NBA Rumors and News Roundup: Dwight Howard No to Clippers, Paul Pierce a Target

Opposing teams are inquiring as to whether or not the Boston Celtics will blow it up, and Dwight Howard has no interest in playing for the Los Angeles Clippers at this time.

The news, rumors and speculation have been fast and furious around the NBA this season, and and we may begin to see some teams contemplate moves in an effort to make improvements to the roster.

While some clubs are anxiously waiting for injuries to key contributors to heal, others are left facing tough decisions about the future.

Mike Miller

Miller finally made his debut last night after a sports hernia suffered during the offseason had kept him out of action, and he returned to the fold with a bang.

He came off the bench for just 15 minutes, but he was able to nail all six three-point attempts he took and scored 18 points in an emphatic Miami victory.

Miller's health is essential to Miami's chances this season, and his availability on a regular basis makes this Heat team even more dangerous than they were previously.

J.R. Smith

Smith is currently playing in China, and there have been no indications that he'll be able to return from his overseas commitment early to return to the NBA.

There are several teams around the league tracking those who signed in the CBA this season, and New York is reportedly monitoring Smith because the team would like to add him when he becomes available.

An unrestricted free agent when he does return, Smith would be a very interesting spark plug as a scorer in the second unit for a Knicks team struggling with production from its backcourt.

Vince Carter

Carter heard a "pop" when he hurt his foot on Monday night against the Lakers, and it doesn't sound as if he'll be able to make a speedy return to the court.

He's already been ruled out of Wednesday's game against the Clippers, but nobody should be surprised if he misses more than just a single game, considering his age and fragility in recent seasons.

The Mavericks can't afford to rush him back since the team needs him long term, so the team will exercise extreme caution in allowing his injury to heal before his return to the lineup.

Trevor Ariza

Ariza has been sidelined with a groin injury for a Hornets team that could really use his offense, but he may be inching closer to a return.

He returned to practice yesterday, and there is no question that New Orleans is desperate to get him back, as the team is really floundering to produce on the offensive end without Eric Gordon.

It'll be very interesting to see what the Hornets do at the trade deadline with the club clearly rebuilding, as there are several assets on the roster other competitive teams would likely be very interested in acquiring.

Dirk Nowitzki

Nowitzki is struggling to shoot the ball this season for the Mavericks, and now we might have an explanation as to why that has been the case.

Shooting under 20 percent from behind the three-point line and not finding the bottom of the net as often as he's used to, Nowitzki has recently been wearing a protective sleeve over his knee—the same one that forced him to miss some time last season.

It's possible that Nowitzki can't push off in the same manner he's used to doing, and that may indirectly be impacting his current shooting troubles.

Dwight Howard

It didn't take very long for the Howard-to-Clippers rumor to have buckets of ice water thrown all over it.

After a report on Tuesday that the Magic and Clippers had held "no serious discussions" since prior to the lockout for Howard, the big man made an emphatic statement that shed serious light on the situation.

When asked if he had put the other Los Angeles franchise on his list (in addition to the Lakers), Howard responded with a simple "no."

Considering Magic GM Otis Smith had said that Howard's party didn't inform him that the Clippers had been added to the list, the validity of the initial "rumor" was extremely questionable at best.

Stephen Curry

Curry's ankle is a daily topic of conversation around the league, and it's not going to change until he can prove that the chronic sprains are firmly in the rear-view mirror.

After not playing again on Tuesday, Curry could be looking at another five days until he's cleared to return to the court.

The Warriors are hopeful that he'll be able to come back by Monday, and there is no doubt that his team is eager for him to return given how prolific he can be in his production across the stat sheet.

Paul Pierce

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports had a rather interesting report on Tuesday, stating that opposing teams have begun to call the Celtics and ask if the team is going to blow up the roster in the wake of recent struggles.

Some contending teams have inquired about Paul Pierce's availability, but it's extremely difficult to envision a scenario where the Celtics would contemplate trading the team captain.

He's got two years and approximately $32 million left on his contract after this season, and teams looking to acquire him will almost certainly have to send back a bad contract in return in any deal.

The Celtics have a full roster, and that means any deal the team makes would have to be an even swap of players unless the club chooses to waive Greg Stiemsma.

Considering what he means to the franchise and an inability to get fair value for him on the market, it would be nothing short of shocking to see Pierce playing in a different uniform this year.