JaKarr Sampson is finalizing a two-year deal with the Denver Nuggets.

Sampson was released by the Philadelphia 76ers at the deadline to create a roster spot. The 76ers were hoping Sampson would clear waivers and be able to re-sign with the 76ers.

The Denver Nuggets have waived J.J. Hickson and Steve Novak.

Hickson, 27, appeared in 162 games (69 starts) for Denver over the past three seasons, averaging 9.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 22.1 minutes per game. The eight-year NBA veteran has played in 519 career games (307 starts) for Cleveland, Portland, Sacramento and Denver, averaging 6.9 points and 4.4 rebounds in 22.7 minutes. 

Novak, 32, has appeared in seven games for the Thunder this season, averaging 2.4 points in 3.4 minutes of action. He has appeared in 456 career games (six starts), averaging 4.7 points and 1.3 rebounds while shooting 43.2% from three-point range in 10 seasons with New York, L.A. Clippers, Houston, Toronto, San Antonio, Utah, Dallas and Oklahoma City. The Marquette University product was drafted by Houston with the 32nd overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft.

The Denver Nuggets will buyout J.J. Hickson and Steve Novak.

Hickson and Novak will be waived well before the March 1st deadline to be eligible to sign with another team for the playoffs.

The Nuggets have a 22-32 record and are six games out of the eighth seed in the loss column.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are in advanced talks with the Denver Nuggets on a deal for Randy Foye.

Foye would give the Thunder another veteran backcourt player.

The Houston Rockets will strongly consider waiving Ty Lawson if they're unable to trade him away before the deadline.

Lawson was acquired by the Rockets in the offseason and the move has not worked out at all.

Lawson's contract for the 16-17 season is non-guaranteed.

The Rockets are in talks with the Utah Jazz.

Sean Marks received an initial contract offer from the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday and talks are ongoing on Wednesday.

The sides are discussing deal terms and organizational responsibilities. 

Marks is deciding whether to leave a promising future with the San Antonio Spurs for a difficult job with the Nets.

The Spurs have significant plans for Marks’ future and are working on increasing his financial package should Marks decide that he wants to stay with the franchise.

Marks became the Nets' preferred choice through a two-month process.

The Nets are expected to move on to Denver Nuggets assistant general manager Arturas Karnisovas should Marks turn down the job.

Bryan Colangelo and Gersson Rosas are also finalists.

The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly pursuing a trade of Blake Griffin with a report arriving they offered a package to the Denver Nuggets.

"I've been told the Clippers actually called Denver and offered Blake Griffin and Lance Stephenson for Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, Will Barton and Nikola Jokic. Denver turned it down because Blake will be a free agent after next season. Plus they like some of those young kids."

Broussard said Doc Rivers adamantly denied it.

The Denver Nuggets could look to hire Chauncey Billups to replace Arturas Karnisovas as assistant general manager.

Karnisovas is a candidate for the Brooklyn Nets' general manager job.

Billups still wants the chance to join a front office.

“I still do have those aspirations,” Billups said. “I’m not just going to jump in anywhere. I would like for it to be a nice situation, a good situation. And if it comes, that’s fine, I’ll look at it. And if it doesn’t that’s fine, I’ll be okay.”

Billups is currently an NBA analyst for ESPN.

“That’s been a good transition for me,” Billups said. “It doesn’t take up too much of my time. I wanted to not really go right into an NBA job. I wanted to decompress a little bit. I had some making up to do, I had some time to make up with my family, my girls. And I just kind of wanted to step away long enough where the guys that I played with and all of these young guys that I talk to all the time — I still do — but I want them to see me and respect me a little differently than as a player.”

The Toronto Raptors have emerged as the best threat to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference and have been active in searching for an upgrade at power forward.

The Raptors, sources say, have had exploratory discussions to gauge the possibility of acquiring Denver's Kenneth Faried, Brooklyn's Thaddeus Young and the Phoenix duo of Markieff Morris and P.J. Tucker.

Young re-signed with the Nets in the 2015 offseason.

The Raptors own the New York Knicks' first round pick in addition to their own, which can be used in a trade.

The NBA has set their four-man field for the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest in Toronto.

Zach LaVine will defend his title against Andre Drummond, Will Barton and Aaron Gordon.

Barton and Gordon have each had a number of impressive dunks this season.