Despite speculation surrounding his future in the NBA, Gustavo Ayon expects the Milwaukee Bucks to pick up the team option on his contract for next season and is looking forward to returning, his agent Emilio Duran told RealGM.

The Bucks traded for Ayon in the deal that brought them J.J. Redick, and the organization insisted that the Orlando Magic include Ayon. From the start, the Bucks have let Ayon and his agent know that playing time would be scarce this season, but they would prioritize him long-term.

“Gustavo likes Milwaukee, he just really wants to help the team and as far as we’ve been indicated he will be with the Bucks next season,” Duran said. “He wants to keep getting better there and help out.”

Newspapers out of Ayon’s native Mexico have published stories claiming the 6-foot-10 big man is not pleased about his situation with the Bucks and has thought about playing overseas. Still, Duran was adamant Ayon’s supposed quotes were fabricated.

“He didn’t even talk to those papers, so the quotes are totally made up,” Duran said. “I have no doubt in my mind he will play in the NBA next year.”

Ayon, whose team option is worth $1.5 million, has shown flashes of skill and solid rebounding in two NBA seasons. Ayon, 28, has averages of 4.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 16.7 minutes a game over 109 games, playing just 13 times after being traded to the Bucks in late February.

Jermaine O'Neal openly talked about returning to the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason as a free agent.

O'Neal was a first round pick by the Blazers in the 1996 NBA Draft straight out of high school.

“I'm very open to Portland. They're definitely a team I'm looking forward to having talks with this summer,” O'Neal said. “LaMarcus [Aldridge] and Damian [Lillard] along with [Nicolas] Batum are some great pieces to build around. All they need to do is shore up the bench and add a paint presence on defense and they'll be right there. It's hard to put that type of stress on your starting five and I know I can help ease some of that stress.”

O'Neal played for the Phoenix Suns this past season.

“Portland is a team I have to look at this summer. That city has always been in my heart because one: Mr. [Paul] Allen gave me my opportunity, and two: that city took me in as their second child,” he explained. “I didn't play for two or three years but you couldn't tell. The organization and the fans really allowed me to grow at my own pace. It's a special place to me. I met my wife in Portland. At this point for me, it's all about competing and winning and the Blazers are doing those things.”

The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the 2013 NBA Playoffs in four games by the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, finishing a season in which beloved owner Jerry Buss passed away, Mike Brown was fired and controversially replaced by Mike D'Antoni, Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles tendon amid countless other injuries and the team was unable to fully incorporate Dwight Howard.

“Like a nightmare," said Howard on his first season with the Lakers. "It’s like a bad dream and we just couldn’t wake up from it. That’s what it felt like.”

Howard underwent back surgery last spring and came back earlier than expected, but was far from his dominant former self.

Howard will be a free agent in the offseason.

"Going to step away from everything for a couple weeks and clear my head before I do or talk about anything as far as next season."

Jarrett Jack and his agent have re-enforced to Golden State Warriors management that he wants to re-sign with the organization this offseason, when the guard will become a free agent.

"Hopefully, I can stay right here," Jack said. "I told my agent. I’m sure he spoke to the powers that be that I have desires to stay right here and help this franchise grow to the best of its ability.

“I think it’s just a perfect marriage. My teammates, the camaraderie we have, I like my role. I like what I’m able to bring to this team. Could I go somewhere and it would be bigger, but we might not be playing for as much? I try to make it a perfect marriage. The economics, that’s going to take precedent at times, but you also want to be happy. That’s the most fulfilling thing I have playing on this team.”

Jack has been a vital reserve for the Warriors all season and is averaging 19.7 points and eight assists in three playoff games.

"Could I go somewhere else and [start]? Yeah," Jack said. "But I like who we have here. I like the role that I’m in and am comfortable in. If it’s able to work out, I would love to be back here.”

Gar Forman has told Nazr Mohammed to buy -- not rent -- a home in the Chicagoland area in the veteran center's homecoming to play for the Bulls. To that statement, Mohammed was adamant that he agrees and wants to staying with the Bulls past this season.

"I like the sound of that," Mohammed said.

"In a perfect world, you'd love to end your career in the city that raised you. Every player would love to help the team he was a fan of growing up."

Mohammed signed a one-year contract worth the veteran's minimum last offseason.

"That was attractive for him to come back home," Forman said, "to come full circle."

Bryan Colangelo addressed the media on Monday following the fifth consecutive season in which the Toronto Raptors missed the playoffs.

"I believe where we are is a much greater place, a much more developed team much further down the path then a number of people in the media seem to think," said Colangelo. "And that's not to be defensive or take offense to to what's being said, but we are pretty much exactly where I thought we would be with respect to the roster make-up. Maybe not from a wins/loss perspective but when you talk about this process, I believe three years ago year one we won 28 percent of our games. Year two it was 35 percent and this year we won 42 percent. The next step is obviously to get to the point where you exceed 50 percent and guarantee yourself a playoff spot."

Colangelo wants the Raptors to add perimeter shooting and veterans to the roster in the offseason.

Dell Demps said on Monday that the New Orleans Pelicans plan to use their cap space this summer and are open to trade possibilities -- even those that include Eric Gordon.

"We want to maximize opportunity to use cap space," Demps said.

Gordon signed a contract extension with New Orleans last offseason, but there have been rumors about the displeasure between he and the organization.

Gordon averaged 17 points and 3.3 assists in 42 games this season.

Eric Bledsoe had 15 points and six rebounds in just 18 minutes on Saturday when the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1. The 23-year-old guard shot seven of seven overall and helped the Clippers pull away in the fourth quarter.

Chris Paul is a free agent at season's end but is sounding more and more positive about re-signing with the Clippers. Even so, Paul knows the Clippers will have a difficult time keeping Bledsoe long-term -- much less past this season.

"There’s no way he can be here next year because we probably won’t have enough money to pay him," Paul said.

Bledoe has one season left on his contract.

"He should be a starting point guard in this league next year," Paul said of Bledsoe.