NBA Rumors Roundup: Baron Davis to Knicks, Kobe Bryant to Retire a Laker, More

Kobe Bryant discusses a potential trade, Baron Davis has a new home and Bismack Biyombo is on his way to the United States.

The NBA season is less than a week away, but the trade rumors and free agent market have both still been very active and alive.

There will certainly be player movement right up until the action tips off, and it has been an exciting offseason to monitor the whirlwind of activity that has occurred.

Let's dissect the latest from around the league.

Travis Outlaw

Outlaw was a near certainty to be cut via the amnesty clause, but he didn't even make it through waivers before another club scooped him up.

The Sacramento Kings submitted the winning bid on Outlaw, and the value was reportedly at $3 million per season of his original $7 million annual salary.

The Kings will now have Outlaw on a four-year, $12 million deal, and while that's certainly a valuable contract, the swingman won't be anything more than depth on a very intriguing roster.

Andrei Kirilenko

Kirilenko has been spending time abroad playing professionally for CSKA Moscow, but he's got two offers stateside which could intrigue him to return to the NBA.

The versatile forward was deciding on offers from both Sacramento and New Jersey, but after the Kings nabbed Outlaw, it's unclear if the team is still interested in bringing in Kirilenko as well.

The Nets have been rumored to be in pursuit for the last week, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him end up there with the team's lack of depth, Deron Williams' blessing and a Russian owner at the helm.

Keith Bogans

Bogans was waived by Chicago after the signing of Rip Hamilton became official, and he doesn't seem too happy about being pushed out of the door.

The defensive-minded shooting guard, who played any role the Bulls asked of him last season, was cut loose because his contract was not picked up by the team despite him being slated to make less than $2 million.

Although his presence wasn't always felt in the box score or appreciated by fans looking for an offensive upgrade, he'll definitely find a new home for a team looking to upgrade its toughness in the second unit.

Darrell Arthur

Arthur often gets overlooked in Memphis, but he plays a key role behind Zach Randolph as his reserve and a really good energy guy in the reserve group.

Now, there's a fear that he might miss the entire campaign due to an Achilles injury, and that would be a significant blow to the depth of the Grizzlies squad.

If he is forced to the sideline, expect this team to pursue a backup big man very shortly, as there is a serious issue behind Randolph and Marc Gasol at this time.

Gilbert Arenas

Arenas went unclaimed on secondary waivers after he was given the boot out of Orlando via the amnesty clause, and now, he's an unrestricted free agent who can choose his next destination.

He prefers to play for the Lakers, Knicks, Heat or whatever team trades for Dwight Howard, but there may not be a mutual interest.

New York has no need for another veteran point guard, Miami has an intriguing rookie in Norris Cole to pair with Mario Chalmers and Los Angeles is "hesitant" to explore the opportunity.

Kenyon Martin

Martin signed for the season in China to play for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, but he hasn't exactly provided the type of value the franchise was hoping he would.

The team is now considering a roster shakeup, and that would include the release of the NBA veteran, but that wouldn't automatically mean he'd be ready to return to the league.

The big man would need a letter of clearance from FIBA in order to come back and be an unrestricted free agent, and if that were to happen, there's no question he'd instantly appeal to a number of teams desperate for size under the basket.

Bismack Biyombo

There was some concern about Biyombo being ineligible to play for the Bobcats this season, as he was having a contract dispute with his Spanish club, but now, he's on his way to Charlotte.

The two parties reached an agreement on a settlement which will allow Biyombo to come to the NBA this season, and the Bobcats, a team desperate for big men, have to be thrilled with the outcome.

After missing the first week of training camp and the start of the season around the corner, Biyombo will have to learn on the fly, but he's a good candidate to accrue playing time before too long.

Nick Young

Young had a tough time finding the multi-year contract offer he was looking for as a restricted free agent, and he's decided to enter the open market once again in 2012.

The scorer will sign the one-year qualifying contract offer the Wizards extended to him, and that will make him an unrestricted free agent next offseason when teams have far more cap space available.

If he was really looking for around $9 million per season in negotiations with the team, it could be another long offseason next time around for a player who needs to develop a much more well-rounded attack.

Pau Gasol

Gasol was at the epicenter of the failed Chris Paul trade, but now, it doesn't appear as if the Lakers will be looking to move him.

The chances of the franchise moving him are now "slim," which makes a lot of sense following the trade of Lamar Odom, as the team doesn't have the front court depth it previously posted.

Although last season's playoffs ended on a rather sour note for Gasol, he'll look to bounce back and show the rest of the league that nobody should sleep on him moving forward.

Baron Davis

Davis was shown the door in Cleveland after the team chose to use its amnesty clause on him, and the decision was likely made easier for the Cavs after he was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back.

There have been varying timetables in his road to recovery, and we have seen anywhere from two to 10 weeks being listed for him to return to the court.

Despite the injury, the Knicks have agreed to a deal for the $2.5 million exception to bring him aboard, and the club will hope his health gets in order very quickly, as there is a need for help at the point guard position.

Kobe Bryant

There has been wild speculation that Bryant would request a trade out of Los Angeles this season, but it doesn't sound like he's interested in that scenario.

In an extended interview, Bryant categorically denied any interest in being traded and said that he'd like to finish his career where it started—in Los Angeles with the Lakers.

Bryant called the ability to spend his entire career with the same team "special," noting how rarely it is done in the modern era.