Free Agent Rumor Roundup

Jason Kidd

AP: Knicks meet with Kidd, but make no contract offer
Kidd and his agent met with Knicks president Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, the first day of free agency. Walsh told reporters that no contract offer was made to Kidd, who is exploring his options.

DB.com: Cuban 'Optimistic' As Mavs 'Work On The Details'
Rules preclude the offer from being more than three years; the one-year MLE deals that the Knicks and others might offer will be worth a fourth of what Dallas can guarantee; the declines in salaries and the non-guaranteed final year allow Dallas to avoid losing an asset for nothing while at the same time retaining some financial elbow room as Kidd ages.

Marcin Gortat

DB.com: Polish Media Links The Mavs With 'The Hammer' -
*He is absolutely on the Mavs� wish list. � and very likely on Mark Cuban�s travel itinerary as soon as he�s done courting Jason Kidd. *He almost certainly has an offer or two on the table. Houston is the lead-pipe cinch to be one of those bidders, and the Mavs cannot be far behind. That bid figures to be at the MLE.

Rockets, Mavs making push for Magic's Gortat
Gortat is one of the few true centers among this summer's crop of free agents, and the Rockets aren't the only team interested. The Mavericks jumped into the mix Wednesday, too, sending coach Rick Carlisle to handle some of the recruiting. Dallas is looking for a big man to back up starter Erick Dampier, though Dampier's expiring contract makes him a juicy trade target this offseason. The Mavericks may be dangling a bigger role for Gortat, either right away or by the start of the next season.

Quentin Ross

DMN: Dallas Mavericks making pitch to former SMU, Kimball star
the Mavericks started this year's free-agent season by making a strong pitch to Quinton Ross, the former SMU and Kimball High School standout. While owner Mark Cuban was wining and dining Jason Kidd in New York during the first hours after free agency opened, coach Rick Carlisle and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson were meeting with Ross in Dallas.

Ron Artest

NBA.com: Agent: Artest mulling options in free agency
he Rockets star forward, an unrestricted free agent, will consider a team's chances of winning an NBA championship when deciding where he'll bring his skills next season, his agent says. David Bauman said Wednesday that his client would like to return to Houston, but Artest would also think about signing with a contending team

DB.com: Ron Artest Says 'Goodbye' To Houston. ...
Are the Mavs players here? That’s entirely up to the whims of the player. If Artest’s tweet expresses his true feelings, it puts any contender with a sales pitch in the picture. Rick Carlisle once dealt with Artest in Indy and would be willing to do so again.

SLAM ONLINE | Ron Artest’s Twitter Gaffe
alarm. A message attributed to Artest — ‘THANKS A LOT HOUSTON I HAD A LOT OF FUN.’ — appeared on Twitter late Wednesday. Artest’s agent, David Bauman, said that the message was sent by an imposter. ‘That is not Ron’s account,’ Bauman said. ‘That’s what happens with the so-called new media.’

Trevor Ariza

Sources: Trevor Ariza leaning toward leaving Los Angeles Lakers - ESPN
The 24-year-old swingman, who played a key role in the Lakers' run to their 15th NBA championship, is on the verge of leaving the club, sources close to the situation said on Wednesday. With at least five teams pursuing Ariza, the Lakers are currently unwilling to pay him more than the $5.6 million mid-level exception.

Charlie Villanueva

ESPN: Pistons agree with both Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva
Former Bulls guard Gordon will receive a five-year, $55 million deal, while former Bucks forward Villanueva gets a five-year deal for $40 million, sources told ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.

James Singleton

He's an unrestricted free agent, but was out doing stuff for the Mavs in the community yesterday.

KIDS CAMP - friends.mavs.com
James Singleton talks to Dallas Mavericks Hoop Campers today at Richland Community College.

Brandon Bass

Hornets in the hunt for former LSU star Brandon Bass
One of those teams interested in Bass is none other than New Orleans, the same team with the same coach who, after drafting the former LSU star in 2005, barely gave him an opportunity to play. "When I was coming out of high school, no matter what the Hornets offered me, I would have been there," Bass said. "I grew out of being a homeboy. I’d go other places. They’ve got a good team down there and if everything falls in line like it’s supposed to, I’d love to be back in New Orleans."

While Turkoglu is set adrift, Magic go fishing for Bass - OrlandoSentinel.com
You couldn't call a $118 million contract a goodwill gesture, but maybe the Orlando Magic's generosity toward Rashard Lewis' agent two summers ago will give them an edge in signing promising power forward Brandon Bass. Like Lewis, he is represented by Tony Dutt, who told the Sentinel on Wednesday that the Magic had contacted Bass, 24, on the opening day of NBA free agency. "Yes, I did speak to [Magic General Manager] Otis Smith and they did show interest in Brandon," Dutt said.