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No one can accuse Doc Rivers of being anything other than a pragmatist. It makes no sense for the coach of the Boston Celtics to worry himself with the Los Angeles Lakers and what goes on in the Western Conference when Rivers and his crew have to contend with the reigning NBA champion Miami Heat in their own conference.

We already know that Dwight Howard won’t be ready for the start of his first training camp with the Los Angeles Lakers, his rehabilitation and recovery from spinal surgery shoving back his official start date to the season. And there is no doubt there will be a transition period for the Lakers’ newest acquisitions, namely Howard and two-time MVP Steve Nash, who have to adjust to playing with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.

From towering billboards and slick subway posters, Deron Williams strikes a neighborly pose. “Hello Brooklyn,” the Nets’ star says in the team’s ubiquitous advertising campaign. “Goodbye, Brooklyn,” Williams might say each night, as he drives back to his Manhattan apartment.

You don’t have to warn Mike Brown about expectations next season with the Lakers. This is, after all, the guy who lived with the would-be championship burden of LeBron James sitting on his back in Cleveland. Sure, the Lakers have added Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, among others, to their roster this summer. Sure, he can feel those 16 previous championships staring down from the rafters and the record books.

The deal means the Lakers get Howard; the Magic get Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, just drafted Moe Harkless (No. 15 pick in this draft) and a first round pick from each of the three other teams; the Sixers get Andrew Bynum and take on Jason Richardson and his contract; the Nuggets get Andre Iguodala. That varies from the original report but fits with reports that Pau Gasol is not part of the deal. Expect some changes in the final form, but that seems to be the core of it.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is reporting the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers are crafting a four-team deal – including the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers – that would send center Dwight Howard to the Lakers.

Kevin Durant scored 28 points - 17 during a stunning, long-range shooting display in the third quarter - and the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team blasted into the medal round with a 126-97 win over Argentina on Monday night.

Say goodbye to Linsanity, New York. Jeremy Lin is taking his game off Broadway -- way off -- to Houston after the Knicks announced Tuesday night they would not match the Rockets' three-year, $25 million offer for the restricted free agent. "Extremely excited and honored to be a Houston Rocket again!!" Lin posted on his Twitter account. "Much love and thankfulness to the Knicks and New York for your support the past year...easily the best year of my life."

Linsanity is just about over in New York. The Knicks plan to cut ties with Jeremy Lin on Tuesday night, according to a person briefed on the decision, ending a brief, spectacular and now bittersweet love affair between the 23-year-old point guard and his adoring fan base. Lin will play next season for the Houston Rockets, who signed him to a three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet that the Knicks have elected not to match.

Jason Kidd mentoring Jeremy Lin was a nice story last week. Then Kidd was arrested on a drunken-driving charge, Lin's departure from New York for a "ridiculous contract" in Houston became more realistic, and a position of strength suddenly was one of turbulence for the Knicks.