The Denver Nuggets have interest in participating in a multi-team trade with the Houston Rockets even if they don't end up acquiring James Harden. 

The Rockets are known to be targeting Michael Porter Jr. as a young player with All-Star potential. It is not known what type of return the Nuggets would seek if they included Porter. The Nuggets have had interest in Jrue Holiday and Bradley Beal in recent months.

Denver has made Jamal Murray untouchable in Harden talks.

The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors have joined the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat in making a "courtesy call" to the Houston Rockets on a James Harden trade, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

The Milwaukee Bucks even had an internal conversation and ran it past Giannis Antetokounmpo before deciding not to pursue Harden at all.

There are approximately seven teams in the East that can realistically talk themselves into having an opportunity to reach the Conference Finals, which puts the possibility of a Harden trade for one of them a balance of power shifting move.

Donnie Walsh is retiring from his role with the Indiana Pacers.

In Walsh’s 22 years as general manager or president, the Pacers reached the playoffs 19 times.

“I’m getting older and don’t have the energy,” said Walsh, 79. “It’s a young man’s sport. This job has always occupied a great deal of my time. The Pacers were always in my head. This gives me an opportunity to pay attention to my children, my grandchildren and my wife (Judy) of 58 years.”

“Over my thirty-year relationship with Donnie, I have been amazed to watch him help lead this organization to what it has become," Pacers owner Herb Simon said in a statement. "He was certainly the right leader at the right time, and the invaluable wisdom and counsel he has provided over the decades extend well beyond the lines of the basketball court. For that, I owe him an incredible debt of gratitude. While he may be stepping away, Donnie will always be part of the Pacers family and I am personally excited for him as he transitions to his next chapter.”

Walsh also ran the New York Knicks from 2008 until 2011.

The Philadelphia 76ers were determined to enter the 20-21 season with their present roster in place to determine how Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and their new acquisitions would play before assessing whether to pursue a trade for James Harden.

Sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that "the results, chemistry, perceived ceiling and the like would all be factored in when it came to what might come next on the Harden front.

The 76ers are widely believed to have the capacity to put together the most attractive trade package for Harden due to the presence of a young star in Simmons. Daryl Morey also may covet acquiring Harden more than any other executive in the league due to their history together with the Houston Rockets.

The Milwaukee Bucks don't view James Harden "as a culture fit for their group" and have no plans to try to trade for him, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic. 

After trading for Jrue Holiday this offseason, the Bucks also likely lack the requisite trade pieces to acquire Harden unless they found a third team who desperately wants Holiday or Khris Middleton.

Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo have also appeared to have an icy relationship as they finished first and second in MVP voting in 2019.

The Brooklyn Nets have been on James Harden's trade list, but there appears to have been very little in the way of discussions with the Houston Rockets.

Spencer Dinwiddie has been linked with a potential trade for Harden, but he was ruled out for the season on Monday with a partially torn ACL.

"Spencer Dinwiddie's health did not make or break the Nets' ability to get James Harden," said Zach Lowe on his podcast. "It's unclear to me, frankly, if those teams have had anything resembling a serious conversation about James Harden. Let's make that clear. I don't sense that there's been hardly any traction there at all. And maybe the way the Nets started had them thinking 'Why are we messing with this?'"

The key to Brooklyn potentially trading for Harden has been believed to be centered more on their ability to put a young star from another team in a three-team package.

Nick Young is signing a contract with the Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Young last played competitive basketball in December 2018 with the Denver Nuggets.

Young won a championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2018.

Steve Nash is predicting a large contract is in the future of Jarrett Allen after he was unable to come to terms with the Brooklyn Nets before the deadline last week.

“I haven’t talked to him about that,” Nash said. “We’re focused on the season. He has a bright future. He’s going to have a big contract whenever the time is.

“The guy was unbelievable [Friday]. He was good in the first half, he was special in the second half. That’s what it’s going to take to win, especially as we’re forming here, is special efforts and man, he was good. … Defensively, protecting the rim, loose balls, rebounding at both ends, he was outstanding. We’re proud of him and he’s continuing and improving at this stage of his career.”

Allen, by most accounts, is the superior option at center over DeAndre Jordan but doesn't share the same support from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Detroit Pistons have agreed to sign Frank Jackson to a Two-Way contract.

Jackson spent the first three seasons of his career with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Jackson was with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the preseason.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Dennis Schroder have engaged in extension talks and those discussions are expected to pick up agains as soon as mid-February.

Schroder turned down an initial offer from the Lakers worth $33.4 million over two years. The figure represented the maximum allowable offer before Feb. 16.

Schroder could earn as much as $83 million over four years between Feb. 16 and the start of the 2021 offseason. The Lakers can offer a starting salary of $18.6 million starting with the 2021-22 season, which creates much more of a realistic opportunity for the Lakers.