from the field (269-548), .385 from beyond the three-point line (30-78) and .812 from the free-throw line (147-181). InsideHoops

New York Knicks player Raymond Felton committed ADULTERY during his marriage ... so says his estranged wife in divorce docs obtained by TMZ Sports. Ariane Raymondo Felton -- the same woman who ratted Raymond out to the cops about his illegal firearm -- filed docs last month in a New York court seeking to end their 18-month marriage. TMZ

Ariane doesn't go into detail about the adultery allegations ... but in the docs, she does request the judge throw out their pre-nup. It seems she wants the prenup tossed out on the count of the alleged cheating, but she doesn't explain why. TMZ

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