NBA Rumors Roundup: Chris Paul to Clippers on Last Legs, Dwight Howard Waffling

Chris Paul and Dwight Howard are dominating trade rumors around the NBA, and the league is seeing a flurry of activity during the free-agency period.

Much of the attention has been fixated on the superstars who may both be on the move, but so far neither has seen a resolution in the quest to join a new team.

There are a number of players still on the open market looking for a team to sign with, and the possibilities continue to flow in at unforeseen rates.

Jamal Crawford

Despite New York not having a ton of money left to allocate in free agency this season, that hasn't caused the team to give up in its pursuit of Crawford.

The Knicks reportedly met with the scorer on Monday in hopes of convincing him to accept the $2.5 million exception, but the veteran would be settling for a major pay decrease from previous seasons.

It would be rather surprising if Crawford is unable to score a multi-year deal at a much higher salary, but stranger things have certainly happened.

Kwame Brown

Brown's name was kicked around for several clubs as a cheap big man off the bench, but he hasn't been able to find a new contract just yet.

Since Golden State lost out on both Tyson Chandler and DeAndre Jordan, the Warriors now may take a look at Brown, as the team desperately needs help behind Andris Biedrins before the season begins.

It's a rather uninspiring move after some fans got excited about the possibility of the other two mentioned above, but the Warriors have to act fast in order to acquire some depth.

Ronnie Price

Price didn't see a lot of playing time during his time with Utah, and after the Jazz re-signed veteran backup Earl Watson, there isn't much of an opportunity for Price to play.

He'll reportedly sign a one-year deal in Phoenix to join the Suns, and he'll serve as a backup point guard behind Steve Nash.

After the team lost Aaron Brooks to China for the season, the club has brought in both Price and Sebastian Telfair to complement Zabian Dowdell as reserve options on the roster.

Arron Afflalo

Where is all the love for Afflalo? One of the best free agents on the open market this offseason is still without a job, and it's remarkable that no deal has been reached thus far.

Because he's a restricted free agent, Afflalo's appeal is slightly lower for some interested clubs because Denver will have the ability to match any offer.

The Nuggets are reportedly waiting for a resolution on Nene before turning attention to Afflalo, but with less than two weeks until the regular season, we should hear more on this front before long.

Chauncey Billups

Despite warnings that no team should claim him off of secondary waivers after the Knicks chose to use the amnesty provision on him, the Clippers stepped up to the plate and did exactly that.

Not only did Los Angeles nab him in order to make him a piece of the puzzle this season, but the team would also be open to discussing an extension with him at some point during the year.

With a chance to play with an improving young nucleus of players and an opportunity to be more than a mentor, Billups should make for a very nice addition for the roster.

Rudy Fernandez

Fernandez just can't seem to make up his mind about whether or not he wants to remain in the NBA, and the waffling has already begun for the sharpshooter.

After being dealt to the Mavericks during the 2011 draft, Fernandez will reportedly ask for a buyout of his deal in order to remain in Europe and continue playing with Real Madrid.

During the lockout, Fernandez signed a multi-year contract with the team overseas, and it appears he doesn't have much interest in leaving his teammates at this time.

Delonte West

One of the more intriguing options in free agency, there was a lot of speculation about where West might wind up after spending last season with the Celtics.

It was a bit of a surprise when his choice was revealed to be the Dallas Mavericks, but it's a quality depth signing for Mark Cuban's club, which now boasts an incredible amount of depth in the second unit.

West's addition, along with the signing of Vince Carter and the trade for Lamar Odom, shows that the Mavs are attempting to get creative in the wake of losing Tyson Chandler to the Knicks.

Carl Landry

Landry is a tough-as-nails forward who should have found a home already, but he's another player who will likely have to wait for Nene to make his decision before signing with a team.

Although he hasn't ruled out a return to New Orleans, Landry did say that both New Jersey and Portland were also interested in his services, so it doesn't appear he's leaning one particular way at this time.

All three teams have a definitive role for Landry if he came aboard, although the Nets and Hornets have a much more pressing need at power forward and could offer him a bigger role than the Trail Blazers.

Andrei Kirilenko

Kirilenko still hasn't made up his mind about whether he'll continue his career in Russia or return to the NBA this season, but that doesn't indicate a shortage of interest in him stateside.

The Sacramento Kings have shown interest in him, and AK-47 would "seriously consider" joining the Kings if the club made an offer to his liking.

If he did join the attack, the Kings would suddenly boast a rather versatile and deep front line, and his versatility would allow Paul Westphal to deplore some very unorthodox lineups.

Marc Gasol

Although it was reported that the Rockets were preparing an offer sheet for Gasol, Houston never had a realistic shot at landing the restricted free agent.

The Grizzlies have been adamant throughout the offseason that the team would match any offer on Gasol, and there was just no way he was going to a new team considering how integral he is to what Memphis does at both ends of the floor.

The big man officially agreed to a four-year contract with the team. This was a move that had to be done considering all of the pieces Memphis already has in place around him.

Dwight Howard

What in the world is going on with Dwight Howard?

After formally requesting a trade out of Orlando, the big man softened on his stance, stating that he'd be willing to stay with the Magic if changes were made, but we've heard this from him before.

Howard alluded to the idea that he wanted to see the roster improved around him before the lockout began, and he's been wanting the team to listen to his voice in personnel matters.

Some Magic fans remain hopeful that Howard will stay and the team can build a roster around him, but GM Otis Smith would have to get beyond creative to land another star on the roster.

There was a report that the Nets would move on from pursuing a trade for Howard if it isn't resolved by the end of the week, but that may not be the case.

Chris Paul

Commissioner David Stern has caused an absolute nightmare for Chris Paul.

After vetoing a trade that would have sent him to the Lakers, the NBA made a potential trade with the Clippers absolutely unreasonable, asking for all of Los Angeles' assets in return.

Although the Clippers presented an offer more than fair, the NBA countered with a ridiculously steep price that would have stripped the team of four players and an unprotected first-round draft pick in 2012.

The NBA has spun it to look like the Clippers walked away from the negotiating table, but the team probably would have never done that if the league showed a willingness to be reasonable at any point in the conversations.