Bibby And Hawks: Mike Bibby and the Atlanta Hawks have exchanged some contract ideas and sources close to the situation say they are making progress towards a deal. The Philadelphia 76ers apparently reached out to gauge Bibby's interest and were turned away. Sources near the situation say Bibby's camp made it clear Mike wants to return to Atlanta and the Hawks seem like they will meet Mike's price. The belief is that the framework of a deal is in place and that Bibby and the Hawks are working through length of deal and any exit clauses. The source warned that nothing is done until its done, but said the Hawks have handled this negotiation well and they believe Bibby will be re-signed in the coming days.

The Magic Game Plan: Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith was adamant to reporters this week that he wanted Marcin Gortat back. He explained that ownership would allow him to go into Luxury tax and Otis hinted he'd do just that. NBA rules prohibit teams from discussing free agent moves with the press until after July 8th when deals can be announced, but the Magic are already on the clock with Marcin Gortat having reached a deal in Dallas rumored to be worth $5.6 million per year for five years with a player exit after three years.

Magic sources say the team is not going to spend it's median exception on a single player that the game plan was to divide the expected $5.6 million among a couple of players and solve needs that way, which is why the Magic have not been actively linked to any of the major free agents.

The Magic did make a lot of calls namely to Brandon Bass and Rasheed Wallace, but neither were overly interested in a deal that did not include the "full boat" exception. Bass' agent Tony Dutt hinted to the idea of a sign and trade involving Bass and Gortat as being in everyone's best interest, it's unclear whether Otis Smith would agree. It's believed that Brandon Bass got an offer from the New Orleans Hornets this week and is likely searching for the best payday possible.

The Orlando Magic host their Summer League next week in Orlando, and are not expected to be overly active until the first wave of money gets spent and value situations start to surface. The Magic are looking and talking, but they won't be overpaying unless you count matching Gortat, which they seem poised to do which may be a huge mistake.

Ricky and Rudy: A lot of information is flowing around about Timberwolves's draft pick Ricky Rubio and Portland Trail Blazer Rudy Fernandez, mainly based on reports from Spanish news outlets. In speaking with sources close to both players here is what's being said:

Rubio: Spanish news outlet El Periodico recently reported that Rubio had decided to return to Spain and would play in Spain for 2 more seasons. The problem with this news is no one had told Rubio's camp that. There is so much interest in Rubio and his decision in Spain that much like rumors here in the NBA, everyone is looking for a scoop. Sources close to Rubio said there have been no decisions reached; they are exploring all of their options and hoping that Minnesota will become more open to talks about Ricky. The source admitted that returning to Europe is an option and its believed Rubio's family is getting offers from power teams in Euroleague, but that no decisions have been made and Ricky is optimistic a solution in the NBA can be reached. Rubio's father continues to be interviewed by Spanish news outlets like Marca.com suggesting that going #5 to Minnesota simply made Rubio's decision easier, however sources involved in the talks say Ricky simply wants to play and that's what needs to be resolved, and a lot of this is posturing to get Minnesota off the fence.

Fernandez: Reports of Fernandez being "upset" or wanting out of his deal in Portland have been made to be a bit more than they are, however they are not baseless at all. Rudy in talking with Spanish media this week basically said he is concerned that the addition of Magic free agent Hedo Turkoglu would take minutes and opportunities away from him and he wants to hear how the Blazers are planning to make it work.

"I want to play. We´ll have to talk with Portland and ask them how can I do it." Fernandez said to reporters. "Turkoglu is a perimeter player and we are speaking about almost six [players] for two positions. This makes me think that the team does not give me space for my work. I have demonstrated that I could be more of a factor."

"I have been [pleasantly] surprised with the minutes that I have played but if now they pick up a player in my position, which will stop my progression, and what I want is minutes so I can improve."

Rudy's position is no different from any other players in the league; he wants minutes, wants to start and wants to contribute and he knows firsthand how crowded things are in Portland already. The belief that Rudy wants out, comes from baiting by the Spanish press who pushed the idea of Rudy finding a way out of his deal, something Rudy said would be "complex" – knowing full well that Portland would have to agree to a buyout in order for him to return to Europe. Blazers' sources said this "crowded roster" issue is nothing new, they battled it last year and will play the best players next year.

The general message from both players' camps is "be cautious about how much credit you give to news outlets that do not cover the NBA closely," as sources near both players admitted that both players and their families are routinely baited into statements that support the idea of them returning home, which helps circulation abroad.

Iverson Getting Some Love: Allen Iverson's camp has had to do most of the calling, but several teams have expressed interest in AI including the Miami HEAT, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Charlotte Bobcats. Iverson is expected to meet with all three teams before reaching a decision. It's believed that Memphis is the only team that would go serious money for Iverson, likely why Iverson expressed interest in Memphis. Iverson is said to be looking for a situation where the coach understands his game and his commitment to winning, which makes Charlotte and Miami perfect fits and Memphis an odd choice.

Marbury Not Returning?: According to reports from Marc J. Spears of the Boston Globe free agent guard Stephon Marbury will not be returning to the Celtics after receiving a one-year $1.3 million NBA minimum offer from the team. Marbury was hopeful and optimistic that he'd get a bigger-longer term offer however that did not come. Marbury in an e-mail to the Globe thanked the Celtics and the fans for their support last season.

"Thank you Boston for allowing the world to see me play again after all that went on in N.Y.," said Marbury. "The fans treated me with open arms and that's all anyone can ask for."

Marbury is said to be seeking a new deal elsewhere and has drawn some interest from other teams, although it's unclear if he'll get offers worth much more than the deal he turned down in Boston.

"It hasn't been decided yet," Yao's agent, Eric Zhang, told The Associated Press. "He is still in the process of group consultations of doctors holding different opinions and different plans. The result of the consultations is due within a week."

"We are still in the information gathering period," he said.

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The other question is why would Chicago want to add Iverson? They clearly do not need him nor do they have a starting roster spot for him. Add Iverson's history with coaches, would saddling Iverson with second year coach Vinny Del Negro be a recipe for disaster?

It is not at all uncommon for a player to reach an early deal with another team, and then return to the old team and say "I am leaving, do what to get something for me, let's talk sign and trade" – so this is not a huge stretch, however Iverson in Chicago just does not seem to fit.

NBA Chats Today:  IMG Basketball's Anthony Macri holds his weekly NBA chat at 12pm EST. Coach Macri will hit on NBA free agency, the NBA draft and whatever else strikes you, get your questions in now his chats go fast. HOOPSWORLD Senior Writer Travis Heath holds his weekly chat later today at 4pm EST.