Dallas, Chicago, Cleveland and the Lakers all made last-ditch efforts to acquire Kevin Garnett before losing out to Boston.

The Knicks were told last month that they didn?t have the assets to land Garnett, which has to be a bitter pill for Isiah Thomas to swallow.

The Cleveland Cavaliers filed a federal lawsuit against Ticketmaster Inc. on Monday, accusing the broker of acting as a monopoly.

The Cavaliers allege in the lawsuit that Ticketmaster is trying to prevent the team's Flash Seats secondary-ticketing Web site from competing with the ticketing giant.

Flash Seats provides season ticket holders a way to sell and transfer seats electronically -- a system that is superior to Ticketmaster's TeamExchange program, the lawsuit says.

"Ticketmaster is using its market power to exclude competition and inhibit innovation," said Sam Gerace, chief executive officer of Flash Seats. "I can only conclude they're threatened by Flash Seats."

Charles Oakley thinks about a comeback ? his 6-foot-9 frame looks in better shape than the day he left Toronto in 2002 ? but only under the right circumstances. Toronto would be nice, but so would Dallas, Miami, Cleveland or New York, as long as the price is right.

"I'm not coming back cheap," he said. "If you read this article and you think you can get me cheap, there's another thought coming."

According to HoopsWorld, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors have recently had discussions about a possible Drew Gooden trade.

Moving Gooden would give the Cavaliers the opportunity to re-sign free agents Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic and still have breathing room under the salary cap.  

If Golden State uses the exception created from the Jason Richardson trade on draft night to absorb Gooden's salary, Cleveland would not have to take back any salary, meaning both teams win in the trade.

After three years, the NBA and ABC concluded the novelty has worn off Shaq vs. Kobe/Heat vs. Lakers on Christmas. Instead, word is the NBA will have the Heat play in Cleveland on Christmas, creating a Dwyane Wade vs. LeBron James matchup.

Though the schedule circulating is tentative, Heat-Cavs is expected to be one of two ABC games that day, a league source said. Miami is tentatively set to open at home against Detroit on November 1st.

Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, including the go-ahead jumper with 6.6 seconds left, to lead the blue team to a 105-104 victory over the white Sunday as the United States closed its weekend minicamp with an intrasquad game.

Five months after he was the MVP of the All-Star game here, Bryant took over down the stretch in his long-awaited first game in a USA jersey. He scored seven points in the final 2 minutes, including a 3-pointer over LeBron James that tied the game at 101 after the blue trailed by double digits earlier in the fourth quarter.

"That was probably better than the All-Star game," point guard Jason Kidd said.

Bryant also forced James into a tough shot at the buzzer that missed.

"Today everybody got a chance to see what we've been going through in practice for the last couple of days," Bryant said. "It was just extremely competitive, everybody still having a good time and enjoying themselves but really going at each other."

The Cavs have little interest in small free-agent guards such as Brevin Knight or Earl Boykins. The Mike Bibby deal appears to be dead, especially after the Sacramento Kings signed Mikki Moore. They wanted Drew Gooden to help inside. Moore gives them the added size.

Golden State restricted free agent Mickael Pietrus has an interest in joining the Mavs, a deal that would likely require a sign-and-trade deal, his agent, Happy Walters, said.

Walters said the Mavs are one of four teams in discussions about the 6-foot-6 swingman, who has spent all four years of his career with the Warriors.

He's seeking the full mid-level exception of $5.36 million, Walters said. Cleveland and Miami are also reportedly interested.

LeBron James will host the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live."

"It's nice to get people who aren't in show business to host," "SNL" producer Steve Higgins told Daily Variety. "Sports stars tend to be less frightened because they are used to performing in a live setting."

With James, who took the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals this year, "SNL" hopes to reprise the successful perf of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who hosted the show last season.

Mickael Pietrus said Tuesday that the Warriors have neither actively engaged his agents about a new multiyear contract nor pursued several sign-and-trade scenarios that other clubs have broached.

"I'm just a little disappointed that the Golden State Warriors haven't seriously discussed keeping me in Oakland while other teams" are interested, Pietrus said from his island home in Guadeloupe.

"Others teams, Miami, Cleveland, Dallas, they've been asking about a sign-and-trade that could be interesting for me, so I'm just waiting," said Pietrus, who didn't hide his affection for the trio of teams.

Part of the issue, however, is that the Heat, Cavaliers and Mavericks are all toeing the luxury-tax line, so it's unlikely they would sign Pietrus outright with all or part of their midlevel exception and have his salary effectively doubled through tax penalties.

"They've been talking to my agent ... but the thing is, they haven't discussed if they want me, if I'm a part of the future. I like coach Don Nelson, I like Chris Mullin, but right now, their decision seems to be holding me back."