If Leon Powe is able to make it back from a torn left ACL and damaged meniscus, he's looking to play for a title contender.

The unrestricted free agent is interested in playing for the Cavaliers and Magic, with Cleveland reportedly first on his list. The Mavericks and Lakers have also inquired about the forward's services.

The most optimistic scenario for Powe would be a return to the court in February

Hakim Warrick has agreed to terms with the Milwaukee Bucks.  The athletic 6-9 Warrick can play both forward spots and figures to log heavy minutes in Milwaukee.

The Cavs and Sixers were also pursuing Warrick.  

The Bucks are nearing the luxury tax threshold but still have the rights to restricted free-agent Ramon Sessions.  The Knicks are reportedly close to offering Sessions some part of their mid-level exception in a multi-year deal.  The Bucks would have 10 days to match.

The Cavaliers are offering free agent forward Hakim Warrick their biannual exception, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

League sources claim that Cleveland has an offer on the table for Warrick and that they are hoping for an answer within the next few days.

The biannual exception is worth just under $2 million, and the Cavaliers are believed to be offering a player option for the 2010-11 season as well.

If Warrick rejects the offer, Cleveland could turn to veteran Joe Smith.

Marc Stein reports that the Knicks are on the verge of making an offer to restricted free-agent Ramon Sessions.
New York has all of its mid-level exception remaining and Donnie Walsh is reportedly prepared to give Sessions a longer-term contract with the aim of forcing the Bucks to let Sessions go.

"One trusted source insists that the Knicks believe they can extend Sessions far enough to dissuade Milwaukee from matching but without affecting their well-chronicled strategy to leave enough salary-cap space to recruit one maximum-salaried free agent in the summer of 2010," writes Stein.

The Bucks are competing with the Cavs and Sixers to sign forward Hakim Warrick.

UPDATE:  On his Twitter page, Andrew Marchand of ESPN Radio in New York writes that Sessions' agent said he plans to talk to the Knicks again on Monday.

On Twitter, Marc Stein writes about the Cavs' pursuit of the unrestricted free-agent Hakim Warrick.  The Bucks are also interested and may devote their resources to signing Warrick rather than matching any offer sheet Ramon Sessions signs with the Knicks.

Stein implies that this free-agent jockeying is prelude to the much-anticipated summer of 2010.

The Bucks have the ability to outbid Cleveland for Warrick if they wish, since the Bucks still have most of their mid-level exception while the Cavs have already signed Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon using almost all of their MLE.

But if the Cavs are able to lure Warrick to Cleveland, the Bucks may consider matching the Knicks' offer sheet, preventing Sessions from landing in New York.

The Cavs have been in talks with both Joe Smith and Rob Kurz, who are very different power forwards.

As of Thursday, Cleveland had not formally offered a contract to either of them.

The NBA is beginning to piece together its 2009-10 schedule and a few marquee matchups are rumored.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that the Cavaliers will host the Celtics on Opening Night, and that the NBA's two most recent MVPs will face off on Christmas.

The league is expected to pit LeBron James and the Cavaliers against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers on Christmas. Last year, Los Angeles battled Boston on the holiday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived guard Tarence Kinsey, the team announced today.

Kinsey originally signed with the team as a free agent on August 1st, 2008. He played in 50 games (three starts) during the 2008-09 season with averages of 2.0 points and 0.8 rebounds in 5.5 minutes per game.  In his three starts, Kinsey averaged 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, and 1.0 steal in 25.6 minutes per game. During the 2009 NBA Playoffs, he saw action in nine games and averaged 0.4 points in 1.2 minutes per game.

Steve Nash believes that Shaquille O'Neal will fit in great with LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

"I think he realizes that he's not in the prime of his career, so to speak," Nash told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Nash played with O'Neal for a little more than a season in Phoenix.

O'Neal is "still a great player, but LeBron is going to be the focal point," the point guard said. "I think he's happy with that. At the same time, he'll get a lot of opportunities to be in the spotlight, and he's great at it."

Nash added that he doesn't think the Suns will trade Amare Stoudemire.

"I don't see him leaving," he added. "I just see him having a phenomenal career and being in Phoenix a long time."

On the air on Tuesday, Marc Stein was asked what the chances are that LeBron James will sign an extension with the Cavs this off-season, removing himself from the free-agent class next summer.

"Zero, there is zero chance he does the extension this summer," Stein responded.

Stein said that James would lose all leverage to put pressure on the Cavs to keep improving the roster if he were to re-sign now.

Stein also said that the Cavs front office is wary of talking about the subject publicly, knowing that the team had to make the offer to James but that it would not be accepted.

Pressed again, Stein was asked if it was a foregone conclusion that James will in fact test free-agency in 2010.

"It's a safe bet, as bold as that sounds," Stein said.