Leslie Alexander, owner of the Houston Rockets, suggested to Adam Silver that he let all of the players on the Los Angeles Clippers become free agents as a punishment against Donald Sterling.

“I thought that there’s got to be a way to disrupt him from owning the team,” said Alexander, who after 20 years owning the Rockets is one of the longest tenured owners in the NBA. “I gave him the sword to deal with this. I said, ‘Let the players become free agents.’”

Alexander believes the owners can drive Sterling out of the NBA.

“This kind of behavior can’t be allowed in the NBA by owners, players or anybody,” Alexander said. “This guy has no place in the family of the NBA. Whatever it takes, we have to make sure this kind of event never happens again.”

The first step to ensuring that, he said, was to get Sterling out of the league.

“I mentioned that to Adam,” Alexander said. “I told Adam I don’t think he can be removed because the constitution (of the NBA) only allows him to be removed except for gambling. I’m not sure that legally can be done. But if he loses his players, nobody is going to want to go there. He’ll only be able to get a player that is worth $2 million and will play for $12 (million.) And who is going to want to coach there?

“If you’re a player in the NBA you don’t want to play for somebody like that. If you worked for a company, you would walk away and say, ‘I’m gone.” I think the players should have that right.”

LaMarcus Aldridge has the top Player Efficiency Rating through the first four games of the 2014 NBA Playoffs with a mark of 34.0.

LeBron James, who has played three games, ranks second at 33.1.

Troy Daniels has played in just two games, but ranks third with a mark of 29.5.

Taj Gibson (28.6) and Dwight Howard (28.3) round out the top-five.

Blake Griffin ranks sixth at 26.9 followed by Tim Duncan (25.7), Chris Andersen (25.4), Paul George (25.3) and Andray Blache (23.7).

The Houston Rockets have yet to formally pick up their fourth-year option on the contract of Kevin McHale, but sources say support remains strong within the franchise and among key players.

Sources say McHale likewise is regarded as a favorite of Rockets owner Les Alexander.

There is no guarantee that McHale would survive a first round exit, but there is a prevailing feeling that he "deserves more than one season with this group."

Chandler Parsons and Dwight Howard are believed to be particularly fond of Howard.

Patrick Beverley returned Wednesday after spraining his right knee in Game 1, a knee in which he suffered a torn meniscus on March 27.

Beverley's agent, Kevin Bradbury, said the Houston Rockets' guard is in no increased danger of reinjuring his knee by continuing to play. Beverley was cleared by the medical staff.

“The other night, he hyper-extended that thing and banged it on the ground,” Bradbury said. “That will cause lots of pain, but there was no swelling. It calmed down. If a doctor tells me there is a chance he can do something more to himself, it’s a tough spot to be in, but you have to make the best decision for the kid’s future.

“The debris (from the initial injury) is gone. It’s smooth. Dr. Andrews said ‘I would not recommend doing anything on this even if it was the off-season.’ He was cleared medically to play. You are not going to re-tear it. That piece of meniscus is gone. It’s not coming back and getting torn again. It’s gone. “

The NBA acknowledged the officials missed a late call in the Portland Trail Blazers' 122-120 overtime win over the Houston Rockets in Game 1 on Sunday.

"After video review by the league office, we have determined that the officials were incorrect in assessing a foul to the Rockets' Dwight Howard with 10.8 seconds remaining in overtime," Rod Thorn said in a statement. "The foul should have been called on the Blazers' Joel Freeland and Howard should have been awarded two free throws."

Patrick Beverley will undergo an MRI on Monday after reinjuring his right knee.

Beverley suffered the injury in Sunday's Game 1 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Beverley missed time this season due to a torn right meniscus but returned before the season ended.

The Chicago Bulls were already feeling increasingly optimistic of their chances of acquiring Carmelo Anthony this offseason, according to sources, and the projected increase in salary cap for 14-15 improves their odds.

The Bulls would have to use their amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer, as well as moving other veteran salary to make Anthony a competitive offer.

The Houston Rockets are also confident that they can create space for Anthony.

Houston Rockets rookie Robert Covington has been the named the 2014 NBA Development League Rookie of the Year, as voted on by the league’s 17 head coaches. The award recognizes the first-year professional who most significantly contributed to his team’s success during the course of the season.

Covington (6-9, 215, Tennessee State) played in 42 of the Vipers 50 regular season games on assignment from the Rockets, 41 as a starter. He averaged 23.2 points, good for second-best in the NBA D-League, while shooting 44 percent from the field. He rounded out his stat line averaging a Vipers-best 9.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals, second-highest in the league. During the regular season, Covington led the team in scoring 21 times and was the Vipers leading rebounder in 13 contests. He scored in double figures in 41 of his 42 games in Rio Grande Valley, recording two 40-plus point games and four additional 30-plus point outings.

All-Time NBA D-League Rookie of the Year winners
2012-13: Tony Mitchell, Fort Wayne Mad Ants
2011-12: Edwin Ubiles, Dakota Wizards
2010-11: DeShawn Sims, Maine Red Claws
2009-10: Alonzo Gee,* Austin Toros
2008-09: Othyus Jeffers,* Iowa Energy
2007-08: Blake Ahearn, Dakota Wizards
2006-07: Louis Amundson,* Colorado 14ers
2005-06: Will Bynum,* Roanoke Dazzle
2004-05: James Thomas, Roanoke Dazzle
2003-04: Desmond Penigar, Asheville Altitude
2002-03: Devin Brown, Fayetteville Patriots
2001-02: Fred House, Charleston Lowgators

In this episode of RealGM Radio, host Daniel Leroux previews the NBA Playoffs with four different guests. 

Beckley Mason (@BeckleyMason) of the New York Times and ESPN joins the show to work through the bracket and provide his take from the first round to the finals.

After that, Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) of Basketball Insiders comes on to provide his insight on the various matchups he is looking forward to in the next few weeks.

Following him, Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) of RealGM projects how the various first round series will shake out and what he is looking forward to the most.

Finally, Arturo Galletti (@ArturoGalletti) of BoxScoreGeeks.com shares his playoff predictions and discusses the playoff prediction contest his site is running with Wages of Wins.

CLICK HERE to listen or download.

You can also click here to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

The San Antonio Spurs finished the 13-14 regular season with the best efficiency differential in the NBA with a mark of +8.1. The Spurs scored 110.5 points per 100 possession while allowing 102.4 points per 100 possessions.

The Los Angeles Clippers ranked second, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors. 

The Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns round out the top-10.

Click here for the full list.