Suicide lines: Kevin Garnett has a real leg now; 'Melo trade dead

Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your gruyére.

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe: This time last year, Kevin Garnett was running sprints with Kinesio tape on his right leg, hoping the adhesive would serve as a salve for his surgically repaired knee. It's difficult to concentrate on preparation for a much-anticipated season when there is a large degree of uncertainty about carrying out basic basketball tasks. Garnett is beyond such concerns this time around. His right leg is not taped. He isn't thinking about a potential collapse every time he takes a step with vigor. During a drill in yesterday's first practice of training camp, he jumped effortlessly to dunk a ball with his right hand. There were no second thoughts, no twinges of pain when he landed, no limp in his first step down the court. This is not to say that Celtics fans will see the vintage Garnett from five or six years ago. He will, however, be reminiscent of the Garnett who spearheaded the Celtics' run to the NBA title in 2008. At age 34, Garnett realizes his limitations more than ever, but he is heartened by several factors this season. He is as healthy as he was two years ago, and with the additions of Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal and the development of Glen Davis, Garnett will not be relied upon to produce as he did three years ago. The years of him dominating the paint as a volume scorer and rebounder may have passed, but he should produce more of those vintage KG moments more often. He walked off the court yesterday with peace of mind, less concerned about his knee and more concerned about Shaquille O'Neal distracting him during his media session. He couldn't stop laughing when O'Neal started dancing behind the camera, and he seemingly hasn't stopped smiling since he reported to Waltham, Mass., and began working out with his teammates. "If you're speaking on my injuries, I feel better obviously a year later,'' he said. "My body feels good, man. I took only one rest today. [Rajon] Rondo and I just kept communicating and talking. It was a good day, man.''

Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel: Vince Carter will not be coming back next season to play for the Magic - at least not at $18 million. The franchise holds a team option on the final year of his contract. He could return, but with a much, much smaller deal. This is the worst-kept secret around the club, of course.n Carter knows it, too, but Vince is a perpetually upbeat sort. He doesn't like to be within an earshot of negative news. So when someone asked him about his "contract situation," a situation in which he can become a free agent next summer, he bristled a little. "That's never been a concern for me. You said it like something's wrong. Like my contract could be voided in the coming weeks or something," Carter said. "I just play. I'm going to let my game speak for itself."

Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports: With negotiations on a four-team trade that would have sent Carmelo Anthony to New Jersey having died, the Nets have become less optimistic about their ability to strike a deal for the All-Star forward, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. "At least for now," one source said. The Nets "need some closure on the matter," the source said. The Denver Nuggets had shown only an inclination to dabble in talks, but not follow through on any deal. All the uncertainty had become too big a distraction for a new team like the Nets with a new coach and a young rookie like Derrick Favors, who would have gone to Denver in the proposed trade. [...] The four-team trade fell apart when Denver kept trying to include more of its players in deals to spare themselves a bigger luxury-tax bill that would've come with the arrivals of Kirilenko and Favors, sources said. The proposed trade would have added $4.5 million in salary to their payroll plus another $4.5 million in luxury tax.

Bob Cooney, Philadelphia Daily News:There isn't much Spencer Hawes can't do on the basketball court. The 7-1 center, whom the 76ers acquired from the Sacramento Kings, along with Andres Nocioni, for Sam Dalembert, has already impressed new teammates and coach Doug Collins with his shooting, passing and total court awareness. Off the court, Hawes is just as versatile, as comfortable talking about pick-and-rolls as he is discussing world politics or music or current events. Yesterday morning at Saint Joseph's University, Collins oversaw his first workout with his new team, and was impressed with Hawes, among others. "He's been great. He's what you call ball-friendly. Teammates love to throw him the ball because he loves to pass. When he gets that ball in the post, guys cut. The thing that I like about him and that his teammates like about him is that he is ball-friendly," said Collins. "Spencer thrives in structure. The more structure there is, he has such a good feel for the game. I love that he's been on another team before. I think with all big guys, especially young big guys, they thrive in that second home."

Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle: There was no sign of Aaron Brooks' familiar, easy smile. The wit as quick as his first step was gone. When discussing his contract Tuesday, Brooks found no humor. Brooks had hoped his breakthrough season and status as the NBA's Most Improved Player award winner would prompt the Rockets to offer a contract extension. Instead, he said the Rockets' unwillingness to work on a new deal for beyond this season is "bothering" him. "It's kind of stressful," Brooks said. "I was hoping we maybe could get something done this summer, but we couldn't, so I'm stuck in the position I'm in. "I understand, but it's bothering me. It's the business of basketball. You have to take it like it is. I'm stuck with that." Brooks' agent, Leon Rose, is scheduled to meet with general manager Daryl Morey today to discuss the situation, but he would not comment other to confirm the meeting. Asked if he felt he deserves a contract extension, Brooks said, "Oh, no doubt. I deserve at least discussions." The Rockets customarily have not considered contract extensions, other than for players still under their rookie contracts. They will pick up their options on the contracts of Courtney Lee, Chase Budinger and Jermaine Taylor later this month, waiting - as is their policy - for the deadline.

Jason Jones, Sacramento Bee: If there was any question where DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside fit, the color of their practice jerseys told the story. Neither rookie had on white jerseys like Tyreke Evans, Beno Udrih, Carl Landry or any other established veterans. Nor were they were in black like Jason Thompson or Omri Casspi. Cousins and Whiteside were in purple and yellow Kings practice jerseys, just like any other newcomer. Unlike last year when Evans was a starter from the beginning of training camp, Cousins and Whiteside are being eased into the NBA. "We want to teach all of our young players what it is we're trying to do and what the league's all about," coach Paul Westphal said. "How fast they progress depends on them. "We're not putting any expectations, and we're not putting any limitations." The Kings' first practice Tuesday had no contact. There were drills and a lot of instruction - the ideal situation for the rookies. "I came in and tried to soak up as much information as possible," Cousins said. "I was all ears. I wanted to make sure I learned everything so I could be on my P's and Q's when it's time to play." Cousins apparently did a good job of that, as his first practice caught Westphal's attention. Cousins dislocated the ring finger on his left hand last week but practiced with it taped. "I hate to give him a compliment this early, but I thought DeMarcus looked really good," Westphal said. "He's a very skilled player, he's focused, and he picked things up real quickly."

AP: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love had an MRI on his swollen right knee on Tuesday. The exam showed no significant damage, only some mild inflammation. Love missed the first practice on Tuesday morning to go to the Twin Cities for the exam. But he returned and participated fully in the evening practice. Love says that his knee feels fine and that there is no concern going forward. The team says that there's no need to monitor the situation and that the Wolves will hold him out of practice if the swelling returns.

Mike Wells, Indianapolis Star: The Indiana Pacers are putting the "power" back in power forward. That means no more trailing 3-pointers from above the key, a Troy Murphy trademark. Murphy's gone, traded in the offseason, so the days of power forwards shooting 300 3-pointers are over. This season, expect a more traditional look. The Pacers want their power forward to sprint the court and attack the rim. They want him to bang around in the post. Spot-up jumpers will come from 15 feet, not 24. Who that blue-collar player will be is anybody's guess. "I think all of our bigs will have an opportunity at playing time," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "I think it's open. We're not going to be a 3-point shooting team at the position because we don't have a Troy Murphy anymore." Josh McRoberts, Tyler Hansbrough, Jeff Foster, Solomon Jones and Magnum Rolle are candidates. Danny Granger also will play some at the position when O'Brien goes with a small lineup. Hansbrough is viewed as the future but is working himself into shape after missing most of his rookie season. O'Brien said he'd start McRoberts if the season opened today, but quickly pointed out that the regular season is four weeks away.

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