NBA notebook: Spurs will listen to Leonard offers

Leonard and the Spurs are reportedly at odds, and a meeting with coach Gregg
Popovich days after reports of Leonard's trade demand sparked speculation that
a deal could be imminent. This season, Leonard played in just nine games,
averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

However, ESPN reported Thursday that the Spurs will not be contacting teams
regarding trade scenarios. Instead, Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford
are fielding calls from teams making proposals to acquire Leonard.

According to ESPN and Yahoo, the Los Angeles Lakers contacted the Spurs, but
the conversation was brief and no players were discussed.

--Dwight Howard isn't interested in playing for the Brooklyn Nets, and the two
sides have agreed to work toward a buyout allowing Howard to become a free
agent.

The Nets agreed to acquire Howard from the Charlotte Hornets earlier this
week, a deal that doesn't become official until the NBA moratorium on
offseason transactions is lifted on July 6. In the trade, the Nets would send
Timofey Mozgov to the Hornets.

But that didn't stop Howard from expressing his wishes to receive a buyout. He
has one year and $23.8 million remaining on his current contract.

--Guard Austin Rivers will exercise his $12.6 million player option to return
to the Los Angeles Clippers next season, according to multiple media reports.

The decision to opt in means that Rivers will bypass an opportunity to test
the free agent market this summer. Instead, the 25-year-old will return to Los
Angeles to play his fourth full season with his father, Doc Rivers, as head
coach.

Last season, Rivers averaged career bests with 15.1 points, 4.0 assists and
1.2 steals per game in 61 contests (59 starts). He shot 42.4 percent from the
field and 37.8 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

--Field Level Media