Ken Berger

The NBA’s free-agent negotiating period opened with a flurry at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, with teams positioning themselves for what figures to be a hectic and unpredictable summer unlike any other. The Portland Trail Blazers came out determined to pull off the first impact move, making a strong push to sign Hedo Turkoglu, the prized free agent of the summer, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

While Portland had been expected to prioritize an upgrade at point guard by making a run at Andre Miller, the league source said Portland came out of the gate at 12:01 a.m. trying to lure Turkoglu with a $50-million deal. After acquiring Vince Carter from the Nets to hedge against Turkoglu’s departure, the Magic are not expected to be a factor in a discussion that begins in the $10 million-per-year range.

UPDATE: Several team executives confirmed the Blazers' interest in Turkoglu on Wednesday. But one agent who has been in discussion with numerous teams about free agents said Portland officials insist that the talks are in the formative stages.
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Not one to be discouraged by the damaged economy and lack of top-shelf talent, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban traveled to New York to be the first to meet with free agent Jason Kidd – pre-empting the Knicks’ plans to lure Kidd back to the New York area, where he could be close to his children and play for Mike D’Antoni, whose wide-open offensive style suits him.
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Team executives widely believed that Ben Gordon would quickly agree to terms with Detroit, a move that would almost certainly require other moves to create a spot for the Bulls’ shooting guard. The Pistons just endured a 39-win season and first-round playoff sweep, in large part due to the three-headed backcourt of Rodney Stuckey, Richard Hamilton, and Allen Iverson. The fallout led to coach Michael Curry’s sudden and unexpected firing Tuesday, with Doug Collins and former Mavs coach Avery Johnson emerging as the front-runners to replace him. A high-level coaching source told CBSSports.com that the job appeared to be Collins’ to lose.

UPDATE: The Pistons believe they can land both Gordon and Charlie Villanueva and are making their pitch on the first day of free agency, two people familiar with the situation confirmed.
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Rasheed Wallace’s camp was expecting calls early Wednesday from the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Spurs, among others. Kevin Garnett, a league source confirmed, was working behind the scenes to recruit ‘Sheed to Boston. Wallace’s attitude – which obviously can be both good and bad – and his ability to stretch the front court would be assets to the Cavs in their quest to fortify their pre-draft acquisition of Shaquille O’Neal. Wallace will have to factor in whether anyone comes forward with more than the mid-level exception. He also is said to be wary of the strong egos in the Boston locker room, not to mention the fact that the Rajon Rondo situation needs to be resolved. The Celtics cleared a spot for Wallace by not extending a qualifying offer to power forward Leon Powe, who is coming off major knee surgery and became an unrestricted free agent.
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The Nuggets also have long coveted Wallace, who nearly went to Denver before the team acquired Kenyon Martin in 2004. But according to a person familiar with the discussions, the Nuggets were meeting with Portland restricted free agent Channing Frye as the clock struck midnight ET. Nobody does more with less than the Nuggets, who would benefit from Frye’s pick-and-pop ability without breaking the bank.
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Villanueva, who became an unrestricted free agent after Milwaukee decided not to tender him a qualifying offer, looks like a fallback option for Cleveland. The Spurs also are considering Antonio McDyess.
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The defending champion Lakers intend to make every effort to re-sign unrestricted free agents Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza. They got welcome news from Finals MVP Kobe Bryant, who did not exercise his early termination option and will likely entertain an extension with the Lakers this summer, a high-ranking league source told CBSSports.com. That means that Bryant, who only last summer made noise about wanting out of L.A., would be giving up any leverage he had this summer or next – when he has a player option – to influence the direction of the team, including who succeeds Phil Jackson whenever he retires.
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The Rockets, stung by devastating news that Yao Ming could miss all of the 2009-10 season – or longer – with a broken foot, went to work immediately on their Yao-less contingency plan. GM Daryl Morey announced on his Twitter account that he was meeting with Orlando restricted free-agent center Marcin Gortat and urged Houston fans to send an email to rocketsfanslovegortat@gmail.com to help his recruiting efforts.
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Carlos Boozer’s decision not to opt out of his $12.7 million contract for next season gave more leverage to other free-agent power forwards, including his teammate, restricted free agent Paul Millsap. The Knicks’ David Lee was expecting calls from the three teams with the most cap space for a straight-up signing – Detroit, Oklahoma City, and Memphis – and figured to generate sign-and-trade talks among the likes of Chicago, Toronto, Golden State, Miami, and Dallas.

UPDATE: Lee's camp spoke with numerous teams after the negotiating period began at 12:01 a.m. Oklahoma City and Lee's current team, the Knicks -- who have matching rights as Lee is a restricted free agent -- were among them, according to a source. Lee's situation is expected to unfold over the next 48-72 hours, and a key aspect is how the Knicks decide to proceed with their eyes still firmly on a plan to clear significant cap space for next summer's free agent bounty.